Found Deceased CO - Joy Cipoletti, 60, hiking Zapata Falls, Ellingwood Point, 10 Oct 2020

[JerseyGirl]

Search ongoing for missing hiker in Zapata Falls area of Alamosa County

Joy Cipoletti, 60, was hiking Saturday in the Zapata Falls area, on the South Zapata Lake Trail, and in the Ellingwood Point area.

Cipolleti was last known to be wearing a light purple or green jacket and she may be wearing a white hat. She is described as 5 feet, 3 inches tall and about 140 pounds, with curly brown and gray hair. She was last heard from at about 3 p.m. Saturday.

 

[rainynights]

Alamosa County Sheriff's Office

The Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office and Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue are seeking information for an overdue hiker, Joy Cipoletti.

We are seeking information from anyone that may have seen Cipoletti that were in the area of Zapata Falls and the South Zapata lake trail as well as the Ellingwood Point area on Saturday, October 10th.

Joy Cipolleti was last known to be wearing a light purple or green jacket and may be wearing a white hat. Joy is 60 years old, 5’03”, 140 lbs., curly brown/gray hair. She was last heard from on Saturday, October 10th at 3pm.

If anyone has seen Joy Cipoletti please call CSP dispatch at 719-589-5807 or Search and Rescue at 773-456-2927.

 

[moonriverfarm]

Another missing hiker with no GPS.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Search underway for missing hiker near Alamosa | FOX21 News Colorado

Cipoletti, 60, is described as about 5 feet 3 inches tall and 140 pounds, with curly brown/gray hair.

She was last known to be wearing a light purple or green jacket, and may be wearing a white hat.

 

[watcher9]

If she messaged her daughter, she must have a phone with her, right?

 

[Auntie_Seagull]

If she messaged her daughter, she must have a phone with her, right?

Yes, but if she is lost somewhere in the middle of nowhere she might have no signal.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Authorities don't have an exact location of where she was hiking, but she was in the area of Zapata Falls, the South Zapata lake trail, and Ellingwood Point, which is a 14,042-foot mountain in the area. There is some snow at higher elevations in the area. This is east and southeast of the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Hiker, 60, missing from Zapata Falls, Ellingwood Point area since Saturday

 

[LadyL]

so many lost hikers
hope she is found

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

Authorities don't have an exact location of where she was hiking, but she was in the area of Zapata Falls, the South Zapata lake trail, and Ellingwood Point, which is a 14,042-foot mountain in the area. There is some snow at higher elevations in the area. This is east and southeast of the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Hiker, 60, missing from Zapata Falls, Ellingwood Point area since Saturday

Oh wow. I had thought maybe she was at the falls but was she hiking a 14er? That’s harder to track and less of a popular hike. And if she was still up there at 3pm that’s late.

 

[Auntie_Seagull]

Oh wow. I had thought maybe she was at the falls but was she hiking a 14er? That’s harder to track and less of a popular hike. And if she was still up there at 3pm that’s late.

Hikers finding themselves high in the mountains when the night approaches have a huge tendency to try using shortcuts, going off the marked trails. I hope Joy wasn't tempted to do anything like that as these attempts rarely have a good outcome. Also the light jacket at this altitude and this weather... Not good. Keep my fingers crossed for Joy's safe return.

 

[zecats]

Description from a hiker who has done the trail to the peak. Perhaps she was hiking only from the falls to the lake. The rest sounds like a much longer and very challenging choice. IMO

Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point via Zapata Falls Trail

"Hiked this trail 7/17 (it was my 7th 14ers in 2 weeks) and probably my less favorite 14ers. (very very challenging) Started at 6am with a nice sunrise and happy to start the hike, the first 3 miles are somewhat through a forest and shaded especially at 6am, it was nice and cool. You do start the elevation gain from the start of the trail. so by the time you get to Zapata Lake, you are almost at 5 miles into the hike and have gain 3500ft + elevation gain. To me that was somewhat an easy walk/portion of the hike. Lake is very pretty to see and if you are a family or someone not as active, I would recommend to make the lake you final stop for this hike and return to the car. It took me about 2.5h to hike to the lake (about 5 miles, so your round trip would be about 10h from the start to TH to lake and back to car) If you choose to continue, please be VERY VERY prepared, the next portion is NOT a joke. If you have children less than 15 years old. do NOT do this trail. If you have a dog who isn't good with rock climbing, do NOT do this trail. From the lake to the top of Ellingwood, it's about only 2 miles. Warning, it's almost 3000 ft gain elevation in those 2 miles. Which mean you are climbing almost at vertical at time. "

 

[zecats]

Hikers finding themselves high in the mountains when the night approaches have a huge tendency to try using shortcuts, going off the marked trails. I hope Joy wasn't tempted to do anything like that as these attempts rarely have a good outcome. Also the light jacket at this altitude and this weather... Not good. Keep my fingers crossed for Joy's safe return.

Welcome to WS @Auntie_Seagull . Thanks for making these points.

 

[JerseyGirl]

A search for her was taking place to the south and east of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in the area of Zapata Falls and the South Zapata Lake Trail and also near Ellingwood Point.

Cipoletti was described as being an “overdue hiker” and officials are hoping someone might have spotted her over the weekend and could help them in their search. She was last heard from on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Search Underway For Missing Hiker Joy Cipoletti In Sangre de Cristo Mountains

 

[JerseyGirl]

Cipoletti’s daughter said that her mom planned to return to the Zapata Falls trailhead sometime on Saturday and then drive back to Colorado Springs.

Ellingwood Point is a fourteener in the Sangre de Cristo Range of Colorado. The route to the summit up the north ridge from the South Zapata Creek Trailhead is considered "easy class 3", stretching for 12 miles with around 6,000 feet of vertical gain. This mountain is known for the presence of loose rock. This is not the most standard route.

Zapata Falls is a 25-foot waterfall located in the San Luis Valley near the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just south of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

Missing hiker last heard from on fourteener summit in Colorado | OutThere Colorado

 

[Auntie_Seagull]

I'd love to know how well was Joy acclimatised to the altitude during this hike. If she went too fast the altitude sickness is, unfortunately, something that could happen to her.

 

[rainynights]

October 14, 2020 UPDATE: We are still actively searching. We have high wind warnings in effect today so we will not have any air assets today. We do have 7 teams on scene this morning from various county SAR teams from throughout the state.

Alamosa County Sheriff's Office (5m ago)

 

[zecats]

Was this mentioned before? Did she actually summit?

Missing hiker last heard from on fourteener summit in Colorado | OutThere Colorado

Authorities in Alamosa County are searching for a 60-year-old female hiker named Joy Cipoletti that was reportedly last heard from on Saturday afternoon, October 10, from the summit of Ellingwood Point – a 14,042-foot mountain in Colorado.

 

[Auntie_Seagull]

Was this mentioned before? Did she actually summit?

Missing hiker last heard from on fourteener summit in Colorado | OutThere Colorado

Authorities in Alamosa County are searching for a 60-year-old female hiker named Joy Cipoletti that was reportedly last heard from on Saturday afternoon, October 10, from the summit of Ellingwood Point – a 14,042-foot mountain in Colorado.

She summited in afternoon? It doesn't leave much time for safe descent. :/

 

[JerseyGirl]

The Alamosa County Sheriff says Joy Cipoletti was last heard from when she summited Ellingwood Point and called her daughter last Saturday.

Search teams from Costilla and Huerfano county are assisting in rescue efforts.

The search continues for a missing Colorado Springs hiker

 

[Ilovemy3boys]