Beloved nordic ski coach mourned
Hannah Taylor, 39, died July 21 in mountaineering accident
The death of Hannah Taylor, an accomplished endurance athlete and mountaineer who brought fierce intensity to coaching young cross country skiers as well as her own adventures, has left a void in Summit County’s tightknit nordic community.
Taylor was killed July 21 in a mountaineering accident in the Gore Range when she was struck in the head by a loose rock, most likely killing her instantly. She was 39.
A plainspoken native of New Hampshire who competed as a cross country skier at Vermont’s Middlebury College, Taylor moved to Summit County 14 years ago. She worked as a coach for the Summit Nordic Ski Club and as managing director of the Summit Huts Association, which will open its fourth backcountry hut this coming winter.
When she was killed, Taylor was on a highaltitude run training for this weekend’s High Lonesome ultrarunning race, a 100miler in the mountains west of Salida. She was the women’s winner of that race last year.
“She was an incredible achiever but spotlightavoider,” said Summit Nordic Ski Club head coach Olof Hedberg, who was with her when she died. “She has done amazing things, and I believe this club would not exist without her. That’s how much she has put into Summit Nordic
Ski Club.
“But she never sought the spotlight for herself. She let others have it. As long as she knew she had done what was best for the athletes, our kids, she was happy with that.”
She didn’t coddle the kids she coached, Hedberg said. She gave them her all, and she expected them to dig deep as well.
“She didn’t ever give the kids praise for something they didn’t deserve,” Hedberg said. “She was very truthful. She showed them by being a role model and being one that never shied away from hard work, always doing what it took.
“By being a role model for the kids instead of being a cheerleader, Hannah gained enormous respect from the athletes. She was there, willing to work and show what success can come if you are willing to put in the work instead of giving false praise.”
Noelle Resignolo, 17, competed under Taylor’s guidance for four years. Resignolo, who will be a senior at Summit High School and hopes to compete in college, said Taylor could be “intimidating” at first impression and that she was “terrified” of her at first.
“She was really strong, really fierce and went into everything wholeheartedly,” Resignolo said. “She was funny and she was kind and she was smart. She pushed you to do your best, and that you were able to do things even you didn’t believe you were able to. She would push you to be brave.”
Taylor and Hedberg were descending a notch in a ridge when a large rock broke loose and struck her.
Last year, Taylor and Hedberg did the iconic Trooper Traverse — a 30-mile backcountry ski tour from Leadville to Aspen that was pioneered by 10th Mountain Division troops — becoming the sixth and seventh people to do it in only one day.
“She was always excited about adventures, if they were on foot or skis or if it was climbing or mountaineering, it didn’t matter,” Hedberg said. “If it was long and hard, she was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do that.’ ”
Summit Huts executive director Mike Zobbe said the organization was simply looking for a part-time office assistant when it hired Taylor, but she brought experience having worked at the Appalachian Mountain Club and that made her especially valuable. She took on marketing efforts and was deeply involved in the project to build the Sisters Cabin, the first new Summit Huts building in 20 years.
“She grew with the job, the job grew with her,” said Zobbe, the hut associbikes, ation’s only full-time employee. “She had a lot of authority for somebody who worked part-time, and that was a reflection of our confidence in her. Hannah was very no-nonsense. To be honest, she didn’t suffer fools well, but she was never rude or vindictive. Super competent, very meticulous. She ran a tight ship.
“It’s really set in how difficult it’s going to be to replace her, what an indispensable part of the Summit Huts family she was.”
But apart from her own endurance adventures, coaching the kids at Summit Nordic was her primary passion. Resignolo’s mother, Holly, owns MTN Town magazine and was planning to include Taylor in a “Women Who Rock the Rockies” edition next spring. She will include Taylor in the feature posthumously and is grateful for the impact Taylor had on her daughter.
“Hannah taught her a lot,” Holly said, “so I feel confident that Hannah’s life will still be a part of hers.”
Celebrations of her life were held on July 26 at the Frisco Nordic Center and on Saturday at a church in her hometown of Hopkinton, N.H.