Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

, originally uploaded by moominsean.

A hiker is missing near the tramway.

Mountain rescue crews are attempting this evening to rescue a hiker lost near the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in an area with four feet of snow, officials say.

The hiker called Riverside County sheriff's dispatch at about 5 p.m. and said he was lost in the snow near the tramway, according to Investigator Juan Zamora. The phone went dead while he was on the line with dispatch, Zamora said.

A helicopter was dispatched but it is unclear whether the hiker was found. Let us hope so. The Tramway is dangerous because it allows people to get into extreme conditions with a minimum of work.

Update: Found.

Not Good

Hopefully Ryan is all right.

BRISTOL - A 32-year-old man who said he was walking down the Appalachian Trail to his parents' home in North Carolina has been reported missing.

Police said Ryan McCarthy may be depressed over losing his job recently and they are unsure whether he actually intended to head toward Robersonville.

McCarthy was last seen on February 7 after his roommate dropped him off in the parking lot of the Saint Thomas Rectory Church in Goshen, police said.[...]
McCarthy is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a camouflage jacket and blue jeans, police said. He wears wire rimmed glasses.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Bristol Police Department at (860) 584-3000.

If you have seen him let his family know.
Update: Found alive and well. It is cold out this time of year.

Missing Hiker

In North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest.

BREVARD, N.C. -- Searchers in the North Carolina mountains will resume their search Monday morning for an Asheville woman missing since she told her roommate she was going on a day hike on Sunday.Investigators said that the woman left her home around 11 a.m. Sunday, but left a note telling her roommate she'd be gone for the day to the Pisgah National Forest, but would be back by dark.Crews have centered their search in the Turkey Pen Trail area of the Pisgah National Forest. Searchers suspended their efforts at 3 a.m. Monday morning, but planned to resume at 9 a.m.
The woman's note didn't specify which trail she was hiking, but her car was found early Monday near the trailhead of the Turkey Pen Trail.

Lets hope she makes it out fine.
Update: Alive and well. She apparently spent the night in a shelter. I saw reports this morning that said rescuers looked until 3 in the morning. Why did they not check a shelter within five miles of the road?

MILLS RIVER - Lindsey Pfundstein, 22, who was lost overnight in Pisgah National Forest, walked out of the woods at 11:15 a.m. today.

The woman, who had been missing since Sunday night, walked into the parking lot at the trailhead where she had left her car.

"Are you searching?" a reporter asked.

"No, I think I'm the one they're looking for," she said.

She emerged from the forest out of breath but otherwise in apparent good health.

She wore hiking boots, a sweater and sleeveless jacket and was carrying a good-sized backpack. She walked up to a forest ranger, who asked her if she needed water and if she was OK.

I mean she walked out from the shelter down the trail to her car. Where exactly were they looking. I would send people down the trail from her car first.

Update 2: Lindsey's father Mark explains in comments what threw the searchers off. I did not really mean to criticize the searchers too much. I hope I did not offend the first responders. It is hard to figure out what happened from the news articles I read. It just seamed strange to me. Any way I am glad Lindsey made it out OK. She had enough skills to keep warm over night. It is hard to self rescue when out alone and things do not go right. I have been there.

Agua Caliente Park, Tucson Arizona

Agua Caliente Park, Tucson, originally uploaded by sjb4photos.

A hiker is missing near Agua Caliente Park in Arizona.

Crews from the Southern Arizona Rescue Association were expected to head out early Wednesday morning in search of a missing man.

Crew were meeting at 8am at Tanque Verde and Tanque Verde loop.

It is unknown how long exactly he has been missing. But crews say it has been a least a few days.

Monarch Pass

monarch pass, originally uploaded by chris locke..

A hiker, John Koch, is missing near Monarch Pass in Colorado. The hiker 23 has been missing since Monday afternoon. Search parties have resumed the search today.

Update: John spent the night in campground out house. He walked to some houses and called authorities. Unfortunately his dog died of exposure.

Sad To Hear

A hiker fell to his death in Zion National Park.

ST. GEORGE — A 55-year-old man died Friday after falling about 20 feet while on a hike with friends at Zion National Park.

The man fell around 3 p.m. on an unnamed canyon trail near state Route 9, about two miles west of the park's east entrance, according to park officials. A visitor to the park who reported the fall told officials the man had fallen about 20 feet and landed mainly on his head.

My condolences to his friends and family.

Update: the hiker has been identified.

Craig B. Forster, a professor behind many environmental initiatives at the University of Utah, fell to his death Friday in Zion National Park.

Forster, 56, was hiking with his wife and three friends Friday when he scrambled up an unnamed canyon near Highway 9 and he fell about 20 feet.

Goblin State Park

Goblins in Goblin State Park, originally uploaded by tony tarry.

A hiker is missing near Utah's Goblin State Park.

UTAH — Authorities found the vehicle Monday afternoon of a New Castle woman who went missing during a hiking trip to Moab, Utah, on Nov. 16.

