Body of missing hiker found in Black Canyon this week

Rangers at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park initiated search efforts for an overdue backpacker on Sunday.
The backpacker had obtained a backcountry permit indicating he planned to exit the park on Saturday. When rangers noted the backpacker’s car at the trailhead on Sunday morning, a search of the hiker’s intended route was conducted.
No sign of the backpacker was found until searchers located a body on Tuesday some one thousand feet below the Canyon’s South Rim. Initial investigation indicates the backpacker may have sustained a significant fall in an area adjacent to his proposed route.
A late-season winter storm and reduced visibility will hamper the technical recovery operation. The National Park Service is coordinating an investigation and recovery operations with the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending identity confirmation and notification of family members.