Guanella Pass cleared after reported suspicious person turns out to be outdoorsman

Reports of a suspicious person near Guanella Pass that had law enforcement searching the area Saturday morning turned out to be an outdoorsman who was in the area to fish, the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff’s office received reports of a man wearing camouflage and a mask and carrying a high-powered rifle near Naylor Lake and the Silver Dollar Lake Trail at around 11:35 a.m., officials said on social media.

Deputies contacted the man wearing camo, a balaclava, a mask and carrying a rifle who told them he was in the area to fish — which is not illegal, the sheriff’s office noted. Deputies offered the man a ride back to the trailhead.

“We appreciate hikers in the area who saw something and said something,” sheriff’s officials said on Facebook.