Search continues: Yosemite hiker remains missing more than a week after disappearing
A 69-year-old man from Berkeley remains missing in Yosemite National Park more than a week after he disappeared on a hike from Lower Merced Pass Lake.
The park’s investigative service said Richard Judd was last seen on July 25 as he was hiking from his camp near the lake, heading to Red Peak Pass. Judd, who is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, has brown eyes, short graying hair and a beard. He was wearing a blue shirt and gray pants, and was using white trekking poles and carrying a navy blue day pack.
Conflicting social media posts last week gave Judd’s age as 72.
Scott Gediman, a park spokesman, said Monday that the search continues for Judd.
Lower Merced Pass Lake is at an elevation of about 8,800 feet. Red Peak Pass, about 3.5 miles by trail from the lake, is at an elevation of just over 11,000 feet.
Since Judd went missing, daytime high temperatures in Yosemite Valley have ranged from the upper 80s and low 90s to about 100 degrees, with nighttime lows have been in the mid-60s.
In social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter last week, park service investigators asked for the public’s help if they spotted Judd.
“Information from other visitors is often very helpful in missing person investigations,” rangers said in a July 26 Facebook post asking people to report if they’ve seen the missing man. “If you may have seen or talked to Richard Judd, or if you have information that could help, please contact us.”
People can report sightings of Judd by calling the park investigative service tip line or sending a text message to 888-653-0009, by email at nps_isb@nps.gov , or calling the emergency number 911.
This story was originally published August 2, 2021 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Search continues: Yosemite hiker remains missing more than a week after disappearing."
