UPDATE: Missing Desolation Wilderness Hiker Found Dead in Lake Aloha

Update – June 30: A sad ending to the story of the 32-year-old missing hiker in the Desolation Wilderness was reported Wednesday, with the body of Jia Huang being found in Lake Aloha. His sister, Lai Wong, confirmed the news on Facebook:

“Hi Everyone, I just got a call from the Sherriff. They found his dead body in the lake. Thank you for all your help. I appreciated it.”

RIP Jia.

Original story:

A hiker went missing while backpacking through the Desolation Wilderness this week, with the only clue to his whereabouts being a tent found upside down.

Jia Huang started his backpacking trip by himself from Mt Tallac on Tahoe Rim Trail last Wednesday, June 22, camping the first night at Cathedral Lake. On Monday, a hiker found his tent sitting upside down, his food canister and backpack on the north side of Lake Aloha and reported it to authorities. After surveying the scene, they found Huang’s wallet and determined him to be the owner of the gear.

Now, a rescue team in searching for Huang in the Desolation Wilderness, a 63,960-acre federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest.

Anyone with information on Huang’s whereabouts should contact the Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.