A car belonging to an experienced Colorado hiker missing for more than a week was found this afternoon in Goblin Valley State Park, about 30 miles from Green River, Utah.
Rosalie Ann Backhaus, 54, of New Castle left for Moab on Nov. 15 and was expected to return home late the next day.
New Castle Police Chief Chris Sadler said an Emery County Utah road department employee discovered Backhaus’ maroon 2004 Ford Explorer at about 2 p.m. in a parking lot of the isolated recreation area.
A ground search for Backhaus is currently underway by park employees and the Emery County Sheriff’s Office, he said.
“There are areas we want to search for her before it gets dark,” said Eugene Swalberg, manager of Goblin Valley State Park.
Backhaus was last seen checking out of the La Quinta hotel in Moab at about 8 a.m. on Nov. 16. The last call from her cellular phone hit a tower south of Moab at about 10:20 a.m. that day.
“She likes to hike all over the place,” Sadler said of Backhaus. “She likes to hike with others,” but when companions are not available, she often will hike by herself, he said.
Goblin Valley State Park is home to rugged, goblin-like rock formations and many hiking trails. The state of Utah acquired the property and designated it a state park in August 1964.
Sadler said Utah officials told him this afternoon that “a lot of of people get lost” in the 3,654-acre park which is 70 miles due west of Moab.
In 2005, a planned 4- to 6-hour day hike by 10 Salt Lake City residents at Goblin Valley turned into an overnight ordeal after they took a wrong turn. A ground search party of about 20, plus a helicopter and plane, looked for the group before they were eventually discovered.
In 2002, two Salt Lake City women got lost in the park for three days before they were found in a canyon just outside the park. The 2002 search included several agencies, search dogs and helicopters were used to locate the pair, who were described as experienced hikers.
Backhaus failed to report to work at Copy Copy in Glenwood Springs — about 12 miles from her home — on Nov. 17.
Sadler said it was highly unusual for Backhaus not to call and completely out of character for her to miss work.
Sadler said that Backhaus frequently hikes in both state and national parks and enjoys taking scenic back roads in her travels to and from the hiking areas.
Backhaus is 5 feet 7 inches tall, 140 pounds and has brown curly hair and blue eyes.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
