DAVID RUTHERFORD

Colorado Highland Tours came to be because David and his wife Pearl took a guided tour in the Highlands of Scotland. (David is a ‘Rutherford’ after all, with a drop or two of blood from Mary, Queen of Scots in his veins!) As their tour guide was showing them the sights with a deep love and devotion to Scotland’s history and beauty, Pearl turned to David and said, “He’s doing just what you do, you know.” She was right, of course, and the idea of Colorado Highland tours was planted. But here’s why it could happen in the first place.

David has always loved the views from the mountaintops. He grew up in Grand Lake (a destination on many of our Colorado Highland Tours), spending as much time as possible above timberline. He worked on trail crew for Rocky Mountain National Park when he was in high school, grooming trails like the one to Mt. Ida where you see him pictured here.

Besides his own high country experiences, there is a lot of Colorado history in David’s family. His dad, aunt and uncles were born and raised in Georgetown. His grandfather, William I. Rutherford, was a mountaineer, miner, horseman, and foreman for the Civilian Conservation Corps. One of his great contributions to Colorado’s landscape was that he (along with two of David’s uncles) built the trail to the top of Mount Evans (also a stop on our tours). The Rutherford family history is recounted in a wonderful book written by David’s aunt Jean Duaine, called The Colorado Whoopenhollers.

David believes in the importance of teaching the traditions of mountain living to young people, since he learned so much from his dad. So David took his own children out for hikes and backpacking trips in the Rocky Mountains. He and his son Evan (also pictured at left) try to get out together at least once a year.

Most of his life has been dedicated to music. David is a professional musician as a conductor and bassist, and has spent the last 14 years as an on-air personality for Colorado Public Radio’s classical station. He actually holds two degrees in music.

And then there’s the part of him that knows the beauty and majesty of Colorado’s high country. Whenever someone comes to visit, or an international touring artist is in Denver to perform, David tries to find a way to show them what makes Colorado so special. Cities are everywhere in the world, and Denver certainly has its charm, but the Colorado Rockies are not to be missed, and they live large in David’s heart.

CHRIS MCKRILL

Chris is one of those people who realized what he was missing, and came to the Promised Land (Colorado). He grew up in northeast Ohio with a love for the outdoors, and especially for skiing. But he knew his local ski hill was just that - a hill. Especially when compared to the massive and plentiful ski areas in Colorado. So Chris moved to Colorado to finish his degree in Business Administration and Marketing at Colorado Christian University.

He has always loved the outdoors and fell in love with Colorado after his first descent down Mary Jane at Winter Park (yes, another destination on our tours). His young family is just getting to know the endless possibilities the mountains of Colorado offer all year round.

Chris is an IT Consultant by profession and his years of expertise are indispensable as he manages the back end systems of Colorado Highland Tours to ensure customer satisfaction. If Chris isn't online working, he is raising his family alongside his wife Jessica and his three young children.