Backcountry Skier Dies in Rocky Mountain National Park

A Colorado man has been killed in a backcountry skiing accident at Taylor Glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park. Taylor Glacier is pictured in the upper lefthand photo. NPS photo.

A backcountry skier has died in an accident in Rocky Mountain National Park. The 40-year-old was skiing alone on Taylor Glacier and reported missing late Tuesday.

Park officials did not immediately release the man's name, pending notification of next of kin, but did say he was from Boulder, Colorado.

The man's friends contacted the park Tuesday night to report him missing. Friends discovered his body Wednesday morning. According to rangers, he died of massive trauma.

The man's body was flown out late of the park Wednesday afternoon and turned over to the Larimer County Coroners Office.

Taylor Glacier is 5.2 miles from the Bear Lake Trailhead. It is a 2,600-foot elevation gain with difficult terrain, loose rock, snow and ice. It is beyond the trail system.