Bryan Murphy, 67, has not been seen since Wednesday, when he told traveling companions of plans to hike Mauna Kea. Murphy signed in at the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station at 9,200 feet elevation at noon and spoke to a park employee about a mile up the Humu'ula Trail.

A cold front hit the Big Island two hours later, dropping about a foot of snow on the summit and creating a blizzard with 70 mph winds.

Today was the fifth day of searching for Murphy in steep terrain covered by bushy ground cover. Twenty-five people on foot covered about six square miles, from 13,400-foot elevation down to 7,000 feet. The effort also included aerial and ground searches with two all-terrain vehicles.