A man from Minnesota, who went missing during a hiking trip in July, sent his wife a poignant final text message before his remains were found weeks later.
Grant Gardner, a father of two, vanished on July 29 while hiking in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. He had planned a three-day trek around the Misty Moon Lake area, intending to reach Cloud Peak, the highest point in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains, standing at 13,000 feet.
His wife, Lauren Gardner, grew increasingly anxious when he failed to return, and his car was located near the West Ten Sleep trailhead. The search for the 38-year-old began on August 1 but was halted on August 21 due to insufficient leads.
A significant development occurred when a professional climbing team from North Carolina scaled Cloud Peak and noticed a reflection under a ledge, which appeared to be a backpack.
The climbers contacted the Sheriff’s office through satellite communication, and Gardner’s remains were soon discovered next to the backpack after a challenging recovery mission on August 26.
The Sheriff’s Office revealed in a statement: “Grant Gardner’s remains were located near the backpack. Gardner was wearing clothing that very closely matched the terrain he was climbing in.”
They further stated: “A difficult/dangerous recovery was conducted and Grant Gardner is being brought home to his family.”
The statement continued to express gratitude: “Special thanks to a spectacular professional group of technical climbers who were in exactly the right spot, at the right moment, with the right light, to notice a small piece of fabric on a pack that was otherwise undetectable, for selflessly aborting their plans and working with SAR Teams to find Gardner, providing closure 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.”
The Sheriff’s Office also released information about the hiker’s phone records, confirming his last message was to his wife.
The message, as per their statement, indicated that Gardner had reached the summit. “letting her know he had made it to the summit,” the Sheriff’s office disclosed.
Tragically, the report noted that the text suggested the climb was more arduous than anticipated, leaving him exhausted.
Following the recovery of Gardner’s body, he was returned to his family.
In a heartfelt Facebook message, Gardner’s wife expressed gratitude to those who searched for him and paid homage to the ‘love of her life,’ writing: “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.”
The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office has not yet determined the cause and manner of Gardner’s death. However, Sheriff Ken Blackburn suspects a tragic fall.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist Gardner’s family, with contributions exceeding $67,000 of its $100,000 target. Donations can be made here.