Grant Gardner, the hiker from Minnesota who went missing after summitting Cloud Peak in the Bighorns, was found deceased Aug. 26 by a group of climbers.

According to a Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office release, during the late afternoon/ early evening hours, a professional climbing team from North Carolina summited Cloud Peak and descended on the northern route of the peak, prior to a summit attempt on Woolsey Peak the next day.

The climbers made a high altitude camp for the evening. While making camp the climbers noticed a slight reflection a few hundred feet above them underneath a ledge, according to the release. The climbers were confident it was a backpack. Due to the rapidly approaching darkness, further investigation was too dangerous.

The climbing team notified the sheriff’s office via satellite of their finding and graciously agreed to abort their plans and wait for search and rescue teams to arrive at daylight. During the night teams prepared for another mission. Spot weather forecasts revealed a very narrow window before an impending weather system moved in.

Teams launched on Aug. 27 from the Greybull Airport and West Ten Sleep Trailhead. First Flight of Wyoming graciously approved a final flight, and transported the teams to the North Carolina climber’s high altitude camp. The SAR team and climbers gained access to the area.

Gardner’s remains were located near the backpack. Gardner was wearing clothing that very closely matched the terrain he was climbing in. According to the release, a difficult/dangerous recovery was conducted and Gardner’s body is being brought home to his family.

His body was located in one of the two primary search areas, very closely matching one of the highest probability scenarios, Big Horn County Sheriff Ken Blackburn said in the release.

The case has been transferred to the Big Horn County Coroner’s Office to determine time, manner and cause of death. This transition is routine per State Statute guidelines.

“Nothing should be read into this transition,” Blackburn wrote. “We believe Gardner succumbed to a tragic accident as we all have surmised.”

He thanked the professional group of technical climbers “who were in exactly the right spot, at the right moment, with the right light, to notice a small piece of fabric on a pack that was otherwise undetectable, for selflessly aborting their plans and working with SAR Teams to find Gardner, providing closure to his family.”

He also thanked the SAR teams for not giving up, for many tips and support from the outdoor community and others that have led to the end of this mission.

“While it’s not the outcome we hoped for, we are hopeful this will provide much needed peace and closure to the family,” Blackburn said.