Overview

Last seen: September 27, 2022
Location: Blue Ridge Fire Lookout area near Lander, Fremont County, Wyoming
Status: Still missing; classified as a lost/injured missing-person case
NamUs #: 117133

Charles James “Chuck” Kaiser, a Michigan resident in his early 70s, disappeared while hiking the short trail to the Blue Ridge Fire Lookout. He became separated from his hiking companion, and despite an extensive multi-agency search involving ground crews, dogs, aircraft, ATVs and other resources, no confirmed trace of him was found. Current missing-person resources continue to list Kaiser as missing.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Charles “Chuck” Kaiser Missing in Wyoming: What Happened at the Blue Ridge Fire Lookout?

Brief Case Summary

Last seen: September 27, 2022
Location: Blue Ridge Fire Lookout area near Lander, Fremont County, Wyoming
Status: Still missing; classified as a lost/injured missing-person case
NamUs #: 117133

Charles James “Chuck” Kaiser, a Michigan resident in his early 70s, disappeared while hiking the short trail to the Blue Ridge Fire Lookout. He became separated from his hiking companion, and despite an extensive multi-agency search involving ground crews, dogs, aircraft, ATVs and other resources, no confirmed trace of him was found. Current missing-person resources continue to list Kaiser as missing.

Charles Kaiser Disappears During a Wyoming Hiking Trip

Charles James “Chuck” Kaiser traveled from Michigan to Wyoming and was hiking in the mountains outside Lander when what appeared to be a routine, relatively short outing became the beginning of a years-long missing-person case.

Kaiser was 72 according to NamUs-based records and The Charley Project, although some contemporaneous Wyoming news reports described him as 73. He had white hair and blue eyes, stood approximately 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed roughly 255 to 265 pounds. He was reportedly wearing a T-shirt and shorts when he disappeared.

The Hike to Blue Ridge Fire Lookout

On September 27, 2022, Kaiser and a hiking companion were in the Blue Ridge area off Loop Road near Lander. Their destination was the historic Blue Ridge Fire Lookout.

The hike itself was not considered an exceptionally long backcountry trek. The commonly used foot trail is approximately one-half mile long, climbing about 300 feet through subalpine forest toward the former fire lookout. A local Wind River Country description characterizes the route as an easy, accessible hike, although the lookout sits at roughly 9,500 to 10,000 feet in mountainous terrain.

Kaiser’s hiking partner was still preparing or packing gear when Kaiser went ahead without waiting. According to later missing-person records, his companion reached the destination approximately 30 minutes later but could not find him.

The Emergency Call and Search for Chuck Kaiser

A Fremont County Sheriff’s Office press release later cited by K2 Radio said the county emergency dispatch center received a 911 call at approximately 1:30 p.m. on September 27 reporting that Kaiser and his hiking partner had become separated in the Blue Ridge area.

There is a discrepancy in early public reporting worth noting. A September 30 County 10 report said the Sheriff’s Office received a missing-hiker call on September 29 at 1:24 p.m. However, K2 Radio’s October 10 account, citing the Sheriff’s Office press release, placed the separation and emergency call on September 27. Current missing-person databases consistently give September 27, 2022 as Kaiser’s date of last contact.

Search and rescue personnel and sheriff’s deputies quickly began looking for Kaiser. A bloodhound was used along with multiple ground teams. Severe weather initially interfered with aircraft operations, and searchers reportedly remained in the area until about 4 a.m. before full-scale operations resumed at approximately 6 a.m.

A Massive Multi-Agency Search Produced No Confirmed Clues

The effort expanded well beyond a routine missing-hiker response.

Searchers worked on foot and used ATVs, horseback teams, tracking dogs and aircraft. A helicopter from Sublette County’s Tip Top Search and Rescue was brought in when weather permitted. Assistance was also reported from Dubois Search and Rescue, Riverton Search and Rescue, Wyoming Game and Fish, the U.S. Forest Service, Wyoming Catholic College, Central Wyoming College, Tri State Search Dogs, Rocky Mountain Search Dogs and civilian volunteers.

