Grant Gardner, a 38-year-old father of two from Minnesota, disappeared during a solo hike in Wyoming’s Cloud Peak Wilderness on July 29. Weeks later, his wife Lauren received confirmation of his passing, along with a final message she never got to answer.
The heartbreaking update was shared by the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office after a professional climbing team from North Carolina discovered Gardner’s body beneath a ledge near the 13,000-foot summit, bringing a devastating close to a search that had gripped an entire community.
Now, officials have confirmed the contents of that final message: It wasn’t a call for help. It was a confirmation.
Authorities have revealed the final message Grant Gardner, a 38-year-old father who lost his life while hiking, sent to his wife before tragedy struck
Image credits: Big Horn County Wyoming Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
Gardner was far from a rookie, in fact, he’d done the trek before. The Misty Moon Lake loop and Cloud Peak summit were familiar ground for him. He was an experienced solo hiker who knew how to plan, and handle the terrain.
Because of that, when he failed to return home, Lauren raised the alarm.
Image credits: KARE 11
His car was soon located at the West Ten Sleep trailhead, tucked away in the gravel lot where hikers often begin their ascent. The doors were locked and nothing looked out of place.
Inside the vehicle sat everything Grant didn’t take with him, which was taken as confirmation that he had indeed set off into the wilderness alone.
Image credits: Big Horn County Wyoming Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
On August 1, the official search began. It quickly escalated into a multi-agency operation involving search-and-rescue crews, K9 units, helicopters, drones, and volunteers, all combing the rugged terrain of the Cloud Peak Wilderness.
But as the days stretched into weeks, so did the silence. No signal. No trace. No sign of where Grant might have gone after reaching the summit.
For Lauren and the couple’s two children, the wait became a waking nightmare.
Grant was wearing clothing that blended into the terrain, making him especially difficult to spot
Image credits: Grant Gardner/Facebook
The rescue efforts were suspended on August 21 due to lack of leads. It wasn’t until August 26 that a glimmer of hope appeared, just not the kind anyone had wished for.
That morning, a climbing team making their descent spotted a flicker of light under a ledge, something they believed to be a backpack.
Image credits: Lauren Gardner/Facebook
“They noticed a slight reflection a few hundred feet above them,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “They were in exactly the right spot, at the right moment, with the right light.”
Rescue teams arrived at daylight. What they found confirmed what Lauren had feared.
Image credits: Brittany Berven/KARE 11
“Grant Gardner’s remains were located near the backpack.” the Sheriff’s Office wrote, noting the climber was wearing clothing that matched the terrain, making the search even harder.
“A difficult and dangerous recovery was conducted, and Grant Gardner is being brought home to his family.”
The Gardner family has found some solace in knowing that Grant passed away doing something he loved
Image credits: KARE 11
As part of the investigation, authorities reviewed Grant’s phone records, finding his final message to Lauren.
“He told her he had made it to the summit,” the Sheriff’s Office explained. “That the climb was more taxing than he expected, and he was tired.”
Image credits: GoFundMe
The text provided little solace to the family, but at least confirmed that Grant tried to communicate with his wife before tragedy struck.
For Lauren, the last three weeks had been filled with unbearable uncertainty. The couple shared two children, ages 13 and 11. While the world kept moving, her family stayed frozen in hope and dread.
“It’s all definitely surreal,” she told local media. “I’m in shock, I think, and trying to stay strong for the kids.”
Image credits: Big Horn County Wyoming Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
While she didn’t get the ending she prayed for, she at least got some amount of closure, and is now finding solace in the fact that her husband lost his life doing something he loved.
Image credits: Big Horn County Wyoming Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
“We are trying to find peace knowing that aside from being with his family, his favorite place to be was in nature,” Lauren wrote in a public tribute.
“I want to again thank every person who helped look for him. I know how emotionally and physically draining the last 3 weeks have been for everyone. I’m eternally indebted to the kindness of strangers. I know we all wish this ended differently.”
In the meantime, a fundraiser campaign was created to support Grant’s family. At the time of writing, the campaign has raised $68,174 out of a $100,000 goal.
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