Auburn hiker found after going missing in national forest

Search and rescue teams found an Auburn hiker alert and unhurt Monday after the 45-year-old man went missing Saturday, according to authorities.

Search and rescue teams found an Auburn hiker alert and unhurt Monday after the 45-year-old man went missing Saturday, according to authorities.

The Lewis County sheriff’s office said the man didn’t return as scheduled from an overnight backpacking trip in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest near the southwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park.

The man reportedly set out south of the national park on Saturday and was supposed to return Sunday. He was described as well-equipped and experienced.

Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said Monday afternoon the man was transported out the area by snowmobile.

His truck was found on Forest Service Road 85.

Rescuers from Lewis and Pierce counties are involved in the search.