Searches end in Wyoming mountains with Minnesotans still missing in separate cases

Officials in Wyoming have called off their search for a mountain climber from Minnesota who has been missing for the past three weeks, while a private search group in the state has renewed the search for a Winona native nearly a year after he disappeared.

Grant Ross Gardner, 38, of Lakeville had plans for a three-day solo trek in the Cloud Peak Wilderness area and informed his wife on July 29 he had reached the 13,000-foot summit, according to the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office.

When Gardner failed to wrap up his hike on Aug. 1 as planned, a search and rescue mission was launched in the expansive and rugged terrain, the Sheriff’s Office said.

“Our teams have exhausted all resources and personnel over the last 20 days,” a statement Wednesday evening from Sheriff Ken Blackburn read. “With weather conditions and other factors updated in our search models, we have to face the reality that the most optimistic survival odds have run out.”

“Our teams will rest, then begin search and recovery efforts as time and evidence allow,” the sheriff said. “Many citizen volunteers and outdoors people are continuing to search for clues in an effort to bring peace to this family.”

Gardner’s wife, Lauren Gardner, posted on social media, “We are trying to find peace knowing that aside from being with his family, his favorite place to be was in nature.

“I want to again thank every person who helped look for him. I know how emotionally and physically draining the last 3 weeks have been for everyone. I’m eternally indebted to the kindness of strangers. I know we all wish this ended differently.”

Gardner’s vehicle was found by searchers in the parking lot of the West Tensleep Trailhead. The trailhead log confirmed he entered the wilderness area there and included his plan for a three-day hike.

Phone records showed he reached the summit on July 29 around 7 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time and was preparing to spend the night at a lower elevation. A text sent to his wife at the summit indicated the climb was more taxing and tiring than he expected.

On the morning of Aug. 2, search and rescue teams from various counties were joined by an Army National Guard helicopter and private aircraft in the effort to find Gardner. Also participating in the mission have been tracking dogs and specialized electronic equipment.

Lauren Gardner included in her post that “Grant has been the love of my life since we were kids. ... We began dating right after I turned 16.” Their family includes a 13-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter.

She said he loved mountain climbing among many other outdoor challenges.

Nearly a year after the initial search-and-rescue effort, a private search group looked for Austin King in the mountains of Yellowstone National Park, southwest of Cody, Wyo.

King, 22, a Winona native, went missing in September after summiting Yellowstone’s highest peak in violent weather. At the time, he was a concessions employee in the park.

Beginning Aug. 12, a group of searchers spent five days in the remote wilderness around Eagle Peak, King’s last known location. The peak reaches nearly 11,400 feet. The operation was organized by the Jon Francis Foundation, based in Stillwater, which supports families of loved ones missing in the wild.

David Francis, the foundation’s executive director, said Thursday morning four cadaver dog teams and climbing experts canvassed the east side of the rugged mountain peak most commonly traveled.

“It is a process of elimination,” he said. “It is a bit risky, but we have concluded that [King] is not on the east side.”

An NPS spokesperson said in an email that searchers didn’t find “any new information or clues” about King’s whereabouts.