The body of Robert “Bob” Woodie, a Manhattan Beach resident who went missing while hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains last year, was found earlier this month by hikers. Last October, Woodie had gone into the mountains alone near Bishop, California. His family had expected him to return by Oct. 16 or 17. When he had not returned by Oct. 18, the National Park Service launched a massive search-and-rescue operation in the Eastern Sierra backcountry.
As many as 120 rescuers, five helicopters, and six dogs combed the area, according to the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department. (Woodie’s sons, South Bay residents Robert and Tim, also went into the wilderness looking for their father.) The intense search lasted for about a week before high winds and below-freezing temperatures forced officials to scale back.
On July 6, a group of people hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail notified the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office that they had discovered a body approximately 300 feet off the Bishop Pass trail. The next morning, sheriff’s deputies and a helicopter provided by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks recovered the body and transported it to the Inyo County Coroner, where officials confirmed it was Woodie.
Woodie is survived by his wife Joanne, his sons Robert and Tim, and five grandchildren. He had lived in Manhattan Beach for more than 50 years, raising a family and working as a supermarket butcher and later running his own handyman business.
He was an experienced hiker, who often took his children on backpacking trips and instilled in them a love of nature from early on. His familiarity with the backcountry meant that his family did not worry about him venturing out on his own, including on his final trip.
Woodie’s intended route was thought to be from South Lake, near Bishop, Calif., and into Sequoia and Kings Canyon through Bishop Pass. The hike is renowned for its many lakes and scenic beauty, but reaches above 12,000 feet in elevation, and is subject to rapid and extreme weather changes. Authorities said a severe storm descended on the area during Woodie’s travel, also with high winds and freezing conditions.
According to a letter from his son Robert, search and rescue workers believe that Woodie may have sought shelter behind boulders against strong winds, and was unable to maintain his body temperature. His body was covered with snow that, amidst record precipitation this winter, did not melt until recently.
