The father of a Canadian scientist who went missing more than four months ago during a hiking trip on Kaua'i toured the island for the first time this weekend seeking clues about his son's disappearance.

Jozef Drabik, of Poland, arrived on Kaua'i on Friday and is expected to stay through Sunday night. On Sunday, he will hike a portion of a trail in Koke'e, where he suspects his son got into trouble.

Piotr Drabik, 34, went missing in September after flying to Hawai'i for a hiking vacation. He hiked alone, so family members have had difficulty retracing the man's steps after he got to the Islands.

Initially, there were doubts Drabik ever made it to Hawai'i.

But police told the Drabik family recently that the hiker did indeed purchase a one-way ticket to Kaua'i from Honolulu on Sept. 4.

And airport security cameras show that Drabik did make it to Kaua'i.

The family also recently learned Drabik bought a book on Kaua'i over the Internet, and had expressed interest in a hike near Koke'e.

Drabik had planned to spend two weeks in the Islands. When he didn't return by Sept. 12, his worried family called police.

Drabik has a wife and young daughter in Canada.

He won acclaim for his scientific research on physiology, and was a visiting fellow at the University of Alberta before his disappearance.

He also hiked around the world — mostly alone. A Web page for the scientist shows him at Mount Everest, and says he considered it a hobby to trek some of the world's most remote areas.

Irena Taylor, a Honolulu resident who is donating her time as a translator and guide for Jozef Drabik, said the 68-year-old is grieving the loss of his son even while holding onto hope he could still be alive.

"He's crying every single minute," Taylor said.

Jozef Drabik said he last saw his son more than a year ago, over Christmas in 2005. He came to Kaua'i after seeing a psychic in Poland, who told him his son got into trouble on a hiking trail.

Taylor and Drabik plan to hike a portion of a trail the missing man could have traversed. They also want to see the trail by helicopter.

Drabik also hired an experienced Kaua'i hiker to look for signs of his son on a difficult trail. The hiker has not found anything.

Drabik plans to return to Poland on Monday, barring any breaks in his son's case. The family is asking anyone who saw the hiker before his disappearance to call Kaua'i police dispatch at 241-1711.

Drabik is described as 6 feet 1 and 175 pounds. He has brown eyes, brown hair and a goatee and moustache.

He also has a bird-like cross tattoo on his upper left arm.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.