News Releases
Kathryn Miller Hess
We have lost one of our great friends and colleagues this March. Kathryn passed away Tuesday, March 17, 2009, days after sustaining a head injury while skiing. She was on duty as a ski patroller at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort at the time of her accident.
Kathryn fell while skiing Spacewalk Couloir, just south of the resort boundary on March 13. She hit her head on rocks and tumbled to the bottom of the chute. The other patroller skiing with her, Kevin Maloney, radioed in the injury and she was quickly evacuated first by the ski patrol to the base, then via a medical helicopter to a hospital in Idaho Falls.
Kathryn was an accomplished mountaineer and skier. She experienced all types of climbing, from sunny day cragging to multi-week trips in remote ranges. A tough woman, she thrived on long painful slogs in atrocious weather to gain hard fought summits! In addition to many climbing adventures in the American West, she climbed in the Alaska Range and guided Denali. She travelled to Nepal and Tibet, where she summited Cho Oyu, the sixth highest peak in the world, with Georgie Stanley and Amy Bullard on an all women's expedition in 1999. It was the first 8000 meter peak to be climbed by an American women's team without the aid of Sherpas or oxygen. Georgie says she was the strongest climber on summit day. No matter where she was climbing, she was always having a good time.
A long-time, dedicated outdoor educator, Kathryn worked for several organizations over the years, including JHMG and NOLS. She bought into the Jackson Hole Mountain Guides ownership in 1999 with then husband Rob Hess; she was an integral part of the company both in the field and behind the scenes until she sold her shares in 2005. She started the JHMG Moab canyoneering program after this, when she decided to spend the spring and fall seasons in the desert. She continued to work for JHMG in the summer through this past year, guiding Gannett and Granite Peak trips, Grand Teton climbs, and climbing classes with teens, among other things.
Kathryn worked winters as a ski patroller, a job she really loved. For many years she was also an active member of Teton County Search and Rescue. She lived on both sides of Teton Pass, and most recently owned a home in Driggs, Idaho. She was in the process of finishing her small but completely charming house in Castle Valley, Utah.
Kathryn was known for her fiery, friendly spirit. She was a strong, decisive woman who had many skills, and many friends and admirers. Her warm, boisterous demeanor combined with her strong Southern accent and contagious smile made people feel accepted and welcomed. She loved to go to concerts and spend time with friends; she also was a great party hostess, serving up some delicious food, (with lots of meat!) at end of the season parties at the Guides. She was incredibly generous, opening her home to many climbers, skiers, and friends of friends passing through. Her kindness will be remembered by many, and we will miss her tremendously.
View a slide show of Kathryn [click on the Next Screen link at bottom right of the page].
Donations in her name can be made to The Nature Conservancy or the National Outdoor Leadership School.