Recovery Operations For Ryan Albert Missing Since Early October

This past Saturday, a team of two Rocky Mountain National Park climbing rangers conducted a patrol of Longs Peak. While patrolling down the section known as The Trough, rangers found a glove that matched the brand that Ryan Albert was believed to have been wearing. Albert was last seen on October 4, 2018.

Yesterday, Thursday, May 30, a team of four highly skilled park climbing rangers ascended The Trough and after several hours of searching in this steep winter alpine terrain, located Ryan Albert’s body covered in deep snow at an elevation of approximately 12,300'. This location is approximately 1,000' below The Ledges section of the Keyhole Route (approximately 2,000' below the summit). This area is in winter conditions with deep snow and ice.

This morning, rangers completed an on scene investigation and Ryan Albert’s body was recovered by helicopter. His body was transferred to the Boulder County Coroner’s Office. Boulder County Coroner’s office will not release positive identification until completion of an autopsy. Once the investigation is complete more details will be released. Until then, no further information is available.

On October 5, 2018, search efforts began in the Longs Peak area of Rocky Mountain National Park for Ryan Albert after he was reported overdue by a family member. Albert was last seen on October 4, by another park visitor at approximately 10:30 a.m. in the area of Granite Pass heading toward the Keyhole on Longs Peak. Inclement weather that started on October 4, was the beginning of a multi-day weather pattern of extreme conditions including low visibility and fog, thunderstorms and snow showers and freezing temperatures in the 20s and 30s. Search teams faced pockets of deep snow as well as verglas ice. Those winter conditions lasted through the search efforts.

During the first two days of these search efforts in October, in challenging weather and terrain, teams were able to search higher elevations including sections of The Boulder Field, the Keyhole Route, The Loft, Chasm Cirque, North Longs Peak and Boulder Brook. As the snow accumulation and ice continued to build at higher elevations, teams worked lower in the search area throughout the first week. On Friday, October 12, eight days after Albert was last seen, a break in the weather allowed aerial reconnaissance to take place. In addition to searchers looking from the helicopter, footage was taken of high probability areas. Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members spent numerous days reviewing the extensive footage.

Another significant winter storm began late Saturday, October 13, bringing additional snow accumulation at higher elevations. On Thursday, October 18, through Saturday, October 20, teams went back to the upper mountain at the Keyhole and Ledges area and again faced continuing deteriorating conditions including waist and chest deep snow, steep icy slopes and extremely slow travel. On Sunday, October 21, a team traveled to the Chasm Cirque area and visually searched Lamb’s Slide, Mills Glacier, Camel Gully and the Chasm View fall line with binoculars and spotting scopes.

Assisting Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members during the previous search efforts in October were Larimer County Search and Rescue, Rocky Mountain Rescue based in Boulder County, Trans Aero, Northern Colorado Interagency Helitack and Colorado Search and Rescue Board members. When conditions allowed, dog teams from Larimer County Search and Rescue, Rocky Mountain Rescue and Front Range Search and Rescue Dogs also assisted.



Jeff
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Aggressive bear believed to have attacked woman in Monday morning attack killed by wildlife officers

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers and personnel with the United States Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services tracked and killed an aggressive bear believed to have been responsible for attacking a female hiker near Aspen Monday morning.

At approximately 8:30 yesterday morning, witnesses reported seeing a bear in the proximity of the Hunter Creek trailhead that closely matched the description of the one involved in the attack.

After following the bear's trail during the morning, officers killed it on Highway 82 near the intersection of McSkimming Road just before 1 p.m. this afternoon.

CPW officers will transport the carcass to the agency's Wildlife Health Laboratory for a full necropsy, then to a laboratory in Wyoming for DNA testing.

By policy and to protect human health and safety, CPW officers are required to euthanize any wild animal that has injured a human, regardless of the circumstances. Relocation is not an option due to the agency’s dangerous bear policy and concerns the bear would resume its aggressive behavior in its new territory.



