{"id":37988,"date":"2022-10-06T03:13:55","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T09:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/parents-of-runner-missing-northwest-of-durango-remain-hopeful-after-five-days\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T02:41:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:41:42","slug":"parents-of-runner-missing-northwest-of-durango-remain-hopeful-after-five-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/parents-of-runner-missing-northwest-of-durango-remain-hopeful-after-five-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents of runner missing northwest of Durango remain hopeful after five days"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"David
David Lunde, right, is seen with his uncle, Keven Lunde. David went missing Oct. 1. (Courtesy of Nathan Lunde)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

LA PLATA MOUNTAINS \u2013 Runner David Lunde left his apartment on the James Ranch, where he worked with cattle, at six in the morning on Saturday and drove into the mountains of the San Juan National Forest northwest of Durango. He arrived at the trailhead to Madden Peak sometime before 7 a.m. His plan: Run a portion of the La Plata Enchilada, a 20- to 40-mile loop that navigates around the summits of Madden, Gibbs and Parrott peaks.<\/p>\n

Then he disappeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe fueled himself up with lots of food,\u201d his father, Nathan Lunde said. \u201cHe had peanut butter. He had yogurt and water. There\u2019s things in his car that showed us he ate well. And then he probably just had some running shorts and a T-shirt and his shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe thought it would be a few hours,\u201d said David\u2019s mother, Marybeth Lunde.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then I think the rain, or the weather hit at approximately 10:30 a.m. And at that time, we don\u2019t know where he was,\u201d Nathan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then we heard snow,\u201d Marybeth said.<\/p>\n

\"David
David Lunde\u2019s car remains parked at the trailhead to Madden Peak. The distance runner set off early Oct. 1 to run the \u201cLa Plata Enchilada,\u201d but never returned. (Garret Jaros\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
The trail to Madden Peak is littered with ankle-turning rocks and steep drops into heavy brush. (Garret Jaros\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

David\u2019s girlfriend Haley Hamilton suspected something was wrong when he didn\u2019t show up to move the cattle Saturday night. David would never do that. When he was still missing Sunday morning, she called the authorities and then she called the Lundes at their home in Cooperstown, North Dakota. They knew without a doubt that something was wrong and made arrangements to fly to Colorado.<\/p>\n

They arrived Monday and were onsite in the La Plata Mountains yet again Wednesday as La Plata County Search and Rescue, the La Plata County Mounted Patrol, members of the Durango Running Club (Lunde was a member), and other friends continued to comb the rugged and heavily wooded terrain \u2013 to no avail.<\/p>\n

Heavy afternoon rains and even hail were once again a factor in how long searchers could safely stay in the mountains Wednesday. The National Weather Service confirmed that the inclement weather, which has hampered the search window thus far, will continue with freezing temperatures and snow down to 10,000 feet of elevation.<\/p>\n

\"La
La Plata County Search and Rescue on a ridge known as the Knife look for missing runner David Lunde. (Courtesy photo)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Dave Harwood of the La Plata County Mounted Patrol said the search had covered the treacherous ridge referred to as the Knife on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow they\u2019re between Parrott and Madden peaks,\u201d he said noon Wednesday.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, David\u2019s parents retreated from their early morning vigil beside their son\u2019s car, still parked at the trailhead, to a search and rescue command vehicle where they could listen to updates from searchers.<\/p>\n

The Lundes described their son as incredibly fit. He finished seventh among a field of more than 700 runners in the Thirsty 13 in August \u2013 \u201cWith a smile on his face the whole way,\u201d his father said. David ran his first marathon after finishing eighth grade. He ran two half marathons earlier this year, and was in training for a six-summit run on his 30th birthday \u2013 Oct. 23.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wanted to do something special for his birthday,\u201d Nathan said. \u201cHe was going to use it as a kind of fundraiser for a ranch in South Dakota (Rockside Ranch in Rapid City), a kind of Christian organization that helps troubled young men. He didn\u2019t want the run to be about himself, he wanted it to be about helping some guys that needed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lundes expressed gratitude to all the search and rescue staff members and volunteers, La Plata County Sheriff\u2019s Office, David\u2019s friends and the Gospel Church of Durango, which has organized prayer vigils and donated food to the searchers and the Lunde family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a gift of time and love to help us find our lost son,\u201d the parents said in a statement to The Durango Herald<\/em>.<\/p>\n

David is a man of faith, a strong quiet faith, his parents said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not the kind of guy that\u2019s just going to talk about it, he lives it,\u201d his father said. \u201cAnd when the opportunity was there he would tell you who the lord is in his life and why he is the way that he is. So that has been encouraging to us and that\u2019s why through this storm we are going through that we really believe, you know, that he\u2019s in God\u2019s care.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhichever way it goes,\u201d Marybeth said. \u201cIf he\u2019s no longer in his body, we know that he\u2019s with Jesus in Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

The search continued Thursday morning.<\/p>\n

\n

Text from David to his parents<\/h4>\n

\u201cToday marks one year since I moved to Durango and started work for the James Ranch. What a year filled with so much to be grateful for. I live and work at a place that awes me with its beauty on a daily basis. My bosses Joe and Jen are incredibly kind and encouraging. They labor alongside me every day in the nitty-gritty of ranch work. I\u2019m doing what I love stewarding creations bounty of cattle and pasture. Durango provides an environment and culture that spurs me to be active and enjoy the great outdoors. There\u2019s an endless amount of adventure waiting around every trail. I\u2019ve taken up running and exploring the mountains with rad friends. I\u2019m having a blast with volleyball. I\u2019ve taken a stab at salsa dancing. Heck, I even bought a mountain bike though it\u2019s still a hobby in progress. Today I spoke at a holistic management conference teaching about our pasture and grazing management at the ranch. The opportunity to share struck me as a particularly fitting cap to my first year as it was an opportunity to take a holistic management class that eventually led me to the James Ranch. A plant flourishes in healthy soil. And here in Durango, I feel like I\u2019m blossoming.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

gjaros@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

An earlier version of this story included a photo caption that misidentified Keven Lunde, the uncle of David Lunde<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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