WY WY - Steve Keller, 76, from Palo Alto CA, separated from hiking group for day hike w/o pack, Wind River Mountains near Lander, 2 Sep 2023

[Unalienable Rights]

Search continues for 76-year-old California hiker reported missing in Wind River Mountains since Saturday - County 10

(Wind River Range, WY) – The search continues for a 76-year-old California hiker who was reported missing on Saturday, September 2, following various weather condition setbacks over the Labor Day weekend, according to a release issued by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office on September 5. The...

county10.com

Sept 5

(Wind River Range, WY) – The search continues for a 76-year-old California hiker who was reported missing on Saturday, September 2, following various weather condition setbacks over the Labor Day weekend, according to a release issued by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office on September 5.

The full release is below.

“On Saturday September 2nd, 2023 at around 4:30 in the afternoon, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a missing man in the Wind River mountains.

Palo Alto dentist missing in remote Wyoming wilderness

A beloved Palo Alto dentist has gone missing in the Wyoming wilderness after he became separated from his hiking group over the weekend, the Fremont County Sheriff's Office and his niece said.

www.almanacnews.com

A beloved Palo Alto dentist has gone missing in the Wyoming wilderness after he became separated from his hiking group over the weekend, the Fremont County Sheriff's Office and his niece said.

Steve Keller, 76, was reported missing on Saturday, Sept. 2 at around 4:30 p.m. in the Wind River mountains near Lander, Wyoming, the Fremont County Sheriff's Office said in a press release on Sept. 5.

Keller was hiking near Steamboat Lake in a remote area of the Wind River Reservation. Keller left Steamboat Lake, where his group was camping, for a day hike without a pack, according to a police missing persons flier.

**********
"Steve is a skilled outdoorsman who has backpacked this area of the Wind River Range dozens of times. The area he went missing near Steamboat Lake is densely forested and can be disorienting," she (his niece) said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

*********
Keller is described as a white male who was wearing a green jacket, a black, blue and green Patagonia fleece, is 6 feet tall and weighs 170 pounds.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

**********
There is more at the link

 

[GraceG]

I can't imagine a skilled outdoorsman going on an extended hike (even a day one) without a pack with food/water/supplies. But this article said he was on a "group hike" when he went missing, so others with him were likely carrying supplies when he was separated. Weather Limits Search For Missing California Hiker, 76, In Wyoming’s Wind River Range

His niece said the area he went missing is "densely forested". In looking at a Google map of Steamboat Lake WY, it looks like high desert, not a lot of trees. So it's likely he was north of that area when he went missing. Steamboat Lake · Wyoming

He was said to be headed to Deadman Lake when he disappeared. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/palo-alto-man-missing-in-wyoming-wilderness-18352247.php

I'm having a hard time on google maps finding the route/distance between the two lakes - anyone else here been able to map that out?

 

[OldCop]

I can't imagine a skilled outdoorsman going on an extended hike (even a day one) without a pack with food/water/supplies. But this article said he was on a "group hike" when he went missing, so others with him were likely carrying supplies when he was separated. Weather Limits Search For Missing California Hiker, 76, In Wyoming’s Wind River Range

His niece said the area he went missing is "densely forested". In looking at a Google map of Steamboat Lake WY, it looks like high desert, not a lot of trees. So it's likely he was north of that area when he went missing. Steamboat Lake · Wyoming

He was said to be headed to Deadman Lake when he disappeared. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/palo-alto-man-missing-in-wyoming-wilderness-18352247.php

I'm having a hard time on google maps finding the route/distance between the two lakes - anyone else here been able to map that out?

It is a less than 3 miles between the two, but the terrain looks tough.

 

[OldCop]

Sounds like it’s easy to get lost up in there. There are a lot of unmarked trails.
Excerpt from a hiker’s report:
“From Steamboat to Deadman is a bit tricky because there are numerous trails not on the map. Recommendation: stay with your compass and maps or you can easily find yourself headed in the wrong direction, especially bearing north from Steamboat. We wasted almost a couple hours very confused before we found the correct route to Deadman. We somehow were mistakenly headed for Hatchett.”

http://h.web.umkc.edu/heimovicsr/Stuff%20for%20Pers%20Home/some%20notes%20about%20deadman%20rev%20sept%2025%202006.htm

 

[GraceG]

It is a less than 3 miles between the two, but the terrain looks tough.

Thanks for that, The Google Maps photo of Steamboat lake I linked shows an area of high desert with few frees, but another photo of Steamboat Lake matches the photo you have that shows it's pretty well forested around the water.

 

[GraceG]

The search for Steve has been officially suspended by the Sheriff's Office and sadly, he is presumed as being dead. Due to severe weather there were interruptions to aerial searches but ground searches found no signs of him. FCSO suspends search for missing Winds hiker, presumed dead

 

[Unalienable Rights]

The search for Steve has been officially suspended by the Sheriff's Office and sadly, he is presumed as being dead. Due to severe weather there were interruptions to aerial searches but ground searches found no signs of him. FCSO suspends search for missing Winds hiker, presumed dead

From the linked article:

Keller’s family might fund a private search for him, according to County 10. They are still working with Tribal Game and Fish.

 

[LadyL]

very sad when they suspend the official search