Alaska
Climber who died after 1,000-foot fall on Alaska peak identified as
A helicopter crew recovered on Saturday the body of a climber who died after falling about 1,000 feet while on a steep, technical route in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve, park officials said in a statement.
Robbi Mecus, 52, of Keene Valley, New York, died of injuries sustained in a fall Thursday while climbing a route on the southeast face of the 8,400-foot Mount Johnson, the park said. Her climbing partner, a 30-year-old woman from California, was seriously injured and was rescued Friday and flown to an Anchorage hospital, park officials said.
Another climbing party witnessed the fall and reported it around 10:45 p.m. Thursday. They descended to where the climbers had fallen and confirmed one had died. They dug a snow cave and tended to the hurt climber, according to a statement from the park.
Early Friday a rescue helicopter and two mountaineering rangers were able to rescue the injured climber, who was later medevacked for additional care. They returned to the mountain later to recover Mecus’ body but were forced back by deteriorating weather, the statement said. Improved conditions Saturday morning allowed for the retrieval of the body.
In a statement posted to social media, New York Department of Environmental Conservation interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said that Mecus was an “incredible, passionate ranger.”
“Over her 25-year career with DEC, Ranger Mecus demonstrated an unparalleled passion for protecting the environment and New Yorkers,” Mahar said. “She exemplified the Forest Rangers’ high standard of professional excellence while successfully leading dangerous rescues and complex searches, educating the public about trail safety, deploying out of state for wildfire response missions, and advancing diversity, inclusion, and LGBTQ belonging throughout the agency.”
Mecus co-founded the Adirondack Queer Ice Festival, an LGBTQ event which is touted as a “one-of-a-kind inclusive ice climbing festival celebrates, and creates space for, members of the queer community.”
Junior Jayden Miranda on Friday became the latest player from West Valley High School to be named Gatorade Alaska Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
“It feels good and it was definitely one of the goals that I had to check off my checklist,” he said. “I woke up, and I didn’t know. My coach told me, and it was just excitement in my heart. My heart was beating and I was just smiling.”
Miranda led the Wolfpack boys basketball team to a Mid Alaska Conference championship and the No. 1 seed at the 2026 ASAA 4A state tournament.
The 5-foot-11 guard also helped lead West Valley to a 22-4 record, and through 23 games, he averaged 14.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists as well as shooting 51.8% from the floor and 39.7% from the perimeter.
“Miranda is a great kid on and off the court — gets good grades and never gets in trouble,” North Pole head coach Travis Church said in a statement. “Looking around 4A, I don’t see anyone who would measure up. He’s the best player on the best team in the state. It’s hard for me to imagine going with anyone else.”
Miranda is the second player from the program to receive the award. The first was two-time recipient Stewart Erhart, who was honored in back-to-back years from 2022-23.
The award acknowledges a student-athlete’s athletic achievement, and also recognizes outstanding academic excellence and exceptional character displayed on and off the court.
Miranda maintained a 3.36 GPA and volunteered locally with the Fairbanks Community Food Bank, donated time as a youth basketball coach and is a practiced artist who has also taken multiple cooking classes in high school.
He and the top-seeded Wolfpack fell short of advancing to the finals Friday after losing 59-52 to fifth-seeded South Anchorage.
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