HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS, Utah — A hike through the rocky, pine-rich Uinta Mountains of northeast Utah offers an encounter with nature in full.
The forest's beauty is unforgettable. Even addictive. It's doubtful anyone who has passed even an hour or two at, say, the edge of one of the Uinta's many small lakes and enjoyed its summer cool, has left the area satiated.
There are, perhaps, no "last trips" to the Uintas.
Still, there are ubiquitous, constant reminders of the Uinta Mountains' potential perils. Ankles are prone to roll or twist on stony hiking paths. August mosquitos are ravenous. Summer temperatures can climb to sunburn highs then dip to frigid lows within hours. Meanwhile, parts of the forest is thick and verdant, limiting sight lines in many spots. It's been called "some of the most inhospitable country in the lower 48 states."
A reporter who recently visited the area often heard nearby voices during a solo hike. He looked around — behind and to the front — and found no one. Even seasoned visitors speak of how easy it is to venture just a step or two from designated trails and become lost and disoriented.
For thousands, family retreats to the Uinta Mountains may forever be tinged with a bit of sadness. As they cast fishing lines into Crystal Lake or pose for digital photos at summit peaks their thoughts will drift to an apple-cheeked 12-year-old who started off alone for his ward's campsite near Cuberant Lake and was never seen again.
On Aug. 20, 2004, Garrett Bardsley was fishing with his father, Kevin Bardsley, and fellow young men from the Salem 8th Ward, Salem Utah Stake. Garrett got wet and headed back in the direction of their camp, about 150 yards away, to change shoes. A search began a short time later when Brother Bardsley realized his son was missing.
That initial search evolved into a massive rescue effort involving wilderness professionals, law enforcement officials, ward members and hundreds of rank-and-file folks who had never met the Bardsleys and knew the missing blond boy only from his widely-publicized photo.
The formal search for Garrett lasted for more than a week, eventually shifting from a rescue to a recovery effort. The boy remains missing. With the one-year anniversary of Garrett's disappearance approaching, relatives, friends and strangers again gathered in the Uinta Mountains to resume their search.
Beginning Aug. 4, hundreds of volunteers spent three days combing the massive region in hopes of finding answers to the many questions surrounding Garrett's fate. Again, family and friends left the Uintas buoyed by the love and support of many, but no Garrett. Again, a measure of comfort could be found in an effort, albeit unsuccessful, fueled by love.
"We appreciate all the wonderful people who have volunteered their time and resources to help us search for Garrett," the Bardsley family said in a statement posted on the recovery effort web site www.findgarrett.org. "We will ever be in your debt and pray that our Heavenly Father will bless you eternally for your faith, prayers and generosity."
The family was grateful for the many who dedicated a long weekend to the search. Some came on horseback. Others came heavy with provisions. Many camped with fellow searchers deep inside the forest's interior, executing precise surveys of regions gridded on GPS maps.
Volunteers attached to the Red Cross and The Salvation Army provided sandwiches, sports drinks and lots of water at various command centers.
"The (Bardsleys) are doing good," said family friend Steve Wilson, who helped coordinate the recent search, as he had in the 2004 effort. "Any time you can get this number of people involved — they're very appreciative."
Many who offered their time say their involvement stretched beyond a search for a single boy.
"We're part of a community, we wanted to help," said Brittney Gleaves, a senior at Utah's Spanish Fork High School who skipped a day of practice along with her fellow cheerleaders to join the search.
Time will tell if Garrett's body will be found. Memories of the quiet deacon who loved the gospel, his family and having fun will never fade.
For starters, the familiarity and expertise acquired by Kevin and Heidi Bardsley and others during the initial search for Garrett offered tactical experience that has already proven invaluable. When 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins was lost during an LDS Scout outing in the Uinta Mountains in June, Brother Bardsley and his associates donated their time and expertise. Brennan was located days later in good health. (See June 25, 2005, Church News.)
The expansive area where searchers returned Aug. 4 to look for Garrett has doubled as a classroom on how to efficiently organize a timely search, work with law enforcement, utilize large numbers of volunteers and communicate with media agencies. A database of search-trained volunteers has also been established via the Bardsleys' web site. Now would-be searchers can be contacted almost immediately after someone is lost in Utah-area wildernesses.
"That's the long-term goal — to have a system in place for the next victim," Brother Wilson said.
Garrett's name has also been memorialized far from the Uinta Mountains. Using money donated to the Garrett Bardsley Memorial Fund, the Bardsley family and dozens of others traveled to Ecuador last winter to build an elementary school in an impoverished area of Ecuador. The school bears Garrett's name.
"I would be lying if I told you it was easy to be (in Ecuador) without Garrett because it wasn't," said Brother Bardsley a short time after the school was built. "But I've learned that out of dark clouds, rainbows are created. Losing Garrett was the dark cloud. This is the rainbow."
No additional searches for Garrett are being planned. Folks who visit the rugged Uintas are being asked to continue to keep their eyes open for anything that might bring closure to a dark chapter from many lives. The story of Garrett's legacy — and the spirit that prompted so many to action — won't end any time soon.
E-mail to: jswensen@desnews.com
