An intensive search for a missing hiker came to a conclusion last Thursday with the discovery of his body in Dusy Basin. Henry Nguyen, 39, of Garden Grove, California, began a backcountry hiking strip on July 30th and was scheduled to have complete his hike on or about August 6th. He started out at the Birch Creek trailhead west of Big Pone on the east side of the Sierra Nevada and his itinerary included possible travel along the Sierra Crest south of Bishop Pass before returning to the Birch Creek trailhead. Nguyen was known to be a strong hiker with a history of long summer hikes, sometimes for weeks at a time. He also liked to climb “bag peaks” while hiking. The search for him involved ground searchers, man trackers, search dogs, and helicopters. A climbing team from Yosemite National Park was also brought in to search mountain summits that he might have climbed within the park. The search was coordinated by the park and by the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office. Nguyen evidently died in a fall from Isosceles Peak. An investigation is underway.
