88. Surprising Discovery at the Grand Canyon (Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona)
In 2021, search crews at Grand Canyon National Park made an unexpected discovery while looking for another missing person: skeletal remains believed to be of another missing person. His backpack had been found years earlier with prescription bottles bearing his name, but no trace of him was located until the 2021 aerial search. His remains were there the whole time, blending into the canyon until chance and persistence finally brought him home.Sources:https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/8-facts-about-grand-canyon-you-never-knewhttps://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm\https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/body-of-hungarian-man-missing-since-july-recovered-in-grand-canyonhttps://npshistory.com/morningreport/incidents/grca.htmhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/grand-canyon-search-human-remains-scott-walsh/https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_Walshhttps://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/89603https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1563/cold-cases.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/gibbs-missing-person.htm?utmSupport the showJoin our Patreon for bonus content! Click here!The 10 Essentials for Outdoor Recreation here.Leave No Trace (LNT) principles here.Share a "Campfire Story" for us to read on the pod! email us: morbidoutdoorspodcast@gmail.comBuy Me a Coffee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
87. Nature News: January 2026
The first month of 2026 brought some interesting headlines in the natural world--from animal attacks to rescues, this month's headlines were wild. Sources:https://www.thv11.com/article/news/nation-world/colorado-woman-dies-suspected-mountain-lion-attack/507-c23ac026-e5e5-4897-871f-5811acbc3e95?fbclid=IwdGRleAPFAZZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeFaeFGJpYini2DrTiWQNHZmP10JwHlzPh-NtEgHrspvyHj3wzhnZLTUla9i4_aem_4H4diXeXFAGf4wDg1WW-Pghttps://people.com/teen-vanished-on-mountain-without-phone-days-later-he-walked-over-12-miles-to-safety-11879774https://people.com/sos-signal-leads-to-rescue-hypothermic-teen-hiker-after-7-hour-search-11882589https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/washington-county/ten-hikers-rescued-from-yankee-doodle-canyon-in-washington-countyhttps://katu.com/news/local/two-missing-climbers-found-dead-at-9600-ft-elevation-in-mount-rainier-national-park-hiking-outdoors-recreation-snow-cold-forecast-storm-temperature-investigation-search-rescue-permit-teamhttps://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-01-22/hiker-dies-mt-whitney-third-fatality-of-seasonhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/23/two-confirmed-dead-and-more-presumed-buried-after-landslides-hit-house-and-campground-in-new-zealandhttps://people.com/15-hikers-rescued-from-utah-canyon-in-same-day-11891061#:~:text=Fifteen%20hikers%20were%20rescued%20from,Yankee%20Doodle%20Canyon%2C%20Backpacker%20reported.Support the showJoin our Patreon for bonus content! Click here!The 10 Essentials for Outdoor Recreation here.Leave No Trace (LNT) principles here.Share a "Campfire Story" for us to read on the pod! email us: morbidoutdoorspodcast@gmail.comBuy Me a Coffee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
86. The Missing Graduate Student (Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado)
It was the summer of 1933, and Rocky Mountain National Park was still young — wild, untamed, and only partly mapped. On August 15th, a 22-year-old University of Chicago student set out on a solo hike. He told his friend he was heading toward Taylor Peak — just another day in the mountains before he had to return home to Chicago. But he never came back and his disappearance remains unsolved to this day. This is one of Rocky Mountain National Park’s oldest active missing persons cases.Tips: You can call the Colorado Bureau of Investigation 303-239-5764 or the Glendale Police Department 303-759-1511. Sources:https://charleyproject.org/case/joseph-laurence-halpernhttps://www.dailycamera.com/2010/01/24/joseph-halperns-family-continues-search-for-lost-hiker/https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/4185dmco.htmlhttps://defrostingcoldcases.com/guest-post-joseph-halpern-part-1-by-silvia-pettem/https://www.coloradoan.com/story/life/2018/08/10/inside-rocky-mountain-national-parks-1933-missing-hiker-mystery-joe-halpern/940601002/https://www.backpacker.com/news-and-events/news/national-park-service-finds-rudi-moder-hiker-missing-38-years/Support the showJoin our Patreon for bonus content! Click here!The 10 Essentials for Outdoor Recreation here.Leave No Trace (LNT) principles here.Share a "Campfire Story" for us to read on the pod! email us: morbidoutdoorspodcast@gmail.comBuy Me a Coffee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
85. Bodies of Mt.Everest (Mt.Everest, China & Nepal)
Mount Everest: the world’s highest peak above sea level. It's iconic and stands against the sky like a giant. Everest is covered in snow and ice…and dead bodies. It is famous for its “Death Zone” which has extremely thin air, making breathing difficult, requiring supplemental oxygen for climbers. This beautiful mountain is dotted with many climbers who never made their way down. Sources:https://www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/mount-everest-bodies-left-dead-frozen-at-the-top/https://www.instagram.com/p/C8svfgApUsy/?hl=enhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everesthttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/climbing-mount-everest-1Support the showJoin our Patreon for bonus content! Click here!The 10 Essentials for Outdoor Recreation here.Leave No Trace (LNT) principles here.Share a "Campfire Story" for us to read on the pod! email us: morbidoutdoorspodcast@gmail.comBuy Me a Coffee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
84. Missing From Moon Lake (Ashley National Forest, Utah)
Utah has many missing persons cases and mysteries within its national forests and national parks. One of those happen to be the disappearance of a Finnish man who went missing in the Ashley National Forest in March 2025. He went to look for gold in the Uinta mountains and hasn’t been seen since. He is just a young man far from home, drawn to a wilderness he may not have fully understood. In places like this, it doesn’t take a dramatic moment for things to go wrong — just cold, isolation, and one missed turn.Tips: If you have any information about Onni’s whereabouts or have been in contact with him, please reach out to Cpt. John Crowley at Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office by calling 435-738-1126 or emailing jcrowley@duchesne.utah.gov.Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_National_Foresthttps://www.deseret.com/1989/6/15/18811507/moon-lake-unique-yet-little-known/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Rhoades_Minehttps://kamasvalleyhistory.org/2020/05/11/the-lost-rhoads-mine-the-back-rhodes-of-our-genealogy/https://www.foxnews.com/us/tourist-vanishes-after-leaving-utah-airport-backpack-mountainshttps://www.is.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000011139740.htmlhttps://www.abc4.com/news/missing-in-utah/duchesne-county-man/https://www.kpcw.org/state-regional/2025-04-02/finnish-man-missing-in-uintas-duchesne-county-sheriff-sayshttps://websleuths.com/threads/ut-onni-llmari-raassina-29-came-to-visit-utah-from-finland-missing-since-5-march-2025.740278/https://disappearedblog.com/justin-coursey/https://www.westkentuckystar.com/Obituaries/Funeral-Homes/Lindsey-Funeral-Home-(1)/Justin-Wayne-CourseySupport the showJoin our Patreon for bonus content! Click here!The 10 Essentials for Outdoor Recreation here.Leave No Trace (LNT) principles here.Share a "Campfire Story" for us to read on the pod! email us: morbidoutdoorspodcast@gmail.comBuy Me a Coffee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.