Weather improves in search for Minn. father, son in Rockies

Weather is improving for dozens of searchers looking for a pair of Minnesota hikers lost in Colorado.

Blizzard conditions hampered the search on Monday, but better conditions Tuesday allowed the number of searchers to double to about 50, said Bill Barwick, public information officer with the Evergreen, Colo.-based Alpine Rescue Team.

• Missing: Evan and Damian McManus (Facebook)

"We've used snowmobiles to get personnel into areas that would take snowshoes to get out or skis to get out," Barwick said. "We used a Blackhawk helicopter yesterday to insert three skiers further up the mountain to see if they could locate any kinds of signs up in there. We were unsuccessful."

Damian McManus and his 18-year-old son Evan, of St. Louis Park, were reported missing on Sunday. They were on a spring break hiking trip in an area west of Denver. Authorities found their car in a parking lot about half way up the route to the summit, at Echo Lake.

The area is known for the road that runs to the top of Mt. Evans, a 14,000 foot peak popular with hikers. Officials don't know what trail the pair might have used or if they were carrying a map or compass.

Family spokeswoman Andrea Bouzrara says Katherine McManus is at the site, where her husband's car is parked.