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

[zecats]

I’m guessing the gear was for a different hike, maybe one that hadn’t happened yet. I mean you don’t take a tent meant to shelter under snow but wear sweatpants and tennis shoes for the same hike...if you’re a cadet for USNA you are probably adventuristic but you also have to be smart.

It's contradictory for sure, but read Mom's quotes in this article and sounds to me like she's talking about this particular hike.

Searchers look for Las Vegas man reported missing in Colorado

His mother, Janice Tice, said her son researched the weather and chose to pursue the route before temperatures dropped to zero."

“He will survive and we will find him,” she said Wednesday.

On her Facebook page and in text messages to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, she said her son “has all the tools necessary to survive” and has researched the Longs Peak trail route before. She said one of her other sons recently told her that Micah Tice was prepared for the hike.


Janice Tice said Wednesday that her son has hiked the Longs Peak trail in groups several times. He wanted to hike the trail in the snow “because he said it is unlike anything that you can see in a picture,” she said.

She said the 20-year-old had “several thousands of dollars worth of equipment” for the hike, including a water filtration system, ready-to-eat meals, tools for making fire in snow, medical supplies for self-administered first aid, and a shelter “that can go underneath snow.”

 

[Miss Saigon]

It's contradictory for sure, but read Mom's quotes in this article and sounds to me like she's talking about this particular hike.

Searchers look for Las Vegas man reported missing in Colorado

His mother, Janice Tice, said her son researched the weather and chose to pursue the route before temperatures dropped to zero."

“He will survive and we will find him,” she said Wednesday.

On her Facebook page and in text messages to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, she said her son “has all the tools necessary to survive” and has researched the Longs Peak trail route before. She said one of her other sons recently told her that Micah Tice was prepared for the hike.


Janice Tice said Wednesday that her son has hiked the Longs Peak trail in groups several times. He wanted to hike the trail in the snow “because he said it is unlike anything that you can see in a picture,” she said.

She said the 20-year-old had “several thousands of dollars worth of equipment” for the hike, including a water filtration system, ready-to-eat meals, tools for making fire in snow, medical supplies for self-administered first aid, and a shelter “that can go underneath snow.”

Agree, the article definitely makes it sound that way but the info about gear actually came from his brother who told his Mom he knew his brother had purchased it at some point. Mom said today on FB that they don’t know if he had this gear with him for this hike. Sure hope he did, but I doubt it.

 

[Miss Saigon]

Agree, the article definitely makes it sound that way but the info about gear actually came from his brother who told his Mom he knew his brother had purchased it at some point. Mom said today on FB that they don’t know if he had this gear with him for this hike. Sure hope he did, but I doubt it.

Oh... this just dawned on me as possible explanation for sweatpants and tennis shoes: They are issued all of their clothes and shoes. They do have boots but they are combat, not hiking. Black sweatshirt and pants sounds like typical AF relax issued wear. They do have the ability to purchase civilian clothing but they are typically supposed to leave the base in issued wear and they don’t really have room to store extra outerwear. Their issued outerwear is formal.

 

[zecats]

Oh... this just dawned on me as possible explanation for sweatpants and tennis shoes: They are issued all of their clothes and shoes. They do have boots but they are combat, not hiking. Black sweatshirt and pants sounds like typical AF relax issued wear. They do have the ability to purchase civilian clothing but they are typically supposed to leave the base in issued wear and they don’t really have room to store extra outerwear. Their issued outerwear is formal.

No exception to this if going on a serious technical hike on a 14000 ft peak in snowy weather?

 

[Miss Saigon]

No exception to this if going on a serious technical hike on a 14000 ft peak in snowy weather?

He definitely could have owned the right clothing and taken it with him but again, difficult to store and likely had to leave (and return) in issued clothes. His roommates would likely know if he had/took what he needed.

 

[zecats]

He definitely could have owned the right clothing and taken it with him but again, difficult to store and likely had to leave (and return) in issued clothes. His roommates would likely know if he had/took what he needed.

