The Mystery explained...possibly.

Had the hiker activated his emergency beacon? Possibly. He seemed tired and was limping, but certainly didn't seem to be in need of immediate rescue. Still, some hikers these days have been known to hit the SOS button just because their tired. This guy didn't seem that type.

Why had the ranger asked about the Spot device first? That seems odd. The only explanation we could muster is that someone either reported it missing. But who would do that? The heavy-set man wouldn't report his device missing--because he would have it. If he didn't have it, he couldn't report it.

And how had the ranger known to ask about a heavy-set man? This is what finally provided a potential solution. Someone ELSE had reported the spot device, perhaps because it had (automatically) checked in twice without moving much? His primary contact noted that he had reported location twice in 24 hours from the same place. That might set off alarm bells with a loved one at home:

Hmm. His plan was to hike over Donahue pass yesterday, then continue south on the John Muir Trail. But his emergency beacon continues to say that he's still somewhere lower down in Lyell Canyon. I wonder if he dropped it. That would be a problem, and a reason for concern. I better call the rangers in Yosemite and ask them to check on him.

The ranger gets the call and heads up the trail, asking first about a spot device, then about a heavy-set hiker.

I hope that's what it was, and that the ranger found both the device and the man slowly limping down the trail, sadder, wiser, and now a bit embarrassed about all the hullabaloo.

We asked about it at the Wilderness Office later that day, and they had no idea, nor any record of an emergency or rescue, or even radio communication about this. We may never know for sure.

And if you liked this one, we have another one to follow.