Bodies of two overdue hikers found in Glacier National Park
A storm approaches Wild Goose Island in Glacier National Park Wednesday, June 29. Dusty Star Mountain is seen above and left of the island. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
The bodies of two men were found in Glacier National Park on Monday morning after the pair were reported overdue from a climb on Dusty Star Mountain on Sunday.
Minuteman Aviation located the bodies of a 67-year-old male from Columbia Falls and a 67-year-old male from Kalispell. The names of the climbers are being withheld pending notification of their families.
According to a press release from the park, the men were climbing Dusty Star Mountain and initiated the trip July 21 with the plan to hike out July 22. They were reported missing July 24. Park rangers located their vehicle at the trailhead on the same day.
An air search began July 24 in the Dusty Star Mountain area on the east side route of approach where vegetation is extremely dense. Officials said the area is marked by potentially dangerous terrain as well.
Two Bear Air flew July 24 in daylight and darkness. Minuteman Aviation took over Monday morning and located the bodies of the climbers. Efforts to recover the bodies of the climbers and their belongings are underway.
Park staff expressed their deepest condolences to the men’s families and asked that the public respect their privacy.
These are the second and third climbing deaths in the park this summer. A 19-year-old died attempting to climb Mt. Brown in June.