Search temporarily suspended for missing hiker on Longs Peak due to weather
Courtesy NPS
The Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team have suspended search operations today for a missing hiker on Longs Peak due to hazardous weather conditions.
On Friday, Oct. 5, Ryan Albert, a 30-year-old man from New Jersey, was reported missing by a family member in Denver who had last seen him leaving on Thursday, Oct. 4, for Longs Peak.
Albert’s rental car was found at the Longs Peak trailhead on Friday. The park’s search and rescue team has searched the area, including Chasm View, the Keyhole, the Cables, Ledges, Boulderfield and Peacock Pool. On Monday, a dog team searched the lower elevation areas.
No clues have been found.
On Tuesday, search teams faced extreme weather conditions, avalanche hazards and decreased visibility, which caused slow-moving travel with slips along the way.
Officials expect seven inches of snow in the area today and decided, for the safety of the search teams, that operations would not take place on Wednesday.
The projected weather for Thursday shows an improvement in weather conditions, which would allow teams to get back to the search.
Albert was last seen leaving the Denver area early Thursday morning, Oct. 4, wearing dark clothes and a backpack. Officials received information on Saturday that indicates Albert intended to climb Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route.
Anyone who has been in the Longs Peak area since Thursday, Oct. 4, or who may have had contact with Albert regarding his planned route on Longs Peak can call (970) 586-1204.
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