What happened to Rich Moore? Incident explored as missing Colorado hiker found dead

Rich Moore, a 71-year-old Colorado hiker missing since August 2023, was found dead on October 30, according to a Facebook post last week by Taos Search and Rescue. Rich Moore had gone missing with his dog after planning to hike Blackhead Peak, 20 miles east of Pagosa Springs, on August 19, 2023.

In a Facebook Post last week, Taos Search and Rescue announced that more than two months after the hiker and his dog disappeared on the hiking trail, Moore was found dead by a hunter in the Lower Blanco drainage basin, in a valley southeast of Blackhead Peak's summit.

Moore’s dog, a white Jack Russell terrier, Finny, who was found alive by his side, was transported to a veterinary hospital for treatment before being reunited with her family.

While the cause of death is yet to be determined, authorities said that they do not suspect foul play in the incident.

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Rich Moore was found two and a half miles east of the Colorado Blackhead Peak mountaintop

Nearly ten weeks after an avid Colorado hiker, Rich Moore and his dog vanished after embarking on a hike to Blackhead Peak, a 12,500-foot elevated peak in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, Moore was found dead with his dog alive by his side.

In a Facebook post, Taos Search and Rescue said a hunter stumbled across Moore’s remains about two and a half miles east of the mountaintop.

“On October 30th, the body of missing hiker 71-year-old Rich Moore of Pagosa Springs was found, along with his dog, who was found alive and with his body. Moore and his dog had been missing since August 19, disappearing after leaving with a plan to summit Blackhead Peak, which is located just east of Pagosa Springs.”

In the post, the rescue team explained that they had initially led a search in August “under the peak-top and directly West, searching down the Colorado mountain toward where his car was located.” However, they were unable to find him in the area at the time. Delinda Vanne-Brightyn, who initially led the search, told The Denver Gazette Moore was found 2.5 miles East of the mountain-top. TSAR also said:

“Delinda and TSAR would like to send our condolences to the family, but are glad they were able to gain some closure as well as bring their dog back home.”

Vanne-Brightyn told the outlet that Moore’s dog, who had lost a significant amount of weight, survived on water from nearby underground streams and by catching small animals for food.