Age: 69
Last Known Place: Black Mountain Road outside of Idyllwild, CA.
Circumstances: Found
Robert, originally from Michigan, spent his life in the operating room as a nurse for Cardiologists. His love for hiking led him to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) three times, the Arizona Trail, and more. His trail name was Ambassador, and hikers loved his outgoing character and often stopped to get a picture with him.
On April 15th, 2024, Robert arranged a ride with a Trail Angel in Idyllwild, California, a popular mountain town along the PCT. He was dropped off in the morning at Black Mountain Road, an alternative to the PCT, avoiding heavy snow along the dangerous Fuller Section in the San Jacinto mountain.
On September 11, 2024, two hikers low on water decided to shortcut off San Jacinto Mountain when they came across Robert’s backpack and remains nearby.
We may never know why Robert was in that ravine, but after researching this area, we came upon some notes left on the popular Farout app. They were concerned about a false trail near mm 202, where the infamous beehive sits, and said to stay to the left. This area may have confused Robert, as he was sadly found in the nearby ravine near the bottom of San Jacinto Mountain. Other hikers reached out, saying to watch the beehive area, as there was brush on the trail that had a hiker going off-trail to get around it. This may have created that false trail.
Robert will be dearly missed by his two grandchildren, who meant everything to him, his family, friends, and the hiker community.
We want to thank the PCT hikers who contacted us during our search efforts, his hiking buddies who drove many hours to join our search, volunteers, Idyllwild trail angels, Eternity Helicopters, and Riverside County Detective DiYorio.
We at the Fowler-O’Sullivan Foundation send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and PCT family. You will be missed, Ambassador!