Alan Douglas Visher Missing Since 1962 From a Hike in California's Kings Canyon National Park

Missing Person: Alan Douglas Visher

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased):

Alan Douglas Visher was last seen at approximately 2:00 PM on Wednesday, July 18th, 1962, at Dog Creek in Tehipite Valley, Kings Canyon National Park, California, after hiking with a Sierra Club group. He was part of a group of 50 hikers and was noticed missing at 7:00 PM when the group reached Simpson Meadow.

Anyone researching this case should note that his name was spelled "Allen" in a lot of newspaper journalism from the time of his disappearance. You need to research both Alan and Allen for keyword entry.

Last contact: Wednesday, July 18th, 1962, approximately 2:00 PM
Last location: Kings Canyon, California - Dog Creek, Tehipite Valley (area is described as east of Fresno in newspaper article, 18 miles north of Cedar Grove)

July 20, 1962. The Berkeley Gazette.

Age when Alan Douglas Visher disappeared: 12
DOB: Between July 19th, 1949, and July 18th, 1950
Sex: Male
Height in inches: 48–58
Weight in pounds (lbs): 75–100
BMI: 18.3–28.8 - Healthy to overweight based on the data that NamUs gives but the range is huge. In his pictures, he looks lean. Furthermore, hiking is a physical activity and I think that suggests reasonable fitness.
Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Hair color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Features: No Information Entered
Link to Government Source: NamUs MP148200 (right-click to open)

Clothing Worn When Last Seen

Item	Description	Details	Source
Wide-brim straw hat	Straw hat	Wide-brimmed	NamUs
Shirt	Brownish shirt	No further details	NamUs
Jeans	Blue jeans	No further details	NamUs
Boots	Redwing boots	No further details	NamUs
Backpack	Backpack with sweater and food	No further details	Oakland Tribune, July 23, 1962

Unraveling the Mystery: Key Insights and Updates

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: August 21st, 2025

Alan Douglas Visher, a 12-year-old Caucasian male who vanished on Wednesday, July 18th, 1962, in Kings Canyon National Park, California, was last seen at approximately 2:00 PM that day. He was hiking with a Sierra Club group of 50 people near Dog Creek in Tehipite Valley. A part of a large group that included siblings and his mother, members of the hiking group noticed Alan missing by 7:00 PM when the group reached Simpson Meadow. 

He was last seen wearing a wide-brim straw hat, a brownish shirt, blue jeans, and Redwing boots. He was also carrying a backpack with a sweater and food. Despite a multi-agency search, no trace of Alan was found in the immediate aftermath of his disappearance. Nor has any trace of him turned up in the six decades since his disappearance.

The journalism from 1962 indicates that there was a large search for this missing youth. Rangers, helicopters, mountain climbers, and bloodhounds all assisted in search.

He went missing at an elevation of 6000 feet, meaning his chances of surviving just one night would be complicated. The hiking trip he was on was described as a 10-day trip, meaning the group would have the means to cope with night-time temperatures but Alan did not have much himself when he went missing. The youth had a sweater in his backpack but little more that would offer warmth with temperatures likely to dip to the 30s or 40s in that area (0C-10C) during the night. There was still a search going on as of July 22nd, 1962, but the journalism is pessimistic about his chances of being alive.

July 22nd, 1962. The Press Democrat.

Comparisons: Trenny Gibson and Others

In terms of similar cases, Alan Visher's disappearance reminded me the most of the disappearance of Trenny Gibson. She was a part of a large group hike when she went missing, just as Alan was.

I looked at numerous missing person cases a few years back where hiking was central to the person's disappearance. One of risk factors, of course, is a dangerous trail. Hiking alone is another significant factor and this can include hiking with a group  when the person separates from the group for a short time.

I thought that this must have happened with Alan Visher but scenarios are speculative. Reasons why someone might separate from a group during a hike has to do with pacing and the differences in hiking speed naturally creating separation between group members. Another reason might simply be someone going off trail for a short time to use the washroom.

But the mystery with Alan was that he was not found despite a huge search. That will bring in questions of abduction. This is a connection to the Trenny Gibson case, because abduction has been considered in conjunction with her disappearance despite the difficulties involved with abducting from a large group of hikers. It would be one on-the-spot abductor who is in the middle of a natural area and targets an isolated youth at the perfect time, seemingly with people all over the place.

There were rivers in the area and creeks. People who are known to have entered rivers before disappearing have remained lost for ages. I did wonder if that's what happened to Alan somehow. With little water, he would be dependent on waterflow to stay hydrated once lost and that creates the chance that he was swept away, which could explain why the large search failed.

I also think that missing hikers, who are facing hypothermia at night, put themselves in hiding spots inadvertently. Their main concern during the night would only be trying to stay warm -- not putting themselves in an obvious place to be found. I raised this point with the disappearance of Paula Jean Welden, a long-missing hiker in Vermont.

Furthermore, I watched a survival video years ago, the name of which now escapes me. But it recommended burying yourself in dirt to fight hypothermia during the night, if lost in the woods or a natural area. You can see how such an action could help prolong your struggle against the environment but it could also hide you from the people who are looking for you. If you succumbed to hypothermia after seeking an enclosed area or after burying yourself in foliage, then you would effectively have hidden yourself from your rescuers.

I think this missing person is only found through luck at this point. His Redwing boots are the item most likely to stand the test of time, in my opinion. But anyone finding them might not recognize the relevance unfortunately.

Grok's depiction of Redwing boots from the era and place.

Brian Douglas Faughnan: Missing in Whistler Since July 2002

Missing Person Fact Sheet: Brian Douglas Faughnan

Name: Brian Douglas Faughnan
Age at Disappearance: 35
Born: June 6th, 1967
Date Missing: July 12th, 2002 (Friday)
Location: Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Sex: Male

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Height: 6'0"
Weight: Approximately 185 lbs.
Hair Color: Looks brown/blonde in photo
Eye Color: Not specified; likely wearing glasses (clear or prescription sunglasses)
Distinctive Characteristics: Not noted in provided sources

Clothing and Accessories:

• Possibly wearing a lightweight bright red windbreaker or a darker red jacket.
• Likely wearing shorts, but if wearing pants, possibly Columbia Trekker Convertible Pants in "fossil" color (grey-beige).
• May have been wearing a denim baseball cap, particularly in sun-exposed areas.
• Carrying a yellow 50 L Mountain Equipment Co-Op backpack, possibly with a climbing or ice axe lashed to it.
• Source

Occupation: Aerospace engineer and science fiction screenwriter from Montreal.
Family: Brothers John and Steven Faughnan mentioned.
Government Source: RCMP Reference File 02-4306

Transportation

No vehicle details provided. Brian may have been hitchhiking to the Rainbow Mountain trailhead, as speculated by his family, but no confirmation exists.

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Case Overview

Last Known Location: Brian Douglas Faughnan was last seen leaving the Shoestring Lodge in Whistler mid-morning on Friday, July 12th, 2002, after asking for directions to the Rainbow Mountain trailhead. This sighting was on video footage at 9:57am that morning, according to an online source (Brian Faughnan - Summary).

That makes the lodge his last-known location and it was located at 7124 Nancy Greene Drive. In modern times, that would be near Nester's Market on the Sea-to-Sky Highway. The lodge does not appear on Google Maps, to my knowledge, as the intersection only went back to September 2007.

The lodge has been closed for quite a number of years. But it looks like it was a hostel or on the budget-friendly side for sure. I am thinking "Shoestring" might have been a play on "shoestring budget." An article from 2007 in Pique Newsmagazine referenced the closure and budget orientation (Vivian Moreau/July 28th, 2007).

The online source suggested other places are possible areas where Brian was last seen. This included a conversation with a man named Steve, who operated the tour bus that Brian was with. Furthermore, the same article suggests Brian may have gone to a place called Wild Willy's (probably Whistler Village). I think this was a ski shop but for summertime Whistler tourists, maybe it offered services to hikers. There are no definite or confirmed sightings after he left the lodge, to my knowledge, and it’s unknown if he reached the trails.

Comparing Brian Faughnan’s Disappearance to Paula Jean Welden’s Case: History Repeats Itself?

At the heart of Brian Douglas Faughnan’s disappearance in Whistler, British Columbia, in 2002, lies a striking parallel with another missing hiker from across the decades and across the continent. Paula Jean Welden's case shares eerie similarities to Brian's. For readers familiar with Brian’s story, Paula’s case offers a haunting comparison, particularly in their shared dependence on guidance before embarking on their journeys. 

Central to Brian’s last-known activities was his reliance on directions and this shows an apparent disorientation from the outset of his hiking plans. Paula Jean Welden was like this as well and her sustained disappearance for nearly 80 years as of 2025 casts a grim shadow over Brian's case.

Paula Jean Welden was an 18-year-old college student who vanished on December 1st, 1946, while attempting to hike the Long Trail near Glastenbury Mountain, Vermont. Unfamiliar with the area, she relied on directions from others: a man named Lou Knapp dropped her off near Route 9 around 2:45 PM, and another man named Ernie Whitman guided her toward the trail around 4:00 PM, just before sunset.

