A Colorado woman missing in a rugged and isolated area of northeastern Utah left extensive notes in her car outlining where she had been hiking and where she was on the day she disappeared, authorities said this afternoon.
Emery County (Utah) Sheriff Lamar Guymon said Rose Backhaus of New Castle left the notes in her maroon 2004 Explorer, which was discovered Monday in the parking lot of Goblin Valley State Park, about 70 miles due west of Moab, Utah.
In the notes, said Guymon, Backhaus outlined where she had hiked and stayed the day before in Moab. She said she had arrived on Nov. 16 at Goblin Valley State Park and was “happy.”
“She said it was warm, nice and something new,” said Guymon.
Guymon said that in the register at the parking lot, an individual from Colorado — who didn’t give a name — signed in on Nov. 16 and stated “party of one.”
Guymon, who is leading the search for Backhaus, said she is an experienced hiker but was not dressed for the colder weather that has moved into northeast Utah in recent days. He said, however, that she may be alive.
“I always like to think positive,” said the sheriff. “If she can stay warm and hydrated, she can survive. We hope that is the case.”
Sgt. Bliss Mead, of the Emery County Sheriff’s Department, said that the department, the volunteer “sheriff’s posse” and state park rangers were combing the 3,654-acre park.
Family and friends of the missing woman also arrived at the park.
As of 3:30 p.m. today, said Guymon, searchers had found no trace of Backhaus. He said that more searchers are due to arrive this afternoon.
They are working in shifts, and they will continue to scour the area until about 5:30 p.m. today, when the sun goes down.
Backhaus’ Ford Explorer was discovered at about 2 p.m. Monday in a parking lot of the remote state park, and authorities immediately launched a search but called it off as it became dark.
The ground parties are being helped by a helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety and a private aircraft.
Authorities said that hikers in the park must carry in their own water because there are no wells or pumps in the region. Overnight temperatures have dipped into the mid-20s in recent days, he added.
Backhaus, 54, left New Castle — west of Glenwood Springs — for Moab on Nov. 15 and was expected back in New Castle late the next day.
She was last seen checking out of the La Quinta Inn in Moab at about 8 a.m. on Nov. 16. The last call from her cellphone hit a tower south of Moab at about 10:20 a.m. that day.
Backhaus failed to report to work at Copy Copy in Glenwood Springs — about 12 miles from her home — on Nov. 17. Authorities said it was highly unusual for Backhaus not to call and completely out of character for her to miss work.
She is described as being physically fit. Backhaus is 5-foot-7, 140 pounds and has brown curly hair and blue eyes.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
