August 18, 2025
For Immediate Release
Contact: Judith Briles
Judith@Briles.com
303-885-2207
Colorado Hiking Guide Pioneer Mary Ellen Gilliland to be Inducted into the Colorado Author's Hall of Fame in September
Denver, CO, August 18, 2025 – The Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame has announced the 13 new Inductees to this year's Hall of Fame Dinner Gala taking place on Saturday September 6, 2025 at the DoubleTree Hilton Denver Tech Center.
Among the Inductees is Mary Ellen Gilliland, a pioneer in independent publishing, visionary of Alpenrose Press, a boutique high country publishing company. She has authored 18 nonfiction books and hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles. Her three bestselling Colorado titles, Summit: A Gold Rush History of Summit County, Colorado, The Summit Hiker, and The Vail Hiker, were reprinted multiple times and sold more than 300,000 copies.
Gilliland collaborated with legendary Denver Post editorial cartoonist Mike Keefe, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011, to infuse adventure and humor into the covers of The Summit Hiker and The Vail Hiker. She established strong relationships with mountain and Front Range booksellers and outdoor retailers, building a book distribution network for Alpenrose Press. Her books offered insights into Colorado history and expanded access to outdoor opportunities for residents and visitors from around the world.
Mary Ellen Gilliland and 12 others will be inducted into the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame on September 6. Tickets are open to the public to purchase to attend the dinner gala at www.ColoradoAuthorsHallofFame.org.
About Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame®
Authors' Hall of Fame® strives to educate the people of Colorado and the country about the stories of the authors who shaped their works using their personal presence and the environment of our State with courage, leadership, intelligence, compassion, and creativity. Inductees are authors who've made a major impact on others with their words. The Authors' Hall of Fame® recognition endeavors to ensure their legacies never die.
The 2025 Induction of the Hall of Fame® will be held September 6th at the DoubleTree Hilton Denver Tech Center. Additional information about the upcoming Induction event, inductees, donations, events, and board members is available at www.ColoradoAuthorsHallofFame.org
The public is invited to visit the website, read the criteria for nominations, and encouraged to nominate authors who they believe would be ideal to include in the next Induction 2027 celebration.
Press inquiries: Judith Briles, CEO at Judith@Briles.com or 303-885-2207.
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