Missing 50 Year Old Hiker

Written by - Pete Carlson

We got the call near midnight that a hiker had not returned from a day hike to San Jacinto Peak from the Tramway. We agreed to meet at the Tramway at 6am to ride the first Tram car up at 6:15am. This is a work run for employees and food to take up to the upper station, but the Tramway Personal has always allowed RMRU to use it for missions. Gwenda took the Rescue Truck and drove to the Palm Springs Airport to have better Radio Coverage while running base from the top of the Tramway was Lew. The rest of us split into 3 teams to two each to search different trails. Les and Chad going up to Willow Creek Crossing, Pete and Donny going to Round Valley and Wellman Divide, and Kirk and Sharon going up Sid Davis to Tamarack Valley. Also we had Lee and Helene going from Idyllwild to the Saddle and down to Laws Camp.

Around 8:30am Kirk and Sharon found our missing hiker at the top of the Sid Davis Trail in Tamarack Valley. He had gone the wrong way coming down from the Peak at the Round Valley Water Source. He missed the trail to the Tramway and went towards Tamarack Valley where he lost the trail and spent the night in the outhouse there. In the morning he was wandering around trying to figure out which way to go when the rescuers made voice contact with him.

Kirk and Sharon gave him food and water and then started hiking him back to the Tramway. The rest of us hiked back to the Tramway or Idyllwild for Lee and Helene. We all met at the Tramway for a picture before heading back down the Tramway. We then had a nice breakfast in Banning before heading home.

(L-R) Pete, Sharon, Mike, Subject, Kirk, Donny, Chad, and Les
Photo by Lew Kingman

RMRU members: Lee Arnson, Pete Carlson, Kirk Cloyd, Donny Goetz, Lew Kingman, Helene Lohr, Chad Marler, Les Walker, and Gwenda Yates.

DSAR members: Mike Calhoun and Sharon Ollenburger.