A Missed Hotel Checkout Signaled Something Was Off

A missed motel checkout in Lone Pine, Calif., was the first sign something was amiss. Inyo County authorities say a guest who failed to end his hotel stay on Oct. 19 as expected was found dead on Mount Whitney. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the guest had set out to climb the 14,505-foot peak, and deputies soon found the climber's car at Whitney Portal. The climber's permit indicated he'd planned to tackle the Mountaineer's Route, a nine-mile off-trail approach.

A helicopter crew quickly spotted a body along that route, but rough weather stalled recovery. Five days later, search-and-rescue volunteers reached the site at 13,600 feet and airlifted the snow-covered body out, reports the Guardian. The coroner confirmed it was the missing climber, who has not been publicly identified.