The body of a skier found Tuesday in the snow-choked Cameron Pass area in Larimer County was identified as 40-year- old Trish K. Lehman of Longmont.
The exact cause of Lehman’s death has not been determined by the Larimer County coroner, whose office will perform an autopsy Thursday.
But search teams said they saw no obvious signs of trauma on the body, said Larimer County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Eloise Campanella.
Experts say many cross-country skiers can become overtaxed on long backcountry forays in deep snow and sometimes succumb to the disorienting and deadly effects of hypothermia.
“We always have to remind people that Mother Nature in Colorado can throw you for a loop if you are not careful,” said Tim Metzger, Colorado State Forest park manager.
Cameron Pass, with an elevation of 10,276 feet, has received more than 48 to 50 inches of snow over the past two weeks.
Overnight lows have also dipped to between 5 and 10 degrees below zero, Metzger said.
Family members contacted Tuesday declined to comment.
Lehman was last heard from on Dec. 25, when she called family members on her cellphone to wish them a happy Christmas, Campanella said. She was then seen that same day going up the Montgomery Pass Trail about 2 p.m.
On Saturday evening, her husband grew concerned that he had not heard from her and drove to Lehman’s condo in Longmont to investigate, Campanella said. The two were not living together at the time.
He discovered an unshoveled walkway to her condo, which he entered to find out where she might be. Her computer indicated she was headed for the Cameron Pass area, Campanella said.
Her husband called Longmont police, who issued a bulletin the next day asking for her whereabouts.
That prompted the report of her being seen on the trailhead, Campanella said.
A patrol deputy spotted her car Monday at the Zimmerman Lake Trailhead on Cameron Pass. A subsequent search was cut short because of avalanche danger in the area, Campanella said.
The avalanche danger along Cameron Pass, including Rocky Mountain National Park, is categorized as moderate.
“Our deputy was sitting by her car, waiting for search crews to show up and he saw an avalanche, so it was pretty dangerous,” she said.
About 15 people from various agencies and two search dogs worked the area Tuesday morning before they found tracks about 100 yards off the trail that led them to Lehman’s body.
Lehman was reportedly an experienced cross-country skier, Campanella said.
But even the best skiers can become overwhelmed by the snow and cold, Metzger said.
“Hypothermia can still cause many problems,” he said. “You have to be careful.”
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
