Snow, High Winds Hampering Search For Overdue Mountaineer At Rocky Mountain National Park

November 18, 2014

A search was under way Tuesday for a 25-year-old Colorado man overdue from what was expected to be a one-day trek into the backcountry of Rocky Mountain National Park, though high winds and blowing snow were hampering efforts.

Park officials said Peter Jeffris, from Broomfield, Colorado, had reportedly left Sunday morning to sumit Longs Peak, but did not show up for work Monday. Rangers were notified Monday afternoon, and they found his car in the parking lot at the Longs Peak Trailhead. It was unclear what route he was planning, but he indicated to friends he was considering the Cables Route on the north face, a park release said. The young man was not prepared to spend the night.

A park search and rescue team covered a small part of the area where Jeffris was thought to be until dark Monday. On Tuesday teams planned to search the north face, Keyhole Route, Chasm Cirque area, and along the Longs Peak Trail. They were being assisted by Rocky Mountain Rescue and Larimer County Search and Rescue.  

Weather on Sunday and Monday included snow, high winds and bitter temperatures. On Tuesday, teams were facing extremely high winds, blowing snow, and gusts up to 85 mph at 14,000 feet. Aerial search efforts were not possible due to extreme winds.

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