A hiker has been missing since Sunday after he set out to climb Longs Peak, the highest summit in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park.
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Lucas Macaj, 23, of Colorado Springs, was last heard from around 1 p.m. Sunday, May 12, when he texted a friend to say he was on the summit, park officials said.
He failed to return home and was reported overdue that night, and his car was found at the trailhead.
Search efforts Monday included air and ground teams. On Tuesday they were hampered by whiteout conditions and strong winds that prevented searchers from reaching the higher elevations of the peak.
Macaj is stationed at Schriever Space Force Base near Colorado Springs, TV station KOAA reported. A 2023 Space Force transfer roster said he was previously with the Marine Corps, stationed at California’s Camp Pendleton.
Macaj reportedly set out early Sunday, planning a solo day hike of the 15-mile round trip on the Keyhole Route to Longs’ 14,259-foot summit.
Longs Peak is a landmark on Colorado’s Front Range, and the Keyhole Route is one of the most heavily traveled routes of Colorado’s 58 fourteeners. Though it does not require technical equipment, Rocky Mountain National Park warns that it is “not a hike!” but a challenging Class 3 climb that involves scrambling and route-finding and includes “narrow ledges, loose rock and steep cliffs.” The park advises day hikers to start by 3 a.m. and expect the round trip to take 10 to 15 hours.
