Hilaree Nelson
Hilaree Nelson was among the most accomplished ski mountaineers and alpinists on the planet. She is well-known for her “firsts” such as summiting and skiing 8,000-meter peaks around the world, notably becoming the first woman to summit two 8,000-meter peaks (Everest and Lhotse) in a 24-hour period. In 2018, Hilaree and her partner Jim Morrison became the first mountaineers to descend the 27,940-foot Lhotse on skis. Hilaree leveraged her platform to bring attention to pertinent issues such as climate change and to empower young girls and women. In 2018, she was a panelist with former Vice President, Al Gore, and international climate change leader and author, Christiana Figueres, at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. She passionately advocated for the protection of wild places and sensible climate policy through work with Protect Our Winters. In 2019, she joined other athletes to testify in front of the Democrats’ Special Committee in Washington, DC urging Congress to act on climate change. She subconsciously and consciously opened doors and changed the rules of equity and access for the next generation. Hilaree was named one of "The Most 25 Adventurous Women of the Past 25 Years" by Men's Journal and one of National Geographic's 2018 “Adventurers of the Year.” Hilaree resided in Telluride. Her two boys Quinn and Grayden were her biggest accomplishment and what she was most proud of in life.