CO CO - Jacquline Chavez, 49, Missing on the Colorado Trail, Durango, 26 Feb 2025. Backpack Found

[doublestop]

Jacquline Chavez, 49, was reported missing on 2/26/2025. She was last seen on County Road 204. On March 1, 2025, two hikers located a backpack containing items belonging to Ms. Chavez, about 2 miles from the parking lot on the Colorado Trail at Junction Creek.

Jackie is 5 feet tall, 120 pounds and has brown hair.

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[GraceG]

On the 26th with a high forecast in the 50's and lows in the twenties I can not see someone planning a hike of any distance in shorts, unless she had warmer gear in her backpack planning to change if the weather cooled. (It WAS in the 60's on the 24th and 25th though). https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/durango/81301/february-weather/332198?year=2025

 

[sunflowermomma]

Do we know she was actually hiking and was the one that left her bag there?

 

[GraceG]

Do we know she was actually hiking and was the one that left her bag there?

One of the articles on MSM stated she was seen at Junction Creek Road at County Road 204. Police searching for Durango woman who disappeared on Colorado Trail

This article about the road describes it as "A wide gravel road which begins where CR204 ends. It climbs the mountain and gives access to Animas Overlook. From there, the road carries travelers north and west towards the Colorado Trail.L
Junction Creek Road is often used to access the Log Chutes trails."

https://www.trailforks.com/trails/junction-creek-road/

To me, I read that as the spot where she was last seen is the beginnning of the trail area. It does state in the first article that search and rescue dogs didn't get a hit on her but that's not surprising as several days had passed. They can normally only pick up the scent within a few hours or just a couple of days, however, under ideal conditions, some breeds like Bloodhounds have been known to follow a scent trail that is up to a week (or 2) But not all SAR dogs are bloodhounds.

 

[GraceG]

Sadly, her body has been found, only a third of a mile from the trail head. Undetermined cause of death What's odd, is that she was initially reporting missing and later "found" by SAR personnel AND family members at an undisclosed area of the trail the same day (Feb 26), and in that interaction she told them she wanted to be "left alone". She was then report reported missing again on the 1st of March when her backpack was found. Tox results may take a few weeks, if the autopsy isn't conclusive. Body of missing Durango woman found on Colorado Trail