CA CA - Michael Allen Ficery, 51, Yosemite National Park, 15 Jun 2005

[Gardener1850]

Michael Allen Ficery

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Ficery, circa 2005

• Missing Since 06/15/2005
• Missing From Yosemite National Park, California
• Classification Lost/Injured Missing
• Date of Birth 03/30/1954 (64)
• Age 51 years old
• Height and Weight 5'10, 165 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A faded blue or gray t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off, olive-green or khaki shorts, and a torn pink or red scarf.
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Gray hair, green eyes. Ficery had a gray beard and mustache at the time of his disappearance, and his hair was shoulder-length. He wears eyeglasses.

Details of Disappearance
Ficery was last seen on June 15, 2005, while hiking alone near the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park, California. He had gone on a trail that goes around the north end of the reservoir, then he changed his mind and headed up to the Pacific Crest Trail.

Ficery has never been heard from again. His family became concerned when he did not return by June 19, when his wilderness permit expired. On June 21, they called the park service and a search was launched.

Searchers found Ficery's backpack in the park, near Tilltill Mountain just off the trail. The location is not on his planned route and was on "extremely rugged and hazardous" terrain. A bottle of water, a camera and a topographical map were missing from the backpack, and there was no sign of Ficery himself.

Ficery is an experienced hiker and backpacker. He is believed to have become lost or injured while hiking. His case remains unsolved.

Michael Allen Ficery – The Charley Project

 

[j_in_c]

Thanks for posting this interesting case. I found a few articles to add more information:

Michael Ficery - Strange disappearances from U.S. National Parks

Cold Cases - Investigative Services (U.S. National Park Service)

 

[ADKGemini]

Added to NamUs: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[JerseyGirl]

Name: Michael Ficery

Missing from: Yosemite National Park

Date Missing: June 21, 2005

Description: Ficery was 51 years old when he went missing. White male, 5'10" tall, 165 pounds, gray shoulder-length hair, gray beard, eyeglasses. Last seen wearing faded blue or blue-gray T-shirt, olive-green or khaki shorts, and a faded red or pink scarf.

Case Info: Ficery was reported to be hiking in the Tiltill Valley area of Yosemite National Park northeast of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

Cold Cases - Investigative Services (U.S. National Park Service)

 

[orwelljones]

November 18, 2020
The strange disappearance of Michael Ficery near Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Missing person Michael Ficery
NPS image.

Name: Michael Ficery

Missing from: Yosemite National Park

Date Missing: June 21, 2005

Description: Ficery was 51 years old when he went missing. White male, 5'10" tall, 165 pounds, gray shoulder-length hair, gray beard, eyeglasses. Last seen wearing faded blue or blue-gray T-shirt, olive-green or khaki shorts, and a faded red or pink scarf.

Case Info: Ficery was reported to be hiking in the Tiltill Valley area of Yosemite National Park northeast of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

Cold Cases - Investigative Services (U.S. National Park Service)

Please scroll through this roster of cold cases, which include missing persons, accidents or crimes in the National Parks that have yet to be solved and have no active leads.

www.nps.gov

 

[Pennysmom1]

Nov 18, 2021

These 13 hikers left from Yosemite and were never seen again

Here are cases the park service is still hoping to close someday.

www.sfgate.com

 

[Pennysmom1]

10 Cold Cases of Missing People in National Parks - Listverse

The National Park Service in the United States preserves untouched natural beauty. The Grand Canyon, for example, is considered one of the Modern Natural

listverse.com

Michael Ficery was “an off-the-grid kind of guy” even when he was young. He spent his youth and into his adulthood surfing, cycling, and especially hiking. His family also said that he had the memory of an elephant. This would be very helpful in navigating the sheer amount of trails that the Yosemite National Park has to offer. Even for incredibly experienced people like Ficery, the National Park Service does not ever recommend hiking alone. Ficery, nonetheless, began a solo hike on the morning of June 15th, 2005.

Not only would he be backpacking alone, but he was also doing so in one of the less-traveled areas of Yosemite, the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. His plan was to begin there and head toward Lake Vernon. At some point, his plans changed a bit, and he chose to take the Pacific Crest Trail toward TilTill Mountain. The Pacific Crest Trail here is not steep like the other parts of Yosemite but rather gradually rises and falls. However, the area can be rocky, so there is the danger of getting injured or waylaid.

Getting hurt on tough terrain was something Ficery had been through before, having cracked an ankle at Yellowstone, having to crawl all the way out of the wilderness. So, when the outdoorsman failed to return from his adventure after his permit expired and his family expected him home, they feared the worst. The search for Ficery was so massive the United States Marines were involved. Unlike some others on this list, they did find something that belonged to Ficery: his bag. It contained his map, water, and camera. His friends and family were even more concerned at this point because they believed that Ficery would never willingly leave his bag at any time during a hike.

Unfortunately, in the 16 years that have passed, not another trace of Ficery has been found. Also, unlike others on this list, Ficery had not experienced any recent tragedies or shown signs that he was a danger to himself at all. His sister joined a company called Pack six years later, which puts together essential packs for explorers, and put out a statement regarding her brother. She believed he was unprepared for his trek, dangerously went out alone, and spoke of the dangers of changing your itinerary, as it makes it harder for search and rescue teams to follow the trail. However, if he had sustained an injury or passed, why is there still no other trace of him?[7