SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, Calif. Aug. 14, 2023 - Missing hiker Bill Roberts has been located in Sequoia National Park. Roberts is in good health and is being reunited with his family.
Roberts hiked into the John Muir Trail from the Cottonwood/Trail Pass Trailhead in the Golden Trout Wilderness of Inyo National Forest on August 9. Roberts accidentally deviated from his intended route three days ago, and missed his planned August 12 meet up with his family at Bullfrog Lake in Kings Canyon National Park.
Roberts was carrying a Garmin inReach tracker at the start of his trip, but he lost it while descending the west side of Caltech Peak. He found his way back to the Lake South America Trail and ran into another hiker late this morning, at an elevation of about 11,500 feet. He used their tracking device to contact his family. A park search team located him 10 minutes later.
“This incident really underscores the fact that there is still a lot of snow in the high country, and it’s very easy to lose a trail in those conditions, especially with afternoon thunderstorms," said Incident Commander Dave Fox. “Fortunately, this story had a positive outcome, but we urge everyone to be extra prepared and cautious in your trip planning and execution. The consequences of getting turned around can be deadly serious."
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service