Calif. hiker missing for days after planned Duck Lakes backcountry trip

A hiker who planned to spend several days in the Russian Wilderness in Siskiyou County has been reported missing after failing to return from his trip.

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James “Roger” Carol was last seen July 13 after telling others he intended to hike through the Duck Lakes area, including Big Duck Lake and Little Duck Lake, and High Lake, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said in a Wednesday news release.

Carol was expected to return from the wilderness on July 18. Investigators believe he departed Duck Lakes for High Lake on July 14, and “no one has seen or heard from him” since, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies located Carol’s vehicle at the Duck Lake Trailhead and have launched an active search-and-rescue operation in the area.

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Anyone with information about Carol’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center at 530-841-2900.

SFGATE contacted the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office for additional information but did not receive a response before publication.