He could've changed in his car and left things stored there. But then, as you mentioned, the description of what he was seen hiking in matches, in all likelihood, issued clothing. I know this seems a trivial thing, but I do feel the choice of what he was wearing at the time he was seen was something he would have thought out and planned for accordingly. And it also might provide clues as to how much hiking and how high he actually intended to go, as you also mentioned previously.

 

[MsMarple]

It's contradictory for sure, but read Mom's quotes in this article and sounds to me like she's talking about this particular hike.

Searchers look for Las Vegas man reported missing in Colorado

His mother, Janice Tice, said her son researched the weather and chose to pursue the route before temperatures dropped to zero."

“He will survive and we will find him,” she said Wednesday.

On her Facebook page and in text messages to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, she said her son “has all the tools necessary to survive” and has researched the Longs Peak trail route before. She said one of her other sons recently told her that Micah Tice was prepared for the hike.


Janice Tice said Wednesday that her son has hiked the Longs Peak trail in groups several times. He wanted to hike the trail in the snow “because he said it is unlike anything that you can see in a picture,” she said.

She said the 20-year-old had “several thousands of dollars worth of equipment” for the hike, including a water filtration system, ready-to-eat meals, tools for making fire in snow, medical supplies for self-administered first aid, and a shelter “that can go underneath snow.”

Contradictory is right and it's confounding; where was all the expensive gear? I could see if his clothing description wasn't totally accurate - like maybe his clothes were wind proofed or something but tennis shoes? Even I know that is the wrong footwear for an arduous hike.

Also, my research says if he was planning to stay overnight (which hasn't been said in msm) he'd have to get a wilderness pass. If he was experienced and researched the weather, etc. beforehand then he'd have known that starting out at 6:30 am was cutting it really close.

Maybe he overestimated his skills and the weather? Wouldn't be the first time. I don't want to lay blame here, more like plain old human error, something we all do from time to time.

Hoping that he's alive and is hunkered down somewhere but IMO it doesn't look good.

 

[zecats]

Contradictory is right and it's confounding; where was all the expensive gear? I could see if his clothing description wasn't totally accurate - like maybe his clothes were wind proofed or something but tennis shoes? Even I know that is the wrong footwear for an arduous hike.

Also, my research says if he was planning to stay overnight (which hasn't been said in msm) he'd have to get a wilderness pass. If he was experienced and researched the weather, etc. beforehand then he'd have known that starting out at 6:30 am was cutting it really close.

Maybe he overestimated his skills and the weather? Wouldn't be the first time. I don't want to lay blame here, more like plain old human error, something we all do from time to time.

Hoping that he's alive and is hunkered down somewhere but IMO it doesn't look good.

Wilderness Camping - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Not even taking apps until March 2019. Assuming no one camps this time of year. Also above link enables you to click on Wilderness camping and you can see sites near Longs Peak from trailhead on up. There would def be a record of this if such a pass were requested.

 

[MntnHiker]

One thing I wanted to comment on, where it says his phone last pinged a good distance from the trailhead and he should have still gotten some reception after that ping. I am a hiker (though I don't do hikes like Longs Peak!) and know many other hikers who will try to save their phone battery before a hike. Although reception on a mountain like Longs Peak is probably extremely rare, there are also times that you could happen to get a bar of reception somewhere if you were in trouble and really needed to find one. So perhaps he turned his phone off to save on battery and planned on just powering it up again if he got into trouble and hoped to find a bar of reception (though again, that may not be possible). All just MOO, but that could explain why his phone wouldn't keep pinging and why he would have powered it down.

Hearing what he was seen hiking in, my guess is that his intent was not to summit, but to do a shorter hike and get some cool photos, then turn around. I think he ran into trouble and is sadly probably deceased out on the mountain. By trouble, I mean falling, getting injured, succumbing to the elements, etc.

 

[Mercedes]

Oh... this just dawned on me as possible explanation for sweatpants and tennis shoes: They are issued all of their clothes and shoes. They do have boots but they are combat, not hiking. Black sweatshirt and pants sounds like typical AF relax issued wear. They do have the ability to purchase civilian clothing but they are typically supposed to leave the base in issued wear and they don’t really have room to store extra outerwear. Their issued outerwear is formal.

