Significant resources deployed in Wyoming hunt for hiker who disappeared in ‘unforgiving’ Bighorn Mountains

Significant resources have been deployed amid the search effort for Grant Gardner, according to an Aug. 11 post on the Big Horn County Wyoming Sheriff’s Office Facebook page about the Minnesota man who went missing while hiking in Wyoming and has not been heard from in more than two weeks.

“Since our last update considerable resources and man power have been deployed in the search for Grant Gardner,” Sheriff Ken Blackburn noted in the post, noting that the effort “has been very active.”

“To illustrate what is being done to search, the following is a partial list of assets and personnel who are currently, or have been working directly on this search,” the post notes, before going on to list various resources, such as “Drones with cameras, capable of identifying colors and minute disturbances,” “Drones, helicopters, and planes with FLIR capabilities,” “Multiple dog tracking teams,” “Horse and foot teams,” “Wyoming National Guard,” “Private pilots,” and more.

The search for Grant Gardner has included the use of helicopters. (Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office)

Gardner and his wife Lauren have two children, according to Cowboy State Daily. 

“He solo hikes, and he’s been hiking for over a decade,” she told the outlet. “He’s used to this stuff, and he’s very detail-oriented.”

A GoFundMe fundraiser to benefit the family has raised more than $34,000 so far.