My phone rattles me awake as it brightens the room, screaming for me to wake up. It is another call from Tracy,  who calls me whenever she has located an investigative job for me. I slowly slide my phone to my ear as I fight the disorientation of waking from my deep sleep and vaguely disturbing dream. “What Trace?” I ask. “Good morning Rex!” she replies with way more energy and enthusiasm than is needed for 04:30 in the morning. “I have a situation for you. It hits pretty close to home for me so lock in. My cousin’s friend Angie disappeared after she was hiking the rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon. My cousin said Angie left her hiking plan with him and was supposed to come back a day ago. He hasn’t heard from her and she is not answering her phone, which is unusual. He does not have a lot of money, but is offering a $7,500 reward.” “I'll get on it right away,” I respond. “Text me your cousin’s contact information.”

I take a cold shower to wake up, throw on my Wranglers and my jacket. After confirming with her cousin that he has not heard from Angie, he sends me her hiking plan. I drive over to her last known location. The drive is about three hours from Yucca Canyon where I parked my airstream, so I should make good time. Driving through the canyon vistas on my way there, I think about all the possibilities with the trail Angie was hiking. The trail is pretty well known and upkept, so it would be unusual for Angie to disappear. I considered an attack by wildlife, a fall, a medical event, or an abduction - I knew it really could be anything.

After the beautiful drive long the Colorado River, I pull into the ranger station nearby and talk to the Ranger who was handling Angie’s missing person report, Jesse. “Hey Jess,” I yelled to my old friend. I had known Jess since middle school, when even then he knew he wanted to be a forest ranger. “Hey back Rex! It’s been a long time. I haven’t seen you since your parents pulled you out of high school.” He replies, “I understand you are looking for that girl Ally?”  I am disappointed he can’t remember the name of the girl he should be looking for. I replied “Angie. Yeah, her cousin hired me to bring her home. I am a rewardist, so I help locate people.” He laughs at me before speaking again, and I don’t know why.  “Good for you bud. I had to call off the search for her. We are spread thin trying to deal with the budget cuts, and we have a rapidly growing fire that may be problem depending on the wind.”  Jesse sighs defeatedly.

I head out with my backpacking gear and provisions. I carefully check my canyoneering gear with ropes and carabiners and my camping gear, and take inventory of my dried food and water. I knew this had the potential to be a grueling hike. It was still early enough in the morning for me to start out. I could already feel the sun burning through my skin. As I continue to hike into the heat of the afternoon with no sign of Angie, I am conscious to keep hydrated and snacking. No one I talk to along the trail recalls seeing Angie. As I continue down the trail listening to the rushing of the Colorado River, the afternoon sun begins to lower and I need to consider setting up camp.

As I work to locate a flat campsite along the river bank, I am startled by a sudden distant scream that comes from off trail. I flashback to my uncle’s training and the way he would make me practice his survivalist lifestyle. After my parents died in an inexplicable rock climbing incident, my Uncle Ron took me in to raise me. Instead of enrolling me in the local high school, he homeschooled me in living off the grid. I now have turned this education into helping others find those that are lost. After all, everyone is looking for someone.

As I move along the rough terrain distancing myself from the trail, I reach an area Angie has clearly been to. I recognize a piece of her backpack from the selfie she posted immediately before starting her hike, now torn up and strewn across the ground along with several pieces of food. I follow a broken path of backpack pieces and food. The sun is hitting the cliff edge. In all my travels through each of the states, I have never seen the sun hit so beautifully. The golden rays are licking the rocks and starting to creep down the canyon walls, the splendor oblivious to a missing hiker. At this point, I am racing against the night.

I decide to press ahead and just as nightfall is forcing me to stop, I nearly trip over Angie. I immediately am concerned she has a spinal injury, and appears to have a broken arm and multiple broken ribs as well as deep cuts. She appears to be starting into shock. I move close to her, speaking calmly and reassuringly. “Angie, I am Rex. Your cousin hired me to find you and is going to be so happy I did. I am going to get you back to him safely. You need to listen to me and follow my instructions.”  I draw on my medical experience as a combat medic and my survival training from my Uncle to make a makeshift tourniquet for her arm. I find a flat rock to slightly elevate her head and branches to support her likely broken spine. I press bandages on her multiple wounds to stop the bleeding. I keep her engaged speaking to me, but I can see she is fading quickly. As soon as she is stable, I grab my satellite phone to call Jess. “Jess, I’m going to need air support for Angie, she has a broken spine and multiple broken bones and fractured ribs, as well as other injuries.” 

Suddenly, I hear a growl above me. I turn slowly and look up to see a mountain lion glaring down at me from a tree immediately over Angie and me. Angie has been mauled and this mountain lion is defending its prey. I quickly turn on the speaker on my phone and start to play loud rock music to scare the predator, making myself as big as possible and moving slowly and calmly while maintaining eye contact as I move to protect Angie. The mountain loan stayed motionless in the tree watching me as the minutes became almost an hour, when suddenly the sound of the medical helicopter startled us both. The mountain lion sprang over Angie and I stealthy moved away. 

After seeing Angie into the medical helicopter, I set up my camp site to spend the night in the beauty of the national park and under the brilliance of the stars. I never sleep better than when I am camping. Sleeping in a tent brings me complete peace and comfort, being fully in touch with nature. God’s creation resonates with me when I camp.

The morning breaks with a golden sunlight dancing off the water and the ravines and gorges of the Grand Canyon. I break camp to begin the hike back to Jess and I collect my reward with the satisfaction of  being able to help someone find who they were desperately looking for.