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Lost hiker found dead in Cloud Peak Wilderness

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Via the Wyoming News Exchange

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Grant Gardner has been found deceased in the Cloud Peak Wilderness.

On Aug. 26 during the late afternoon/early evening hours, a professional climbing team from North Carolina summited Cloud Peak and descended on the northern route of the peak, prior to a summit attempt on Woolsey Peak the next day. 

While making camp for the evening, the climbers noticed a slight reflection a few hundred feet above them underneath a ledge. They were confident it was a backpack. 

The climbing team notified the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office via satellite of its finding and 

First Flight of Wyoming transported search and rescue teams to the North Carolina climbers’ high altitude camp. 

Gardner’s remains were located near the backpack. Gardner was wearing clothing that blended in with the surrounding terrain. A difficult and dangerous recovery was conducted and Gardner is being brought home to his family.

The case has been transferred to the Big Horn County Coroner’s Office to determine time, manner and cause of death. Sheriff Ken Blackburn said he and his staff believe Gardner succumbed to a tragic accident.

"Thank you to the SAR Teams for not giving up, for many tips and support from the outdoor community and others that has led to the end of this mission," Blackburn wrote in an update on Facebook Aug. 28. "We waited to release this final update pending family notification and to give them a moment to process. While it’s not the outcome we hoped for, we are hopeful this will provide much needed peace and closure to the family."

 

This story was published on August 28, 2025. 

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