Centennial State News

Search teams located the remains of missing professional skier Hilaree Nelson on Sept. 28. 

On Sept. 26, Nelson, a skier from Telluride, Colorado, and her partner, Jim Morrison, were skiing in Nepal when they were involved in an accident. With Morrison close behind, Nelson performed several turns that triggered a little avalanche, which carried her off the mountain. 

"On September 26th at 10:42 am we reached the true summit of Manaslu in tough conditions," Morrison said, sharing a narration of events leading up to Nelson's accident on Instagram. "We quickly transitioned from climbing to skiing in cold and wind with a plan to ski around the corner and regroup with our Sherpa team."

Her body was recovered on Sept. 28 and taken for autopsy, 9News reported.

"She was swept off her feet and carried down a narrow snow slope down the south side of the mountain over 5000’," Morrison recalled. "I did everything I could to locate her but was unable to go down the face as I hoped to find her alive and live my life with her."

Nelson started skiing professionally more than twenty years ago. Among her many achievements includes a National Geographic Explorers grant, which took her on over 40 skiing expeditions around the world, according to Wikipedia. She was also recognized as one of National Geographic's 2018 Adventurers of the Year and as one of Men's Journal's "The 25 Most Adventurous Women of the Past 25 Years."

Together with Morrison, they made the first ski descent of the "Dream Line" route from the summit of the 4th highest mountain in the world, Mount Lhotse in 2018.

Nelson left behind her partner Jim Morrison and two sons. "I’m in Kathmandu with her and her spirit," Morrison said. "My loss is indescribable, and I am focused on her children and their steps forward. Hilaree is the most inspiring person in life and now her energy will guide our collective souls”