US Air Force Academy cadet candidate missing after reportedly hiking in Longs Peak area

Update, July 5: Rocky Mountain National Park officials say they found remains believed to be those of Micah Tice in the Boulder Brook drainage area. 

Original: Rocky Mountain National Park crews began searching Tuesday for a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet candidate who was reported missing from the Longs Peak area.

Micah Tice, 20, of Las Vegas, was last heard from late Friday. Park officials were notified of his disappearance by the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs Monday afternoon, according to a park news release. 

His vehicle was found at the Longs Peak Trailhead late Monday afternoon. It is unknown what Tice's planned destination or route was, according to park officials. 

Rocky Mountain National Park crews began searching for Tice at sunrise Tuesday, focusing on sections of the Longs Peak Trail, the Boulder Field, the Keyhole area and the trail to Chasm Lake, according to a news release from the park.

Members from Summit County Search and Rescue Dog Team, Alpine Rescue Team and a Colorado National Guard helicopter and crew assisted in the park Tuesday.

Crews experienced high winds and heavy snow. The Colorado National Guard helicopter conducted an initial aerial search, but the flight was cut short due to wind gusts over 90 mph on Longs Peak, according to the park.

Crews will continue searching the Longs Peak area Wednesday, park spokesperson Kyle Patterson said. 

The Longs Peak area was hit by a heavy snowstorm Saturday, the day after Tice was last heard from, with significant snow accumulation accompanied by high winds and bitter cold temperatures, the release stated. 

Park rangers would like to hear from anyone who has been in the Longs Peak area since Saturday morning, or anyone who may have had contact with Tice regarding his planned route or destination. Anyone with information can call the park at 970-586-1204. 

Longs Peak is one of the most popular peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park, and it's the park's only fourteener. It's also one of the most dangerous.

Still missing in the peak's rugged wilderness is Ryan Albert, a senior computer science student from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. He was attempting his first fourteener on Longs Peak via the Keyhole route on Oct. 4, Patterson said. 

After 28 days, treacherous winter weather forced crews to suspend search efforts Nov. 2, leaving Albert stranded on the mountain until summer.

Another man died on the peak in late summer, 60-year-old Illinois man Jens "Jay" Yambert. Crews recovered Yambert's body six days after he was reported missing. Officials believe he took a 200-foot tumbling fall at nearly 13,000 feet in elevation. He was the 67th person to die on the park's highest peak in the past century.

In 2017, 24 search and rescue incidents originated in the Longs Peak area, which includes any area accessible from the Longs Peak Trailhead, such as Longs Peak, Boulder Field, Chasm Lake, Estes Cone, Mount Lady Washington. 

Nearly 18 percent of the approximately 375 fatalities in the park since it opened in 1915 were in the Longs Peak area.

How to climb Longs Peak — or similar mountains — safely 

Tell someone where you're going, what route you plan to take and when you plan to return. And stick to that plan.

Pack well: Bring a map, sunscreen, compass, knife, first-aid supplies, and other survival gear.

Be prepared for all types of weather, as the weather can change quickly at high altitudes. Bring extra food and clothing, too.

Wear proper clothing, such as layers of insulating, windproof material and sturdy waterproof footwear. 

Wear clothing that stands out from your surroundings, so if you need help you are easier to spot.

Start early and get down early: Plan to be below treeline by noon to avoid lightning. 

Don't get in over your head: Know your experience level and find a hike and route that you can realistically do. And don't be afraid to turn back before the peak if the weather turns or if you're not feeling good.

For more on Longs Peak, including weather updates,  visit www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/longspeak

Reporter Sady Swanson covers breaking news for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter: @sadyswan.