Authorities in Colorado said the body of a hiker who was reported missing earlier this week was discovered on Tuesday.
The Custer County Search and Rescue team said they were notified on Sunday after Luis Corkern didn't return to his vehicle after reaching Kit Carson Peak on Saturday around 4 p.m.
Rescue crews said they would begin searching the area on Monday.
On Tuesday, Saguache County Search and Rescue said a Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control helicopter spotted the 41-year-old's body as they attempted to insert rescue personnel into the area.
Officials said it appears Corkern fell from the ridge down the Kirk Couloir, which lies between Kit Carson Peak and Challenger Point.
Officials said Corkern's remains were lifted from the mountain with the help of a helicopter and the Custer County Search and Rescue technical rescue crew.
Luis's partner of more than 20 years, Myndee Corkern, told KMGH's Stephanie Butzer that he was her best friend, adding that he was a loving and dedicated father to their three young children.
"He was a creative soul with a passion for capturing beauty in the mundane with his photography," she said. "He could turn dust into gold as evidenced by the reclaimed wood he turned into art that hangs on our walls. He was hilarious and had a sense of humor drier than the desert, and if you knew him, you loved him. He made ordinary moments fun and was one of the most hands-on dads I’ve ever known."
She told Butzer that Luis began a new passion during the pandemic: mountain climbing.
Two years ago, he summited almost 30 fourteeners, which are peaks above 14,000 feet in Colorado, Butzer reported.
"(He) was known to be extra cautious on his hikes," Myndee Corkern told Butzer, adding that he never took unnecessary risks. "He worked in Colorado for several weeks the last three summers, getting his climbs in on the weekends and fully embracing the outdoor life. He will be greatly missed."
