He’s Alive! Missing 63-Year-Old Hiker Reappears Not Far From Bigfoot Trail Where He Began
Two weeks ago yesterday, Ashley Ura and a family member arrived in the Hayfork area to resupply her father, 63-year-old David Ura, who was hiking the new Bigfoot Trail with Ashley’s dog Kingsley. He never arrived.
Since then Ashley and her family have been trying to locate him. They’ve reached out via social media and news media to make sure that fellow hikers knew to look for him. A helicopter flew the area. And they worked with friends of David to coordinate searches.
Today, David Ura was found alive in Mendocino National Forest in Tehama County. [County]. Miles from his intended hiking area. We’ll update when we learn more.
Ashley posted on her Facebook page, “EVERYONE!!! MY FAMILY AND I FOUND MY DAD AND DOG!!! With everyone’s hope and prayers! We were able to find my dad!! Thank you so much to everyone that participated in spreading the word, donated, helped with the search to look for my dad!”
Earlier Chapter: Family Asks Public’s Help After 63-Year-Old Hiker Disappears on New Bigfoot Trail
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That’s great news!
Omg that is amazing news!!!! So happy to hear a positive out come!! Thank you for updating us Kym!!
About to more details where was he found what took him so long
Great news, was looking this morning for any updates, bet he has a good story too.
Reputed to be great parties involving Seniors, who have MUCH more fun than everyone else, in that part of Mendocino County!
Hey, glad you made it out alive, many returns!
The town of Mendocino or somewhere in Mendocino county?
Mendocino national forest.
In Tehema County
SO Happy to hear some positive results, from a case such as this for a change!!! Congats on finding your Dad & your pup alive & well!!!
I’m glad David is OK and especially glad Kingsley-the-dog was fine.
I like humans well enough but have always had a soft spot for dogs!
Hope Kingsley finds something a little extra special in his dog bowl tonight.
It says on the trail’s website that the trail is a concept rather than a trail and is a series of existing trails and roads. One possibly might have walked by Hayfork ending up in Mendocino. I am glad that Mr. Ura and his canine companion Kingsley have been found and are safe. What an adventure!
I was in the yolla bolly wilderness 2 weeks ago on a section of the trail he would of crossed. I will tell you with out my gps tracker I wouldn’t have found my way. Less than 10% of the trails are decent enough to follow without gps. The rest are over grown and washed out. Most likely he didn’t make it a 1/2 way through the wilderness and turned around. Once you get to north yolla bolly the “trail” becomes combination of forest service roads and is fairly easy to follow. I hope he gets a good gps and gives it another attempt.
Walked passed hayfork to Mendo? He was going from mendo to hayfork.
Ha! I guess I need GPS for reading comprehension.
You can’t get from anywhere near Hayfork to Mendocino without crossing 36. Why wouldn’t the lost hiker ask a passerby “where in the fuck am I?”
He started in the Yolly Billy Wilderness area in Mendocino National Forest way down near Covelo. I don’t think he even got close to Hwy 36. He probably got lost in the umarked trail portions or the fire scars from the last 5 years…
Thank you. Now that I’ve looked at the map I can see he was coming north towards 36 through some wild country
Great news!
Not positive, but I think he was located in Mendocino National Forest in Tehama County, not in County or town of Mendocino.
Many happy hearts here in Hayfork that this family is reunited!
I was told he was found in Mendocino County. However, I will try and check this. I have the bad habit of assuming that when I say Mendocino unless I specify the town of Mendocino, I mean the county. I’ve gone in and clarified.
UPDATE: He was found in Mendocino National Forest in Tehama County not far relatively from where he began.
Any chance of interviewing the guy? This would be a great series!
It’s the same for me and I live here. Lol
Good to know I’m not the only one.
For the last 45 years I have always said Mendocino, meaning the town. Mendocino County or ‘Mendo’ when referring to the county. Clear to me!…
Please take down the link to our map set.
Allison already approached me with an explanation. I’ve switched to the suggested link instead.
Yeah, “Mendocino” means the county to me, too. Doesn’t the “Village of Mendocino” want to be called by that… pretentious-sounding “Village of Mendocino “ name, anyway? That was my impression.
