Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Missing Hiker in Kings Canyon National Park

Have you seen this missing hiker--or were you traveling in Kings Canyon National Park near Roads End in Cedar Grove, Gardiner Basin, or Gardiner Pass from August 10-17?

http://www.nps.gov/seki/parknews/upload/FINAL-Missing-Person-Flyer-MUCK-updated.pdf

Thanks, in advance, for your help!

An updated news release about the missing hiker was issued a short while ago. Unfortunately, the National Park Service's web interface appears to be down for maintenance at this time, so I cannot provide you with a link to the news release at this time. See text below...

Missing Hiker in Kings Canyon National Park

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, CA – On Tuesday, August 19, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ staff, in cooperation with Yosemite National Park (Yosemite Search and Rescue and its canine team—YODOGs) and the California Highway Patrol, searched for missing hiker Gregory Muck in Kings Canyon National Park. The 46-year-old male from Santa Cruz, CA, was reported overdue from a backpacking trip. See photo and flyer.

Missing Hiker’s Itinerary:
On August 10, Muck departed alone from the Roads End area of Kings Canyon National Park. He planned to hike to Gardiner Basin via Gardiner Pass. After several days in the basin, he planned to hike out Gardiner Creek to Woods Creek and return to Roads End in Cedar Grove by August 17. On August 18, 2014, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ Dispatch Office was notified of the missing hiker via a phone call from Muck’s wife.

Identifying Features:
• Height: 6-feet-tall
• Race: White
• Weight: 160-170 lbs.
• Hair Color: Blond, Eye Color: Brown
• Big beard
• Blue bandana
• Bright blue shirt
• Red internal frame backpack
• Green wool pants
• Blue tarp or possible orange tent
• Black boots
• Fishing gear

Anyone with Possible Information--or who had been in this area of the park from
August 10-17, 2014:
Please call 559-565-3118 or 888-677-2746 with your name, contact info, and additional details.

Search Staffing:
• August 19, 2014: A total of 55 staff and partners searched by ground and helicopter, conducted interviews, and planned for the next day’s operation.
• August 18, 2014: A total of 21 park staff searched by ground, conducted interviews, and planned for the next day’s operation. In addition, parks’ staff handled two other search-and-rescue incidents.

Background:
• See flyer for basic information about the missing hiker -
http://www.nps.gov/seki/parknews/upload/FINAL-Missing-Person-Flyer-MUCK-updated.pdf
• A photograph of the missing hiker is available at -
http://www.nps.gov/seki/parknews/upload/PHOTO-Gregory-Muck-with-beard.jpeg

Body Found in Kings Canyon National Park

On the afternoon of Wednesday, August 20, searchers discovered a body at approximately 12,000 feet in elevation northwest of Mount Gardiner in Kings Canyon National Park. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Yosemite National Park staff
are in the process of recovering the body. Based on this recent development, the search for missing hiker Gregory Muck has been temporarily suspended pending identification of the body.

Thank you to everyone who helped us distribute information about this missing hiker... Here is information from a news release issued at approximately 10:30 p.m. on August 20.

Missing Hiker’s Body Found in Kings Canyon National Park

A body found by searchers in the area northwest of Mount Gardiner in Kings Canyon National Park on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 20, 2014, has been identified as missing hiker Gregory Muck. Muck appears to have fallen in rocky and steep terrain. The cause of the accident is under investigation. The body was transferred to the Fresno County Coroner’s Office. A ground search team located the body in their assigned search area.

General Info:
Muck, who was from Santa Cruz, California, was hiking alone in the wilderness of Kings Canyon National Park. On August 10, 2014, Muck departed from the Roads End area of
Kings Canyon National Park. He planned to hike to Gardiner Basin via Gardiner Pass. After several days in the basin, he planned to hike out Gardiner Creek to the Woods Creek Trail and return to Roads End in Cedar Grove by August 17, 2014. On August 18, 2014, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ Dispatch Office was notified of the missing hiker via a phone call from Muck’s wife.

Overall Search Staffing:
A total of 71 National Park Service staff and park partners worked on search-and-rescue and
recovery operations from August 18-20, 2014. Search efforts were led by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, with assistance from Yosemite National Park’s Search and Rescue teams, Yosemite’s search dog team—YODOGs, and the California Highway Patrol.

Daily Search Staffing Totals:

August 20, 2014: A total of 61 staff and partners searched by ground and helicopter, conducted interviews, and completed recovery operations.

August 19, 2014: A total of 55 staff and partners searched by ground and helicopter, conducted interviews, and planned for the next day’s operation.

August 18, 2014: A total of 21 parks’ staff searched by ground, conducted interviews, and planned for the next day’s operation. In addition, parks’ staff handled two other search-and-rescue incidents.

Thank you again,

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks