Nancy Jackson

Nancy Jackson (c. 1956 – March 27, 1990) was an American mountain climber, known for her expertise on Mount Rainier and as a climbing guide. She died while taking part in the 1990 American Manaslu Expedition when she was caught in an avalanche.

Background Jackson grew up in Moscow, Idaho; her father Melbourne L. Jackson (1915–2004) was a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Idaho, and her mother Elizabeth Ford was a daughter of Montana governor Sam C. Ford. Nancy Jackson graduated from Moscow High School in 1972 and followed in her father's footsteps, becoming an engineer.

In 1977, she earned a degree in chemical engineering from Oregon State University in Corvallis and in 1980 a master's degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. She climbed Rainier more than 50 times during the 1980s and reached the summits of Denali in Alaska, and Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak in South America.

While working as a mountain guide, she collaborated with author Kurt Hanson on the 5th edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, one of the most significant guidebooks for mountaineers. Jackson contributed a new chapter on winter and expedition climbing which she completed before undertaking her final expedition to the Himalayas.

Final climb and legacy

In 1990, Jackson joined the American Manaslu Expedition, which aimed to make the first American summit of the eight-thousander. On March 27, Jackson was killed in an avalanche with expedition doctor Charles Schertz and sherpa guide, Nima Wangchuk. The accident occurred when the climbers had reached a level of when a slab avalanche gave way, entirely covering the climbers. They were found buried in the snow later that day by other team members.