Laura Vukson, Nederland. I am the mother of the missing hiker, Josh Hall. I would greatly appreciate any assistance you can provide to keep the public informed that Josh is still missing. We did find our dog Happy who was with Josh hiking. 

On Wednesday, February 3, 2021, my son Josh Hall and our dog Happy went missing from a hike on Devil’s Thumb Lake Trail via Hessie Trailhead in Nederland. As of 12:20 p.m. on Thursday, February 11, our dog Happy has been miraculously found alive, but Josh is still missing. Happy was picked up by a driver on the Peak to Peak Highway near mile marker 40. We are surprised Happy was found there as they were hiking on Devils Thumb Lake Trail.

We need your help. Please help us spread the word with your friends and family in the Boulder, Gilpin and Larimer County areas. 

This is the information we know:

On Wednesday, February 3,

• Josh parked at the Hessie Trailhead and began hiking Devil’s Thumb Lake Trail between 10:30 to 10:45 a.m. (with Happy) with the intention of returning to Arvada for a 5 p.m. online class (he would need to leave trailhead by 3:30 - 4 p.m.).

• Cell phone ping at 12:03 p.m. put Josh in the vicinity of Devil’s Thumb Lake Trail.

• A significant winter storm at nearby Eldora Ski Resort was reported between 12:30 - 1:15 p.m., with reported white-out conditions and multiple inches of snow in a matter of minutes.

• As an experienced hiker with a pace between 3 and 3.5 mph, Josh is believed to have been at Devil’s Thumb Lake or further east at the Continental Divide when the weather arrived, approximately six miles from the trailhead.

• Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and Rocky Mountain Rescue Group arrived at Hessie Trailhead Wednesday night to begin their search.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 4 – 6,

• BCSO, Rocky Mountain Rescue and other teams continue their ground search - lower levels of Devils Thumb Lake Trail; along 4th of July Road (north east of Hessie Trailhead) - no trace of Josh or Happy found.

• Weather conditions unsuitable for aerial support all three days – high winds and low visibility.

• Unable to search upper areas of Devils Thumb Lake Trail due to unsafe conditions for rescuers - high avalanche conditions.

• Search suspended Saturday evening due to avalanche warnings, high winds, low visibility and snow coverage.

On Thursday, February 11, Happy was found on Peak to Peak Highway near mile marker 40. This area is 7-9 miles away from Hessie Trailhead/Devil’s Thumb with no direct route.

We hope this timeline with new information will greatly aid in our search. If you are in Boulder County and surrounding areas, please keep an eye out for any signs of Josh. Josh is 6’4”, 200 lbs. and may be wearing a soft shell grey/brown jacket, or a dark hard shell jacket, a grey/black backpack and a long black leash. Happy was found without the leash. 

We are eternally grateful for the heroic efforts of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Alpine Rescue Team, Larimer County Search and Rescue, Inc., Diamond Peak Ski Patrol, Front Range Rescue Dogs, Nederland Fire Department, Boulder Emergency Squad, Colorado Search and Rescue Association - CSAR, Flight For Life Colorado, and Boulder County School District - Nederland High School, who worked tirelessly in harsh conditions to find Josh and Happy. Over 70  rescuers put in over 650 hours between Wednesday night through Saturday evening to locate Josh and Happy.

If you have any tips or critical information, please contact Boulder County dispatch at 303-441-4444.

(Originally published in the February 18, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)