Tributes pour in for California hiker who fell to her death in Grand Teton National Park

A California woman who fell to her death last week in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park was deeply religious and passionate about nature, online tributes say.

Joy Cho was hiking with seven others on Friday morning when she fell off the west side of Teewinot Mountain, park rangers said in a news release. Part of the Teton range, the exposed peak of Teewinot is a popular destination for mountaineers that reaches 12,325 feet above sea level, according to the National Park Service.

"This is not a hike," warns trail information on popular mapping app Gaia. "It's a third-class scramble with sections steep and exposed enough that some parties will want to be roped in some conditions."

It was unclear how far Cho fell or what equipment her party was using. Rangers said she had "significant injuries" and pronounced her dead at the scene.

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Cho, who was deeply religious, 'did not suffer'

Tim Hopkins, who described himself as Cho's friend and brother in Christ in a public Facebook post, wrote that the fall happened after a ledge she was holding onto gave way.

"She did not suffer and passed away almost instantly," he wrote. "Our hearts are shattered."

Hopkins described Cho, listed as 47 years old in public records, as the most joyful person he knew and said she was "always smiling, always blessing."

"I was so privileged to be her friend," he said.

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Hopkins and others describe Cho as a person of deep religious conviction who dedicated her life to celebrating and spreading her faith. A resident of the Los Angeles suburb of Simi Valley, Cho filled her Facebook page with attestations of her faith, as well as photos of scenic vistas and images of herself with wild animals.

Cho is listed online as one of two facilitators of the Maker Heals program, a faith-based seminar promoting health and spirituality run by Madison Missions in Victoria, Australia. She was also a member of Eastward Missions, a youth ministry group in Australia, according to a Facebook post from the organization.

"We mourn the loss of our leader, colleague and friend, Joy Cho," Eastward Missions said in the Facebook post. "Our hearts are broken. She will be dearly missed ... One day we will see our beloved sister again."

A recent summit

Another Facebook post shows Cho earlier this month summitting Mount Whitney with seven companions. Located in California's Eastern Sierra mountains, Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at just over 14,500 feet.

Last week, a friend commented on Cho's Facebook profile photo, which shows her posing for a selfie in front of a mountain. The friend said Cho looked great.

Cho responded: "It's certainly from all my mom's healthy cooking and lots of hiking."

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com.