Charles Hosch, 67, had more on his mind than just getting in a hike as he stepped out at the Byron Herbert Reece Trailhead near Blood Mountain on Nov. 11. He would be going back to a place that had once formed him as an integral part of his life. As a child, he would accompany his father and brother on these very trails. The return trip to Georgia was meant to be easy. Spend some time with family, get in a quick hike before leaving and then he would return home to Texas. He had even brought some dirt with him.
Yet almost a week has passed and Charles still hasn’t returned.
Over 95 search and rescue personnel have been searching continuously in very harsh weather, battling temperatures that have dropped as low as the 20s. Search dogs, planes, and volunteers have surveyed miles of very rough terrain. And every single day, Charles’ daughter Julia stands on that mountain and refuses to leave until Charles is found.
They believe he was on his way down from the summit on the last sighting. At 6’1″ with khaki trousers, a camel sweater, and a dark green jacket, he’s absolutely an easier-to-remember sort – tall, warm, and very quick with a welcoming greeting.
Julia has a message for her dad: “Hang in there just a little longer.”
The tremble in her voice as she speaks, but not her belief. She knows her dad, the man who searches for good in bad things, is still fighting to get back home.
Now it’s his family and friends, as well as the rest of the community, who wait with bated breath and hold on to hope. The man who has always been there for everyone else hasn’t disappeared yet, and they know he’s counting on them.
