Wayne Falconer Wikel -- Missing Since 1992 From Oregon

Paraphrased details from government source**

Wayne Wikel was on a camping trip. He failed to return from it. He was in the Eagle Creek area off of trail #401. He was an experienced hiker/outdoorsman/fisherman. His vehicle was found at the Eagle Creek trailhead.


Missing Person: Wayne Falconer Wikel
Last-contact date: June 14th, 1992
The area where the MP was last seen: Near Hood River, Oregon
Link to government source: NamUs MP 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 48 years old
Birthdate: Wayne Falconer Wikel was born between June 15th, 1943, and June 14th, 1944 based on his reported age at the last date of reported contact.
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Scar:
Height/weight: 6'0" and 155 pounds
BMI*: Wayne Falconer Wikel was in the normal range for BMI.
No photo found: If a photo can't be found, rely on BMI, height, weight, ethnicity, and other physical features to describe or picture the person. 
Tattoos: Wayne Falconer Wikel did not have any tattoos associated with his profiles.

Wayne Falconer Wikel has not been seen since June 14th, 1992 when he was 48 years old. This individual went on a hiking/camping trip and never returned. His vehicle, which was a Toyota truck with Oregon plates, was found parked at the trailhead for the Eagle Creek Trail. 

I found minimal news coverage for this missing person. However, he was expected to be on a three-day outing. Also, he was taking a 28-mile hike when he went missing. This individual has now been missing for about 29 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

In the absence of much media coverage, I decided to focus this article on the trail that he went missing on. AllTrails.com described the trail as moderate, however, I think the length and dangers with this trail would make it more than just that. 

The AllTrails website had over 800 photos of the trail at the time of writing. Some of them depicted a ravine-side or seemingly cliff-side location with dirt for foot gripping (ie. mud in the rain).

Furthermore, there were points in the videos I watched that showed waterfalls falling directly onto the trail. Some potential falling points for Wayne looked like they might take you directly into the river or creek. If you watch the following video from Youtube, you will see how dangerous the trail looks. 

I found another case of a missing person on this trail. An individual named Jason Neville was missing on the trail in May 1999. I don't know if he was found or not but it still speaks to the dangers of the area. 

Furthermore, I found an indication that the trail is affected by landslides. That would make it hazardous, even for an experienced hiker because rock fall and landslides are very random. 

01 Apr 1999, Thu Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon) Newspapers.com

But the trail looked risky enough that any kind of surprise might cause someone to lose his or her footwork. If this happened at a moment where it was critical to maintain balance, then anything could happen. According to Wayne's NamUs profile he had an "old knee injury" and limped sometimes. Basically, we're looking at a case of someone presumptively hiking alone, that was taking a three-day trip over 28 miles of dangerous trail way, that limped, and that was 48 years old. If the excursion aggravated his injury, his balance could have suffered. There are many points on that trail where a fall could be fatal.

We have no photo of this missing person. When a missing person doesn't have a photo, researchers can try to find a photo at Ancestry.com or at Newspapers.com.

Wayne Falconer Wikel may have had the following articles when he disappeared: a green Kelty frame backpack, a hammock with a camoflauge cover, a fishing pole, and Hybrid nylon/leather hiking boots.

Clothing and articles/items that a missing person was last associated with can be important. If, for example, a John Doe is found, knowing what the missing person had in his possession might expedite a match. Furthermore, it's important to note that his knee injury might be a clue to his identity in his skeletal remains.

Thank you for reading. If have any information about this case, consider contacting the authorities.

Popular Tag: "Car Found Person Missing" is a popular tag for this site. It describes a missing person who either owned or was using a vehicle at the time of his/her disappearance. The vehicle is found but the person is not. Click the hashtag at the bottom of this blog post to see just how many times this pattern is present in missing person cases.
 
Author: Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths)
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.
Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of March 2021.
If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group
Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: To determine whether a person is missing or not, this site relies heavily on government sources. If you are described as missing when you are not, I recommend simply having your missing person report updated or removed. When that happens, updates at this site can follow.

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