ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. – Inclement weather has hampered ground search efforts for trail runner Chad Pallansch, who was last heard from nine days ago in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The last correspondence with Pallansch, 49, was Sept. 27, when he sent a text saying that he was near the summit of Mount Alice. According to the National Park Service, Mount Alice rises more than 13,000 feet.
Search efforts for Pallansch have included a variety of methods, such as dog teams, air reconnaissance, a heat-sensing fixed-wing flight and ground crews around Mount Alice, Black Lake and a number of other areas within the park.
Snow, ice and wind at high elevations have complicated the ground search, according to the NPS. In the meantime, search efforts continue in the form of reviewing aerial reconnaissance photographs and preparing for a focused ground search effort.
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Helicopter flights were used Friday as part of aerial reconnaissance and to confirm suitable landing sites for search teams starting Saturday.
The NPS noted that the area between Mount Alice and McHenry’s Peak will close Friday night to limit scent distractions and increase the effectiveness of the dog teams.
Pallansch had embarked on a 28-mile route through the park, according to the NPS. They said Pallansch had not attempted this route before, but noted that he is an experienced trail runner who has run a number of routes in the park more than 30 times.
The NPS described Pallansch as 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 155 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He is likely wearing a black ultralight jacket, black running shorts or leggings and a gray fanny pack.
To share information that could help investigators visit the NPS website.