Stephen Meyers

stephenmeyers@coloradoan.com

The body of a 25-year-old Broomfield man reported missing since Monday was recovered Thursday on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Using helicopter efforts, Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team located Peter Jeffris' body 200 feet below the Ledges portion of the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak. Four Search and Rescue team members were flown to the Glacier Gorge drainage and climbed approximately 1,800 vertical feet to Jeffris' body.

The body was flown from the scene to a landing spot at Upper Beaver Meadows at about 4 p.m. Thursday and transferred to the Boulder County Coroner.

It was the fourth day of searching by a 32-member team after Jeffris had not been seen since Sunday, reportedly leaving that morning to climb 14,259-foot-tall Longs Peak.

Jeffris is the third fatality on Longs Peak this year.

Longs Peak is one of Colorado's most popular fourteeners, mountains that rise 14,000 feet or taller. The typical hiking and climbing season lasts from late June through September, before winter-like conditions set in on the mountain.

Winter climbing requires route-finding skills, proper winter equipment and knowledge of winter travel. Weather rapidly changes above treeline. Extreme cold temperatures and wind gusts of up to 65 mph are common.

Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Teams were assisted by Larimer County Search and Rescue, Rocky Mountain Rescue, Alpine Rescue Team, Diamond Peaks Ski Patrol, Douglas County Search and Rescue, Search Dogs of Colorado and the Colorado Search and Rescue Board. Park staff also worked with the US Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.

Thursday was the first time in the search and rescue operation that favorable weather and winds allowed rescue personnel to use helicopters to aid the search. Teams had battled high winds since beginning the search Monday, unable to use aerial operations.

Xplore reporter Stephen Meyers covers the outdoors and recreation for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter @stemeyer or Facebook.com/meyersreports.