San Juan Mtn Guide death...

[Steve Climber]

Mark Miller, 50 years old and long-time guide for SJMG, died in a fall while guiding this weekend when an ice bulge he was soloing failed on the 4th pitch of First Gully, near Silverton.

RIP Mr. Miller. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and to San Juan Mountain Guides. Stay safe out there.

http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20 ... Silverton-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SurfNTurf]

RIP. It sounds like the entire Ouray community is reeling; the small climber's memorial near the Ice Park entrance is being renamed the Mark Miller Memorial. I never met Mark, but his name certainly rang out. Best wishes to his family, friends and the two climbers he was guiding.

[speth]

I won't go off on a huge tangent here, but the comments and responses from family, friends and community on that article is the way it should be done every time someone dies in the wilderness.

Sad news, he seems like he was a great guy with a passion for the outdoors.

[Mike Shepherd]

While I've never met Mark, I had heard of him before, mainly is this glowing review of his ability to quickly asses ones ice climbing deficiencies and provide great feedback for fast improvement.

http://www.desktodirtbag.com/becoming-a ... e-climber/

I always find these stories to be incredibly deflating, and I feel sorry for his entire family and circle of friends. What a tragedy.

[globreal]

So sad to hear this news.
Having lost a close friend in a climbing accident, I know how difficult the days ahead will be for those who loved and knew him. My prayers will be going up.

[osprey]

My ice climbing abilities increased tremendously after taking two advanced level courses from Mark. He was an excellent instructor and rapidly evaluated his client's weakness and was able to correct them with utmost patience. He was super strong and a superb climber and focused on safety.
He was in charge of developing the competition routes for the Ice Festival for several years including the year where the final top out was on the overhanging artificial structure called the diving board at the top of the climb. The only climber to successfully finish the route was the last climber who famously did a bat hang from the very top and then deliberately took a long screamer. He stopped doing the competition routes after that because he thought he would never be able to top that. He also installed the majority of the plumbing used to make the ice in the gorge. If you climb in the ice park say a prayer of thanks to his skill and labor so we can all enjoy the experience.

On one climb with me he led the entire Skylight ice climb using only one ice screw which was placed on the upper part. A party immediately behind us commented on only one ice screw on the entire climb by saying he "must be a real bad ass". And indeed he was but only in the nicest sense. To watch him dry tool was to watch beauty in motion. He said several times that he had "the best job in the world".

The guide takes all the risks while ensuring his client's safety.

Sympathy to his wife and his fellow guides. Their hearts must be heavy with the loss.

[14erFred]

Condolences and prayers for comfort and strength for Mark's family and friends. May he rest in peace forever, and may his memory always be a blessing.

[metalmountain]

We just happened to walk up on the memorial service that they had at the Ice Park.The turnout was something to see, especially when you think about how small of a town Ouray is. It just speaks to how awesome of a guy Mark must have been. We talked to a couple people as we were walking down the road to the car and they all basically said they same thing, that Mark was an institution in Ouray and left a giant hole. The ice park wouldn't be what it is today without him, so any of us that have enjoyed the park owe Mark a lot of gratitude.

Sad, sad news for sure.

[MyFeetHurt]

I had the privilege of climbing with Mark for a couple of days recently. As others have pointed out, he was widely regarded as one of the best ice climbers around, and he had a major role in the workings of the Ouray Ice Park, as well as many other community involvements. I had heard his name long before I finally got a chance to meet him. What really set him apart was his ability to critique technique, and verbalize a simple solution so effectively. It's a rare combination when the expert is also an expert teacher, and that was him, and it was not limited to just ice. He was integral to the community and his loss is far reaching.

[forbins_mtn]

Mark seemed like a great guy. Without knowing it I've befriended an old friend of Matt's at school in Grand Junction. I got to hear some stories today. My condolences to his family.