Lost Hiker on Mt Holy Cross

[Jon Frohlich]

The photo seems odd since it's was clearly taken to prove location for us or James girlfriend as a safety back up. This clearly proves his location.

I've taken plenty of similar photos on trips and so have many others I'm sure. I see nothing at all odd about it. It's a standard "starting out on my hiking trip" photo.

[Peak Fitness]

What I find odd about the picture is how well equipped it shows him to be. He has what appears to be a GPS on his left shoulder and a safety whistle hanging from his pack on his right shoulder. I've been told that he actually had 2 safety whistles with him. He has a large multi-day pack with a tent. He's wearing a bright orange shirt (good to wear during hunting season). However, what he doesn't have is a SPOT receiver or a cell phone... 2 things that would help in locating his whereabouts. Why hasn't he been blowing his whistles or starting signal fires? I wish that I knew.

[Colorado dreaming]

My fear is that he is hurt/trapped (by a boulder/at the bottom of a canyon) somewhere off route. If he was simply lost, I assume with the experience he had, he would have had maps in addition to the GPS and would have studied the route to know the way back to the road or he could have started a fire, blew his whistle, etc., done something to alert authorities, particularly as aircraft flew overhead. As others have mentioned, this is a fairly used trail and over those 5 days, it is likely someone would have seen him if he was on trail for more than a day or so.

I do realize there is always the possibility of foul play or he doesn't want to be found but that's something for the authorities to investigate rather than non-SAR hikers looking for him while on the trail.

[Southside]

Does anyone know how much time he had to acclimatize before he started on his hike? Has he had a lot of experience of hiking at higher altitude with a multiday (ie heavy) pack?

I am from Chicago and hiked the Halo Ridge route on Sept 25th. I hiked with a 35lb pack on the Falls Creek trail to the Notch Mountain trail junction where I spent the night before making an attempt at Halo Ridge with a lighter daypack. I had already spent three days in Breckenridge beforehand, but the hike up to the Notch Mountain trail junction was still difficult with a relatively heavy pack for me and my flatlander lungs.

[Kapelmuur]

What I find odd about the picture is how well equipped it shows him to be. He has what appears to be a GPS on his left shoulder and a safety whistle hanging from his pack on his right shoulder. I've been told that he actually had 2 safety whistles with him. He has a large multi-day pack with a tent. He's wearing a bright orange shirt (good to wear during hunting season). However, what he doesn't have is a SPOT receiver or a cell phone... 2 things that would help in locating his whereabouts. Why hasn't he been blowing his whistles or starting signal fires? I wish that I knew.

I took a kind-of-lame wilderness survival course last spring. We built log shelters, started fires, did map & compass exercises, etc. It was all very well and good but one thing occurred to me: we had perfect weather, clear lines of site to our compass spotting landmarks, knew exactly where we were, were well fed and rested and we had a bunch of other people around us to help out and correct mistakes if needed.

Imagine being out by yourself, lost, maybe cold and hungry, possibly injured--the point being I have to imagine that common sense is possibly the first thing to go by the wayside.

[TdotW]

Does anyone know how much time he had to acclimatize before he started on his hike? Has he had a lot of experience of hiking at higher altitude with a multiday (ie heavy) pack?

I am from Chicago and hiked the Halo Ridge route on Sept 25th. I hiked with a 35lb pack on the Falls Creek trail to the Notch Mountain trail junction where I spent the night before making an attempt at Halo Ridge with a lighter daypack. I had already spent three days in Breckenridge beforehand, but the hike up to the Notch Mountain trail junction was still difficult with a relatively heavy pack for me and my flatlander lungs.

I believe his father lives in the CO area, so I assume he was there early to acclimate before the trip, but don't really know for sure. Could be why he was witnessed moving so slowly the first day. It does seem like something must have incapacitated him in some way (he definitely had whistle, GPS, and compass) or else he is SO far off course (and off trail) that no one can hear him whistling (not likely). If he truly was in trouble early, I agree that someone should have seen something. Another possibility is that he got way off course (off trail?) early (possibly even a last-minute decision to go another way or bushwhack?) but was not in trouble until the weather turned. These are all guesses. With all the gear he had, I'd assume he could hang in there a while, unless he's caught under a rock or otherwise injured and unable to move.

I know he did a 123-mile 2-week hike in the White Mountains in 2007, including the Presidents range and Pinkham Notch. Don't know how much hiking he's done out west there.

Alot of the pictures he's posted from our backpacking club trips have been flowers and other flora, small animals and insects, etc., so he must have had a camera and might have strayed to get some good shots.

[EatinHardtack]

aliens, just sayin'

In all seriousness I hope the man is found healthy and alive. Positive vibes to all in involved in this.

[Mountainspirit]

I have a couple of questions . . .

Sounds like there might be more than a couple of parties out in the Holy Cross Wilderness this weekend . . . perhaps those who are going ought to pm each other and possibly discuss different areas to cover?

Also - In an attempt to not paint an ugly picture, does anyone know of the scavenging nature of wildlife such as bears (preparing for hibernation), mountain lions, etc.? I'd assume this type of incident would likely leave clues, but, isn't this a possiblity?

[tenpins]

Ive recovered bodies that have been out there for a week or more, and there has been no scavenging by critters. Which frankly always surprised me. Eventually they do find the body and will scavenge....Ive recovered remains that were mostly skeletal. one where the skull was found about 25m from the torso.

If you folks are going to PM and organize something, I would strongly suggest you get in touch with Vail Mountain Rescue. A) to let them know B) they might actually have an area they would like checked. I guess A++) to make sure you arent going to mess anything up which they may have planned.

[landcruiserbob]

It's very rare for a boulder to fall on you in the backcountry. I only know of one individual who had this happen to them in the Colorado backcountry & he cut his leg off at the knee back in the 90's.

If he were attacked by a predator we would have found his gear by now. I have seen mountain lions in the area but they have never been a threat; bears are looking for a den right now.

Did he have a medical situation? If he has hiked as much as I have read he cannot be lost since he would know to walk down hill & follow a drainage to a road.

The hunters will be out full force this weekend hopefully he will walk into a hunting camp.

[djkest]

I am going up tomorrow. Starting around 9 am. I am going to hike the Fancy Creek trail (possible detour to Holy Cross city), Over Fancy pass, down into treasure vault lake, scout out that area, and then come back on the Missouri lake trail. I may have time to shoot up the Brady trail and scope out the lakes up there. I'm thinking it couldn't hurt to check out areas with water, and all these areas I'm going to visit are lakes/drainages.

I have a good map and I'm not going to go crazy off trail. I will be solo so I won't have any music or conversation to distract my senses.
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[tenpins]

murders in the backcountry - not in the weekend warrior hunting camp areas - are statistically extremely rare. Mentioning the missing woman from 2005 would mean that two of these extremely rare murders happened in the same area. Which implies a serial behavior - making the chances even more obscure. It is also hard to erase the crime scene out there contrary to what a lot of folks may think. I personally have discovered what was supposed to be a hidden grave of a murder victim. To a trained searcher, it wasnt hard to spot.
There are many more simple answers to why he is unaccounted. Lost, hurt, slim chance of being predated, heart attack, stroke, AMS, dehydration, fell and hit his head...if he was even slightly injured, circumstances can quickly snowball into a serious situation. The lows up there at elevation are too cold to keep functioning without the calories to fuel the body. The mountains of colorado are the resting place of many, many individuals. There is a good chance a hunter will find a clue before winter sets in, which isnt far away up there.