American Alpine Club President Douglas Walker died Thursday, December 31, 2015 in an avalanche on Granite Mountain in the Cascades. Doug Walker, 64, of Seattle, went missing Thursday afternoon while hiking with friends. Details surrounding the accident are still being learned.
Avalanche.org reported Walker was snowshoeing with friends when the winds suddenly picked up.
“The friends turned around while the subject continued upwards,” according to the Avalanche.org report. “When he failed to return to the parking lot, they notified authorities. Upwards of 60 rescuers searched through the night. The subject’s body was spotted in avalanche debris Friday morning.”
“Doug Walker’s leadership at the AAC was the secret weapon that cemented the Club as one that welcomes and represents all climbers. He led the capital campaign that funded our growth and stepped from that directly into leading our board with strength and grace,” said Phil Powers Chief Executive Officer of the American Alpine Club and and long-time colleague of Walker. “He was not only a mentor and adviser for me; he was a climbing partner and friend.”
Walker was a climber for more than 40 years and had a serious commitment to conservation of mountain landscapes and promotion of the climbing way of life. In his professional life he co-founded and managed a mid-sized world-wide software company for 25 years. He served as a Director of REI for 12 years and was Chair of REI from 2005–2008. As an REI Director, he played an important role in addressing the “fixed anchor” crisis in 1998.
In addition to serving as President of the American Alpine Club, Doug was a chairman of the Wilderness Society, a director of the Conservation Lands Foundation and was an Advisory Council Member for the National Parks Conservation Association and the Land Trust Alliance. In his spare time, Doug volunteered as a climbing instructor for the YMCA’s BOLD program.
“The REI co-op community is devastated to learn of Doug Walker’s death on Granite Mountain,” REI said in a statement issued Dec. 4. “The REI board of directors, management and the entire organization send their heartfelt condolences to Doug’s family. Throughout his adult life, he was an avid co-op member, and for 12 years he made enduring contributions as a member of REI’s board of directors, including serving as chairman for three years. With any spare time he had, Doug would head to the mountains. He was a treasured friend and colleague who inspired many others with his great passions for climbing, conservation and civic engagement. We join with his family and friends in mourning his untimely death.”
Memorial contributions may be made to the Doug Walker Fund through the American Alpine Club: www.americanalpineclub.org/donate.
