On the afternoon of Wednesday, November 6th, overdue hiker William Roberts was located outside Kings Canyon National Park in the adjacent Sierra National Forest. Searchers found the 62-year-old Virginia man in good condition in Crown Valley.
On October 30th, Roberts departed alone from the Rancheria Trailhead on the Sierra National Forest. He planned to hike to Tehipite Dome in Kings Canyon National Park, then, after several days in Tehipite Valley, return to the Rancherita Trailhead by November 3rd. Dispatch was notified that he was overdue on the morning of November 5th.
Sixteen National Park Service and twenty Fresno County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue personnel were involved in searching by ground and helicopter, conducting interviews, and planning search operations. An NPS helicopter, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Eagle One, and California Highway Patrol’s helicopter H40 also assisted.
The search area, located approximately 35 miles southeast of Huntington Lake, ranged from elevations of 4,000 to 9,000 feet. The first significant storm of the season passed through the area on October 31st and November 1st, resulting in 12 to 18 inches of snowfall at higher elevations and heavy rain at lower elevations.