B. Travis Wright and his wife, Kate Wright, have entwined their own love story with the stories of the place they love: Rollins Pass. Their 2022 book, Rollins Pass: Past and Present follows a 2018 publication, Rollins Pass: Images of America.
Wright writes: “While our two books cover the same core topics of Rollins Pass and the Moffat Tunnel, the 2022 book is not a republication of our 2018 work—in fact, there’s very little that’s duplicated between the two books. Our 2022 book discusses completely new details and information about Rollins Pass that transpired in the four years between publications.
“The 2022 work has never-before-published and extraordinarily rare imagery meticulously restored from the originals….While our first book involved two dozen people, our second book involved the efforts of more than six dozen experts to help tell this area’s vast story.”
The Wrights are recognized as experts on Rollins Pass as a result of spending much of their time in the area. They have explored, researched, assisted archeologists, and partnered with federal agencies including the U.S. Forest Service. They actively advocate for the preservation of this endangered historic site through public speaking, writing, and involving local, state, and federal politicians.
“For us,” Travis writes, “the story of Rollins Pass is interwoven with the story of who we are and encapsulates our excitement for all things related to this resplendent place: our Rollins Passion… our families have vacationed, hiked, and fished on and near the pass…it’s where we spend at least four days a week each summer and early autumn; it’s where we snowmobile each weekend in winter; it’s where we fell in love – where Travis proposed to Kate on one knee – it’s the place where we were married and where we honeymooned….Rollins Pass forms the backdrop for our high-altitude love story and is part of the enduring tapestry that we’ve written about in our books.”
They received an Archeology and Historic Preservation award in 2018 “for contributions to local history and historic preservation in Boulder County.” In June, 2022, B. Travis Wright was recognized and celebrated with a State Honor Award for excellence in historic preservation and preservation leadership. There are other acknowledgements and awards too many to list; for more information see https://www.preserverollinspass.org/.
Travis is a preservation commissioner and Vice Chair of the Gilpin County Historic Preservation Commission. One of the accomplishments of the Commission during his tenure has been the announcement by Colorado Preservation, Inc., that the five remaining cabins at the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel are one of Colorado’s “Most Endangered Sites” for 2020. Travis was interviewed and featured within the documentary about this effort.
Travis also sits on the board of the Grand County Historical Association.
For the book launch of Rollins Pass, the Wrights presented “Rollins Pass: Through the Lens of Time” to an audience of more than 200. This included a screening of The White Desert, a rare 1925 silent film, shot at the top of Rollins Pass in 1922.
When not hiking Rollins Pass, Kate works as a technologist enabling mobile app engagement and communications. She enjoys cooking, traveling, and, unsurprisingly, “summer days filled with hiking and photography.”
Travis is an information security and reliability expert, currently leading a Denver-based Managed Service Provider (MSP) as Chief Information Officer. He’s also an FAA-certified commercial drone pilot, enjoying aerial photography and videography.
In winter, they both enjoy playing hockey and snowshoeing.
Find the book for sale here: https:// www.preserverollinspass.org/publications/rollins-pass-2022/
