Harold Loris Drake, 76, vanished from Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on July 8, 2015, while camping with a friend. A retired high school math teacher from San Carlos, he was described as an experienced, physically fit hiker with a lifelong passion for photography and long-distance trails such as the Pacific Crest and Appalachian Trails. That morning he told his friend he would do a solo hike and expected to return that afternoon, carrying a gallon of water and a small backpack with snacks.

Drake was last seen leaving the campsite, possibly heading toward the Pine Ridge Trail or Mount Manuel Trail. His friend reported him missing at about 10 p.m. An extensive search by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department, state park rangers, multi-county search-and-rescue teams and aircraft covered 100 miles of trails and the Big Sur River gorge but turned up no trace; the search was called off after seven days. In the absence of any clues he is presumed to have died in a wilderness mishap. Anyone who knew Drake or saw him in Big Sur on July 8, 2015, is asked to come forward.