The 78-year-old 'Aiea resident and avid hiker has been missing for more than four days since he drove to Nu'uanu to look for bamboo shoots and pepeiao, or black tree fungus, for traditional Japanese New Year's food dishes. Morishima was last seen at nightfall Sunday by other hikers venturing a steep, unmarked trail above Judd Trail.

But while his family is frustrated by his disappearance, clues and sightings of Morishima have them clinging to hope that the athletic man may be hurt, but still alive in the thick foliage below the Nu'uanu Lookout. The family had planned to search the Nu'uanu trails today, said volunteer Mabel Kekina of the Hawaiian Trails and Mountain Club, which has assisted in the search.

"The family in the afternoon asked for our help, so we're going to help continue searching with them," Kekina said.

Fire crews, which usually call off search efforts for a missing person after three days, decided to look for a fourth day after Morishima's green mesh bag containing two takenoko, or bamboo shoots, were found Wednesday along one of the trails. Honolulu fire officials called off their search at 1 p.m. yesterday after failing to come across any other signs of Morishima.

Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Richard Soo said fire crews will resume the search if any credible clues turn up.

Morishima's family, meanwhile, is holding out hope.

"My feeling is he is still alive, but probably trapped somewhere, so the question is how long can he survive?" said Morishima's son, Gary. "My father is a very active man; he was in pretty top physical shape for his age, so we are still hoping."

About 25 family members and friends of Morishima waited yesterday afternoon near the entrance of Judd Trail along Nu'uanu Pali Road for fire-rescue specialists hunting for clues. Three rescue specialists were flown by helicopter at 9 a.m. to a ridgeline about 1,700 feet above the staging area on Nu'uanu Pali Road. The trio rappelled into a ravine and searched as they hiked out, Soo said.

But when the three fire crew members walked out of the forest area empty-handed shortly before 1 p.m., officials suspended their search. Soo said search crews covered hundreds of acres in about a half-square mile area since Sunday.

"We sent the men into the area again because he dropped his mesh bag, and we speculated whether he dropped it before heading up the ridge, or coming down," Soo said. "We didn't want to leave any scenarios untouched."

Morishima has been known to go off-trail to look for the bamboo shoots, which made search efforts difficult, Soo said. Some of the unmarked trails were along steep cliffsides, and firefighters had to rappel down to see if Morishima may have fallen.

Gary Morishima and his wife, Tina, thanked fire and police personnel, as well as volunteers involved in the rescue efforts.

"The Fire Department search and rescue and police have done a tremendous job, and my hat is off to everyone involved," said Gary Morishima. "We want to thank all of the volunteers who donated time, food and refreshments. We're really touched by all of the support from the community, which is really part of Hawai'i: the 'ohana."

When other hikers last saw Morishima at 5:45 p.m. Sunday, he was wearing a white button-down shirt, baseball pants and a baseball cap and was carrying a machete, officials said. Other hikers say they did not see Morishima carrying a canteen or a bag with food.

The latest clue — Morishima's mesh bag with the bamboo shoots inside — makes his disappearance even more puzzling because the area where his bag was discovered was far from bamboo thickets and from the stream where he could collect pepeiao off trees.

Morishima appeared to be on an unmarked pig hunter's trail where uluhe, or false staghorn fern, is waist high.

"I'm kind of thinking why is he high on the ridge?" Kekina said. "He has no reason to be there if he's looking for bamboo shoots and pepeiao. They are on the lower side of the valley. It would make more sense if he stayed along the stream around Jackass Ginger (Pool)."

Family also told Kekina that Morishima was carrying $150 cash. No foul play is suspected in his disappearance, but Kekina said it's highly unusual for hikers to carry that much cash.

Morishima is a retired construction superintendent who was born in Olowalu Camp in Maui. He and his wife, Patricia, live in 'Aiea. Morishima is an active outdoorsman who enjoys diving and playing softball. He quit playing softball when he had to have a metal plate inserted in his jaw because of an injury, said his son Arnold.

He fought in World War II as part of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, which was originally attached to the highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He got his "Cowboy" nickname because he used to play cowboy songs on a guitar as a teenager and during his stint in the Army, Gary Morishima said.

"My dad has a strong will to survive," Gary Morishima said. "He told me a few years ago about the time he almost drowned, but said the ocean would not take him.