The father of missing hiker Austin King has shared a terrifying note left on a Wyoming mountaintop by his son on the Internet, written three days before he was scheduled to arrive at camp.
No one has seen the 22-year-old since he called his mother, Pandora King, who returned home to Minnesota on September 17 after solo climbing the 10,000-foot Eagle Peak in one of America's most remote places in Yellowstone National Park.
He was scheduled to return home to Winona within days after spending the summer at the park, but friends said he had been talking about the mountains for “weeks.”
Now dad Brian King-Henke has shared a note about Austin on the Register, in which he described the terrible weather conditions he had to experience before reaching the summit.
The father of missing hiker Austin King, Brian King-Henke, shared an incredible note left by his son on a mountaintop in Wyoming, written three days before he was scheduled to arrive at camp
“I can't feel my fingers and my glasses are so foggy from the brutal mountain weather,” King wrote in a Sept. 17 post.
“I really can't believe I'm here after what it cost me. I survived rain, sleet, hail and the worst wind I have ever felt.
King explained why he was unable to see Eagle Peak for most of the day after encountering the densest fog he had ever experienced.
“I've climbed too many cliffs alone to get here, and I climbed to the top from the connecting peak – which is not the right path. I am 22 years old and I will not forget today for the rest of my life.
He ended his note with, “Life is beautiful, go out and LIVE it!” before signing your name and sketching a smiley face.
Austin King, 22, worked for Xanterra Travel Agency in Yellowstone National Park and was last contacted on September 17, after departing on September 14
More than 100 rescuers from two national parks were assisted by two helicopters, a team of search dogs and drones
Search teams searched 5,225 miles by air and ground at altitudes ranging from 3,500 meters to 8,400 feet
After hiking all day to the summit, Austin is believed to have reached the summit around 6 p.m.
He didn't have much time left to get back to safety, as sunset occurred just over an hour later at 7:07 p.m. Within an hour and a half of reaching the summit, Austin would be plunged into complete darkness.
He planned to take the boat back to his RV in Grant Village, where he lived while working at the Xanterra Yellowstone travel agency.
The alarm was raised after he failed to show up three days later.
A search team was dispatched Saturday morning to look for the mountaineer, who was last heard from more than 80 hours earlier.
Austin drove to the park in his 2006 Chevy Silverado and was planning a seven-day trip when he set out to conquer the mountain on September 14.
The boat disembarked the able-bodied young hiker at Terrace Point at the southern end of Yellowstone Lake, less than 10 miles from the mountaintop.
Two days later, he was spotted by a backcountry ranger who talked to him on the banks of Howell Creek as he skirted the foothills on his way to a cabin on the east side of the mountain.
Austin's dad, Brian Henke, was in Cody, Wyoming, to help with the rescue effort
Eagle Peak is the highest point in Yellowstone National Park at 3,372 feet
“He was heading to Feature 6D8 for the night and planned to climb Eagle Peak on Tuesday, September 17,” the National Park Service said in an alert.
But it was 7:30 p.m. and darkness was falling by the time he finally reached the top and took out his phone to break the news.
Among the people he called was his oldest friend Desmond McGroarty, 22, who also got a job in Yellowstone, following him from their hometown.
“He was very delighted,” McGroarty told cowboystatedaily.com.
“He said he had cold hands and all that, but it sounded like he just didn't care because he was so excited to make it to the top.”
But the excited climber also mentioned “fog, rain, sleet, hail and wind” at the summit as he prepared to head back down the slope.
After failing to return to the Yellowstone Interagency Communications Center on September 20, park officials began a search and rescue operation the next day.
They soon discovered where, east of the mountain, Austin had camped with some of his supplies. However, his sleeping bag was missing.
“I was the one who told him to come here,” his father told KTVG after arriving in Yellowstone.
“You know, I thought, 'You're 22. Go to the United States.” He took on something he wasn't prepared for.
Search teams searched for Austin for 11 days until October 2, when the search was called off
The search on Eagle Peak in Yellowstone National Park has moved from rescue to recovery
Austin, described as 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes, last seen wearing glasses, gray pants and a black sweatshirt, has been a mountain climber and competed in triathlons just two years ago.
McGroaty, however, said his old kindergarten friend had “never done” anything as challenging as Eagle Peak before.
“He showed everyone his plan, which he wrote down on paper,” he added. “He can be really determined in what he wants.”
The search for Austin by park rescuers lasted 11 days, and the transition from rescue mission to recovery occurred on October 2. Recovery means searching for corpses.
More than 100 personnel, including two helicopters, search dog teams, ground teams with scopes, tracking devices and a drone, searched more than 5,225 miles by air and ground at altitudes ranging from 10,000 feet to 8,400 feet.
So far, no definitive clues have been found as to Austin's whereabouts.
Austin, described as 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes, was last seen wearing glasses, gray pants and a black sweatshirt
Austin has already climbed mountains and just two years ago he competed in triathlons
Pandora King is seen with her son Austin, who is still missing after hiking along Eagle Peak in Yellowstone National Park
Limited searches will continue for the foreseeable future as conditions permit before winter weather arrives. Austin pictured with his mother
Limited search efforts will continue for the foreseeable future as conditions permit before winter arrives.
“Despite an extensive search, we have not been able to locate Austin,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly.
“While we will continue to hope for the best, I want to extend my deepest condolences to Austin's family, friends and colleagues. I also want to thank the teams from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and Park and Teton Counties in Wyoming who worked tirelessly to find Austin in some of Yellowstone's most challenging and remote terrain.
Experienced hiker John Lamb assisted in the search for Austin and listened to a voicemail he left for his father, containing details similar to the note he left.
– We can tell from the voicemail that he was confused. “He admits he went down the wrong path… he probably didn't know the right path to take and get back to the lake,” Lamb said. Cowboy State Daily.
“You can see he's scared (in the voicemail), he's cold, he doesn't really know where he is. It took him all day to get there, so you can imagine him trying to get down the mountain, seeing nothing and not knowing where you were or which way to go.
Park officials are planning another large aerial search this Sunday while the weather is still decent.
– We were told to be careful. Some of the guys are working on it… rocks are falling. We are very aware of that,” Lamb said.
Austin, from Minnesota, is 5-foot-10 and weighs 160 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing glasses, gray pants and a black sweatshirt (pictured: Austin in July 2023)
A missing poster has been created so that hikers can draw attention to it
The National Park Service released a map showing the extent of the area rescuers covered during the first three days of the search
And a GoFundMe page has been set up to help the couple cover some of the search and recovery costs.
On Friday, Austin's dad, Brian, posted a note on his Facebook page thanking everyone who has helped him in his search so far.
“The people of Cody Wyonming opened their hearts to my family without hesitation. I am truly blessed for everything.
“I also want to tell my family, friends and everyone in this amazing country that I am at a loss for all the words of support. I am truly grateful for each of you. With every ounce of my mind, body and soul, I am truly grateful for everything.
