US Hiker, Who Went Missing 5 Days Ago, Was ‘Only Carrying Snacks For Single Day’

Caroline Meister, a 30-year-old woman residing in Northern California, USA, has been reported missing since Monday. Meister embarked on a hike at 10 a.m. on March 18, departing from her workplace at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in Carmel Valley. She informed her colleagues that she planned to follow a hiking route that would lead her back to the Zen Center. Concern arose when Meister did not return as expected, prompting her colleagues to report her missing at 11:30 p.m. on the same day. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has noted that Meister had only brought snacks for the day and was not prepared for an overnight stay.

Heather Larusso, the director of the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, told KSBW8, “We really don’t know what happened, so everything is just speculation. All we know is that she was going on a simple hike, and she has yet to return from that hike.” The Tassajara Zen Mountain Center is located at the edge of the Ventana Wilderness. It is a Japanese Buddhist Zen monastery established in 1967. Caroline has been working there for the last year and a half.

KSBW8 spoke to Caroline’s parents on Wednesday. They are hopeful that their daughter will be found well. John Meister, Caroline’s father told the local news station that, Caroline is “familiar with the area and is an avid hiker.” Her mother, Jean Meister said, “She is very strong and resilient and we have great faith she’s doing whatever she can to stay safe.”

Heather Larusso also shared an optimistic outlook and said, “I’m not thinking of the worst-case scenario. I’m thinking about the best-case scenario which is that we’ll find her, and she’ll be alright. We’ll be able to welcome her back take care of her, and give her a lot of hugs and love.”

Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has requested hikers who plan to take the hike around the area to look out for Caroline. Monterey County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Andres Rosas said, “We’re hoping that somebody saw her. If anybody saw her, we want to know where you saw her, when you saw her. We want to find her and make sure that she’s OK.”

Caroline is 5-foot-6 inches tall and weighs 68 kilograms. She has long brown hair that was tied back when she went for the hike. She was wearing teal boots and carried a blue bag.