Kent Dannen has guided hikers over the trails of Rocky Mountain National Park and Indian Peaks for more than thirty years. He began his professional guiding activities as a hike master and naturalist for the YMCA of the Rockies and has led hundreds of hikes covering thousands of miles. He is a former contributing editor of Backpacker Magazine and freelances as a writer-photographer. He is the recipient of the US Department of Agriculture Certificate of Appreciation for his outstanding volunteer services in developing educational materials that help manage and protect the Indian Peaks Wilderness. He has written three other guide books, Short hikes in Rock Mountain National Park, Best Easy Day Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park, and Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. He lives in Allenspark, Colorado.