While weather, including snow, ice, and wind at high elevations, has hampered on-the-ground search efforts for Chad Pallansch, ongoing investigations, as well as reviewing aerial reconnaissance photographs and preparing for a concentrated ground search effort, are taking place. Helicopter flights are occurring today for aerial reconnaissance and to confirm suitable landing zones to insert teams in the field beginning tomorrow. Weather and resources permitting, ground searchers and dog teams will be flown to several locations. To limit scent distractions and assist the effectiveness of the dog teams, a closure is in effect beginning tonight at 6 p.m. from Mount Alice to McHenry’s Peak, including Black Lake and Lion Lake 1, Lion Lake 2, and Snowbank Lake (see attached map).
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Pallansch, 49, of Fort Collins, Colorado, was reported overdue on September 28, and park rangers confirmed his vehicle was still parked at the North Inlet Trailhead on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Pallansch was last heard from around noon on Wednesday, September 27, when a text that was received at that time indicated he was almost to the summit of Mount Alice and roughly 7 miles from the Bear Lake area.
Pallansch started from the East Inlet Trailhead near Grand Lake on Wednesday, September 27. His reported itinerary was an expansive 28-mile route which included crossing the Continental Divide and traveling on established trails as well as off-trail travel through steep talus slopes. Potential travel areas include Lake Verna, Mount Alice, Chiefs Head Peak, Black Lake, Mills Lake, and Flattop Mountain. Pallansch had not attempted this route previously but is an experienced trail runner who has run numerous routes in the park, including Longs Peak, more than 30 times.
Pallansch is described as 5’7,” 155 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He is described as a fit runner with both trail running and marathon experience. He is likely wearing a black ultralight jacket, black running shorts or leggings, and a grey fanny pack. Pallansch had personal navigation with him, but the device was not designed for emergency assistance.
Search efforts have included air reconnaissance, a heat-sensing fixed-wing flight, dog teams, as well as ground crews on the North Inlet and East Inlet Trails, Mount Alice, Black Lake, Upper Glacier Gorge area, Thunder Lake, Lion Lakes, Sandbeach Lake, Boulder-Grand Pass, Lowell Peak, McHenry’s Peak, Arrowhead, Thatchtop, Stone Man Pass, Chiefs Head Peak, west ridge of Pagoda, Andrews Glacier, Upper Chaos Canyon, and Tyndall Glacier areas. Search efforts and the ongoing investigation have not provided further clues at this point.
Assisting Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Team members include Larimer County Search and Rescue (LCSAR), Grand County Search and Rescue (GCSAR), Rocky Mountain Rescue Group (RMR), Front Range Rescue Dogs (FRRD), Colorado Search and Rescue Association (CSAR), aircraft from the State of Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), Northern Colorado Interagency Helitack (US Forest Service) and a contracted helicopter with Trans Aero.
If you have information that could help investigators, if you may have seen or know Chad Pallansch, or if you were in the areas listed above on September 27, please contact us. You don’t have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know. CALL the National Park Service Investigative Services Bureau Tip Line 888-653-0009, ONLINE form go.NPS.gov/SubmitATip or EMAIL nps_isb@nps.gov.