If he was on a Thanksgiving break, he could have had access to his regular clothing. IMO

 

[carbuff]

It's possible MT's clothing wasn't as inadequate as the description from the other hikers makes it sound. They would only have seen the outside of his gear, at a distance.

Many modern hiking boots use the same techniques and materials as everyday running/walking shoes and you can't necessarily tell from outside whether they're insulated, have waterproof liners and sturdy soles, and so forth. (I presume the witness didn't mean actual white shoes to play tennis in.)

The same is true of clothing. You pretty much can't find plain cotton sweatpants any more; I'll bet even the air force's are a blend if not a high-tech wicking fabric. Typically winter hikers would wear several layers; the other hikers would only have seen the outer layer. He could have been wearing long underwear, winter hiking tights, or other warm layers underneath.

Is it a light pack that was blue, or an ordinary pack that was light blue? The wording confused me. It could have been not very large and still held a lot of gear; modern ultralight sleeping bags, tents, etc. don't take up very much space.

One of the things that most surprised me about the first time I went winter hiking was how little extra clothing I needed once I warmed up. He would have needed an extra layer when he stopped, but while he was moving, just sweatpants and a shirt is probably enough. Especially for a fit 20-year-old.

But it's been a long time now.

 

[zecats]

It's possible MT's clothing wasn't as inadequate as the description from the other hikers makes it sound. They would only have seen the outside of his gear, at a distance.

Many modern hiking boots use the same techniques and materials as everyday running/walking shoes and you can't necessarily tell from outside whether they're insulated, have waterproof liners and sturdy soles, and so forth. (I presume the witness didn't mean actual white shoes to play tennis in.)

The same is true of clothing. You pretty much can't find plain cotton sweatpants any more; I'll bet even the air force's are a blend if not a high-tech wicking fabric. Typically winter hikers would wear several layers; the other hikers would only have seen the outer layer. He could have been wearing long underwear, winter hiking tights, or other warm layers underneath.

Is it a light pack that was blue, or an ordinary pack that was light blue? The wording confused me. It could have been not very large and still held a lot of gear; modern ultralight sleeping bags, tents, etc. don't take up very much space.

One of the things that most surprised me about the first time I went winter hiking was how little extra clothing I needed once I warmed up. He would have needed an extra layer when he stopped, but while he was moving, just sweatpants and a shirt is probably enough. Especially for a fit 20-year-old.

But it's been a long time now.

All great questions. I wondered about the tennis shoes description too. Who actually uses that description? In France yes because they have no word for sneakers. Just seemed unusual to call his shoes that.

 

[cybervampira]

Search for missing USAFA Cadet Candidate continues in Rocky Mountain National Park

The search for a missing USAFA Cadet Candidate continued Friday as Search and Rescue crews continued to search in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

[...]

Search crews have encompassed about 10-square-miles in their search this past week.

 

[cybervampira]

Update: 10 square miles searched, helicopters involved in search for missing hiker

Two Colorado National Guard helicopters were summoned Saturday from Buckley Air Force Base to help with the search for Micah Tice, who went missing in the Longs Peak area the weekend of Nov. 23.

Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members continue to search the Longs Peak area, and focused Saturday on the Boulder Brook drainage and Storm Pass area, according to a release from Rocky Mountain National Park.

[...]

 

[cybervampira]

Search continues for missing Air Force cadet candidate at Rocky Mountain National Park

[...]

Assisting Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Team are Rocky Mountain Rescue, Diamond Peaks Ski Patrol, Air Force Academy Mountaineering Club, Alpine Rescue Team, Larimer County Search and Rescue, Front Range Rescue Dogs and FLIR Systems Inc.

Rangers ask that anyone who has been in the Longs Peak area since Nov. 24 or who may have information about Tice's planned route on Longs Peak to contact Rocky Mountain National Park at (970) 586-1204.

Another man is still missing in the Longs Peak area. In October, a New Jersey man was reported missing after hiking on Longs Peak. After 28 days, searchers suspended their efforts to find him until summer because of treacherous winter weather.

[...]

 

[not.a.muggle]

RMNP: Park visitors reported seeing, talking with missing Air Force student
Park officials on Thursday said that park visitors who were in the Longs Peak area on Saturday spoke with Tice for about 20 minutes. Tice told the visitors he had set out from the Longs Peak trailhead at 6:30 a.m.

