ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK — Broad-scale search efforts for a missing trail runner in Rocky Mountain National Park has been suspended, park officials announced Tuesday.
Chad Pallansch, 49, was last heard from around noon on Sept. 27 via text message and reported overdue on Sept. 28, according to officials with the national park. Park rangers located his vehicle at the North Inlet Trailhead on the west side of RMNP.
According to the text, Pallansch was almost to the summit of Mount Alice and roughly seven miles from the Bear Lake area. He was carrying a personal navigation device, but it was not designed for emergency assistance, according to park officials.
Search efforts continued through the weekend for Pallansch in the park and were focused on areas around Black Lake, Lake Powell, Stone Man Pass, Chiefs Head Peak, McHenry’s Peak, Mount Alice, and surrounding ridgeline areas, but those efforts did not provide additional clues into the whereabouts of Pallansch.
Although broad-scale search efforts are being suspended, patrols will continue to occur in the search area when conditions warrant and further actions may be considered, RMNP said in a news release.
Pallansch is 5 feet 7 inches tall and 155 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He is described as a fit runner with both trail running and marathon experience. RMNP officials said he is likely wearing a black ultralight jacket, black running shorts or leggings and a gray fanny pack.
Anyone who has information about Pallansch's whereabouts is asked to call or text the National Park Service Investigative Services Bureau tip line at 888-653-0009. Tipsters can also make a report online or email nps_isb@nps.gov.
