Found Deceased CA - Saulo Sifuentes Escalante, 36, Mt Whitney (from TX), 15 April 2021

[mlhenn]

Houston area man missing on Mt. Whitney for several days

Saulo Sifuentes Escalante is from Conroe, Texas and he has been missing since April 15th. The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that Escalante is listed as a missing person and was last seen hiking up the Main Trial on Mt Whitney last Thursday. The sheriff believes he may have planned to summit Whitney in a day.

Escalante is 36-years old. It is not known if he was traveling with other hikers or what gear or clothing he was taking.

 

[mlhenn]

Missing/Overdue Hiker on Whitney Portal on Thursday April 15, 2021 - Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News

Inyo County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue actively looking for missing/overdue hiker since Thursday, April 15.

Possible Plan to summit Whitney in a day.

Unknown Clothing/Gear.

Date of Birth: 09/05/1984

Race: Hispanic

Sex: M

Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Height: 5’8″

Weight: 140

Build: Slender

Complexion: Medium

Last Address: Conroe, TX

Remarks: Saulo Escalante is the subject of an active search. Please be on the lookout.

Contact: PLEASE CONTACT THE INYO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE DISPATCH WITH ANY INFORMATION: 760-878-0383 ext. #4

 

[GraceG]

Mt. Whitney is not a peak for the inexperienced. There is snow at higher elevations normally until late June and current temps in Bishop (which is much lower elevation but not far away) is down to the 20's at night with high winds. I don't know this young man's experience level or what gear he took but hoping that if he became lost or injured he knew to hunker down to stay warm and wait for help. Mount Whitney Has Turned Into an Overcrowded Catastrophe

 

[rainynights]

Inyo County SO post (April 19, 2021) – Log into Facebook

Active SAR on Whitney

His FB page: Saulo Escalante

 

[CocoChanel]

I believe this is Saulo’s FB....the details match up.
The pictures posted looks like he is experienced at some level.
Prayers that has kept him somewhere safe.

Saulo Escalante

 

[rainynights]

Missing hiker sought on Mount Whitney

[...]

Much of the 11-mile trail from the portal to the 14,505-foot peak is under snow. An advisory from the search-and-rescue team last week emphasized that hikers during the spring need to have crampons, an ice axe and the training to use them properly.

Escalante — from the Houston-area city of Conroe — had posted last summer on social media about hiking to the high points of Texas and New Mexico and spoke of planning more such outings, including 14,000-foot summits.

Whitney is the tallest peak in the conterminous United States.

[...]

Saulo Escalante | State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General

MISSING PERSON
Saulo Escalante



MISSING SINCE: 04/15/2021
SEX: Male
DOB: 09/05/1984
RACE: Hispanic
HEIGHT: 5' 6"
EYES: Brown
WEIGHT: 170 lbs.
HAIR: Black
DENTAL X-RAYS AVAILABLE: No

Saulo was last seen on April 15, 2021, hiking at Mount Whitney.

Contact
AGENCY: Inyo County Sheriff's Office
PHONE NUMBER: (760) 878-0383
CASE NUMBER: 2104075

Vehicle
MAKE: Dodge
MODEL: Ram 15
YEAR: 2021
COLOR: Black
PLATE NO: 24900R2
STATE:

 

[rainynights]

Sad news–he was found deceased.
Log into Facebook | Inyo County SO

SEARCH AND RESCUE, MT WHITNEY
INYO COUNTY, CA, APRIL 21, 2021 – On Thursday April 15, Saulo Sifuentes Escalante, a 36 year old man from Conroe, TX, arrived at Whitney Portal with intentions of hiking Mt Whitney as a day climb. The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office received notification on Sunday April 18 that he was overdue.

Inyo County Search and Rescue responded and searched the area unsuccessfully Monday April 19 with the assistance of CHP Inland Air Operations helicopter H80. On April 20, twelve Search and Rescue members were inserted by an Army Chinook helicopter, with teams distributed from the summit down to Mirror Lake. Kings Canyon National Park was also involved, since the search area included the west side of Mt Whitney, which is in the Park.

At approximately 11am on April 20 Kings Canyon officials notified Inyo County Sheriff’s Office that they had obtained a search warrant to review cell phone data records and that had revealed a potential location for the subject. A Chinook helicopter was dispatched to investigate the location and was able to locate the subject deceased south of the main Whitney trail at approximately 11,600’ elevation in a steep, snowy, north facing chute. The subject had apparently been ascending this chute when he slipped and fell.

The Chinook was able to move a team of rescuers to a landing zone 1,200’ below the site. Rescuers were able to access the site via a steep snow climb, and were able to assist in the recovery of Mr. Escalante late in the afternoon, by using a hoist into the Chinook.

Assisting agencies include: Inyo Search and Rescue, Inyo Sheriff, China Lake Mountain Rescue Group, and Kings Canyon National Park. Aerial assistance was provided by CHP, China Lake Naval Weapons Station, and Army National Guard.

 

[mlhenn]

Texas Man Killed In Fall From Snowy California Mountain

A Texas man fell to his death while hiking California’s Mount Whitney, authorities announced Wednesday, April 21.

Search and rescue teams aided by a helicopter unsuccessfully scoured the mountain on Monday, but on Tuesday used cellphone data records to pinpoint a possible location.


Escalante apparently had been climbing the chute when he slipped and fell, authorities said.

His body was recovered later that day.

Texas man dies in fall on snowy California mountain

A helicopter found Escalante dead in a steep, snowy chute south of a main trail about 11,600 feet (3,536 meters) up the mountain, the Sheriff's Office said.

The Park Service advises that climbers need ice axes and crampons in spring and early summer.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Escalante had such equipment.

 

[CocoChanel]

Conroe man dies after falling while hiking mountain in California

May Saulo Escalante Rest In Peace, and may his family find comfort in knowing he died doing what he loved.

Thank goodness for cell phone technology that helps track our missing persons.