Hiker missing after texting friend he reached stormy mountain peak, CO rangers say
UPDATE: A 23-year-old hiker who went missing after texting a friend he reached a snowy mountain peak has been found dead, Colorado rangers say.
Lucas Macaj’s body was found “on Mills Glacier, near the base of Lamb’s Slide” on Thursday, May 16, after never returning from his Sunday, May12, trek to summit Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park said in a May 16 Facebook post.
“Initial investigations indicate he took a significant fall,” rangers said.
The original story is below.
A 23-year-old hiker is missing after texting a friend he reached a snowy mountain peak, Colorado rangers say.
Lucas Macaj, of Colorado Springs, was reported overdue after failing to return from a trek to summit Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday, May 12, Rocky Mountain National Park said in a May 13 Facebook post.
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Macaj texted a friend saying “he was on the summit of Longs Peak” at about 1 p.m. Sunday, but this was the last time he was heard from, rangers said.
That afternoon, rangers said, “significant storms moved through high elevations in the park.”
Rangers said they began to search for Macaj, who made his way to the peak on Keyhole Route, the following day and found his car parked at a trailhead in the early morning.
Multiple agencies aided in the search for Macaj, which included aerial and ground efforts along different trails in the area, according to rangers.
Macaj, who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 155 pounds, “is likely wearing a dark colored top, tan or brown pants, khaki-colored boots, and a black backpack,” rangers said.
Anyone with information or who may have seen Macaj is asked to contact rangers at 888-653-0009 or nps_isb@nps.gov.
What to know about Longs Peak
“At 14,259 feet, Longs Peak towers above all other summits in Rocky Mountain National Park” and “is seen from almost anywhere in the park,” the National Park Service says.
“Changing weather reflects Longs Peak’s many moods,” according to NPS.
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Thousands summit the peak via Keyhole Route each summer, NPS says.
“The Keyhole Route is not a hike,” NPS says. “It is a climb that crosses enormous sheer vertical rock faces, often with falling rocks, requiring scrambling, where an unroped fall would likely be fatal.”
Those trekking the route can expect to find “narrow ledges, loose rock, and steep cliffs,” according to NPS.
“For most of the year, climbing Longs Peak is in winter conditions, which requires winter mountaineering experience and the knowledge and use of specialized equipment,” NPS says.
This story was originally published May 14, 2024 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Hiker missing after texting friend he reached stormy mountain peak, CO rangers say."
