Dave Cawley

The air smelled of pine as Julia Geisler drove up the Mirror Lake Highway. The winding two-lane road is the easiest and most popular way for people to access the western portion of the Uinta Mountains. Its highest point is Bald Mountain Pass, where the road makes a hairpin turn on an outcropping of rock right at treeline.

The air smelled of pine as Julia Geisler drove up the Mirror Lake Highway. The winding two-lane road is the easiest and most popular way for people to access the western portion of the Uinta Mountains. Its highest point is Bald Mountain Pass, where the road makes a hairpin turn on an outcropping of rock right at treeline.

Rounded peaks rise above the forest there, like hulking icebergs floating in a sea of evergreen. So it's pretty striking. It's beautiful terrain. Julia and her partner Blake Summers cruised over the pass, driving by campgrounds, trailheads, and several little lakes.

Rounded peaks rise above the forest there, like hulking icebergs floating in a sea of evergreen. So it's pretty striking. It's beautiful terrain. Julia and her partner Blake Summers cruised over the pass, driving by campgrounds, trailheads, and several little lakes.

Hayden Peak looks like a massive, derelict castle. The mountain's west face is composed of crumbling buttresses and cliffs, topped by a triangular summit block. It's a prominent landmark that looms over the Highline Trailhead, where Eric Robinson was supposed to finish his hike on the Uinta Highline Trail.

Hayden Peak looks like a massive, derelict castle. The mountain's west face is composed of crumbling buttresses and cliffs, topped by a triangular summit block. It's a prominent landmark that looms over the Highline Trailhead, where Eric Robinson was supposed to finish his hike on the Uinta Highline Trail.

Julia dropped Eric off at a bus stop 10 days earlier and agreed to pick him up here at the end of his journey, at this day and this time, noon on Sunday, August 7th, 2011. She pulled to a stop in the trailhead parking lot. She looked around but couldn't see Eric, so she and Blake settled in to wait.

Julia dropped Eric off at a bus stop 10 days earlier and agreed to pick him up here at the end of his journey, at this day and this time, noon on Sunday, August 7th, 2011. She pulled to a stop in the trailhead parking lot. She looked around but couldn't see Eric, so she and Blake settled in to wait.

Julia knew Eric wasn't the speediest hiker, so missing his deadline by an hour or so didn't arouse any alarm.

Julia knew Eric wasn't the speediest hiker, so missing his deadline by an hour or so didn't arouse any alarm.

They went back to the car and waited some more.

They went back to the car and waited some more.

Julia hadn't packed a lunch, and she started to get hungry. Rather than keep waiting, she and Blake drove down the mountain, got something to eat, then returned to the trailhead. All told, it took a couple more hours. Still, no sign of Eric. Noon had turned into afternoon, and now evening. Shadows of the pines were growing long, and a seed of concern sprouted in Julia's mind.

Julia hadn't packed a lunch, and she started to get hungry. Rather than keep waiting, she and Blake drove down the mountain, got something to eat, then returned to the trailhead. All told, it took a couple more hours. Still, no sign of Eric. Noon had turned into afternoon, and now evening. Shadows of the pines were growing long, and a seed of concern sprouted in Julia's mind.

There's no cell service at this trailhead or almost anywhere in the High Uintas. So Julia couldn't call Eric. She told Blake they needed to head home where they could call the local sheriff and report Eric overdue. They came down the mountain at dusk and made that call.

There's no cell service at this trailhead or almost anywhere in the High Uintas. So Julia couldn't call Eric. She told Blake they needed to head home where they could call the local sheriff and report Eric overdue. They came down the mountain at dusk and made that call.

Because of the late hour and the lack of evidence pointing to an urgent emergency, the sheriff's office decided not to launch an immediate search. It would wait until the next morning. In the meantime, Julia thought she should let Eric's wife Marilyn know, but she didn't have Marilyn's phone number.

Because of the late hour and the lack of evidence pointing to an urgent emergency, the sheriff's office decided not to launch an immediate search. It would wait until the next morning. In the meantime, Julia thought she should let Eric's wife Marilyn know, but she didn't have Marilyn's phone number.

Remember, Devin is Julia's friend from San Francisco. She looked Marilyn up on Facebook. I'm assuming this is the same Marilyn who is the wife of Eric Robinson, Devin wrote. There's a 16-hour time difference between Utah and Victoria, so Devin's message hit Marilyn's inbox at about 5 p.m. on Monday in Melbourne.

Remember, Devin is Julia's friend from San Francisco. She looked Marilyn up on Facebook. I'm assuming this is the same Marilyn who is the wife of Eric Robinson, Devin wrote. There's a 16-hour time difference between Utah and Victoria, so Devin's message hit Marilyn's inbox at about 5 p.m. on Monday in Melbourne.