Missing California Hiker Found Dead at Base of Waterfall

SFGate ^ | March 22, 2024 | Andrew Chamings

[nickcarraway]

Missing hiker Caroline Meister, 30, has been found dead, authorities confirmed Friday afternoon. Meister’s body was found by a search and rescue crew at the bottom of a waterfall in a steep ravine on Friday morning at about 10:45 a.m. Foul play is not suspected. The coroner has yet to confirm the cause of death, but the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said her injuries were consistent with a fall from height.

Meister had been missing after embarking on a hike from the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center since Monday, March 18. Meister had lived and worked at the Zen center on a remote road in Carmel Valley for about 18 months, authorities said.

“We are all deeply saddened and in shock. The sanghas at Tassajara, Green Gulch Farm, and City Center are gathering to support each other in the wake of this distressing news,” the San Francisco Zen Center said in an emailed statement.

[nickcarraway]

This is sad. Her parents flew out from Chicago to help find her.

It's a beautiful area.

[Jonty30]

It’s easy to get lost if you leave the trail, even just by a few feet. It happened to me when I went to Jasper.

I was on a trail and was heading home. I saw the trail below me and thought I could just go through the bush down to it. So I did. I ended up losing sight of both trails. My phone was nearly out of power but it gave me my bearings well enough that I was able to find a trail to get on and get back to my car.

So, I learned to always carry a couple of small power packs onhand if I am not just at home or at work to keep my phone charged.

[nickcarraway]

Ping

[Zhang Fei]

It’s easy to get lost if you leave the trail, even just by a [few feet. It happened to me when I went to Jasper.

I was on a trail and was heading home. I saw the trail below me and thought I could just go through the bush down to it. So I did. I ended up losing sight of both trails. My phone was nearly out of power but it gave me my bearings well enough that I was able to find a trail to get on and get back to my car.

So, I learned to always carry a couple of small power packs onhand if I am not just at home or at work to keep my phone charged.]

---

No compass?

[j.havenfarm]

No disrespect to the deceased, but the downside is the area is infested with hippies

[Jonty30]

I’ve never felt the need for a compass, because I’ve always stuck with trails. I just made a mistake one day of trusting my eyesight and sense of direction.

[jonrick46]

This should warn people not to go out on treacherous ventures alone. Always have someone with you and a way to communicate if there is an accident.

[Political Junkie Too]

This is what gets to me about cell phones.

They have so many apps on them that people forget the main purpose of one. Most people drain them while streaming music that when they need to make a call the phone is nearly out of power.

Sometimes I yearn for the days of a Walkman so I can keep my music and my phone separate.

-PJ

[nickcarraway]

I haven't been on that exact trails, but other trails in Ventana Wilderness it's is almost impossible to go off trail, because it's steep/impassible on both sides.

I think she was trying to get a view of the waterfall and fell.

[Jonty30]

I miss the simpler days as well. There are advantages to having everything on a cell phone, but disadvantages as well such as the time I tried to walk off trail in Jasper (haha).

[nickcarraway]

I’m a little bit North of there, and we can barely ever go off trail. There is one area of Nisene Marks I remember the trail was confusing and you could go off trail.

[nickcarraway]

I don’t think the problem was battery, it was no cell coverage.

[nickcarraway]

I still have an MP3 player if I want to listen to something on a hike. Battery life is one thing, and no streaming is another.

[nickcarraway]

Not as many hippies as you think. They are usually confined to their areas.

I was hiking on the West side of Ventana Wilderness a few years ago and my friends and I passed three Mexican gentleman in army green, and with bolt action rifles.

I guess they were going to an illegal grow. I am not sure you are allowed fire arms there, but you definitely can't use brass ammo, because it harms the condors.

[x]

As the 1990s song had it, “Don’t go chasing waterfalls.”

R.I.P.

[Political Junkie Too]

I was responding to Jonty saying he was almost out of power but was still able to get a bearing.

I have a pretty good GPS app on my phone, which would be more useful in that situation than cell reception (until I fall and break a leg).

-PJ

[nickcarraway]

I talked to a friend who says he doesn't hike anymore, because it's too dangerous to be out of cell range.

Maybe I am crazy, but I'd be so depressed if I couldn't hike anymore.

[Political Junkie Too]

I've never been much of a hiker, despite living in a great hiking area.

Most of my experience was from playing the Outdoor Survival board game. 🤓

I died all the time.

-PJ

[Beowulf9]

Good tie in. She probably leaned over for a better photo or something.

[libh8er]

Don’t know if it was the case with her but a lot of the deaths at nature areas lately have been due to instagram selfies. Just at the Grand Canyon alone about 12 drop to their deaths every year.