Found Deceased CO - Micah Tice, 20, hiker, Rocky Mountain Natl Park, Longs Peak Trailhead, USAFA Cadet, 22 Nov 2018

[zecats]

The live Webcam at Longs Peak is working. Looks like cloudy overcast skies with snow at the higher elevations.

Longs Peak Webcam (U.S. National Park Service)

ETA - I think this webcam takes pictures every so often rather than a totally live shot. The fine print at top says the picture was taken today @ 10:31 a.m. and the Temperature is 11.3 degrees Fareignheight. I bet the camera will update the picture every so often.

Fascinating. Thanks

 

[Hippononymous]

He wasn't an Air Force Academy cadet, he was a cadet CANDIDATE and was in the 10-month preparatory course in a school on their grounds. You can not directly apply to the school - it's for people who applied to the Air Force Academy and were NOT accepted. I'm thinking he was doing something to make him stand out from the other potential candidates after not being initially selected for the Academy. Here's the links about Micah and the course itself Two hikers left missing on Colorado's Longs Peak Prep School Program | Air Force Academy

Wow...this isn’t something I would have considered in a hundred years and is certainly frightening if it’s what happened.

 

[carbuff]

Long Peak sounds a bit like Mt. Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Much more dangerous than it looks, people die there every year and yet others still keep trying to summit with inadequate preparation and gear, without checking the weather.

And 95% of them or more get away with it. They get lucky on the weather, don't have trouble finding the trail, etc. So that makes the next party think they'll be lucky too.

 

[zecats]

Long Peak sounds a bit like Mt. Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Much more dangerous than it looks, people die there every year and yet others still keep trying to summit with inadequate preparation and gear, without checking the weather.

And 95% of them or more get away with it. They get lucky on the weather, don't have trouble finding the trail, etc. So that makes the next party think they'll be lucky too.

It does...We drove up (at least there is a road to the summit of Mt W) and the temps dropped from 80's to 50's...in August. Also with the AT passing through, there are lots of thru-hikers. Seems from reading about Longs Peak that it gets fairly crowded during "warmer" months as well.

 

[cybervampira]

The family of 20-year-old Micah Tice, the Air Force Academy preparatory school student missing on Longs Peak, will talk to reporters during a Friday press conference. Latest: Family of missing Longs Peak hiker holds press conference

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=379690195935239

 

[Hatfield]

The family of 20-year-old Micah Tice, the Air Force Academy preparatory school student missing on Longs Peak, will talk to reporters during a Friday press conference. Latest: Family of missing Longs Peak hiker holds press conference

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=379690195935239

This is well worth watching the whole interview. Summs up the situation very well. A class act by the father and I totally agree with everything he said.

And Kudos to the 4 public experienced volunteer hiker/rescuers that have taken it upon themselves to help try to find him.

Sadness that it is likely too late to find him alive but even if he has expired by now the family of course still wants him back as soon as possible to begin their grief process. Being in limbo is the worst thing for any family of the missing.

Continued prayers for his parents and family and friends and the volunteers that have helped and continue to help.

 

[Hatfield]

JMO
This is just a guess of what could have happened that could cause him not to make it back.

One thing that happened to me when I was shoveling snow one time is I had gone outside in freezing temperatures and did not have on good enough shoes and stayed outside longer than I expected. What happened is my feet got totally numb and eventually they felt like stumps and I could not feel a thing in my feet. I knew I had stayed out too long and just kept wanting to shovel just a little bit more and finally I could not feel my feet at all and knew it was time to go back inside. Once my feet got to the point of being totally numb they felt like stumps and I had trouble walking.

So this made me think that something like that could have happened to him. Even if he did not injure himself then the cold temperatures could have gotten to a point where they made his feet and lower legs so numb that walking was basically impossible.

Also once that happens then unless he had brought fire starter like a lighter or matches and unless he could find enough dry wood to burn and start a fire then there would be no way for him to warm up his feet to get circulation and feeling back into his feet and lower legs.

