Michelle's dream

In 2005, Michelle Vanek, a 35-year-old mother of four, disappeared on Colorado's Mount of the Holy Cross, a rugged peak so steeped in symbolism that its snow-filled cross has become both landmark and legend. She was hiking with a friend when the pair split up and she vanished. Despite one of the largest search operations in state history, involving helicopters, dogs and hundreds of rescuers, no trace of her was found. But in 2024, an unexpected new chapter unfolded. Pastor Scott Beebe, an experienced search-and-rescue volunteer, dreamt that Michelle came to him, asking to be found "by women." Taking the dream as a kind of calling, he inspired an all-women rescue team to return to the mountain, guided by intuition, faith and a quiet determination to find her and bring her home. Jo Meek speaks to Michelle's husband, Ben Vanek, and to Pastor Scott Beebe, and meets Emily Brown and Erika German from the Vail Mountain Rescue Team who felt a closeness to Michelle on that mountain, decades on.