One of northern Utah’s most scenic drives is the Mirror Lake Highway. Multiple people go missing every year in the surrounding national forest, but only two of those people have never been found. Their cases are 13 years apart, but have similar circumstances. Despite extensive and prompt search efforts, they have never been located.

If you have any information on either of these cases, contact the Summit County Sheriff’s Office at 435-615-3600.



Sources:
https://www.visitutah.com/
https://charleyproject.org/case/garrett-alexander-bardsley
https://www.deseret.com/2004/8/28/19847782/family-won-t-give-up-search-for-their-son/
https://www.deseret.com/2004/8/25/19847121/searchers-find-missing-boy-scout-s-sock/
https://bci.utah.gov/coldcases/garrett-alexander-bardsley-2/
https://www.deseret.com/2004/8/28/19847782/family-won-t-give-up-search-for-their-son/
https://veritycreates.medium.com/a-camping-trip-tragedy-the-disappearance-of-garrett-bardsley-c7964a3a5d3a
http://www.findgarrett.org/
https://veritycreates.medium.com/a-camping-trip-tragedy-the-disappearance-of-garrett-bardsley-c7964a3a5d3a
https://bci.utah.gov/coldcases/melvin-heaps-2/
https://uncovered.com/cases/melvin-heaps
https://charleyproject.org/case/melvin-george-heaps
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2017/08/05/mesa-man-missing-utah-mountains-uinta-wasatch-cache-national-forest/542987001/
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2017/08/01/74-year-old-hiker-missing-in-the-uintas/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWUnYxjvOns
https://backcountrypost.com/threads/searching-for-melvin-heaps.7228/

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One of the most dangerous places to be a law enforcement officer is inside the nation's national parks and preserves. Rangers work with little backup, in remote territories and face numerous dangers. While on patrol on West Mountain in Hot Springs National Park, U.S. National Park Ranger James A. Cary was murdered by bootleggers. His murder marked a historic event: he was the first U.S. national park ranger to ever be killed in the line of duty.

“From 2000 to 2010, a national park ranger was more likely to be assaulted in the line of duty than any other federal officer, including those who work for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Secret Service, and the Drug Enforcement Agency. Add fatal accidents involving natural disasters and plane crashes, and a park ranger is up to 12 times more likely to die on the job than a special agent for the FBI.” -Andrea Lankford reporting for Backpacker.com







Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2005/06/18/4709159/the-dangers-of-being-a-ranger
https://www.nps.gov/hosp/learn/historyculture/james-a-cary.htm
https://www.backpacker.com/stories/ranger-confidential-secrets-of-the-national-park-rangers/
https://www.treehugger.com/hot-springs-national-park-facts-5189877
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Springs_National_Park
https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/james-alexander-cary-12010/
https://www.nps.gov/hosp/learn/news/memorial-to-ranger-james-a-cary.htm
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68403440/james-alexander-cary
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/may/30/hot-springs-honors-slain-park-ranger-20/
https://www.hotsr.com/news/2017/may/17/national-park-service-ranger-discusses-/
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=211011

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When an entire family of tourists went missing while visiting Death Valley in 1996, no one could have predicted where they were. A family member alerted authorities that they were missing, yet no trace of them was found. It wasn’t until three months later, when their minivan was found abandoned within the park did park officials put together the pieces of what may have happened on that July day.



Sources:
https://npshistory.com/morningreport/incidents/deva.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley_National_Park
https://austinadventures.com/blog/10-ridiculously-cool-things-didnt-know-death-valley/#:~:text=1.,134%20Fahrenheit%20in%20July%201913.
https://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna33919797
https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/local/2024/07/08/motorcyclist-dies-of-apparent-heat-exposure-in-death-valley/74323004007/

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When a park employee goes missing from the Paradise Inn in Mount Rainier National Park, searching started immediately. It was suspected that she became lost on a trail or was abducted. But after the spring thaw in May 1997, skeletal remains were discovered and all previous theories were thrown out. Almost 30 years later, the question of who or what killed the park employee remains a mystery.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch at 202-379-4761. Email: nps_isb@nps.gov. Submit a tip here.


