CO CO - Michelle Vanek, 35, Mount of the Holy Cross, 2005 - Largest Search In CO History

[dspdenver]

Possible belongings of woman missing since 2005 found

Michelle Vanek went missing while hiking up Mount of the Holy Cross nearly 19 years ago.

www.9news.com

[EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. — Searchers have found items that are believed to have belonged to a hiker who went missing nearly 19 years ago.
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The items closely resemble things Vanek had with her when she vanished, the release said.
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The sheriff's office is now waiting for forensic confirmation of the items.]

Eagle County Sheriff's Office | Eagle CO

Eagle County Sheriff's Office, Eagle, Colorado. 24,853 likes · 1,126 talking about this · 475 were here. Official page of the Eagle County Sheriff's Office. Deputies on Patrol. For Emergencies dial...

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[imstilla.grandma]

"Finding these personal items is an emotional moment for all of us," the release said. "For 19 years, Michelle’s family, friends, and this community have held on to hope. Sheriff James Van Beek has a search grid map from that very search hanging on his office wall, placed there by his predecessor as a constant reminder of a case unresolved and a family left incomplete. It has remained there as a symbol of our unwavering commitment to never stop searching for Michelle."

Possible belongings of woman missing since 2005 found

Michelle Vanek went missing while hiking up Mount of the Holy Cross nearly 19 years ago.

www.9news.com

 

[ChatteringBirds]

19 Years After a Hiker Vanished, Some of Her Personal Items May Have Been Found: ‘Glimmer of Closure’

A search team on Colorado's Mount of the Holy Cross came across personal objects potentially linked to Michelle Vanek, a hiker who disappeared on Sept. 24, 2005.

people.com

I feel for her family -- and her hiking partner that day. And hope this will lead to answers for them.

 

[mlhenn]

Michelle Rae Vanek – The Charley Project

Last updated June 25, 2025; details of disappearance updated.

Details of Disappearance​

Vanek was last seen on September 24, 2005, when she and a friend, Eric Sawyer, went to hike on the 14,000-foot Mount of the Holy Cross in Eagle County, Colorado. She was carrying a small Camelback water pack, some energy bars and ski poles.

The pair started out at 6:30 a.m., but they accidentally took a more difficult trail than they had intended and they moved much slower than they had planned. Vanek lagged behind Sawyer most of the way. By 1:30 p.m., she had run out of water. About 400 yards short of the summit, she stated she couldn't go any further and told Sawyer to continue on without her. He told her to either wait for him, or go towards the East Cross Creek Trail, where they were going to begin their descent.

Sawyer arrived at the summit at 1:42 p.m. and called his wife from there. He stayed only a few minutes before turning back to rejoin Vanek. When he arrived at the boulder field where he'd last seen her, she was gone. She has never been heard from again. An extensive, week-long search of the mountain turned up no indication of her whereabouts.

In September 2024, authorities announced they'd found personal belongings, which closely resemble Vanek's, in the area where she went missing. The items included a small backpack, hiking poles, car keys and some clothing. There was no sign of Vanek herself, however.

She is presumed to have died in a mishap in the wilderness, perhaps a fall. She left behind a husband and four children.

 

[elframo]

Like many here, I follow hundreds of missing person cases but I'd never heard of this case until recently.Some cases resonate more than others ( they shouldn't but they do , sadly) and this will resonate with me because she went missing on the day I lost my father. I hope Michelle's family get a resolution one day.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Missing Mom of 4's Remains Discovered 20 Later, and Now Her Nephew Is Helping Give Back to Those Who Found Her

"It was very, very brutal to lose her," says Ethan Whitson

ca.news.yahoo.com

​

Missing Mom of 4's Remains Discovered 20 Later, and Now Her Nephew Is Helping Give Back to Those Who Found Her​

On Saturday, Aug. 16, Ethan Whitson will join the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 RUN to fundraise for the Vail Mountain Rescue Group, which discovered his aunt Michelle Vanek’s remains long after the family had lost hope that she would be found when she disappeared while hiking the 14,009-foot mountain in Colorado in 2005.

 

[Iknewit80]

Missing Mom of 4's Remains Discovered 20 Later, and Now Her Nephew Is Helping Give Back to Those Who Found Her

"It was very, very brutal to lose her," says Ethan Whitson

ca.news.yahoo.com

​

Missing Mom of 4's Remains Discovered 20 Later, and Now Her Nephew Is Helping Give Back to Those Who Found Her​

On Saturday, Aug. 16, Ethan Whitson will join the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 RUN to fundraise for the Vail Mountain Rescue Group, which discovered his aunt Michelle Vanek’s remains long after the family had lost hope that she would be found when she disappeared while hiking the 14,009-foot mountain in Colorado in 2005.

The story is about her nephew who says her remains was found. I can't find anywhere else where it confirms her body was found. All I see is some of her personal items were found in September 2024. Does anyone have confirmation on this?

 

[Mysteries1974]

The story is about her nephew who says her remains was found. I can't find anywhere else where it confirms her body was found. All I see is some of her personal items were found in September 2024. Does anyone have confirmation on this?

The article states her remains were found in September 2024 and were identified later that month. That detail was probably kept secret for the family’s sake until now

 

[Melt71]

Michelle's Doe Network case has been closed.

 

[HBelusky]

Verified by LE.

 

[Iknewit80]

She Vanished on a Colorado Mountain. 19 Years Later, a Mysterious Dream Helped Rescuers Find Her.

"They believe Vanek made it to where Sawyer told her to go. From that ridge, you can look down to see Lake Patricia, just past some gently rolling meadows. Michelle was out of water and had been hiking for hours. Rescuers think she started heading for the lake, not aware that the meadows abruptly end in sheer, 30-foot drops. Their best assumption is that she started downclimbing, desperate for water, and fell. It was likely a tragic accident. "

Interesting story on the all-women rescue team that found Vanek. Apparently, a male member of the team had a dream where Vanek appeared to him and told him that she wanted to be found by a team of women.