May 31, 2023

Source: CPR News

Excerpt: 

Denver resident Michelle Leonard had a contented smile as she strolled around Evergreen Lake earlier this month. It was her first trip to the mountains in four years. 

“The breeze, the space,” she sighed. “It’s nice to be out here.” 

Leonard, 61, grew up visiting the mountains west of Denver, hiking with family and camping with Girl Scouts. Later, she’d bring her kids up for excursions too. 

But for the last eight years, her ability to get to the high country has been greatly diminished. The reason: Her car was totaled and she couldn’t afford to replace it. (More recently, after learning more about the environmental impact of cars, she doesn’t want to. And her multiple sclerosis makes it difficult to drive too.)

“It’s impermanent,” she said of one’s ability to drive. “I never imagined myself being without a car, so I never thought of what it would be like to not be able to get places.”

Read more: Why isn’t there public transportation to Denver’s mountain parks?