Nick Jogolev, a devoted husband and father, tragically passed away this past weekend while hiking the Manitou Incline. His family fondly remembers him for his warmth and dedication.
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — In the wake of his untimely death, Nick Jogolev’s family is celebrating the life of a man they describe as a caring father and loving husband. Nick, 48, was hiking one of Colorado’s most demanding trails, the Manitou Incline, when the tragedy occurred.
Nick’s wife, Coral Jogolev, describes him as a “gentle giant,” someone who was introverted yet incredibly intelligent. Above all, he was a remarkable father to their blended family of seven, who are now grappling with his loss.
“His kids were his world,” Coral shared. “He always had the biggest smile on his face. He was truly happy.”
Nick, who was just days away from celebrating his 49th birthday, embarked on a Cub Scout hike at the Manitou Incline with their 9-year-old son this past Saturday. The trail is known for its grueling 2,768 steps and an elevation gain of 2,000 feet within less than a mile.
“He trained for this hike,” Coral explained. “There are people who tackle that incline without preparation, but not Nick. We’ve tackled it each year with the Cub Scout pack. They’re an excellent group, and they prepare by practicing on the Parker Incline and the Castle Rock Incline.”
“It was around the 900th step, passersby saw him sitting with Sasha, our 9-year-old, and he looked very pale,” Jogolev said. “He was offered Gatorade, drank the Gatorade, got up and that was it.”
Jogolev said that Nick had no health conditions, took no medications and didn’t drink or smoke.
That day on the trail, she said, there was a combat medic and doctors hiking close by along with first responders.
“If anybody would have been able to save him, they were there,” she said. “And there was just nothing anybody could do, from what we know.”
What to do without him, she said, is hard to comprehend.
The couple have seven kids in the home. Two from her previous relationship, three together and two nieces they had guardianship over. Jogolev said one of their kids has significant special needs, so she stays home to care for them while Nick worked in IT. Their full house now feels emptier without him.
“He’s a great dad,” she said. “When I say he lived for his kids, he really did.”
Now, they’ll all have to find a way to live, to move forward without Nick.
“We’ve got a long road ahead of us and a tough one to navigate going forward,” Jogolev said.
For Jogolev, this loss has been especially hard on her two oldest kids. She said her ex-partner, who the entire family was very close with, died just 10 days before Nick. She said losing Nick and so soon after another death has the whole family reeling.
They’re hopeful an autopsy will be able to provide some information about what happened to Nick on the incline and help them to heal.
For more information, including how to help Jogolev’s family, they’ve set up an online fundraiser.