Sources:
https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/national-parks/national-park-mysteries/
https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/national-parks/national-park-mysteries/
https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rainier_National_Park
https://www.nps.gov/places/marine-memorial.htm
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-sheila-ann-kearns-death/127159763/
https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19961008&slug=2353199
https://www.king5.com/video/news/crime/unsolved/remains-of-mount-rainier-national-park-employee-were-found-1996-her-case-remains-unsolved/281-acc09056-87e1-43e7-9268-e5c54d4edb88
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/oct/24/park-employee-may-have-been-abducted/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/740182346/?clipping_id=127159763&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjc0MDE4MjM0NiwiaWF0IjoxNzIyMTg4NzM2LCJleHAiOjE3MjIyNzUxMzZ9.aXTbN9gR5iU_4EcUVLBMvG1vceBzb0WAn7RSOw4Li2k
https://npshistory.com/morningreport/incidents/mora.htm

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During a family outing in America’s iconic Yosemite National Park, a young child discovers a severed hand in Summit Meadow. Despite search efforts, no other body parts were located. Five years later, a skull was located across the road from where the hand was found. Efforts to identify this person would go unsuccessful for 39 years. Once the remains were identified, it was found out that the victim had ties to a local cult and a notorious serial killer. Even though authorities now have a name for the victim, the question remains: who is responsible for her alleged murder?

If you have any information about this case, please contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch at 202-379-4761. Email: nps_isb@nps.gov. Submit a tip here.

Yosemite National Park incident reports here.



Sources:
https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/yosemite-patricia-hicks-mystery-revelations-17568244.php
https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/national-parks/national-park-mysteries/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_National_Park
https://abcnews.go.com/US/unsolved-death-yosemite-leads-investigators-strange-rumored-cult/story?id=91680118
https://npshistory.com/morningreport/incidents/yose.htm
Hulu's Wild Crime

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Lake Mead is one of the nation’s most scenic and popular water recreation areas. It boasts cold waters, desert landscape, and amazing rock formations. But under those blue waters lies secrets that no one counted on surfacing. Bodies have been being found in Lake Mead for years and they hold decades old secrets only few know.

Tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 702-385-5555 or at crimestoppersofnv.com/report-a-crime. Information can also be sent via text by sending “CRIMENV” and then your message to “CRIMES” (274637). Crime Stoppers offers a reward for information that leads to an arrest. The coroner’s office can be reached by calling 702-455-3210.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area incident reports here.
Boating Safety Tips here.


Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Mead_National_Recreation_Area
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/31/lake-mead-human-remains-identification-climate-crisis
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/29/us/lake-mead-body-barrel-approximated-images/index.html
https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/lake-mead-body-2-years-later-barrel-murder-victim-remains-unidentified/
https://www.nps.gov/lake/index.htm
https://npshistory.com/morningreport/incidents/lake.htm
https://www.newsweek.com/lake-mead-drought-exposes-creepy-long-lost-boat-loaded-artifacts-1728050
https://travelnevada.com/parks-recreational-areas/lake-mead-national-recreation-area/

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When a tourist from California treks north to visit the beautiful and scenic North Cascades National Park in northern Washington, no one could predict how his trip would end. After park officials noticed an abandoned painting easel and car near the Colonial Creek Campground, the search was on for the missing artist. Searching ensued but the owner of the easel has never been found and his whereabouts still remain a mystery today.

If you have any information about the case, please submit tips to 1-888-653-0009 or nps_isb@nps.gov and click “Submit a Tip”. Your tips can remain anonymous, but information in this open case is needed.

The 10 Essentials for Outdoor Recreation here.
Leave No Trace (LNT) principles here.
North Cascades National Park incident reports here.



Sources:
https://www.nps.gov/noca/learn/news/search-for-missing-person.htm
https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/alexander-pisch
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/missing-california-mans-car-painting-easel-found-along-north-cascades-highway
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/18kl4o8/a_mentally_ill_man_vanishes_in_a_national_park/?rdt=39998
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Cascades_National_Park
https://www.nps.gov/noca/learn/index.htm
https://www.nps.gov/articles/10essentials.htm
https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/
https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2020/10/28/alexander-pisch-set-up-an-easel-to-paint-and-then-vanished/
https://skagitbreaking.com/2023/11/02/possible-human-remains-found-in-suitcase-floating-in-ross-lake/
http://npshistory.com/morningreport/incidents/noca.htm

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Meet your host, me, Elyse! I just wanted to provide a short introduction to Morbid Outdoors and why I am hosting this podcast!

Follow us on Instagram at @morbidoutdoorspodcast
Email case suggestions: morbidoutdoorspodcast@gmail.com

Support the show

The 10 Essentials for Outdoor Recreation here.
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Recreate responsibly and remember: sometimes the "great outdoors" aren't always great. Stay tuned & stay weird.

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Buy Me a Coffee