UPDATE: The hiker missing in Rocky Mountain National Park, Boyd Severson, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was found hiking along the Lawn Lake Trail Tuesday evening by searchers. Reported missing Monday evening, Severson said that he became lost Monday when coming down from Mummy Mountain. He said that he had walked into a whiteout and wound up going too far east. Figuring that he wasn’t going to make it to the trailhead, he decided to spend the night on the mountain.

By Larry Frederick

Special to the Estes Park Trail-Gazette

Park Rangers and volunteers began searching for Boyd Severson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa Tuesday morning after the hiker/climber was reported overdue at 8 p.m. Monday. Serverson was attempting to climb the 13,425 foot Mummy Mountain in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Severson had been dropped off at the Lawn Lake Trailhead before 7 a.m. on Monday morning and planned to be picked up by 5:30 p.m. by his wife. He was well equipped for a day hike and was carrying a GPS unit with extra batteries, a map, and a Blackberry.  (This is well equipped?- eli)

The Park experienced winter-like conditions above treeline Monday.  (A well-forecasted storm with below freezing temperatures and snow predicted for the Estes Valley.  He started up in a severe winter storm on Monday morning with temp.'s in the low 30's and considerable precipitation falling at 7a.m. - eli).  Trail Ridge Road had been closed late afternoon on Sunday due to snow and wind. On Monday, Rangers reported three inches of snow at Alpine Visitor Center with white-out conditions at times. Park staff did not try to plow Trail Ridge Road open on Monday due to severe weather.

Severson is said to be familiar with the area he is hiking in. On three occasions Monday he e-mailed a friend with the status of his climb. (Maybe he should have surfed the web for "common sense") The last message was sent at 12:30 p.m. on Monday from the 12,500 foot level on the peak and he estimated he was within a quarter mile of the summit.   (Gaining 1,000' in a quarter mile is some very, very steep terrain, especially in a winter white-out at 13,000'- eli)

He wrote that he didn’t want to turn around since he was so close to the top.  (Not a valid reason for heading into a white-out.  Oh wait, he had a Blackberry! -eli).  He also wrote that his cell phone was not working while on the mountain.  No further communication was transmitted and efforts to e-mail him as of Tuesday afternoon have failed.

An incident command post was established at Park Headquarters in Estes Park. Additional search and rescue teams, including two dog teams, were on scene from Larimer County, Grand County and Rocky Mountain Rescue. A helicopter was also used. 

(98% of all rescue costs in National Parks go to finding ill-equipped and irresponsible individuals such as this Blackberry carrying Iowan.  I believe he should be charged in full for all of the costs involved in finding  him and reprimanded for putting so many people at risk in this large-scale search.- eli)