The 27-year-old Idaho Falls resident saw the stretch of peaks every day and soon became enamored with the idea of trekking from point to point between Diamond Peak and Saddle Mountain.

Diamond Peak is one of Idaho’s nine “12ers,” or mountains rising above 12,000 feet in elevation. Diamond is the fourth-tallest mountain in Idaho. Todd said Diamond went smoothly.

Thursday’s tornado touched down on Pikes Peak at 2 p.m., just above 9,000 feet in elevation. Meteorologists estimate the storm reached wind speeds of 108 mph along its 2.18-mile path. Simcoe said the ...