Robert L. Noble, 41, was reported missing on July 24, 2006 by his family after he failed to return from a hiking trip in the Little Rock Creek drainage five miles west of Lake Como. Skeletal remains, camping and camera gear were discovered a little over a week ago about three-quarters of a mile west of Little Rock Creek Lake on a steep, rocky slope.
The medical examiner identified the remains, but hasn’t officially released the cause of death. Hoffman speculated that Noble probably died in a fall.
“He hot-footed it out of there and reported it to us,” Hoffman said.
Ravalli County Search and Rescue volunteers and sheriff’s investigators recovered Noble’s remains and equipment at the site, which included a dented medium-format camera, backpack, canteen and sleeping bag. Noble was an experienced backpacker. He was seen by other hikers in the area at the time of his disappearance. An intense air and ground search over a two-week period failed to turn up any clues.
“It was a very hard search for Ravalli County Search and Rescue,” Hoffman said. “Our guys are used to finding what they’re looking for. … We put a ton of resources in on that search.” The landscape where Noble’s body was discovered was rugged.
“It’s a lot like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Hoffman said. “It’s huge country, absolutely huge. While it’s a relief to finally solve the mystery, we all wish we could have been able to help him or at least solve the mystery sooner for his family.”
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