An island community in Washington is mourning the loss of a beloved former high school teacher who died one day into a trek on the John Muir Trail in California. Harris Levinson, 61, died near Whitney Portal, Inyo County Search and Rescue confirmed Saturday.
Levinson planned his solo backpacking trip for months, hoping to hike from Whitney Portal to Yosemite National Park along the famous trail. After dropping off a food supply cache at Onion Valley, a campground near the town of Independence, Levison left on the hike on June 23.
Although he planned to reach Onion Valley by June 29, he failed to respond to loved ones on his Garmin satellite texting device, prompting them to check if he’d picked up his food. On July 8, a friend arrived at Onion Valley and found the food intact. That friend contacted Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park to report Levinson missing…