Sad To Hear

A hiker dies in Oregon.

A 60-year-old man died hiking Saturday morning at Smith Rock State Park, according to initial reports from the scene.

Redmond Fire and Rescue was called to the park around 10:30 a.m. on a report of someone unconscious and not breathing.

The man was located about ¾ of a mile up "Misery Trail," dispatch reports indicated. Bystanders reported he had a light pulse and had a serious head injury.

My condolences to his friends and family.

Update: It appears he fell to his death.

Carl Jackson Martens of Salem was hiking with family members and friends on the rugged Misery Ridge Loop Trail, according to a Deschutes County Sheriff's Office report. Martens stopped on the trail and the rest of the party continued. Later, the group couldn't find Martens and contacted the Smith Rock State Park camp host.

Investigators believe Martens fell from a rock outcropping just below the north face of Misery Ridge, tumbling 275 feet down a steep slope to just above the loop trail.