Services for naturalist and author Kent Dannen set

Story by Patti Brown

After a family member made a report for a wellness check to local authorities on Jan. 21, the body of naturalist, author, and award-winning photographer Kent Dannen was found half a mile from his home on Big Owl Road in Allenspark by a search and rescue team on Jan. 23.

He was the author of more than a dozen hiking and outdoor books including several FalconGuides about hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Dannen’s sister, Debbie Lanham says the exact cause of her brother’s death may never be known but he had recently had a fall and may have experienced another one while out on a hike, something he continued to do almost daily. Dannen was in good health, according to Lanham, but had not been heard from for five days, which prompted the request for help. He was 78.

Dannen grew up in St. Joseph, Mo. When he was a boy, his family vacationed yearly at the YMCA of the Rockies. “My dad’s dad was coming out here when it was still a teaching camp for Y staff,” said Lanham explaining the family’s history in the area. “So really it goes back a long way with the Y.”

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