The visitors last saw Tice in the vicinity of the Battle Mountain area, between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. as weather condition began to deteriorate. Tice was reportedly wearing a black sweatshirt, black sweatpants, a black hat, black lightweight gloves, tennis shoes and a light blue backpack

It's possible MT's clothing wasn't as inadequate as the description from the other hikers makes it sound. They would only have seen the outside of his gear, at a distance.

All great questions. I wondered about the tennis shoes description too. Who actually uses that description? In France yes because they have no word for sneakers. Just seemed unusual to call his shoes that.

BBM, snipped for focus

I agree with the possibility of layers, but the people spoke with him for 20 min, so their observations were not at a distance. Tennis shoes is an odd term to use these days, but perhaps the hikers weren't American? Or, LE may have asked them to specify if they said "sneakers." For instance, "Do you mean trail hikers or tennis shoes?" And the latter is what ended up in the news articles.

 

[carbuff]

I meant "distance" as in "Far enough away that you can't see inside the shoe to read the label." Many of that style of boot aren't obviously for hiking.

 

[MsMarple]

It's possible MT's clothing wasn't as inadequate as the description from the other hikers makes it sound. They would only have seen the outside of his gear, at a distance.

Many modern hiking boots use the same techniques and materials as everyday running/walking shoes and you can't necessarily tell from outside whether they're insulated, have waterproof liners and sturdy soles, and so forth. (I presume the witness didn't mean actual white shoes to play tennis in.)

The same is true of clothing. You pretty much can't find plain cotton sweatpants any more; I'll bet even the air force's are a blend if not a high-tech wicking fabric. Typically winter hikers would wear several layers; the other hikers would only have seen the outer layer. He could have been wearing long underwear, winter hiking tights, or other warm layers underneath.

Is it a light pack that was blue, or an ordinary pack that was light blue? The wording confused me. It could have been not very large and still held a lot of gear; modern ultralight sleeping bags, tents, etc. don't take up very much space.

One of the things that most surprised me about the first time I went winter hiking was how little extra clothing I needed once I warmed up. He would have needed an extra layer when he stopped, but while he was moving, just sweatpants and a shirt is probably enough. Especially for a fit 20-year-old.

But it's been a long time now.

Hopefully you're right since that would be the better case. I still question the shoes though since it was other hikers Micah spoke with. I'd think they would know the difference between lightweight trail shoes and running shoes but maybe not. Plus, if he bought his gear recently then the newer pricier boots look pretty high tech and not much like a running shoe.

I have an old pair of hiking shoes that kind of look like running shoes but they wouldn't be good on this kind of hike. I also have a really old pair of leather Vasques that I wore in Tennessee for hiking up easy terrain but steep hills and they are higher to give me ankle support.

Like I said I hope you're right. Oh, and I took the description of the backpack to mean it was light blue in color.

 

[carbuff]

Hopefully you're right since that would be the better case. I still question the shoes though since it was other hikers Micah spoke with. I'd think they would know the difference between lightweight trail shoes and running shoes but maybe not. Plus, if he bought his gear recently then the newer pricier boots look pretty high tech and not much like a running shoe.

I have an old pair of hiking shoes that kind of look like running shoes but they wouldn't be good on this kind of hike. I also have a really old pair of leather Vasques that I wore in Tennessee for hiking up easy terrain but steep hills and they are higher to give me ankle support.

Like I said I hope you're right. Oh, and I took the description of the backpack to mean it was light blue in color.

Unfortunately I think it's more likely that being young and healthy and adventurous, he misjudged the weather conditions and what he'd need.

I use my low hikers with gaiters with my snowshoes, because my high-ankle support boots don't have enough flexibility. But I haven't seen any indication he had snowshoes. I'm not sure what you wear to move around in that kind of deep powder.

If he has shelter and a water filter, it's likely he could survive quite a long time. Weeks, even.

 

[wendybtn]

I agree with carbuff. Young, healthy, sure of himself. Misjudged the harshness of the weather, overestimated his own abilities, didn't realize those in the know don't hike there this time of year. Very sad for all involved.