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Search For Missing Man In RMNP Hindered By Extreme Weather Conditions

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (CBS4) – Teams faced extremely harsh weather Tuesday during their search for a missing Broomfield man who was overdue from a mountaineering trek in the Longs Peak area.

According to Rocky Mountain National Park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson, Peter Jeffris, 25, reportedly left Sunday morning to summit Longs Peak and did not arrive at work on Monday.

"His car was located in the parking lot at the Longs Peak Trailhead. It's unclear what route he was planning, but he indicated to friends he was considering the Cables Route on the north face," Patterson said in a statement. "He was not prepared to spend the night."

Patterson said a Park Search and Rescue team searched a small segment of the area until dark Monday night and resumed the search Tuesday morning with help from Rocky Mountain Rescue and Larimer County Search and Rescue.

"Teams are facing extremely high winds, blowing snow and gusts up to 85 miles per hour at 14,000 feet," Patterson said. "Aerial search efforts are not possible due to extreme winds."

There was still no sign of Jeffris Tuesday evening and friends say he left behind a tent and other cold weather gear.

"So we quickly tried to go up as far as we could to look for any kind of clues, any kind of sign, but it's been such strong winds that any tracks would have been blown over by Sunday," Patterson told CBS4 Tuesday afternoon.

Additional Information From Rocky Mountain National Park Search And Rescue

Park rangers would like to hear from anyone who was in the Longs Peak area on Sunday, November 16. Please call (970) 586-1204.

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