In Memory of Marylee Harrer

Marylee Harrer, 63, December 21, 2020

Nearly 50 years of rock climbing: Marylee Harrer began in 1973. Born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, she was first taken climbing by her best friend, Scott Baxter, to Echo Canyon of Camelback Mountain and Pinnacle Peak, and fell head over heels in love with the sport. 

At the time, the Arizona Banditos, a rough and rugged group of rebel climbers, were establishing bold ascents on sandstone spires in Sedona, long runout lines on Granite Mountain, and hard crack climbs at Paradise Forks. Marylee became one of the only women in that corps, helping set the stage for high-level climbing for female climbers around the country. She was especially good at technical slabs and mixed cracks, and in her later life fell in love with sport climbing. 

In 1979, Marylee got the first female ascent of Mt. Hayden in Grand Canyon, a now coveted summit by climbers around the globe. In 2012 at the age of 55 Marylee achieved a lifelong goal of climbing the Northwest Face of Half Dome. 

When asked in an interview who her role models had been, the longtime hard climber Bobbi Bensman gave the names of Lynn Hill, as might be expected—and Marylee Harrer. Marylee became great friends with both Bobbi and Lynn, and they had all planned to climb together, again, in Colorado this year after Marylee recovered from recent knee-replacement surgery.

Bobbi says in an email: “In 1980, I was a sophomore in high school and got into rock climbing on the granite around Phoenix. I was climbing 5.7 and at that time, the hardest known grade was 5.10. I kept hearing of a woman in Flagstaff that was climbing 5.10!!! I was so blown away and knew that I had to meet this woman, as I was the only woman rock climber that I knew of. She was strong and graceful and competent on and off the rock.”

The two had a friendship of 40 years, with Marylee reaching out weekly to check in. She supported Bobbi’s climbing achievements until the end of her life.

“I was actually working on an 8a of Darek [Krol’s] in the Flatirons, and I would FaceTime with her up at the base,” Bobbi says. “It was always so fun FaceTiming with her, and she would always pick up!”

In December of 1981, I was born, Marylee’s first daughter, and in February of 1983 her second daughter, Holly, arrived. Although a single mom, Marylee was wildly successful at continuing to climb and maintain her passion, while dedicating everything in her life to her daughters. Holly and I spent childhoods at the crag with Marylee. In 1988 we moved from Ojai, California, where my mom was working for Chouinard Equipment, when she took a job with the Patagonia mail-order program in Bozeman, Montana. In Bozeman, she continued to climb, and every year she would take Holly and me to the City of Rocks, once in the summer and once in the fall. We would spend our days at the base of the granite cliffs in the high desert sun, playing with sticks and anthills, watching our mother climb, and learning the joy of climbing through being with family. 

To this day my mom has remained my favorite climbing partner. This past October we spent a week in the City of Rocks, just the two of us. It was one of the best climbing trips we’ve ever shared, and the last time I saw her. She was there for my hardest sends, as well as all the other pieces of my life.  

Marylee and Holly always had so much fun together as well. Holly remained in Bozeman (I live in Flagstaff now) and would spend time walking around town, hiking, biking, laughing and singing. They loved being outside together.

In 1990 Marylee became a certified massage therapist in Bozeman, and continued her practice until her passing day. For 30 years she touched and healed people in the community and from around the world. Her incredible healing touch, commitment to her kids, family and friends, combined with her strength and grace from climbing, had a powerful and lasting effect on all who knew her. She was a force of nature, deeply loved. 

Bobbi says: “She was very strong-minded, opinionated and had a such a will to live life at its fullest. … She [also] had one foot in ‘other worlds’ and was very sensitive to everything around her.” Thoughtful and expressive, Marylee regularly kept journals.

In 2011 Marylee married Steve Barber. Steve proposed to Marylee at Bridger Bowl on a ridge between the chutes Sometimes a Great Notion and Cuckoo’s Nest—a testament to the adventurous and playful love that was the basis of their marriage. Steve and Marylee avidly mountain biked around the country together and traveled the world, to Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, the Galapagos Islands, Canada and Alaska. While mountain biking in the U.S., they traveled together in their home away from home, a Dodge RoadTrek van.   

My mother passed from a severe brain bleed, after presenting signs of a stroke, on the winter solstice of 2020 with chalk in her fingernails, having just been climbing. On the evening of December 29, over 100 people in Bozeman, with others joining remotely (including Lynn Hill in Hueco and Bobbi in Boulder), took a full-moon walk in her honor. She is survived by her daughters, Amylee Thornhill and Holly Thornhill George; her granddaughters, Mesa Thornhill, Louise George and Aven Byrd-Thornhill, her husband and her stepdaughter, Kate Skuntz. 

Marylee’s dear friend Randa Chehab, with whom she shared much, including a presence at protest marches in recent years, posted on Facebook: “Such a sudden and profound loss for so many of us. I have been so blessed to know her and love her for the last 26 years. Never any bullshit. She always had my back. She was my champion, big sister, mentor, and confidante. God, I miss you. You have a piece of my heart … It was an honor to walk beside you.”

There will be an outdoor celebration of Marylee’s life in summer of 2021 in Bozeman. Please stay tuned via Facebook for details.  

—Amylee Thornhill

Thanks for posting and sharing Amylee - such a beautiful tribute.

Wow!  Wonderful tribute.  

Thank you for sharing the beautiful story of your Mom and her life. It sounds like she loved well and was well-loved. I am so sorry for your loss. 

Marylee and I worked at the Patagonia Customer Service office starting in July of 1988. We climbed together a few times here and there. We made a road trip to Devils Tower, WY together and stood on top via "Solar." Fantastic weekend!!!

So saddend by your familles loss.

What a wonderful tribute...she lived life the way it should be lived.  Thank you for sharing, her profound influence is testament to her amazing life

Thank you for your beautiful tribute, your description of growing up playing at the City of Rocks really resonated with me. My kids have grown up similarly, and while only teens now I hope the impact is a love of the outdoors like your mom instilled. I’m sorry for your loss, she sounded like a great woman.