Information If you have information on the whereabouts of Michael and Makana von Gortler, call the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office at 719-539-2596.

Search-and-rescue teams are combing the Sawatch Range mountains near Buena Vista for a Boulder doctor and his daughter, a 20-year-old University of Colorado student, who haven’t been heard from in a week.

Michael von Gortler, 53, and his daughter, Makana von Gortler, were reported missing Tuesday after they were expected home last Friday.

Suzanne Kutz, Makana von Gortler’s aunt, said the CU student and her father attended the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, which took place June 16 through 19. They were planning to go on a day hike at Missouri Mountain, a 14,000-foot peak in Chaffee County, on June 22 and return home that night to Michael von Gortler’s second home in Buena Vista.

The pair was going to arrive back in Boulder on Friday, according to text messages Makana von Gortler’s boyfriend received. The last time anyone heard from either was around midnight on June 22.

Makana von Gortler was expected back in Boulder on Sunday, but when no one heard from either one, Makana von Gortler’s mother, Melani Holton, called the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office to report them missing.

Neighbors saw Michael von Gortler’s blue Toyota truck on June 21 in his Buena Vista driveway, and it was gone on the June 22. Park rangers confirmed the truck was parked at the mountain trailhead at 6:30 a.m. June 24 and remains there, so it is believed that the two are somewhere on Missouri Mountain, Kutz said.

Michael von Gortler is an experienced backpacker and an emergency room doctor, Kutz said. Holton said Michael von Gortler, who’s been hiking for more than 20 years, has always taken his daughter on these sorts of trips and Holton has never been comfortable with it.

“They’ve hiked 14ers over the years — they’ve been doing that forever — and everyone single one I cringe at,” Holton said. “I don’t like it. I think it’s dangerous and it scares me.”

Michael von Gortler does have tendencies of heading off trails, Kutz said. In the past he has been lost for several hours and was located by park rangers, a friend told Holton.

On Wednesday, Holton’s husband, Robert, headed up to the trail to help. Robert Holton, an experienced hiker, told his wife that everything off trail was dangerous, which makes her think they fell.

“They’re obviously not on the trail,” she said. “It’s a black and white trail. You’re either on it or sliding down the mountain.”

The two are thought to have been prepared with survival gear, including fire-starting equipment, water purifiers and dehydrated food, Kutz said.

“Makana would always complain about the hikes because her dad always overstuffed her bag,” Kutz said.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office started its search at 4 p.m. Tuesday, said Sheriff Pete Palmer. On Thursday, deputies will continue the search with aircraft and rescue teams.

Aircraft found nothing unusual, such as an avalanche, Palmer said. But as time passes, he said, officials are worried about lightning strikes and possible fires.

Melani Holton is hoping that anyone can provide information about the von Gortlers.

“I just want anybody who might have seen Makana and Mike up on that trail — or know anyone who’s been on the trail — to call the Chaffee Sheriff’s Office at 719-539-2596.”

Contact Camera Staff Writer Amanda Moutinho at 303-473-1361 or amanda@dailycamera.com.