Just wanted to bring up this possible scenario that can happen even if he did not injure himself and could explain why he could not make it back.

 

[GraceG]

The

This is well worth watching the whole interview. Summs up the situation very well. A class act by the father and I totally agree with everything he said.

And Kudos to the 4 public experienced volunteer hiker/rescuers that have taken it upon themselves to help try to find him.

Sadness that it is likely too late to find him alive but even if he has expired by now the family of course still wants him back as soon as possible to begin their grief process. Being in limbo is the worst thing for any family of the missing.

Continued prayers for his parents and family and friends and the volunteers that have helped and continue to help.

The Park Service had a pretty good response to his allegations in the link here. I understand his frustration, especially being a parent myself, but they have had some serious storms move through there and even on a good day it's quite dangerous for the searchers due to avalanche risk and steep alpine terrain. I do pray they bring their son home but not at the cost of another life. Rocky Mountain National Park responds to comments made by missing cadet candidate's family

 

[MsMarple]

The

The Park Service had a pretty good response to his allegations in the link here. I understand his frustration, especially being a parent myself, but they have had some serious storms move through there and even on a good day it's quite dangerous for the searchers due to avalanche risk and steep alpine terrain. I do pray they bring their son home but not at the cost of another life. Rocky Mountain National Park responds to comments made by missing cadet candidate's family

ITA. I get that Micah's parents are grieving and still holding out hope that he may be alive so I can't judge them - I'd probably do the same.

But at the same time we've been following the daily searches, including the weather reports and there comes a time when the safety of searchers must take priority.

For whatever reason, be it trying to challenge himself or impress the Air Force Academy or whatever was in his mind, the facts are that Micah set out on arduous hike but was ill-prepared for the weather and the terrain. IMO the park service and searchers did their best to find him and bring him home.

From your link:
Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Team members began our active search efforts at sunrise on Tuesday, November 27, three days after Micah was last seen. Severe blizzard conditions existed on the mountain when he left the trailhead at 6:30 a.m. on November 24, reported to be wearing sweatpants, a sweatshirt and tennis shoes. Micah had apparently not communicated his plans to anyone.
The search for Micah has continued in severe winter conditions. The number of rescuers in the field beginning the morning of November 27 through Monday, December 3, has been appropriate given the difficulty of the high alpine environment, and the safety of the rescuers.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Father of missing Colorado hiker Micah Tice blasts National Park Service, pleads for Trump's help

Benjamin Tice believes his son could have sought shelter in an area the National Park Service has not searched.

During the Friday press conference, Benjamin Tice pleaded for help from state and federal officials, including President Donald Trump.

 

[GraceG]

Father of missing Colorado hiker Micah Tice blasts National Park Service, pleads for Trump's help

Benjamin Tice believes his son could have sought shelter in an area the National Park Service has not searched.

During the Friday press conference, Benjamin Tice pleaded for help from state and federal officials, including President Donald Trump.

Growing up out west, and hiking that area (though not the high altitudes of the peak itself) I have to agree with the Park Services statement. There IS no shelter on and near Long's peak. There is a hut on the side of the peak that's not routinely climbed (a memorial actually to a hiker who died) but it has no door and is filled with snow this time of year. Outside of some large boulders that might have shielded him a bit from the 90 mph wind from the storm he climbed into, there's NO shelter. I grieve with his parents, but their call to put large groups of others in serious harm's way should not be heeded. Micah hiked into blizzard conditions wearing sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and tennis shoes. He had no gear but for a small backpack that contained at best, from eyewitness statements already linked here, a second sweatshirt and perhaps a days worth of snacks and water.

 

[MsMarple]

Father of missing Colorado hiker Micah Tice blasts National Park Service, pleads for Trump's help

Benjamin Tice believes his son could have sought shelter in an area the National Park Service has not searched.

During the Friday press conference, Benjamin Tice pleaded for help from state and federal officials, including President Donald Trump.

From your link, my bolding:
Friends of the family and other experienced hikers plan to search the area again this weekend. They say activity from Micah Tice’s cellphone was recorded November 25 around 10,000 feet, the elevation where the weekend search will focus on.

