I finally returned home from the Northwest Passage into the warm embrace of my family, only to learn that my old friend Hilaree Nelson was missing on Manaslu. I first met Hilaree in 1999 when she joined The North Face Athlete Team, and I was lucky to team up with her shortly thereafter on expeditions to Mt. Waddington (pictured here — that’s her in front, breaking trail, her typical mo) and the Jarjinjabo Valley in western China. Knowing what a fierce survivor Hilaree has always been in the mountains, I hung onto hope that she might have survived her horrific fall. It was not impossible that she was fighting her way down the mountain at that very moment. Then yesterday I heard the tragic news that she had been found at 22,000 feet on the south face of the mountain. Ever since, it has felt like there has been no oxygen in the room. What I will always remember about Hil, more than anything, was her authenticity. Her accomplishments made her a larger than life character, but she never bought into the hype, and she wore the mantle of being one of the the world’s preeminent ski mountaineers (male or female) with a grace and genuine humility that made us all better people simply for being able to call her a friend. She led by example, and I know I am not the only one who felt elevated any time I was lucky enough to be in her presence. My thoughts and prayers go out to @jimwmorrison and to her family, especially her two boys, Graydon and Quinn. RIP, my old friend.