About this Case:

On September 24, 2005, 35 year old Michelle Vanek had come up from Denver that morning and left Half Moon Campground around 7:00 A.M. to go hiking. Near the summit of Mt. Holy Cross, Michelle stated she was very tired and her friend told her to wait and he would go to the top and be right back. The friend stated he advised Michelle if she wanted to head back down, to follow the trail and he would catch up with her. On his way down, the friend did not locate Michelle. He stated he went back up to look for her and had talked to several hikers in the area. All had told him they had not seen her. The friend told deputies that Michelle was a tri-athlete, but was an inexperienced high altitude hiker. Deputies were advised Michelle was wearing a red shirt and black pants with hiking boots. The friend also advised Michelle had approximately 3-4 layers of clothes with her. During the hike, Michelle had run out of drinking water at approximately 1:15 p.m., when she stopped to rest. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to please contact the Eagle County Sheriff's Office.

If you have any information about this case, please contact:

Eagle County Sheriff's Office

Eagle

Colorado