Climber from Corrales still missing in Colo.

Search set to resume today

A search will continue this morning for a mountaineer from Corrales who has been missing in a Colorado mountain range since early last week.

David Cook, 49, was reported missing on Tuesday after he failed to return from a climb of several mountains near Aspen. He had planned to climb Pyramid Peak on Monday, and Maroon and North Maroon Peaks on Tuesday. He was reported missing Tuesday night, according to the Aspen Daily News.

A search was launched on Thursday morning, but weather has slowed the effort. The paper reported that high winds affected Thursday’s aerial search and ground crews on Friday were hampered by heavy snow.

Grant Jahnke, the incident commander overseeing the search for the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, told the Journal that a search was called off at about 5 p.m. Saturday with nightfall approaching. He said authorities plan to continue an aerial search for Cook today, weather permitting. “We’d like to start in the morning,” he said. The peaks, which rise to over 14,000 feet above sea level, are in the Elk Mountain Range near Aspen. They are some of the most difficult 14,000-foot peaks to climb in Colorado, according to a guide book. The sheriff’s office said Cook, who served in the Marines, is an expert mountaineer.

Steven Yarbrough, a friend of the family, said Cook has worked as a climbing guide and is attempting to complete ascents of all

of the more than 50 peaks in Colorado that reach 14,000 feet above sea level.

Yarbrough said a group of more than 20 friends and family members have traveled to Aspen while the search is taking place for the married father of three.

“It’s not going well, but search and rescue hasn’t given up,” he said Saturday evening. “Everyone is very fearful because it’s been a long time. But everyone is also very hopeful.”