Hopes dim for St. Cloud prof missing on solo trek in Utah

A 65-year-old professor and avid outdoorsman from Minnesota backpacking alone in a rugged section of a national park in Utah has been missing since late last week without a clue to his whereabouts.

Searchers in the air and on the ground with canines in the Needles area of Canyonlands National Park tried for several days running to find Jerry O. Wolff, an internationally known expert on animal behavior at St. Cloud State University.

Wolff entered the park May 10 with a recreational permit that expired May 15, said park spokesman Paul Henderson. The search began once his permit expired. He hasn't been seen since then.