Missing Climber on Longs Peak, May 13 2024

[jfm3]

There is an announcement of a search underway on Longs Peak for a missing climber. So far I've only seen it on the Rocky Mountain National Park Instagram page here: The RMNP news page is here: https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/news/newsreleases.htm.

[justiner]

We didn't see any traces of anyone descending down the Loft, if that helps. For the uninitiated, conditions would have been very extreme in both finding and attempting that route, given the amount of snow and the over 45 degree angle of the snow slope itself.

We did find what looked like fairly fresh bootprints on the top of the Iron Gates, which was curious, as there were no prints leading up to it from Chasm Lake, nor really prints on the ridge to Meeker.

Other than that, we passed a party of two going to Chasm Lake in the morning, and a sole woman heading towards Chasm Lake in the afternoon.

[onebyone]

https://www.9news.com/article/sports/ou ... 33893e79d9

[lodidodi]

Maybe he dropped down to Keplinger's Couloir?

[Eli Watson]

From Instagram:

On Thursday, May 16, the body of Lucas Macaj, 23, of Colorado Springs, Colorado was recovered on Mills Glacier, near the base of Lamb’s Slide. Initial investigations indicate he took a significant fall. Rocky Mountain National Park rangers completed an on-scene investigation and recovery operations took place by helicopter. His body was flown to a landing zone in Rocky Mountain National Park and transferred to the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.

Macaj was reported overdue late Sunday night after attempting to summit Longs Peak on Sunday, May 12. Macaj started from the Longs Peak Trailhead early Sunday, to summit Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route. Macaj was last heard from at approximately 1 p.m. Sunday, May 12, when he texted a friend indicating that he was on the summit of Longs Peak. Significant storms moved through high elevations in the park Sunday afternoon.

Search efforts began on Monday and have included air reconnaissance, ground teams and dog teams searching the Longs Peak Trail and along the Keyhole Route, glassing areas above Black Lake, areas above Sandbeach Lake, the Hunter’s Creek Drainage to the base of Keplinger’s Coulier, and areas near Chasm Lake to the Loft.

Several agencies and organizations have been assisting Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Team members with search and recovery efforts. Flight for Life Air Ambulance, the State of Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), and Colorado Army National Guard assisted with air reconnaissance operations. Also assisting were the Colorado Search and Rescue Association (CSAR), Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States, Larimer County SAR Dog Team, assisted by Boulder County Sheriff Dog Team, as well as Park County SAR Dog Team and El Paso County SAR Dog Team.

The Boulder County Coroner’s office will release the cause of death.

Please be respectful with your comments. Remember, friends and family may be following this post. Some comments may be hurtful.

Very sorry to hear of this loss, but thankful that the search efforts were able to find some closure.

[NovaDevi25]

Well crap. Not the outcome anyone wanted. RIP Lucas.

[justiner]

Really sad. As I wrote, my friend and I were in the area - but only did Meeker from the Iron Gates, then down the Loft, so we didn't see them, as we started later and summited earlier. Conditions were pretty full-on, which is why we chose just Meeker. Going down the exit ledges to the lower Loft Couloir was pretty spicy. I've done that route many times in Winter and Spring, and this was one of the more difficult conditions, with very steep snow that needed to be traversed around. I paused for a second before tackling the steepest traverse to relative safety then took off at double speed, kicking the crap outta the snow to keep purchase onto the mountain.

Afterwards, my friend and I talked about risk assessment and making that go/no-go decision. Part of the reason why we do the things we do is because there are consequences if you screw up, but we don't ever want to screw up. At least for me, if not to talk for my friend: if the Loft wasn't going to be safe, we knew multiple ways of getting off the mountain that would work - it may just have been a little more time to get to the trailhead. That sort of insurance is kinda hard-won, as I've been tramping around that peak for a decade+ now. I know I personally do a lot of trips with high consequence, but I try to drill home to anyone that wants to talk to me about them to also talk about the preparation I do beforehand. I'm actually not much of a thrill seeker. But of course to control something so chaotic is fantasy.

