Weather could hamper Park search
The search in Glacier National Park for a 19-year-old male hiker who failed to return following a day hike on July 28 continued Thursday, Aug. 2, but weather forecasts called for showers, thunderstorms and winds that could affect aerial search operations.
Dispatch received a call late Saturday night saying Jakson Kreiser, a seasonal employee with Glacier Park, Inc. at Lake McDonald Lodge, was overdue. Park rangers found Kreiser’s vehicle at the Logan Pass Visitor Center parking lot. It’s believed Kreiser planned a day hike from Logan Pass to the Avalanche Lake area.
On Tuesday, certified trackers from North Valley Search and Rescue along with a Park employee found a partial boot track near Mary Baker Lake, in the Floral Park area, that matched the sole pattern of Kreiser's boots.
Another boot track was found in the area on Wednesday, as were items such as sunglasses and a water filter, but those items were not thought to belong to Kreiser.
The Floral Park area, however, is miles away from the creek that drains Hidden Lake to Avalanche Creek, and is on the opposite side of Bearhat Mountain.
The Park also received a call from a hiker who was on the Hidden Lake Trail on Saturday and provided credible information about Kreiser that will help in the search effort.
Ground and aerial search efforts were initiated Sunday. The Flathead County Sheriff Office’s Mountain Rescue Team and the Border Patrol are assisting in the efforts.
A Park incident management team was organized and is managing the incident. About 50 people are dedicated to the incident. A Minuteman helicopter carrying forward-looking infrared technology flew over the area.
The focus has been on the area between Hidden Lake and Avalanche Lake, which includes steep terrain, rock cliffs, waterfalls, dense vegetation and slippery rocks. The creek draining Hidden Lake flows into Avalanche Creek, the same route used long ago by the Park to run a phone line from Avalanche Campground to Logan Pass.
Kreiser is from Michigan, and this is his first year working in the area. He is 6 feet 2 inches tall with black, short, curly hair and a black beard. It’s believed he’s wearing a yellow sweatshirt and khaki pants and carrying a gray and yellow backpack.
Anyone who was in the Logan Pass, Hidden Lake, Floral Park or Avalanche Lake areas over the weekend and may have seen Kreiser is asked to contact Park dispatch at 406-888-7800.