A rugged section of Rocky Mountain National Park has been closed during the search for a trail runner missing for more than a week.
The area of about 5 square miles was made off limits to the public starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, to minimize scent distractions for dogs being used in the search for Chad Pallansch, said officials at the Colorado park.
An experienced trail runner who is familiar with the park, Pallansch, 49, set out Sept. 27 on what was intended to be a one-day, 28-mile loop out of Grand Lake. The last contact from him was a text message he sent around noon indicating he was almost to the 13,310-foot summit of Mount Alice — his intended high point, and about 10 miles into the loop.
Though much of his route was in remote and even trailless high country, had he made it 17 miles he would have been close to Bear Lake, a popular day trip destination.
Pallansch was reported overdue on Sept. 28, and park rangers found his vehicle parked at a trailhead near Grand Lake.
The closure area, just west of Longs Peak, includes Mount Alice, McHenrys Peak and the upper end of the North Inlet drainage.
Wintry weather, including snow and strong winds, has hindered the search this week, park officials reported. On Tuesday, Trail Ridge Road — the park’s highway over the Continental Divide — was closed because of snow and ice.
Pallansch is believed to have been dressed for temperatures in the 40s. He carried a navigation device but without emergency communication capability.
Pallansch lives in Fort Collins, a 90-mile drive from Grand Lake. His social media profiles say he works as a software engineer at Hewlett-Packard.
