DENVER (KDVR) — Madeline Baharlou-Quivey moved to Colorado from Illinois, in part because of her love of climbing.
She was an experienced hiker and wanted one more climb before the season ended, but it wound up being her last.
“It’s hard to think of her body down there, alone,” Madeline’s aunt, Roxanne Cornebise, said.
Cornebise said her niece was embarking on a new life. She had just graduated from nursing school in Denver, “talking about how she wanted to go on after that and become a nurse practitioner,” Cornebise said.
Madeline was no novice to hiking and climbing, having climbed multiple peaks around the country.
“She’d always log her hikes ahead of time and she had her GPS so we could follow her,” Cornebise said.
‘When I’m up there, nobody’s fighting’
It was as much a sport as it was an escape for the 29-year-old.
“She would always say, ‘You know, when I’m up there, nobody’s fighting,'” Cornebise said.
On her last climb, up Kit Carson Peak, her aunt said she made it up the mountain but was caught in inclement weather.
She even called for aid while on the peak, but her aunt believes Madeline decided she wouldn’t stay put.
“If she tried to get back she would have a chance, and obviously something happened and she fell off a cliff,” Cornebise said.
Madeline’s body has been found but not recovered because of the conditions on the mountain.
“She wouldn’t want anyone to risk their lives for her if she’s already gone,” Cornebise said.
“So when they can get to her safely is when they’ll get her,” she added.
Cornebise said Madeline’s remains could be recovered in the coming days.
One of Madeline’s passions was search and rescue. Cornebise said the family hopes to start a fund for search and rescue groups in her name.