The weather forecast for today in Colorado's high country is expected to be much like it is down here on the Front Range: cold and rainy. And that's not good news for rescuers searching for James Nelson, an experienced hiker from Chicago who hasn't been seen since leaving for his solo trip on a treacherous trail near Vail. Nelson, a 31-year-old member of the Chicago Backpackers Meetup Group, left October 3 for his five-day, 25-mile hike around the Mount of the Holy Cross, a fourteener (via the Chicago Tribune).

Local authorities began their search when Nelson failed to return on Friday, and rescuers continue their efforts, setting out again this morning. They aren't certain whether Nelson attempted to summit the peak, though he had apparently been considering it, notes the Vail Daily. Nelson could have encountered snow in the wilderness, depending on his location, which makes staying warm more difficult and conditions more slippery.