Like Brian, Paula’s dependence on external guidance highlights a critical vulnerability. Brian needed directions to the Rainbow Mountain trail network and even just The Valley Trail, which runs throughout Whistler. He was lost from the start—not just physically but in his planning. He did not appear ready to tackle a challenging trip in the rugged Coast Mountains, where harsh weather and remote terrain could easily overwhelm a solo hiker.

Both cases also raise the specter of hitchhiking-related disappearances. Paula was known to have hitchhiked the day she disappeared but she survived that part of her day. 

Similarly, Brian’s family speculated he might have been abducted while hitchhiking to a trailhead, given his lack of confirmed transportation after leaving the Shoestring Lodge. While no evidence confirms abduction in either case, the hitchhiking element introduces a shared risk of encountering danger en route.

But, in my opinion, Paula and Brian’s reliance on directions underscores their unfamiliarity with their environments, amplifying the perils of solo hiking. Brian’s apparent disorientation mirrors Paula’s struggle to locate her trailhead, suggesting both were ill-prepared for the challenges ahead. For Brian, this initial confusion paints a bleak picture of his chances in the unforgiving Coast Mountains, much like Paula’s likely fate in Vermont’s frozen wilderness, leaving both cases as enduring mysteries of hikers lost to the unknown.

Brian Douglas Faughnan: Youth Hostel Connections

The "youth hostel" tag does not appear with a lot of missing people on my website. However, I can think of a couple of cases where a missing person's case was associated with one.

Elisa Lam was last seen on footage at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles, which offered hostel-like dorms in some rooms. Also, Angela Hartmann was a backpacker in western Canada who used hostels and has been missing for decades. I think they are a bit riskier to use because the cheaper the place, the bigger the chance is of meeting someone on the clandestine side.

Debra Kay Manial -- Missing Since December 1982

Missing Person: Debra Kay Manial

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased): Manial was last seen at the Indersol Tree farm in Dobbins with a group of friends cutting down Christmas trees. When the group was getting ready to leave Manial walked in front of the group, never to be seen again.

Last contact: December 19th, 1982 (Sunday); went missing in the morning, reported missing at noon. I see some sources stating that she went missing on December 12th. However, NamUs says December 19th. Also, the journalism starts on Monday, December 20th and states she went missing on Sunday, presumably the most-recent Sunday or else they would specify.

Last location: Dobbins, California. Specifically, Yuba River area, east of Dobbins. Near the Indersol Tree Farm, according to NamUs. This tree farm was called Ingersol Tree Farm from other sources. Also, journalism mentioned a place called Bullards Bar dam.

Age when Debra Kay Manial disappeared: 29 according to NamUs, 28 years old according to early journalism. However, 29 appeared to be the correct age.

Birthdate: December 6th, 1953 (source: DoeNetwork)

The Sacramento Bee. December 21st, 1982.
The age in the journalism appears to be wrong.
She recently turned 29 as of her disappearance date.

Sex: Female

Height in inches: 64

Weight in pounds (lbs): 140

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian

Hair color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Scar on top of one of her thumb knuckles. Horizontal appendectomy scar.

Link to government source: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/126821?nav

BMI means body mass index. It is meant to describe someone's healthy body weight relative to their height. It is food for thought as to how someone may have looked. However, it is meant as a guide only and does not account for all body types. 

Debra Kay Manial had a BMI of 24.03. Debra Kay Manial was at a HEALTHY WEIGHT by BMI standards at the time of her disappearance.

Clothing: Lots of clothing and accessories to note, as snipped from NamUs below.

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert 

Has Debra Kay Manial been found?

I researched the missing person's case of Debra Kay Manial tonight. From what I gathered, she and eight friends (nine people total) went out on a Sunday morning to find a Christmas tree. On their return to their vehicle, Debra walked ahead of the group for some reason. She has not been seen since and was reported missing at about noon on that day. The way it read, she must have been last seen sometime between 11am and noon on December 19th, 1982.

There was a large search for her. However, there were both rain and snow storms in the time frame that followed. The area was considered dangerous for walking, which brings into play the chance that she slipped down a slope. 

Debra Manial was not originally from the Sacramento area. That would suggest that she wasn't too familiar with the terrain. I think she was from Michigan as per the clipping below from The Saginaw News. There was an obituary for her mother in 2014 in The Saginaw News. In this obituary, it's clear that the family considers Debra to be deceased (May 15th, 2014, page 6).

