Search for missing climbers continue at Alaska's Denali National Park

Clouds partially obscure Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, as seen from inside Denali National Park, Alaska, on September 22, 2022. (Photo by Patrick T.

FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE, Alaska (AP) - Aerial and limited ground searches were underway Monday in Alaska for two overdue mountain climbers whose last known tracks disappeared at the site of an avalanche, officials said.Eli Michel, 34, of Columbia City, Indiana, and Nafiun Awal, 32, of Seattle, were last known to be near Moose’s Tooth, a 10,300-foot mountain in Ruth Gorge, about 12 miles southeast of Denali, North America’s tallest mountain, officials said in a statement.The two last checked with friends via a satellite communication device on Friday morning, when they said they were planning to climb the West Ridge route along Moose’s Tooth.RELATED: Missing sisters last seen 3 years ago in Pennsylvania found safe; Mom turns herself in to policeTheir friends contacted park mountaineering rangers in nearby Talkeetna on Sunday when they hadn’t heard again from the climbers.Rangers on Sunday found the climbers' unattended tent and ski tracks heading to the base of the route.

There, they found the climbers’ skis, left behind when they apparently switched to crampons for the climb.RELATED: National Park employee killed during avalanche in AlaskaRangers then followed boot tracks continuing up the West Ridge into a recent small slab avalanche. "The tracks do disappear at the avalanche," park spokesperson Maureen Gualtieri said in an email.No other tracks were found Sunday.The aerial search Monday was focusing on the avalanche’s runout zone, or the lower portion of the slide path.