"Rescuers in the rugged Eastern Sierra are searching for a Seattle man who has been missing since early September - and possibly longer - after climbing among some of California's most remote and daunting mountain peaks. Billy Pierson, an experienced alpinist, was in California getting in shape for an upcoming trip to Nepal, according to a comment his brother, Steve Pierson, left on Facebook. On Aug. 9, the alpinist was hiking with a friend."
"It is believed Pierson was attempting the Palisades Traverse, a classic and technical mountaineering route along the Sierra crest that covers close to 20 miles and crosses the summits of five mountains taller than 14,000 feet. In addition to climbing the challenging peaks, mountaineers also often have to navigate the Palisades Glacier, one of the last true glaciers remaining in California."
Billy Pierson, an experienced alpinist from Seattle, has been missing in the Eastern Sierra since early September and possibly longer. He was in California training for a trip to Nepal and was last known to be hiking on Aug. 9 before separating from a friend and heading toward Inyo County. Pierson was later reported missing on September 10, 2025. He is believed to have been attempting the Palisades Traverse, a technical roughly 20-mile route that crosses five 14,000-foot summits and requires navigating the Palisades Glacier. Search teams scoured the Temple Crag area with no success. Pierson is 5'9", 165 lbs, wore black-and-yellow shoes, and carried a large navy blue or gray backpack.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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