I did feel like that may have happened to her and then the treacherous weather impeded the search efforts. However, other scenarios are possible, like abduction or self harm. The search for her was called off on December 28th, 1982 as it was thought that she must have perished by then, if she was in the rugged area.

What stood out in this case was simply that she walked ahead alone. I found no statements as to why she did that. What also stood out is the amount of detailed information there is of her clothing. Amateurs working on this case could try to match her clothing/accessories to clothing/accessories found on Jane Does in the area.

A couple of contradictions that I noted was that she was described as 28 years old in the journalism, while NamUs lists her as 29. Also, the tree farm was called "Ingersol Tree Farm" in journalism, not Indersol Tree Farm as per NamUs.

This case reminded me of some other missing person's cases on this website. There have been quite a few people who have gone missing while out with a group in a natural setting. In the cases I am thinking of, the person separated from the group and was then lost.

Trenny Gibson went missing while on a school hike. She separated from the group for a short time and has not been seen since. I looked at missing trail hikers quite extensively back in a 2021 article.

Richard Kalani Vierra -- Missing in Hawaii Since 2014

Paraphrased details from government source**: 

Richard went hiking alone on Saturday, July 5th, 2014 at approximately 6:30am at the Kamaileuna Ridge Trail near his home. He called his mother at 11:30 am to say he was coming down. He has not been seen or heard from since.

From his Facebook profile.

Missing Person: Richard Kalani Vierra
Last-contact date: July 5th, 2014 at about 11:28am
The area where the MP was last seen: Waianae, Hawaii at Kaimaile Mountain trail near Maiu'u Entrance
Link to government source: NamUs MP 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White or Caucasian
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 15 years old
Birthdate: Richard Kalani Vierra was born between July 6th, 1998, and July 5th, 1999 based on his reported age at the last date of reported contact.
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5'5" and 120 pounds
BMI*: Richard Kalani Vierra was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Richard Kalani Vierra did not have any tattoos associated with his profiles.

Richard Kalani Vierra was last heard from on July 5th, 2014 when he was 15 years of age. I am sure I found his inactive Facebook account where there are a lot of pictures of him. In my opinion, the NamUs photo isn't a good one. He looked like a very athletic teenager that was successful for his age group in martial arts. This individual has now been missing for about 7 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

What stands out with this case is the phone call that the mother made to her son. He apparently hiked to a mountain summit and phoned to say he was on his way back home. This was the last contact from the missing minor. When she called him again at 12:15pm then the call went to voicemail.

It's possible, even probable, that he suffered a hiking accident in the 47 minutes between the two calls. If he did, then his location at the time of the first phone call and his hiking speed create the search area. This was not an easy or safe hike according to my research.

I saw a video that filmed a missing person poster of him. It said he was hiking the Kaimaile Mountain trail and may have used Maiu'u Road Entrance. I think this would be referring to the Kamaileunu Ridge Hike and that his entry point to the trail would have been at the following Google Map coordinates: 21.46178191468302, -158.1992668024058.

The trail is rated as difficult at AllTrails.com. One reviewer at the site had this to say:

We found that it went way off to the left, but got very dangerous being over the edge of a cliff without places to hold on. We decided it wasn't worth it and turned back. The way back was difficult finding proper foot placement and not slipping on the steep, sandy sections. It took us about 3 hours and 15 minutes to get up to 1000 feet and back. Definitely a fun challenge, not sure if we'd do it again. -- Taylor Key, writing in September 2020

Furthermore, this trail has made the news before because of hikers falling. The following newspaper article references the trail, a near-fatal accident that occurred on it in 2003, and crumbling rock as a hazard.

The man that fell had his fall broken by trees and so he was able to guide search-and-rescue to his whereabouts with his cellular phone. The impression I got in reading the article below is that the man might have been difficult to find without him being able to provide verbal guidance by cellular. It would be interesting if this dangerous area was the same area that Richard was in when he went missing. 

Minimally, I think the case in the article below should be a case study for trying to find Richard as it may highlight a particularly dangerous spot where someone who falls may end up concealed. This case may call for a double skill-set of an expert hiker that's familiar with the trail who also is skilled at operating drones with cameras.

07 Jan 2003, Tue The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.com

Richard Kalani Vierra may have had the following articles when he disappeared: blue backpack, blue shirt, shorts, and shoes. These items can be used to try and match a missing person to a John Doe. You can follow the tweets from the author of this blog. Follow Shane Lambert at Twitter. 

Author: Shane Lambert, (Freelance Writer)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert, (Freelance Writer) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

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*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: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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