A week of searching yields no sign of hiker who vanished on slopes below Mt. Wilson

After a week of searching the steep slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains, rescue teams have found no sign of a 53-year-old hiker who was last seen walking toward a trailhead near Monrovia Canyon, police say.

Colin Walker of South Pasadena parked his car and headed into the wilderness shortly after dawn July 15 on Ridgeside Drive in Monrovia, police said. A Ring home security camera taped him setting off in dark shorts and a gray T-shirt with a large green backpack and walking sticks.

An avid hiker, Walker has been researching lost trails and lost water features, said Domenica Megerdichian, deputy city manager of South Pasadena.

Walker’s wife and 12-year-old son were out of town on the Friday he vanished, Megerdichian said. Search and rescue teams were dispatched to the area two days later after he failed to check in with his family or co-workers. His vehicle was found parked near Monrovia Canyon trailheads, she said.

Search teams from all across Southern California have been using dogs, horses, helicopters, drones and thermal-seeking technology, police said, but the steep terrain, thick vegetation and extreme heat have hampered progress. The trailheads near the spot where Walker disappeared are on the edge of the suburbs just below Mt. Wilson.

Authorities would like anyone with information on Walker’s whereabouts to call the South Pasadena police watch commander at (626) 403-7270.