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Dog found on Peak to Peak renews hope for family of hiker missing in Boulder County - Boulder Daily Camera

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The family of Josh Hall, the Arvada man who has been missing since leaving for a hiking trip in Boulder County on Feb. 3, 2021, are hoping he is found soon after his dog was found alive Feb. 11, 2021. (Laura Vukson / Courtesy photo)
The family of Josh Hall, the Arvada man who has been missing since leaving for a hiking trip in Boulder County on Feb. 3, 2021, are hoping he is found soon after his dog was found alive Feb. 11, 2021. (Laura Vukson / Courtesy photo)

The dog of Josh Hall, a hiker who has been missing in Boulder County for more than a week, was found wandering Peak to Peak Highway Thursday, renewing hopes for his family that Hall is also still alive.

Hall, 27, started a hike at the Hessie Trailhead near Nederland at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 3, with his dog, Happy, but his mother Laura Vukson said he was supposed to be back for a 5 p.m. online class.

“If Josh decided he was going to skip class, which he wouldn’t do because he’s 27, not 18; if he knew he wasn’t going to get back in time and could have called me, he would have called,” Vukson said.

Vukson called the dispatchers, and the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office reported his vehicle was found at the trailhead that night.

Searchers have checked accessible cabins and mine shafts along the 4th of July Road and along the Devils Thumb Lake Trail below the Diamond Lake cutoff, and the sheriff’s office said the cellphone ping put his phone near the Devil’s Thumb Trail/Diamond Lake cutoff at about noon Feb. 3.

Vukson said Hall had tried to hike Devil’s Thumb in January, but was not able to after Happy wanted to turn around. But Vukson said that meant he was just more determined to tackle this hike this time around.

“I know that when Josh sets his mind to something, he does it,” she said.

Vukson said based on Hall’s general hiking pace, which they got from some logs of his previous hikes, they believe he was near Devil’s Thumb Lake or maybe even a bit beyond it toward the continental divide when weather hit. Vukson said Eldora, southeast of Devil’s Thumb, reported severe weather that moved in at around 1:15 p.m. that day.

“We think the reason he didn’t come down in time is he got caught in a low- to no-visibility snowstorm,” Vukson said.

But weather also hampered search efforts, and search crews suspended the search for Hall on Monday.

Happy, the dog that missing Arvada man Josh Hall took on his Feb. 3, 2021, hiking trip in Boulder County, was found alive Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, along Peak to Peak Highway. (Boulder County Sheriff's Office / Courtesy photo)
Happy, the dog that missing Arvada man Josh Hall took on his Feb. 3, 2021, hiking trip in Boulder County, was found alive Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, along Peak to Peak Highway. (Boulder County Sheriff’s Office / Courtesy photo)

“It’s been hell, pure hell,” said Vukson, who said other members of Hall’s family flew in to be closer to the search. “This is my child, it doesn’t matter if he’s 4 or 27, its been very difficult.”

But just after noon Thursday, Vukson got a call from a woman from Fort Collins who said she was driving around and had found Happy at the 40 mile-marker of Peak to Peak Highway south of Ward, and called Vukson’s number on his tag.

Vukson said Happy was hungry, but otherwise was in good health.

“He lost at least 10 pounds, but otherwise he is fine, doesn’t have any frostbite or anything,” Vukson said.

Boulder County sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Haverfield said rescue officials are now discussing what Happy being found means for the search, and what clues it might provide about Hall’s whereabouts.

Peak to Peak Highway is miles away from Hall’s last known location, and with the time that elapsed, Haverfield said it is possible the dog had gone quite some distance in that time.

But Vukson said Happy, a Rhodesian ridgeback, was Hall’s reliable hiking partner and while he had been known to get temporarily distracted, she did not believe the dog would leave Hall for very long.

‘He did have his own ideas, and Josh did allow him off-leash sometimes,” Vukson said. “There were times where Happy would chase some sort of squirrel or bunny or bird, but they also stuck together.”

But more importantly, finding Happy alive has given hope to Hall’s family that he is also alive.

“It really fees like a miracle,” Vukson said. “We’re elated that we found him, it renews our hope. It gives us hope that if Happy survived, Josh did as well.”

Vukson said Hall is an experienced hiker and an avid outdoorsman, and his love of nature was one of the reasons he joined her in moving out to Colorado from Virginia in June.

“His goal is always to go out and do the bigger hikes,” Vukson said. “He loves the view. Hiking was his therapy, his ability to enjoy life and deal with all the things the world had to bring.”

Vukson said she is grateful for all the work the sheriff’s office, Rocky Mountain Rescue and other groups have done, and hopes Happy’s recovery will prompt them to resume the search.

Vukson also asked any winter hikers who happen to be out to keep an eye out for any sign of Hall.

“Just, keep your eyes open if you’re a winter hiker, please be aware,” Vukson said, but added, “I want to find my son, but I don’t want people who are not experienced to put themselves in jeopardy.”

Vukson said even supportive messages and posts and spreading word about Hall has helped them.

“People have been insanely supportive,” she said. “Just keep the prayers coming.”

For now, Vukson said she and her family are holding out hope that Happy being found is a sign of good things to come.

“This has renewed my hope that maybe Josh made it, and I would give anything to make that true,” she said. “It’s been a horrible, horrible week, but that provided us with some measure of comfort that it’s possible Josh is surviving.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call Boulder County dispatch at 303-441-4444. Hall may have been wearing a a green khaki jacket, a dark hat or a gray or green backpack.

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