Rose Backhaus, 54, was last seen checking out of the La Quinta Inn around 8 a.m. in Moab Nov. 16. Friends, family and a co-worker said it was extremely unusual that she didn’t return home Sunday night or to work early Monday morning as planned.

Emery County Sheriff’s Capt. Kyle Ekker said Backhaus’ Ford Explorer was found in the Goblin Valley area south of Green River.

“We’re in the middle of a search. We’re trying to get a helicopter up,” Ekker said around 4 p.m. Monday.

Lets hope she gets home for Thanksgiving.

Missing Hiker

In the Catalina Mountains of Arizona.

Authorities are searching for a 22-year-old man who left to go hiking a few days ago in the Catalina Mountains and has yet to return.

Alexander Wanamaker has been missing since Monday, when he was last seen at a trailhead in Catalina State Park, said Deputy Dawn Barkman, a Pima County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman.

Update: Andrew was found alive and well. Also, he is the great-great-grandson of composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Missing Hikers

One in Colorado

Larimer County Search and Rescue was called at 6:35 p.m. Saturday to locate 76-year-old Jimmy Carter of Dallas, Texas, who has been hunting in the area for the last 20 years. Carter and his brother were camping in the Crystal Mountain area for the weekend. Carter left for a short hike at 8:30 am.m. Saturday and expected to return by noon.

When Carter wasn’t back by 6 p.m., his brother called the sheriff’s office to report him missing.

Carter was last seen wearing an orange cap, a green/orange reversible vest and blue jeans.

Update: Monday Mr Carter was found alive and well.

One in New York

ALBANY, N.Y. - Forest rangers are searching for a 71-year-old hiker from California missing for a week in the central Adirondacks.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation is asking other hikers or hunters who have gone out recently near Indian Lake in Hamilton County whether they have seen Frederick Gillingham of Camarillo, Calif.

Lets hope they make it out OK.

Missing Hikers

This time in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

They were supposed to have come out on the Kekekabic- Trail on Sunday.
They haven't appeared yet.

Trevor Roy is in Grand Marais, Trevor - what can you tell us about these two women?

Julie, the search has been suspended for the night on Wednesday for the 23 and 42 year old women. The Kekekabic trail or the Kek as its known up hear is a difficult 40 mile hike from Ely to Grand Marais. In fact U.S. Forestry tell me the Kek is only hiked by about 50 people a year. The Kek was originally a fire access route for fire stations along the B.W.C.A.

The trail is extremely overgrown in parts and rescue crews have trouble even identifying the trail when they're on the ground.

The search itself is being conducted by the Lake County Search and Rescue squad, the St. Louis County Search and Rescue Squad, and members of the U.S. Forestry Service.

Hopefully the trail was tougher than they thought and it is taking longer. Lets hope they make it out OK.

Update: No news about the missing hikers but they have been identified.

Maria Jacenko, 42, and Grace Knezevich, 23, both of Duluth, have been missing since Monday night, the Cook County Sheriff's Office said.

"I'm sure they can survive a week without anything," Siebenand said this morning from the home that he and Jacenko share.

They have the right equipment and medical training.

Update 2: Alive well and in good spirits. Good news indeed!

Lake Wenatchee

lake wenatchee 2, originally uploaded by todo & haz.

A hiker is missing near Lake Wenatchee in Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Sam Broaddus began his hike Thursday at the Phelps Creek Trail, north of Lake Wenatchee in Glacier Peak Wilderness, according to a news release from the Chelan County Sheriff’s office.
Broaddus had left word with family to call for help if he hadn’t returned home by Sunday, according the news release. His father alerted authorities Monday about his overdue son, who had planned to travel along Lyman Glacier and Lyman Lake before making his way to the Pacific Crest Trail. He told authorities his son had some food and water, and described him as an experienced hiker, according to the sheriff’s office.

Lets hope he makes it out OK

Update: Good news Sam is alive and well. He lost the trail in the snow.

Missing Hiker

In California's Emigrant Wilderness Just north of Yosemite National Park.

Sonora, CA -- The Tuolumne County Search and Rescue Team from the Sheriff's Office is searching the Emigrant Wilderness for 42 year old Christopher Andrews from Hillsborough, California.

Friday the Sheriff's Office was contacted by the California Office of Emergency Services regarding a personal locating beacon that was emitting a 911 signal in the area of Iceland Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness. Due to the weather team members were unable to respond to the area.

Hopefully search and rescue can get him out OK.

Update: Tuesday AM Bad news

Sonora, CA -- KVML News has received an unconfirmed report that the body of 42 year old Christopher Andrews from Hillsborough, CA was found Monday by member of the Search and Rescue Team from the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office.

My condolences to his friends and family.

Update 2: Sheriffs have confirmed the body was Christopher Andrews.

Sonora, CA -- Deputy Paul Tualla of the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the body of Christopher Andrews was discovered at approximately 2pm Monday in the area of Iceland Lake.

No real information on what happened.
Update 3: It appears he fell in snowy conditions. More information here.

Missing Hiker

In Hawaii.

Rescue teams are searching for a 77-year-old Australian man, who was reported missing in Aiea today.

