George K.K. Link

George K.K. Link was a professor of botany at the University of Chicago and is closely associated with the Lake O'Hara area. Together with his wife Adeline he visited the area in 1928 and they became enthralled. They took it upon themselves to design and build new trails and through the careful thought that they devoted to this, to help visitors to derive the pleasure that they themselves obtained from the area. Link took great pleasure in drawing maps of the area and studying all aspects of the natural history. During World War II the lodge at Lake O'Hara was closed but somehow the Links obtained permission to stay in the staff house behind the main lodge while they built the trail around the lake that, following Adeline's death in the fall of 1943, was named after her. Dr. Link visited Lake O'Hara for fifty consecutive years, his last trip being in 1977. He continued his cartography and studies of the Lake O';Hara area throughout this entire half century. His vision, planning, and effort played a significant role in making the area the wonderful hiking experience that it remains.