The very mysterious disappearance of Carl Landers from Mount Shasta
Carl Herbert Landers, disappeared May 22, 1999, near Lake Helen, Mount Shasta, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California. Body and belongings never found.
Updated June 2024
On May 21, 1999, 69-year-old Carl Herbert Landers from Orinda, California, set out to conquer the summit of Mount Shasta, located north of Sacramento. Accompanying him were two close friends, Milton “Milt” Gaines, 64, and Barry Gillmore, 60, both fellow members of the Orinda Road Runners, a local running club where they had met.
Despite his experience as an outdoorsman, Carl vanished during the hike. Extensive searches by professional mountain rescue teams, led by Grizz Adams—a veteran with over 20 years of experience—yielded no trace of Landers. Adams, along with the Shasta locals, remains baffled by the disappearance. Even after 25 years, not a single clue has surfaced.
Carl Landers’ mysterious vanishing echoes the disappearance of 80-year-old John Nezza on Mount Shasta on July 17, 1965. Nezza, a seasoned climber who had summited Mount Shasta over forty times, set out alone that day, leaving most of his gear at the Sierra Club cabin at Horse Camp. Expecting a routine climb, he carried only some wine, whiskey, and fried chicken. Last seen at Lake Helen, he vanished without a trace. Despite reports of buzzards circling the Red Banks area above Lake Helen, no remains or equipment were ever found.
The disappearance of Carl Landers remains one of America’s most perplexing and mysterious cases, leaving everyone questioning what could have happened to him on the unforgiving slopes of Mount Shasta.
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Photos relating to the Carl Landers disappearance
Avalanche Gulch Route via Lake Helen on Mt Shasta
Carl Landers with Orinda Road Runners
Carl Landers and Bobby Landers
Barry Gilmore and Carl Landers kneeling with purple jacket at Bunny Flat Trailhead
The cabin at Horse Camp
Carl Landers and Milt Gaines
Grizz Adams SAR head
Grizz Adams SAR head
Grizz Adams 2020
Area around 50:50 Mt Shasta
50/50 Plateau Mount Shasta
View from Lake Helen South Mount Shasta
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