Police say Jon Parsons is an avid hiker, but may have gotten lost in the mountains above Kaonohi St.

He was last seen leaving his friend's house around 10 this morning and is still missing.

A police helicopter searched from the air, while others searched the hiking trails on foot.

Hopefully he will make it out OK
Update: Monday search crews will start looking in a new area based on a pig hunter's new information.

Missing Hiker

In the San Bernardino's of California.

Tony Jacquet was last seen Monday walking his dog Scamper on Valley of the Falls Drive in the Forest Falls area of the San Bernardino Mountains. Searchers combed the wilderness area Thursday with no sign of Jacquet. They went into the woods with bloodhounds hoping to pick up his trial.

Hopefully he will make it out OK.

Update: Sunday September 7, His body was found.

My condolences to his friends and family.

Missing Hiker

In Madera County California.

Madera County search and rescue teams Tuesday widened the hunt for a 71-year-old woman missing since Sunday, even as a Clovis man reported missing turned up safe Tuesday night.

Ruth Elaine Terry vanished Sunday while walking her dog near Wagner's Mammoth Pool Resort, about 50 miles from Bass Lake.

Tuesday, the search for Terry came up empty, although deputies were checking a call from someone who said he may have seen Terry's dog, Mopps, near North Fork, Stuart said.

Update: She was found alive and well. Good news.

Two Rescues Scaled Back

One in Montana.

WEST GLACIER - Searchers continued to comb Glacier National Park’s backcountry wilderness Monday, hunting for a hiker now a full week overdue.

Tuesday, however, will bring a substantially scaled-back effort, unless new evidence emerges as to the fate of 27-year-old Yi-Jien Hwa.

“We are still hopeful that additional information will eventually surface that will lead us to Yi-Jien,” incident commander Patrick Suddath said. “But we know that the odds for that outcome are reduced with each day that goes by. In the absence of a promising development, we will be scaling back the operation.”

And one in New Hampshire.

CRAWFORD NOTCH, N.H. — The search for a Windham County man missing in the mountains of New Hampshire has gone from "active" to "passive," according to an official.

"We've gone into a passive mode for now," said Maj. Timothy Acerno, acting chief of law enforcement for New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, of his department's search for Robert Hughes, 59, of Williamsville.

My thoughts and prayers go out to their friends and family.

Missing Hiker

In New Hampshire.

CONCORD, N.H. -- Crews were searching Friday for a missing Vermont man who was hiking in the White Mountain National Forest.The Fish and Game Department said Robert Hughes, 59, of Williamsville, Vt., was last seen when he was dropped off at the trailhead by the Appalachian Mountain Club shuttle at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Picture and description at link. Authorities are looking for any information.

Hiker Missing

In Montana.

Yi-Jien Hwa, 27, of both Kentucky and Malaysia, was due back on Monday, Aug. 18. When he did not call family as planned, park rangers were alerted, said Glacier spokeswoman Norma Sosa.

“A lot of the evidence still doesn't seem to make sense,” she said. “He was last seen at St. Mary, but then his car was found at Logan Pass. We have his hiking itinerary, but nothing about this provides us any idea of where he really went.”
The itinerary was both lengthy and arduous, Sosa said, covering ground from Floral Park to Gunsight Pass to Goat Haunt and finally Kintla Lake. The north-south route sticks close to the Continental Divide, nearing the Canadian border before heading west on its final leg.

Park officials conducted an initial sweep along those trails Wednesday, Sosa said, talking with hikers and campers along the way.

“But no one had seen him,” she said. “That's hard to explain at this point.”

The park service is still conducting search and rescue. Lets hope he makes it out OK.

One Dead One Missing

Hiker in Colorado.

Searchers found the body of a missing hiker Wednesday night north of Red Feather Lakes in Larimer County.

The man appeared to have fallen while climbing through a rough area east of Box Acres and Prairie Divide Road, said Kathy Messick of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.

The Larimer County coroner identified the man as Dennis Kasten, 57, of Dover, Fla. He was last seen on Sunday and was hiking alone.

The missing hiker is believed to be in the Big Thompson Canyon area.

My condolences to Dennis Kasten's friends and family.

Update: The other hiker's body has been found but not identified.

My condolences to his friends and family.
The second hiker has been identified as David Price of Richmond Kentucky.

Hiker Missing

Near Durango, Colorado this time.

The search for a missing hiker suffering from Alzheimer's disease was suspended at dusk Monday, allowing searchers a night's rest after they had continued their efforts for almost two days in a rugged area centering around Engineer Mountain.

The 69-year-old man suffering from Alzheimer's disease who has been the object of a search since he lost contact with friends Sunday near Coal Bank Pass is Robert "Bob" Hatfield of Durango, the San Juan County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

Hatfield was hiking at the top of the ridge near Mushroom Rock when he told friends he wanted to rest, a Sheriff's Office news release said. The friends left him about 9:30 a.m. and returned a half-hour later to find him gone. The disappearance was reported about noon.

Hopefully he will be found soon.