PINEDALE, WY — Search and rescue crews are continuing to look for a missing hiker and his dog in Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains after the pair failed to meet family at a designated campsite. Jonathan Bailey and his yellow Labrador retriever, Wrigley, were last seen Friday afternoon and reported missing Saturday.
Sublette County Tip Top Search and Rescue has spent the past four days searching by foot and from the air, according to Shannon Gehlhausen, office manager for the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say Bailey may be somewhere between the Elkhart Park Trailhead and the 1,000 Island Lake area in the Bridger Wilderness.
Search crews comb the route between Elkhart Park and 1,000 Island Lake
Officials say the search area stretches from the Elkhart Park Trailhead, about 14 miles northeast of Pinedale, into the backcountry around 1,000 Island Lake. That corridor includes popular hiking and backpacking terrain in Sublette County and has kept rescue teams busy through a holiday weekend.
Gehlhausen said the search remains active even as Tip Top Search and Rescue handled six separate calls over the weekend. Those included evacuating four injured people and finding another lost hiker, showing how quickly demands can stack up in the wilderness during a busy travel period.
Rescuers have had only a few unconfirmed sightings of Bailey so far, but none have produced a solid lead. The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who hiked in the area over the weekend and saw Bailey or Wrigley to call 307-367-4378.
What authorities say about Bailey and his dog
Bailey lives in Idaho Falls, Idaho, but grew up in Evanston, Wyoming. Authorities describe him as being in his mid-50s, about 5-foot-10, with short light brown-to-gray hair and a neatly trimmed beard.
He was carrying a black backpack and sleeping bag and wearing a yellow Wyoming ball cap when he was last seen. Wrigley was wearing a red pack, officials said. While the dog appears yellow in photos, Bailey’s sister, Jennifer Baumgartner, said Wrigley is actually a red lab.
The family believes Wrigley may have gotten loose and moved away from Bailey, possibly leading him off trail. Baumgartner said the two are likely still together and would not normally leave each other’s side.
Family says the pair may still be on the intended backpacking route
Baumgartner wrote on the Tip Top Search and Rescue Facebook page that Bailey and Wrigley could be anywhere along the route from Elkhart Park Trailhead to 1,000 Island Lake. She also pointed to nearby spots including Pole Creek Lakes, east of the parking area, and Photographers Point.
She said any help would be appreciated as rescuers continue the search. That family plea comes as teams work through a broad stretch of terrain where hikers can move quickly off course and where signs of travel may be hard to spot.
The family’s concern is that Bailey may have followed the dog after Wrigley got loose, leaving both farther from the main trail than planned. At this point, authorities have not said that they found either of them or confirmed exactly where they went off route.
Veteran searchers say the wilderness can confuse even experienced hikers
Former Sublette County Sheriff Hank Ruland, who also spent about 25 years as a search and rescue volunteer, said the Elkhart Park area has produced many missions over the years. He said the hike to 1,000 Island Lake is roughly 6 miles and not especially rough compared with some other backcountry routes.
Still, Ruland stressed that the area is pure wilderness. Hikers and packers must rely on themselves, and even experienced outdoorsmen can lose their bearings when weather shifts or visibility drops.
Ruland said altitude sickness can also play a role because the trailhead starts at 9,340 feet. In his experience, many calls in the region involve overdue hikers, people who become separated from companions, or travelers who return to search for someone else.
Why rescuers say getting turned around is common in the Bridger Wilderness
Ruland said it does not take much for someone to get disoriented in that terrain. Storm clouds, fatigue, or simple overconfidence can make it harder to keep track of direction, especially once a hiker leaves a marked trail.
He said the first step is often to stop, settle down, and identify the compass points before moving again. In his words, taking a moment to think through the situation usually helps people regain their sense of direction.
The former sheriff also noted that the area is popular with backpackers and horse riders, which means search teams often work through a wide, heavily used wilderness where many routes look similar. That can complicate the effort when there is no clear sign of where someone left the trail.
How the public can help the ongoing search
Authorities say anyone who was hiking in the Elkhart Park and 1,000 Island Lake area over the weekend should check whether they saw Bailey, Wrigley, or any sign of their travel. Even details that seem small could help narrow the search.
Gehlhausen said the sheriff’s office is still treating the effort as active. Tip Top Search and Rescue coordinator Kenna Tanner was unavailable because she was responding to another call, and Sheriff KC Lehr was out with the search team.
The effort underscores how quickly a backcountry outing can turn into a large-scale search in western Wyoming. For now, officials are asking the public to stay alert for the missing hiker and his dog and to share any credible information with investigators.
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