James Patrick of Littleton is the latest hiker to lose his life to the challenging Colorado wilderness. The 54-year-old died Saturday after falling about 1,000 feet from Taylor Glacier, an area above Sky Pond, five miles from Bear Lake Trailhead, writes 9News. Patrick, who was holding a rope, left the two other climbers he was with stranded until rescuers arrived.

Patrick's death is the fifth such fatality in the park this year, adding to a spate of tragedies in the rugged wild in recent months, including the case of James Nelson, an experienced hiker from Chicago who could not be found after leaving for a solo, five-day hike around the Mount of the Holy Cross. 

This year may set a record for climbing and hiking deaths, reports RealVail.com.