You are here

Home » Mid-Winter Weather Conditions Hamper Search Efforts At Rocky Mountain National Park

Mid-Winter Weather Conditions Hamper Search Efforts At Rocky Mountain National Park

Share
By NPT Staff - October 7th, 2018
Search and rescue mission for Ryan Albert at Rocky Mountain National Park/NPS

Challenging weather conditions greeted search-and-rescue teams looking for Ryan Albert at Rocky Mountain National Park/NPS

Mid-winter weather conditions Sunday hampered search efforts in Rocky Mountain National Park for a New Jersey man believed to be missing in the Longs Peak area of the park since Friday.

Rime ice, pockets of deep snow, and temperatures in the 20s challenged ground searchers looking for Ryan Albert, 30, of Marlton, New Jersey. Rocky Mountain National Park search and rescue team members assisted by Rocky Mountain Rescue Group and Larimer County Search and Rescue were searching both low elevation and technical terrain to look for Albert. Information received Saturday indicated that Albert intended on climbing Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route.

Sunday's forecast called for ice fog, snow showers, thunderstorms and temperatures in the 20s and 30s. Up to 3 inches of snow was predicted for Sunday night in the search area, and the extended forecast included cold temperatures and snow throughout the week. 

A family member reported Friday afternoon that Albert had not been heard from. His rental car was found at the Longs Peak trailhead Friday afternoon, a park release said. 

SAR mission at Rocky Mountain National Park/NPS

Steep snow- and ice-covered slopes made the search for Ryan Albert treacherous/NPS

Cold, wintry conditions were forecast in Rocky Mountain National Park for the coming week/NPS

Cold, wintry conditions were forecast in Rocky Mountain National Park for the coming week/NPS



Comments

Submitted by Kellie E on October 10, 2018 - 8:54am.

Thank goodness for the search and rescue teams!  They are a dedicated and probably under appreciated group.  Many thanks for all that you and all of the park rangers do.


Submitted by Sharon Steimle on October 11, 2018 - 5:56am.

Tragic case. I hope they can find him. He had to know bad conditions were coming.  Why would he go hiking where snow drifts were waist high and going to deteriorate?


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.