Cloud Peak Wilderness area is home to the tallest mountains in the Bighorn National Forest. File Photo by Sara Evans Kirol/Bighorn National Forest
A hiking team found the body of a Minnesota hiker who had been missing for more than a month in Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming officials said Thursday.
Big Horn County Sheriff Ken Blackburn told the Cowboy State Daily that the body of Grant Gardner, 38, was found Tuesday evening on the northern route of Cloud Peak.
“A group of very experienced mountaineers from North Carolina was descending the North Slope of Cloud Peak on Tuesday evening, Blackburn told the news outlet. “As they were making their camp at a high altitude, over 11,000 feet, they noticed a small glint of an object, which turned out to be a small piece of fabric from Gardner’s backpack.”
Gardner had planned on taking a three-day hike to summit the mountain, the tallest in Bighorn National Forest at more than 13,000 feet. He texted his wife July 29 saying he had reached the top, but the hike was “more taxing than he expected.”
Phone records indicated he reached the peak at around 7 p.m., which officials said they found concerning due to the difficulty of navigating the rugged terrain near the top after dark.
Blackburn told The Minnesota Star Tribune that officials carried out a “difficult and dangerous recovery” to bring Gardner’s body home to his family.
“While it’s not the outcome we hoped for, we are hopeful this will provide much-needed peace and closure to the family,” he said.
