Taking a ride on the Palm Springs Tramway this time of year can be fantastic. You get to play all day in the snow and then, in just minutes, you are back on the desert floor – well, provided you don’t miss the last ride down the mountain.
Evan Gawlick, 28, was reported lost at 11:10 p.m. Saturday night when a friend told officials that he did not return from a hike that was to begin and end at the mountain tram station, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Carroll.
“After several hours of searching, Mr. Gawlick was found traversing down the mountain near the Snow Creek Community,” Carroll told City News Service (via Palm Desert Patch). “It was learned Mr. Gawlick hiked to the summit of Mount San Jacinto. Upon his descent back down to the tramway, Mr. Gawlick missed the cutoff trail and continued hiking down.”
Gawlick told authorities that he was able to find shelter “under a rock” and that he built a fire to stay warm (maybe he learned some survival stuff watching The Revenant?). He then continued hiking down the trail after sunrise.
After several hours of searching, rescue crews found Gawlick near the Snow Creek Community. He suffered only minor injuries.
