October 19, 2006
How Mt Mahler Came to Be
by Chris Mohr, composer, with help from Bob Michael, consulting geologist

On Wednesday, October 18 at 5:40 pm Mountain Daylight Time, the U.S. Board On Geographic Names voted unanimously to name a magnificent 12,493' Colorado peak just northwest of Rocky Mountain National Park "Mount Mahler." The vote was the fruition of a lifelong struggle, which began when geologist Bob Michael climbed the unnamed peak in May of 1968: "a most handsome and worthy summit in a truly spectacular setting. Worthy, indeed, to bear the name of Gustav Mahler."

Western mountains bear the names of politicians, generals, artists, scientists, ministers, men of letters and even prostitutes. However, we know of no other mountain in the U.S. named for a composer. But there are passages in MahlerÕs music that, more than those of any other composer, capture the essence of the high mountain experience, with its boundless joy and, yes, its occasional terror. In his youth, Mahler was an avid hiker and mountaineer in the Austrian Alps, and, in his later years, escaped Vienna almost every summer for a mountain cottage to find inspiration for his work. There is a famous little story about Mahler welcoming his guest, the young Bruno Walter, to his summer digs in the Alps. As Walter, perhaps for the first time in his life, looked with awe and wonder at the towering crags, Mahler offhandedly proclaimed, "You need not look. I have composed it all already." HeÕs right: the first movement of the First Symphony is the next-best thing to hiking knee-deep in wildflowers in an alpine meadow. I first heard this music almost fourty years ago and I never tire of it; it still sends shivers of pleasure through me. And the first movement of the Ninth Symphony perfectly conveys that sense of beholding the Silent Infinite that, if one is lucky, one feels a few times atop a peak. No one could ever put that feeling into words, but Mahler has done it with sound.

In 1969, Bob wrote to the Board on Geographic Names in Washington, formally proposing the naming of this peak. He received a letter thanking him for his interest, but denying the proposal, saying, "We can find no connection between Mr. Mahler and this mountain."

I met Bob in 1979, when I was teaching a classical music history class. We became close friends, bonded by our love of great music and great mountains. When he told me about his attempt to name a mountain after one of my favorite composers, I asked if we could climb it together. A few other friends joined us. One of us lugged a clumsy tape recorder to the summit so we could listen to a Mahler symphony while beholding some 20,000 square miles of high-country beauty.

In 1980 I decided a Mt. Mahler drive was worth a second try. Outside of Aspen, Colorado, I discovered an unnamed 13,500' peak with glorious views of the Maroon Bells and Snowmass Mountain neighboring the world-renowned Aspen Music Festival. The entire city of Aspen joined in a massive petition drive. I got signatures from every member of the Board of Directors of the Aspen Music Festival, as well as the Mayor and the entire City Council of the City of Aspen. 1000 other people signed the petition as well. But once again our plans were foiled, and our request denied.

Then, in October of 2003, Bob and I were looking at commercial hiking maps for possible peaks for us to climb together. Suddenly, Bob noticed an old friend. There, in the northwest corner of Rocky Mountain Park, was Mt. Mahler, labeled right on the map! I called Stan Ruttenberg of the Colorado MahlerFest, and he led me to an official 1987 United States Geological Survey Rocky Mountain National Park map with the name. How could this have happened? We still have no idea. Who was this rogue cartographer who slyly put the name Mt. Mahler on semi-official USGS maps and kept it under the radar screen for an entire generation?

Naming a mountain officially is not easy. On our third round I started with the help of The Board of Directors of MahlerFest and 950 MahlerFest patrons who graciously signed my petition, and Mahler Societies and scholars from all over the world. Several MahlerFest patrons and Board members joined me us on a challenging Labor Day ascent of Mt Mahler. After getting international support from fellow Mahlerites, I branched out to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, Senator Ken Salazar, U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette, John Salazar and Mark Udall, The New York Philharmonic (which acknowledged an incalculable artistic debt to our beloved composer/conductor), mountaineering author Jerry Roach, the Colorado Mountain Club, the Colorado Board on Historic Names, and the Colorado Division of the USDA Forest Service. All sent me letters of approval. It took three years and a lot of persistence and politicking to collect all these letters.

Finally, On October 18, 2006, Mahler history was made when the US Board On Geographic Names, on a rare visit to Boulder Colorado, added Mt. Mahler to its agenda. The Secretary reminded the rest of the Board that naming peaks in wilderness areas was generally against Board policy. There was clear displeasure that the name had appeared on government maps even after they had rejected the Mt Mahler request twice before. One Board member even opined that he hated MahlerÕs music! But then suddenly at 5:39 pm the clouds parted: a Board member moved that they approve the naming of Mt Mahler. The motion was immediately seconded and at 5:40 pm all twelve Board members raised their hands and said, "Aye!"

Chris MohrÕs music drama From The Realm Of The Shadow is available on Naxos Records. He has hiked up 650 peaks, including two ascents of Mt. Mahler. Bob Michael is a consulting geologist who has summited over 2000 peaks in his life. Bob and Chris will probably be offering a lecture on this subject during the MahlerFest weekend this January in Boulder.