I thought the last cell signal was from Woodman Rd. and I-25:

His parents, who live in Nevada, last spoke to him about 9 p.m. Friday. He told them he was going to do schoolwork that night and perhaps take a hike Saturday. His phone’s signal last was received Saturday near East Woodmen Road and Interstate 25.

Missing Air Force Academy cadet candidate's car found at Longs Peak trailhead

No news yet on whether or not the private search took place this weekend. I wish them the best and hope they stay safe.

 

[angelainwi]

During a press conference held at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) Friday evening, the family of Micah Tice, 20-year-old of Las Vegas, Nevada criticized the National Park Service for not doing enough to find their missing son.

Family of missing hiker speaks out

 

[zecats]

During a press conference held at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) Friday evening, the family of Micah Tice, 20-year-old of Las Vegas, Nevada criticized the National Park Service for not doing enough to find their missing son.

Family of missing hiker speaks out

That’s a shame. I realize without a doubt the family in immense pain. But many folks searched long and hard in difficult conditions. I should say despite the difficult conditions. I am sorry he hasn’t been found. And sorry for his family.

 

[MsMarple]

That’s a shame. I realize without a doubt the family in immense pain. But many folks searched long and hard in difficult conditions. I should say despite the difficult conditions. I am sorry he hasn’t been found. And sorry for his family.

Yep. I think we all feel the same - it's a nightmare for Micah's family and the frustration they feel must be awful.

I had to remind myself that the msm articles reporting on his family's anger with the RMNP is coming from the press conference and it's not like his dad is repeatedly blasting the search efforts to different news outlets.

That said, there was news last Sunday that the family was organizing private search efforts. I haven't seen any updates on that so we don't know if any new private searches have yet been made. Given the weather it may be difficult for even well-intentioned searchers. Prior teams couldn't hike above 12,000 ft. due to hazardous mountain conditions.

I hope any searches are conducted with the safety of the searchers in mind.

Private Search Team Now Looking For Missing Cadet Candidate

 

[zecats]

Yep. I think we all feel the same - it's a nightmare for Micah's family and the frustration they feel must be awful.

I had to remind myself that the msm articles reporting on his family's anger with the RMNP is coming from the press conference and it's not like his dad is repeatedly blasting the search efforts to different news outlets.

That said, there was news last Sunday that the family was organizing private search efforts. I haven't seen any updates on that so we don't know if any new private searches have yet been made. Given the weather it may be difficult for even well-intentioned searchers. Prior teams couldn't hike above 12,000 ft. due to hazardous mountain conditions.

I hope any searches are conducted with the safety of the searchers in mind.

Private Search Team Now Looking For Missing Cadet Candidate

There have been private searches by at least 2 friends? of family. Mom’s Facebook page, which became a find Micah/ report findings page, posted about this. In fact there was a video and photos. Even then there were signals that family was not happy with all searching done up to that point.

 

[mickey2942]

This time of year, searching is just too dangerous. At what point does personal responsibility as an adult be discussed? He was an adult, 20 years old, and made a decision to go hiking alone, in rough terrain.

I am sorry for his family. And I am sorry that I have just read too many of these same exact scenarios.

 

[zecats]

This time of year, searching is just too dangerous. At what point does personal responsibility as an adult be discussed? He was an adult, 20 years old, and made a decision to go hiking alone, in rough terrain.

I am sorry for his family. And I am sorry that I have just read too many of these same exact scenarios.

Exactly what I’ve been wanting to say for a while now.

 

[mickey2942]

Exactly what I’ve been wanting to say for a while now.

I am at a point where I believe that adults who do these things, should be charged when rescued. Billed for the hours of searching.

 

[PalmerLakeAnon]

Could someone please create a map that has as much information regarding this search as possible? Things like the place last seen, the place Micah's phone was last pinged, and possibly the area that has already been covered by the SAR, plus anything else that is noteworthy. Thanks.