Jeff
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Ramble On: A History of Hiking

Lily Lake Phenology Walk At Rocky Mountain National Park

Help Rocky Mountain National Park document seasonal biological events as a citizen scientist on your next stroll around Lily Lake. The Lily Lake Phenology Walk allows visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park an opportunity to collect scientific data and learn more about plant and animal species found within the park. Over time, as observations are collected, the park will gain a better understanding of how plants and animals at Rocky Mountain National Park respond to environment changes. Has there been a shift in when willow shrubs begin to bud in the spring? Are Aspen leaves changing color later or earlier than in the past?

With just a smartphone or a tablet with an internet browser, the Lily Lake Phenology Walk webpage provides descriptive images to help answer simple questions related to the timing of biological life cycle events of certain species found along the trail. Adding only 20 minutes to your hike on the 0.8-mile trail that circles Lily Lake, this activity is perfect for frequent or one-time visitors of all ages.

Phenology, the study of the timing of biological life cycle events and how climate and habitat influence them, has been a topic of interest lately as we contemplate how species will react to a changing climate. The data gathered with the Lily Lake Phenology Walk can help determine if there are shifts in the phenology of the park’s species in this area.

Further information about the Lily Lake Phenology walk, including links to the questions page and previously submitted data is available at go.nps.gov/LilyLakeScience. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206. For more information about the hike around the lake, please click here.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Ramble On: A History of Hiking

The Infamous Angel's Landing

Over the last year or so I've had the privilege of publishing a couple of short films by Christopher R. Abbey. This includes films on climbing 14,505-foot Mt. Whitney in California, as well as a three-day backpacking trip in the Mt. Sterling area of the Great Smoky Mountains. His latest film chronicles his hike up Angel's Landing in Zion National Park, and highlights some of the crazy terrain hikers travel over to reach its summit. Hope you enjoy:





Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Ramble On: A History of Hiking

Search underway for aggressive bear that bit woman as she hiked near Aspen yesterday morning

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are looking for an aggressive bear that bit a woman on the thigh as she and her husband hiked on the Hunter Creek Trail near Lone Pine Road in Aspen at approximately 9:15 yesterday morning.

The woman reported that she and her husband were walking back to Aspen when they saw a bear walking toward them on the trail. The woman says they tried to give the bear space and stepped off the trail. As the bear walked by, she says it suddenly turned, charged and bit her before it ran off and disappeared from view.

According to investigating officers, the bite wound did not appear serious. CPW is not releasing the identity of the woman.

CPW officers have called in experts with the USDA's Wildlife Services to assist with tracking the bear, described as light brown and weighing approximately 200-300 lb. As of Monday evening, the bear had not been located.

CPW officials say considering the attack occurred near Aspen, it is possible the bear may enter city limits before it is found. They urge all residents to be cautious.

"This is an aggressive bear and by policy, we will put it down if found," said CPW Officer Matt Yamashita." But until we find it, the public should remember what to do if they see any bear. If it appears aggressive or shows no fear of humans, do not approach it. Haze it away by yelling or banging pots and pans, then call CPW or 911 immediately."

Yamashita says bears usually stay away from people but if a bear has been fed or has lost its natural fear of humans, they can be extremely dangerous.

If you see a bear, CPW officials offer these basic tips:

• Do not run from a bear, stand your ground and talk firmly to the animal
• If it continues to approach, throw rocks and sticks, wave your arms and yell loudly
• If the bear attacks, fight back as aggressively as possible and do not stop until the bear runs off

"Fortunately, these incidents remain very rare," said Yamashita. "But when people and bears interact, it can increase the possibility of a dangerous conflict. This woman was lucky that she was not seriously injured."

The section of the Hunter Creek Trail up to the Lani White Trail remains closed until further notice while officers search for the bear. For more information about the closure, contact Pitkin County Open Space.

CPW will conduct a full necropsy on the animal if it is found.

For more information about bears in Colorado, including hiking in bear country, visit cpw.state.co.us/bears.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Ramble On: A History of Hiking