It is the second coming. Hallelujah!
Yay!! Best news all day.
I bet he & Kingsley are very hungry.
I don’t know him but I am so very glad he was found
Great news! Missing for 2 weeks and didn’t get his supplies?? They must have been very hungry when they were found. After reading these comments I am reminded how risky it can be to take off on what are supposed to trails. I wonder who could have advised him of the condition of the trail?
Much joy for all! Happy, Happy, Happy outcome!!!
That’s wonderful and we would love to know the story, as a cautionary tale at least!
I was out backpacking in the Yolla Bolly’s a couple weeks ago… the trails are non exisistant at a certain point, lots of that area burned several years ago and now is covered in thick thorny brush, snags, etc. I was with an experienced guide from the area and we still lost the trail for a whole day. It’s really sad that the trails are not being maintained in this beautiful area. I am so glad this hiker was found safe and sound!!! Bet he was ready for a good meal 🙂
Glad to hear he is ok!!
What scary adventure he had … gonna be a good story.
Oh what wonderful news!!! We prayed hard, and kept hoping for the best, but there are so many things that could have gone wrong. Being that he is from Oregon, we wondered if he was even aware of the danger of running into a guerilla grow and becoming a victim of the cartel, aside from all the natural disasters and misadventures that are part of such a journey. So very
thankful for the happy outcome, and eager to hear his story. Thank you, Kym, for keeping us all up to date.
Amazing.
I personally think that this man will be a little more cautious and even more prepared on his next outing in the wilderness, and back in the day, it was almost a sin for having a rescue team come out and search for you, making one know where they were at all times.
Interview needed. How frickn cool!
So great to hear good news! I’m sure there was a wonderful reunion with all. Thanks for the update Kym!
Glad they found him! Interesting that he prepared for a year, and still got so turned around. Also interesting that his daughter just drove out there and there he was along the road…It isn’t very traveled up there however and the trails are very faint. Also, Out family was recently on that trailhead and had cell reception up there on the mountain… they reported he had his cell phone and that he hadn’t turned it on…I texted in and out when we were there. The final interesting comment on the report was that he had ran out of food 3 days ago and water a day ago. Backpackers don’t carry their water🤔they carry a filter, and a back-up if going that far off civilization’s path…we also caught and ate fresh trout up there so a lightweight fishing pole might have fed him and his dog for many more days…just my observations… so happy the family had a good outcome!!
>” I was with an experienced guide from the area and we still lost the trail for a whole day. It’s really sad that the trails are not being maintained in this beautiful area. ”
National Forests don’t have any ‘Rangers’ left. (Rangers worked and took care of the forests/trails etc).
Now everything NF is ‘Law Enforcement’ and ‘Fires’.
(Sighs)
Losing the trail is bad enough, but not knowing were you really are is far worse. Judging that you and your guide only lost the trail for one day, shows to me that one or both of you had enough experience and information to approximate your true current location.
I used to belong to a group that went to clear and repair the trails each year that the various government entities could not. Work parties followed by party parties. I haven’t heard much about such remote activities in a few years.
Could really be beneficial. I saw the CCC doing some work years ago but nothing since the fires
Shasta Trinity and Mendocino NF’s both still have small trail crews, but the Calif Conservation Corps crews do more trail maintenance than anyone else due to budget cuts at the USFS. Even then they can barely make a dent in the huge backlog of trails out there..Remember when you vote to ” reduce the government ” the first people to go are trail crews, road maintenence crews, wildlife biologists, recreation techs, fisheries biologists, and Firefighters, not Bureau heads in DC..
Maybe but that is a clue as to the priorities of government. It’s not like we are actually ever taxed less when that happens but that politicians have their priorities and it does not include much for rural peoples anyway. Never have so many been taxed so much to benefit so few.
Yes!! Best news ever! Am glad human and dog are alive and OK🐕😋
I second that.
Beats poison oak leaves!
Good news indeed. I have been “lost’ (lost the trail anyway) a couple of times in my life but was lucky enough to pick it up again by heading in the direction I thought it would eventually reach. A panicky moment until a plan forms. Having a good dog with me was also a big help at least once- she reversed tracked like a trooper.
It is refreshing to hear about what come out right in the end.