Despite the scale of the operation, searchers did not publicly report finding clothing, personal belongings, remains or other physical evidence establishing what happened to Kaiser.

By October 10, nearly two weeks after he vanished, authorities indicated that the continuous large-scale search would likely be suspended if Kaiser was not located that day.

Cellphone Data Did Not Lead Searchers to Kaiser

An account published by Kaiser’s former employer, R.L. Deppmann, offered additional information about the difficulties faced during the search.

The company said Kaiser’s cellular signal was weak in the remote Wyoming area. According to that account, investigators could not obtain a sufficiently precise cellphone location to lead searchers directly to him; available information narrowed the possible location only to an area measured in multiple square miles.

That limitation was significant. Kaiser had disappeared in high-elevation forest and mountain terrain where a relatively small location error could leave searchers with a very large area to cover.

Searchers Were Left Without an Answer

Kaiser’s disappearance is particularly puzzling because he apparently vanished during what was supposed to be a short hike.

The established theory reflected in missing-person databases is that Kaiser likely became lost or injured in the wilderness. The Charley Project classifies him as Lost/Injured Missing, and available public sources do not identify evidence establishing that Kaiser was the victim of a homicide or other crime.

Exactly where he went after separating from his companion remains unknown.

The possibility that he wandered away from the established trail, became disoriented, suffered a medical emergency, fell in difficult terrain or encountered another wilderness hazard has never been publicly resolved.

Family, Friends and Former Coworkers Faced the Possibility He Had Died

On October 17, 2022, R.L. Deppmann, where Kaiser had previously worked as an estimator, published a tribute describing him as missing and presumed dead after the extensive search failed to locate him.

The company said recovery efforts would remain active and used Kaiser’s disappearance to encourage hikers to carry emergency and location equipment in remote areas. Kaiser had worked for the company for eight years before leaving in 2007 and later retired in 2013.

Importantly, being described by acquaintances as “presumed dead” did not mean Kaiser had been legally or physically confirmed deceased. His remains had not been recovered, and missing-person databases continued to carry the case.

Latest Publicly Available Case Information

The case remains unresolved.

The Charley Project lists Charles James Kaiser as missing from Lander since September 27, 2022, with no indication that he has been located. Its case file identifies the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office as the investigating agency.

A Wyoming missing-person compilation published more recently also lists Kaiser as missing, assigns NamUs #117133, and states that the extensive search produced no indication of his whereabouts.

A May 2025 Websleuths case discussion continued circulating Kaiser’s NamUs and Charley Project information, while a missing-person case article updated in July 2025 continued to classify his status as still missing.

Most significantly, CaseTrace’s current Wyoming missing-person index continues to list Charles Kaiser — Lander, Wyoming — last seen September 27, 2022 — NamUs Case 117133 — Missing.

As of the latest sources reviewed in August 2026, there is no publicly reported recovery, identification of remains, arrest, homicide determination or announced breakthrough in Kaiser’s case. Public records continue to characterize the disappearance as a lost/injured missing-person case rather than a homicide investigation.

What Remains Unknown

Nearly four years after Chuck Kaiser disappeared, the central questions remain unanswered: what direction did he travel after separating from his hiking companion, did he ever reach the lookout area, and how did an extensive search fail to find a definitive trace of him?

The mountainous terrain, weather conditions, limited cellphone-location information and the possibility that Kaiser moved away from the expected hiking route all complicated the search.

Without physical evidence establishing where he went, Charles “Chuck” Kaiser’s disappearance remains one of Wyoming’s unresolved wilderness missing-person cases.

Anyone with credible information regarding Kaiser or observations from the Blue Ridge or Louis Lake Loop Road area around the time of his disappearance should contact the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.