Missing Hiker Alert: Bishop Pass/Dusy Basin

I hope he is just hunkered down enjoying the wild show.

Solo this time of year can be the best. Hope this guy comes out under his own power!

CONTACT: Zach Behrens, 559-565-3131 (o) or 559-679-2866 (c)

Search Continues for Missing Hiker Robert “Bob” Woodie

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Calif. -- As the search for Robert “Bob” Woodie continues, park officials are requesting that any hiker who was in the search area since Thursday, October 13, 2016, to reach out with information.

“Even if they do not think they saw Mr. Woodie, information about where he wasn't seen is also very important in directing our search efforts,” explained Rich Browne, Incident Commander for the search and rescue operation. “All information is helpful to our investigation. We currently have over 60 personnel and 2 helicopters assigned to the search incident.”

The search area consists of Bishop Pass, Dusy Basin, Barrett Lakes, and the John Muir Trail/Pacific Crest Trail for the length of Le Conte Canyon. The area is a high sierra alpine environment, between approximately 8,000 and 12,000 feet elevation. The rugged terrain includes areas of forest, alpine lakes, and areas above tree line with talus slopes and rocky mountain passes.

Mr. Woodie was reported missing after not returning from a four-day backpacking trip into the wilderness of Kings Canyon National Park. His intended route of travel may have been from South Lake, outside Bishop, CA, into the park via Bishop Pass starting on Thursday, October 13, 2016. He was possibly at Barrett Lakes, southeast of Dusy Basin, on the evening of Saturday, October 15, 2016, based on an electronic check-in message received from his satellite message device. The area experienced some inclement weather during this timeframe, with some areas above about 10,500 ft receiving snow. Overnight temperatures continue to be below freezing.

Mr. Woodie, a 74-year-old from Manhattan Beach, CA, is an experienced hiker who is familiar with the area. He is caucasian with brown hair and brown eyes and is 5’5” and around 150 pounds. He was possibly carrying a blue shell type jacket, baseball cap or floppy hat, and boots. He is reported to have an internal frame backpack, possibly blue in color.

This search and rescue incident is being coordinated with the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department, which is simultaneously performing search operations adjacent to the park boundary within Inyo National Forest. Yosemite Search and Rescue and Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team are assisting in the operation within Kings Canyon National Park.

Can't they ping his Delorme?

Four dog teams have joined the search for a southern California man believed to be missing in the wilderness of Kings Canyon National Park in the Inyo County area.

We are continuing the search and rescue for 74-year-old Robert "Bob" Woodie of Manhattan Beach, CA, in the wilderness of Kings Canyon National Park. Four dog teams from Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) are currently assisting our field teams.

Photos and b-roll of the dogs can be found here, along with some new photos from the field to give you a sense of some of the terrain the teams are searching: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nps_seki/tags/robertwoodie/

Our priority messaging for the public at this time is to get hikers who were in the search area since Thursday, October 13 to call us at 559-565-3117. Even someone who did not see Mr. Woodie is a helpful clue for our investigation. That helps us understand where he may have not been at a certain time. The search area includes Bishop Pass, Dusy Basin, Barrett Lakes, and the John Muir Trail/Pacific Crest Trail in LeConte Canyon.

Thank you for your help getting the word out!

Four dog teams from Yosemite Search and Rescue have joined the effort.

I swear by my DeLorme

However, as I get older- I am making some concessions to my limitations. I may stick to trails/ no X-C routes for solo trips subject to big weather (i.e. October). I used to be able to hike all day, anywhere, any weather. No more.

By Monday, aerial searches were underway for Woodie, who was reported missing Oct. 17 after he failed to return from his trip in the Kings Canyon National Forest. But ground searches were still halted.

Park officials have been contacting all hikers who obtained permits to visit the area. But they are now looking to speak with any hiker who was in the area and might have some information about Woodie and conditions at the park, Behrens said.

Anyone with information about Woodie's whereabouts is urged to call the park at (559) 565-3117 or Inyo County Sheriff at (760) 878-0383.

Hi All. I appreciate everyone's weather & condition observations. From weather data and a few JMT hikers going through on the west side, it confirms conditions on Saturday (very high winds and, in the search area, some prcip though not major) and Sunday (serous prcip/snow and extreme winds) west of the crest. Mammoth Mountain anemometer (11,000') showed sustained gusts of over 100mph after 1PM (maxed at 116mph). Because of incoming weather, searchers came out Saturday night but teams will return if conditions allow today or tomorrow. Weather, though, is again going to limit both ground and air search later this week.

I'm unable to post the search maps right now but this has been an incredibly extensive search with very good ground coverage on both the east side and west side of Bishop Pass. Sunday we (NPS) went over each section looking for holes in our search pattern. Areas were identified for follow up. I'll try to get permission to post a coverage map (tracklogs of searchers). It gives a really good visual of what goes into a search. Most of the ground teams are volunteers from a number of California county search and rescue teams who spend countless hours in training in addition to being available to show up with incidents like this occur. Also involved are Yosemite SAR and their helicopter as well as a National Guard Chinook. Darned impressive effort & people involved!

Anyway, thanks to everyone for your continued observations and first-hand accounts. I'll update here as I can.

George Durkee
NPS Sequoia Kings SAR

Is his car at the trailhead indicating he probably didn't come out?

One wrong step and you can disappear for years. If you are going solo, take the best tracking device you can and know how to use it.

If you're too far gone to even push the Help button then previous tracking points aren't likely to afford you much help by the time they find you. If you're a mile from your last check point you might get found, but
probably not in time.

Search for Missing Hiker Robert “Bob” Woodie Scaled Back

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Calif. -- After more than a week of searching for hiker Robert “Bob” Woodie, the mission has been put on hold due to a series of incoming winter storms forecasted for over the next week. All search teams were taken out of the field Wednesday afternoon in anticipation of the significant weather event, which is forecasted to bring two to three feet of snow at elevations above 8,000 feet and high winds, with gusts up to 75 mph.

“We’ve completed very thorough ground and aerial searches in very difficult terrain over the last nine days, but the storms would put our search teams at risk and decrease our ability to find clues,” explained Rich Browne, incident commander for the search. “When it clears, we’ll reassess, but it does look like weather and snow coverage will end our ability to continue active ground and aerial search operations.”

The suspension of an active field search moves the operation into what is called “limited continuous,” which may include air searches, backcountry patrols, and outreach to hikers heading into the area. The operation will be upgraded to an active search if any leads about or whereabouts of Mr. Woodie are discovered. Additionally, the Incident Management Team continues to evaluate data collected by field teams while investigators continue to follow up on leads.

The itinerary for Mr. Woodie, a 74-year-old resident of Manhattan Beach, CA, was a four-day backpacking and fishing trip between Thursday, October 13 and Sunday, October 16. An experienced hiker who knew the area, he parked his vehicle at the South Lake trailhead in Inyo National Forest and hiked over Bishop Pass into Kings Canyon National Park. An “OK” check-in message was sent from his satellite GPS device on Saturday evening from the Barrett Lakes area. A winter storm that night and next day brought very high winds, overnight temperatures to below freezing, and snow to some areas above 10,500 feet. When Mr. Woodie did not return from his trip, his family notified authorities.

The National Park Service continues to ask the public to contact officials at 559-565-3195 if they were in the search area between Thursday, October 13 and Thursday, October 20. The 26-square-mile search area within Kings Canyon National Park consists of Bishop Pass, Dusy Basin, Barrett Lakes, and the John Muir Trail/Pacific Crest Trail between Muir Pass and Mather Pass. The area is a high sierra alpine environment, between approximately 8,000 and 12,000 feet elevation. The rugged terrain includes areas of forest, alpine lakes, and areas above tree line with talus slopes and rocky mountain passes.

Over 130 personnel have worked on this multi-agency operation within Kings Canyon National Park. They include Yosemite National Park (YOSAR, including YODOGS, and Helicopter 551), L.A. County Sheriff’s Department (with Sierra Madre Search and Rescue), and Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department, California Office of Emergency Services, China Lake Search and Rescue, National Weather Service’s Hanford field office, USGS, and U.S. Forest Service.

He told me that the only thing you should worry about is doing your best. When you know you have done your best the rest is out of your control and silly to worry about.

Last October, Bob Woodie set off on a four-day trip in the eastern Sierra to do what he loved most: hiking and fishing. The 74-year-old Manhattan Beach resident and avid backpacker may have had his sights set on hiking in the South Lake area near Bishop.

But something went wrong. When Woodie didn't return, a massive search and rescue mission was launched. He was never found. Officials believe he may have been the victim of a rock slide.

That's not where Woodie's story ends.

His gentle spirit and love of nature has been transformed into a Sierra Club endowment aimed at igniting a passion among youngsters who may have not yet discovered the thrill of being out in nature.

"Bob spent is whole life introducing children to the outdoors, be they his sons, cousins, friends or grandchildren," says his son, Robert Woodie. "His gentle spirit and enthusiasm for our wild places was contagious and spawned new generations of nature lovers in our family. We are excited to partner with the Sierra Club to keep his name alive by continuing his lifelong practice of connecting youth with the outdoors."

Woodie's family established a memorial endowment that will benefit the Sierra Club's L.A. and Orange County youth programs Inspiring Connections to the Outdoors, or ICO. The goal is to raise $100,000 to ensure funds for the program that trains the next generation of hikers and stewards of the planet.

"We would like to thank Bob Woodie's family for establishing this endowment," says Elizabeth Neat of LA ICO. "Last year LA ICO led 136 hikes that involved 4,277 young people. These funds will go a long way to providing the bus transportation we need to get the children to the trail heads. Again and again students and their teachers tell us how special these trips are."

Kids who participate in ICO says things such as: "This is the best field trip ever" and "Nature is more beautiful in person than on my phone."

Woodie is survived by his wife, Joanne, and sons Robert and Tim. He also had five grandchildren.

Those lucky enough to have known him describe Woodie as a humble, simple, and very capable man. His love of the outdoors led him to family backpacking trips. The eastern Sierra backcountry was his church and he worshiped at the altar of its trout fishing.

To make a tax-deductible donation, you may donate online here or write a check payable to the Sierra Club Foundation and write "Bob Woodie Memorial Endowment" in the memo line. Mail it to:

Sierra Club Foundation
2101 Webster Street, Suite 1250
Oakland, CA 94612