I can't imagine what may have happened to Lucas, why they wouldn't have just reversed their course down Homestretch, the Narrows, Ledges and out to the Keyhole to the Boulderfield? It's hard to get lost, as you're just following your own tracks. My first thought when I heard of this tragedy was that they fell off of Homestretch, and that was that: maybe they didn't bring an ice axe? Homestretch seems benign in the summer but in Winter, it has teeth. I know speculation isn't at all productive, but their final resting place is a very curious place to be found. Maybe they made it to the Loft, but thought the top of Lambslide was the top of the Loft couloir and started descending that way? As much as I am sad, I am also filled with a sort of quiet rage, that it was just dumb luck that something truly terrible happened outside of anyone's control.

This all breaks my heart. Its not the first time I've been on this mountain - a place that feels like a big playground to me - and have been so close to an accident that has lead to a death that same day. My condolences to Lucas's family and friends. I'm so very sorry this has happened.

[NovaDevi25]

Really sad. As I wrote, my friend and I were in the area - but only did Meeker from the Iron Gates, then down the Loft, so we didn't see them, as we started later and summited earlier. Conditions were pretty full-on, which is why we chose just Meeker. Going down the exit ledges to the lower Loft Couloir was pretty spicy. I've done that route many times in Winter and Spring, and this was one of the more difficult conditions, with very steep snow that needed to be traversed around. I paused for a second before tackling the steepest traverse to relative safety then took off at double speed, kicking the crap outta the snow to keep purchase onto the mountain.

Afterwards, my friend and I talked about risk assessment and making that go/no-go decision. Part of the reason why we do the things we do is because there are consequences if you screw up, but we don't ever want to screw up. At least for me, if not to talk for my friend: if the Loft wasn't going to be safe, we knew multiple ways of getting off the mountain that would work - it may just have been a little more time to get to the trailhead. That sort of insurance is kinda hard-won, as I've been tramping around that peak for a decade+ now. I know I personally do a lot of trips with high consequence, but I try to drill home to anyone that wants to talk to me about them to also talk about the preparation I do beforehand. I'm actually not much of a thrill seeker. But of course to control something so chaotic is fantasy.

I can't imagine what may have happened to Lucas, why they wouldn't have just reversed their course down Homestretch, the Narrows, Ledges and out to the Keyhole to the Boulderfield? It's hard to get lost, as you're just following your own tracks. My first thought when I heard of this tragedy was that they fell off of Homestretch, and that was that: maybe they didn't bring an ice axe? Homestretch seems benign in the summer but in Winter, it has teeth. I know speculation isn't at all productive, but their final resting place is a very curious place to be found. Maybe they made it to the Loft, but thought the top of Lambslide was the top of the Loft couloir and started descending that way? As much as I am sad, I am also filled with a sort of quiet rage, that it was just dumb luck that something truly terrible happened outside of anyone's control.

This all breaks my heart. Its not the first time I've been on this mountain - a place that feels like a big playground to me - and have been so close to an accident that has lead to a death that same day. My condolences to Lucas's family and friends. I'm so very sorry this has happened.

I wonder if with weather coming in he found the exit ledges of Keiner's and was maybe trying to get down that way? More than a few experienced folks have told me how deceptively attractive the entrance to Lamb's Slide looks when you're trying to get down fast. Poor kid.

[daway8]

Condolences to the family. I know from some of my spring climbs that it can be freaky to be up on the summit with clouds rolling in and the Narrows, when heavily loaded, can be quite disconcerting to go across. I was sketched out enough on one such climb that I opted not to return via the Narrows because of how freaky it was to be clinging to the side of the mountain with nothing but snow holding you on. In my case, I had intentionally taken photos of the Cables route on the way up, knowing I might have interest in trying to descend if conditions were favorable. After the disconcerting crossing of the Narrows I did indeed opt to descend Cables as clouds were rising up from below. It was a calculated risk because I had never done Cables before but did at least have pictures from below showing it looked fairly loaded.

I know on the one hand some people don't like speculation, but on the other hand family members often like to try to discern some idea of what might have happened. My own educated guess, for whatever it's worth, is that due to the incoming storms he either lost visibility to navigate or he worried like I did that day with Cables, that it would not be pleasant repeating the uncomfortable terrain he went up while a storm was rolling in and got lured into what he felt might be a better/quicker option. Like others have observed, Lambs Slide is a perfectly viable option if you have the right gear/conditions.

