John D. Hepp

[shadowcat]

I just read of his passing and I am wondering if anyone know if what happened. My coworker has a son who knew him from work at Mohonk but I can't find any detail other then he fell while hiking. Was he rock climbing or out hiking on a trail? I'm not trying to be nosey during such a sad time but we were talking about it and no one knew what happened.
I know there's so many accidents up around Katterskill (sp?) Falls also which came up in topic. I haven't been there in years... what's with that place?
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family

 

[shadowcat]

update

i was able to find out he actually fell while hiking the trails on the mohonk grounds. not sure where or what trail but i know they do not put up railings etc because they want things left natural. i guess he was very familiar with the trails so it could have been just a freak slip. just goes to show you can never be too careful or get too comfortable on the trails.
always sucks when you hear things like this -

 

[AOC-1]

The title of this thread should be changed to John D. Hepp (35), the reported name of the victim.

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18782602&BRD=1769&PAG=461&dept_id=74969&rfi=6

Condolences to the Hepp family.

 

[shadowcat]

sorry

sorry about the name ; my coworker referred to him as david so he may have used his middle name.

 

[beverly]

Article in Times Union

Hiker's death stuns family

A poet at heart, John D. Hepp called his parents in Lansingburgh Sunday to describe a beautiful sunset he was watching from a mountain ledge at Mohonk Mountain House Resort in New Paltz.
It was the last time David S. and Christina C. Hartung Hepp would hear from their 35-year-old son. Sometime later, he fell 100 feet to his death.
"It's unfortunate, but accidental. It's an area he often frequented. He really enjoyed this spot he had fallen from," Ulster County Undersheriff Frank Faluotico said Wednesday.

Article

Condolences to the family.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Another article in the Poughkeepsie Journal states that that the cliff where Mr. Hepp fell was "was well off the hiking trails" in an area without guard rails and where no guard rails would be expected nor planned.

I have hiked, scrambled, and photographed the areas around hotel extensively, and I suspect the accident may have occurred near the Skytop Path, but some remote western outcrops on Eagle Cliff are also possibilities. Both areas have some hiking trails below the cliffs. The Mohonk Resort and Preserve are stunningly beautiful locations. Guard rails are present in many high usage areas near the hotel and on some hiking trails and carriage roads. However, there is no way the resort nor the preserve could ever provide accident free zones, especially off trail. As with all cliff areas extreme caution is required, and momentary lapses can be fatal. Tragic accidents are probably inevitable in such places. My condolences to his family and friends.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

I did find a more precise location of the accident in the Middletown Times Herald-Record. He was found on the Cathedral Path. Above that is Cope's Lookout with an attractive rustic gazebo. Wide and extensive ledges adjacent to the lookout provide excellent sunset views. The lookout is west of Eagle Cliff and a very short walk from the hotel. A southwest view from Cope's Lookout toward the Trapps and Millbrook Mountain is shown here.

 

[Jay H]

Since my sister was getting married in the Mohonk this weekend, I was able to get in free and do some hiking in the area. I had no plans, but I wound up hiking a loop sunday morning after breakfast and before lunch and hiked the lake shore road to the Eagle Cliff ascent and then I happen to notice cope's lookout and the Cathedral Path. I remembered this thread and decided, to hike it. What a beautiful spot and I paused to think a few things of a person I did not know but it was obviously something that folks who work at the house get to experience every day. I took the cathedral Path down to Patriot's Ridge/run and then over to the Laurel trail to the fern cutoff.

Never knew the person but my sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Jay