Missing PCT Hiker since April

July 29, 2017
Devils Slide Trail to Deer Springs
2017-036X

Written by Pete Carlson

We had found out about a PCT hiker who had not been reported missing until late June. He was from Ireland and it had taken awhile for the Sheriff to here about it since no one really missed him at first. He was last seen in Idyllwild around April 8, 2017. He had not picked up his food in Big Bear and had not signed the registrar at the bottom of Snow Creek which a lot of PCT hikers do. This led us to believe that he was between Idyllwild and Snow Creek.

Around April 8 there was still snow on the ground and in places it was 6 feet deep. In late March and April, we had 4 rescues for hikers lost in the snow on the PCT trail in this area. Gwenda dropped Glenn and I off to hike up the Devils Slide Trail to the Saddle and then up the Angels Glide Trail to the Strawberry Cienega Trail and down to the Deer Springs Trail back to the Deer Springs Trail Head where she would pick us up.

We were looking for places someone might have slide off the trail when it was covered in snow. Which took some doing in 80-degree summer heat and a dry and dusty trail. We then took note of these areas for future searches with more team members. This was just an exploration hike to come up with ideas of where to search for someone missing for almost 4 months.

We came up with several ideas for future searches which will be followed up in the future.

RMRU Members Involved: Pete Carlson, Glenn Henderson, and Gwenda Yates.