Born: 1926 (Denver, Colorado)
Biography:
Dolores LaChapelle (née Greenwell) was an American mountaineer, skier, T’ai chi teacher, independent scholar, and leader in the Deep ecology movement. Born on July 4, 1926, in Denver, Colorado, Dolores attended Catholic girls schools and went on to graduate from the University of Denver in 1947. She then spent three years teaching skiing in Aspen, Colorado.
In 1950, Dolores achieved a significant milestone in her mountaineering career when she made the first ski ascent of Mount Columbia, the second highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. She further solidified her reputation as a prominent mountaineer with the first ski ascent of Snow Dome, the hydrographic apex of the continent. These accomplishments established Dolores as a trailblazer in the field and paved the way for future generations of climbers.
Dolores’ thirst for adventure led her to Davos, Switzerland, where she spent a year with her husband Edward LaChapelle from 1950 to 1951. They later relocated to Alta, Utah, where their son Randy (later known as David LaChapelle) was born in 1952. As a family, they embraced a nomadic lifestyle, rotating between their homes in Alta, Utah, where they spent winters and Randy/David received homeschooling; the Olympic Mountains Blue Glacier in Washington, where they enjoyed summers; and Kirkland, Washington.
While Dolores was an accomplished mountaineer and skier, she also made significant contributions as a T’ai chi teacher and leader in the Deep ecology movement. She operated the Way of the Mountain Center from her home in Silverton, Colorado. Here, she dedicated herself to publishing, writing, teaching, skiing, and sharing ceremony and music. Dolores was a philosopher and researcher at heart, evident in the vast collection of books and articles she meticulously tracked in her library. Her research encompassed a wide range of topics, including her own mountain climbing experiences, correspondence with renowned authors and poets such as Gary Snyder and Art Goodtimes, and her years married to the pioneering avalanche and snow scientist Ed LaChapelle.
Dolores’ wisdom and knowledge were captured in over a dozen hand-typed, three-ring binder compendiums that she meticulously cross-referenced and organized. These rare and irreplaceable collections contained not only her research findings but also hundreds of biographical files chronicling her own mountain climbs and interactions with influential figures. In July 2011, Dolores’s unique collection of wisdom found a permanent home at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, thanks to the diligent efforts of Ananda Foley, Dolores’s daughter-in-law. This collection ensured the preservation and accessibility of Dolores’s life’s work.
Dolores LaChapelle was a pioneer in multiple fields, leaving an indelible mark as a mountaineer, skier, T’ai chi teacher, and scholar. Her dedication to environmental activism through the Deep ecology movement further solidified her role as a change-maker. Her life is a testament to the power of passion, exploration, and the pursuit of knowledge.