Rocky Mountain National Park rescue teams Wednesday recovered the body of a Fort Collins woman who had apparently fallen while hiking on scree slopes next to Chasm Lake in the southeastern portion of the park, officials said.
The 66-year-old hiker, whose name will not be released until after the coroner has notified relatives, had planned a day hike, but had not returned by Tuesday night. The woman’s contacts told park rangers she was overdue that night, and rescue teams launched in the area.
Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue members found her body early Wednesday morning, on the south side of Chasm Lake amid the scree. The lake’s dramatic setting, below the iconic fourteener Longs Peak, includes steep fields of boulders angled all the way into the water, with unsteady rock footing just off the trails.
The park rescue specialists were helped by a Mesa Verde Interagency Helitack helicopter crew in recovering the body. After recovering the body with a long line, the helicopter flew to the pad at Upper Beaver Meadows, and transferred the remains to the Boulder County Coroner.
Chasm Lake is a popular side route off the challenging 16-mile round trip up and down Longs Peak. The lake trail itself is a 8.2-mile round trip, with 2,700 feet of elevation gain.