
Kelly Hall, who had been the subject of a search effort at Olympic National Park, reached the Elwha Ranger Station around 10 a.m. Monday/NPS handout
Editor's note: This updates with the missing hiker found.
A hiker presumed lost in the backcountry of Olympic National Park surfaced Monday morning when he reached the area near the Elwha Ranger Station shortly before 10 a.m. in good condition, park officials said.
Further details of Kelly Hall's travels were not immediately available.
'We are overjoyed to have this search reach a successful and happy conclusion,' said Olympic Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum.A ground and air search for Mr. Hall, 64, of Bainbridge Island, Washington, had been underway since the weekend. He had been reported overdue by family members when he failed to meet them at a trailhead Thursday evening.
Hall began his hike on Saturday, August 30, setting out from the Obstruction Point Trailhead near Hurricane Ridge. His planned itinerary was a 39-mile hike through Grand Valley to Grand Pass, continuing over Cameron Pass, through Dose Meadows, over Gray Wolf Pass and along the Gray Wolf Trail to the Slab Camp Trailhead on Forest Road 2875. He was reported overdue by a family member Thursday evening when he did not appear as planned at the trailhead. Another hiking party reported having seen Hall on August 30 in Grand Valley, about four miles from his starting point.
Comments
Haha.. it's out there.. I'm sure this can apply to most of the trail-less river canyons on the western part of the divide in the Olympic rainforests.
http://www.bodyresults.com/e2bushwhack.asp