This article was updated on Wednesday, Jan. 7
Kristen Marie Kovatch, 46, “Died Doing Something She Loved”
In the afternoon of the first day of the new year, January 1, 2026, a female hiker was found dead on the Crosier Mountain trail in Larimer County, Colorado.
Other hikers who reported finding the woman’s body informed authorities that there was a mountain lion seen within 100 yards of the deceased woman. This mountain lion was scared away by the hikers, who threw rocks at it before tending to the victim who was already deceased.
At approximately 12:15 p.m. that day, officers with Colorado Parks & Wildlife and the Estes Park Police Department, as well as deputies from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and firefighters with the Glen Haven Area Volunteer, responded to the scene.
On January 5, the Larimer County Coroner revealed the identity of the victim: Kristen Marie Kovatch, 46.
About Kristen Marie Kovatch
Kristen’s brother, Jeffrey Kovatch, wrote of his family’s loss in a Facebook post, stating, “Some of you may have already seen the news about the hiker who was killed by a mountain lion in Colorado. That hiker was my sister, Kristen Kovatch.”
His post continues, “Many of you knew her well, so many of my friends were her friends too. She died doing something she loved deeply, hiking and taking in the beauty of Colorado and its public lands.”
He added, “I keep hoping this is all just a nightmare I’ll wake up from.”
He went on to write, “Kristen was so loved by our immediate and extended family, her friends, and her coworkers. She was an amazing aunt to my three kids, a tender caretaker to my elderly parents, and my baby sister who I will miss dearly. We are still in shock as we try to process this loss.”
Concluding his post, he said, “Thank you for keeping our family in your thoughts during this incredibly difficult time.”
According to the coroner, her injuries were consistent with that of a mountain lion attack, and her manner of death was ruled an accident resulting from asphyxia due to external neck compression applied by the mountain lion.
Inside Edition described Kristen Marie Kovatch as an “ultramarathoner,” and their video on her can be seen, here:
Officers Pursue The Mountain Lions
According to a press release by Colorado Parks & Wildlife on January 1, “Officers located one lion at the scene, shot the animal and it ran from the area.”
From there, officers then proceeded to pursue the injured mountain lion, with Colorado Parks & Wildlife detailing:
“Officers tracked the mountain lion and it was euthanized. A short time later, a second mountain lion was found nearby and euthanized. It is unknown if one or multiple animals were involved in the suspected attack.”
The department added that “wildlife involved in attacks on humans must be euthanized to ensure public safety,” and this was done in keeping with the Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s official policies.
A third mountain lion was pursued by officers with hounds, but could not be found after a pursuit was made.
A January 5 report states, “Due to multiple lions present at the attack area and evidence found at the scene, CPW officers suspected a family group was responsible.”
Mark Leslie, regional manager for CPW’s Northeast Region, said, “It is very unlikely that these lions were in such close proximity to the scene by coincidence.”
Of the decision to euthanize the two mountain lions, Leslie added, “This is not a decision we take lightly. CPW is charged with protecting human safety. Given the gravity of this situation and the rarity of this type of behavior, this was a necessary, if unfortunate action.”
Next, pathologists with Colorado Parks & Wildlife performed a necropsy on the bodies of the two mountain lions. Through these analyses, the department hoped to check for “abnormalities and neurological diseases like rabies and avian influenza.”
While the final necropsy reports have not been issued, Colorado Parks & Wildlife said in the January 5 news release that both of the mountain lions that were killed were 12-month-old subadult lions, with one being male and the other being female.
“Human DNA was found on all four paws of the male subadult lion,” the report states. “No human DNA was detected on the female subadult. Both lions tested negative for rabies.”
Colorado Parks & Wildlife noted, “Mountain lion attacks on humans in Colorado are considered to be rare, with 28 previous attacks reported to CPW since 1990. The last fatal attack was in 1999.”
A Message Of Caution Given By Authorities After The Fatal Attack
Prior to the release of the identity of the victim, news of Kovatch’s death had already been released. The Estes Park Police Department posted a message about the fatal mountain lion attack.
“The Town of Estes Park is deeply saddened by the tragic news of a suspected fatal mountain lion attack that occurred on the Crosier Mountain trail in unincorporated Larimer County yesterday,” wrote the police department on its Facebook page on January 2. “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. We offer our sincere condolences to all those grieving this heartbreaking loss.”
The department went on to write, “While this incident did not occur in Estes Park, many of our residents and visitors regularly recreate in the surrounding national forests and open spaces.”
As a statement of caution, the department concluded its post, writing, “Our beautiful landscape is home to abundant wildlife, even if it is not always visible to us.”
Similarly, Colorado Parks & Wildlife wrote in its January 1 press release:
“Along the Front Range and Larimer County, hikers and people enjoying the outdoors should expect to encounter wildlife. Mountain lions are more visible in winter as they follow deer and elk to lower elevations. If lions are spotted, make noise to scare them from the area, hold objects overhead to appear bigger and start backing away from the animal. Pets should be kept on-leash and not interact with wildlife.”
When Kovatch’s identity was released, Mark Leslie, regional manager for CPW’s Northeast Region, stated, as quoted in a January 5 news release, “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family. This is a terrible tragedy. This hiker did what many people did on New Year’s Day. She went out in nature on the first day of a new year, and the fact that she did not return to her family and friends is nothing short of heartbreaking. We encourage the public to have compassion and empathy for her and her loved ones.”
As of January 4, the trails have been reopened.
The press conference regarding the attack may be viewed, here:
