Body of missing Yosemite hiker found more than 20 days after he was expected to return
LOS ANGELES — The body of a 61-year-old man was discovered in Yosemite National Park more than 20 days after he was expected to return from his solo hike.
Yosemite National Park announced in a Facebook post Thursday that rangers were searching for Kirk Thomas-Olsen, who had gone missing on a planned backing trip around the Ostrander Lake Area from Aug. 23 to 27. A day later, a niece of Thomas-Olsen said in a Facebook post that his body was found, and on Saturday officials confirmed his death but provided no additional information.
Thomas-Olsen traveled from San Luis Obispo to the park and left a note on his vehicle announcing when he would return, his niece Holly Leeson told the San Francisco Chronicle. He was declared missing when park rangers discovered the note on Thursday, she said.
Leeson then posted on Facebook to ask for the public’s help to find her uncle. She described Thomas-Olsen as a “an experienced hiker and former park ranger” and said her family was “struggling to understand what has happened to him out there” in the national park.
The trail that he was reportedly following includes an 11.4-mile loop that takes an estimated 8 to 10 hours to complete and includes a gentle incline through forest and meadow, according to the National Park Service.
A portion of the trail climbs to an elevation of 1,500 feet.
Thomas-Olsen previously worked as a park ranger at Hearst San Simeon State Park in San Luis Obispo County, his family told the Chronicle.
On Friday, Leeson updated the Yosemite Tourist Information Facebook page to confirm that her uncle had died.
“His body was found which is not the outcome we as a family hoped for but I would like to say a genuine thank you to Yosemite National Park for their diligent efforts to find him, and to this community for the support,” Leeson wrote.
While her uncle was an experienced hiker, Leeson added, “unfortunately Mother Nature in all of her glory does not account for past experience, and solo hiking is never an endeavor that is without risks.”
“Please, whenever possible, travel with a companion and be safe,” Leeson wrote.
The National Park Service did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.