But whatever actually happened, the outcome is tragic and reminds us all of the dangers that are ever present in the mountains.

[Monster5]

To be clear, Lambslide does not look like, nor is, a perfectly viable option to descend from the summit of Longs. Nor is it intuitive to get to Kiener's or the Notch from the summit.

[onebyone]

Really sad. As I wrote, my friend and I were in the area - but only did Meeker from the Iron Gates, then down the Loft, so we didn't see them, as we started later and summited earlier. Conditions were pretty full-on, which is why we chose just Meeker. Going down the exit ledges to the lower Loft Couloir was pretty spicy. I've done that route many times in Winter and Spring, and this was one of the more difficult conditions, with very steep snow that needed to be traversed around. I paused for a second before tackling the steepest traverse to relative safety then took off at double speed, kicking the crap outta the snow to keep purchase onto the mountain.

Afterwards, my friend and I talked about risk assessment and making that go/no-go decision. Part of the reason why we do the things we do is because there are consequences if you screw up, but we don't ever want to screw up. At least for me, if not to talk for my friend: if the Loft wasn't going to be safe, we knew multiple ways of getting off the mountain that would work - it may just have been a little more time to get to the trailhead. That sort of insurance is kinda hard-won, as I've been tramping around that peak for a decade+ now. I know I personally do a lot of trips with high consequence, but I try to drill home to anyone that wants to talk to me about them to also talk about the preparation I do beforehand. I'm actually not much of a thrill seeker. But of course to control something so chaotic is fantasy.

I can't imagine what may have happened to Lucas, why they wouldn't have just reversed their course down Homestretch, the Narrows, Ledges and out to the Keyhole to the Boulderfield? It's hard to get lost, as you're just following your own tracks. My first thought when I heard of this tragedy was that they fell off of Homestretch, and that was that: maybe they didn't bring an ice axe? Homestretch seems benign in the summer but in Winter, it has teeth. I know speculation isn't at all productive, but their final resting place is a very curious place to be found. Maybe they made it to the Loft, but thought the top of Lambslide was the top of the Loft couloir and started descending that way? As much as I am sad, I am also filled with a sort of quiet rage, that it was just dumb luck that something truly terrible happened outside of anyone's control.

This all breaks my heart. Its not the first time I've been on this mountain - a place that feels like a big playground to me - and have been so close to an accident that has lead to a death that same day. My condolences to Lucas's family and friends. I'm so very sorry this has happened.

I wonder if with weather coming in he found the exit ledges of Keiner's and was maybe trying to get down that way? More than a few experienced folks have told me how deceptively attractive the entrance to Lamb's Slide looks when you're trying to get down fast. Poor kid.

This is something we all learn after some years in the mountains. There is a reason why the way is the way we would joke. In my younger years, I would look at something that looked shorter and figured that it goes, only to either have to climb back up or down climb technical stuff that could have easily ended very badly. Throw some snow and ice in the situation, ramp all that up. I think climbing off the main route solo in the preseason certainly increases your risk significantly. Even on the main route this time of year there are very few people to assist or call for help. Not passing judgment here because most of us have taken unnecessary risks. But solo, young, preseason with lots of snow and ice. All factors.

[justiner]

To be clear, Lambslide does not look like, nor is, a perfectly viable option to descend from the summit of Longs. Nor is it intuitive to get to Kiener's or the Notch from the summit.

I agree, but we have so little clues to go on. At 1:00pm, there wasn't a whiteout, nor was there one at 1:30pm. Cloudy above - yes, but you could see where you were going. If the climber was on the summit at 1:00pm, they would have had time to climb down while being able to see. Here is a photo of the east face at 1:30pm on that day.

eastface.jpg (280.17 KiB) Viewed 17956 times

The upper Kieners route is fairly snow covered, with only the Diamond Step needing to be tackled - and that's not much harder than the top of the Trough. Descending the snow wouldn't have been all that harder than traversing the Narrows, until you get cliffed out basically by the technical crux of Kieners.

I don't know if they went this way -- it IS a big if -- , but I'm of the opinion they could have made that choice not out of desperation, but out of intention.