Hiker who spent a month lost in national park with just his dog and a pair of shorts reveals how they survived

A 39-year-old hiker who went missing in Washington's Northern Cascades National Park for astir a period has revealed really he kept himself and his canine alive. 

Robert Schock decided to return his canine Freddy connected a trek without immoderate overnight cogwheel connected July 31. 

But nan quality person was soon reported missing and a frantic hunt was launched for 2 weeks, earlier officials called it off. 

But connected August 30, Pacific Northwest Trail Association unit members yet recovered Schock after he spent an full period pinch nary food, telephone work and hardly immoderate apparel successful a dire, emaciated condition. 

'I americium an ultra runner. I'm not a hiker. I don't put connected backpacks and spell retired for multiple-day trips. I don't cognize really to fish. I want to decorativeness a people arsenic accelerated arsenic I tin and travel backmost home. So I had nary shirt. I had a brace of shorts, I had Freddy and a canine pan. These were nan only items successful my mini backpack. 

'Never would I person dreamt that's nan acquisition I was headed towards erstwhile I was going retired for a run. Never did I dream that this benignant of endurance could ever moreover beryllium possible,' he told PEOPLE. 

Schock, who had hiked nan way aggregate times, began his travel early successful nan greeting pinch an aged representation successful hand. 

He headed for nan Chilliwack River Trail by going up adjacent nan Copper Ridge Trail and past utilizing a cablegram car crossed nan stream but did not recognize nan trail's eastbound information had been closed down aft wildfires in 2021 and 2022. 

'When I sewage retired there, nan way was nary longer there. I was funny to cognize what happened to this way and my curiosity benignant of kept maine going,' Schock remembered. 

The adjacent day, his telephone died and a time later nan gravity of nan business dawned connected him. 

On nan 3rd day, he told Freddy to find his measurement location arsenic he realized he 'wasn't doing well'. As days went by, he began to suffer way of clip and wished for it 'to beryllium over'.  

Ultimately, he managed to find immoderate aged nesting grounds made and later abandoned by bears and saw a ample mushroom that became 1 of his fewer sources of food. 

'I ate that point each time long, and it conscionable tasted for illustration a normal mushroom you would person connected a pizza aliases something. 

'It was nan only point I had to eat nan full clip different than berries, they were beautiful nasty,' he recalled. 

At 1 point, Schock moreover spotted a chopper and and 'waved' to effort and get nan pilot's attraction but to nary avail. 

As attempts to get thief failed, he began to suffer spot and 'wasn't screaming for thief very overmuch anymore. I was conscionable doing it connected occasion... I was not doing very well'.

On nan time he was rescued, Schock recalled losing power of his bowels and emotion 'close to death' arsenic he laic connected by a slope of nan Chilliwack River.

As he funneled h2o into his rima during sunset, he decided to telephone retired for thief 1 much time. 

'I was sitting location naked and knew I wasn't going to make it done nan night. So I was like, "I'm going to shriek 1 past time". I said, "Help!". 

In was successful that infinitesimal that nan immoderate of nan PNTA unit who were returning  to their backcountry campy and crossing nan Chilliwack River, aft a grueling 10-hour shift, heard his cry. 

'One of nan guys took his garment disconnected and gave it to me. That feline who came and clothed maine and very good saved my life. It is an understatement to opportunity really genuinely thankful I americium for those group to beryllium location that time because it came beautiful adjacent to nan decorativeness line,' he gratefully recalled. 

'Robert was recovered alive, but not well. It is nan belief of those who came to beryllium progressive successful nan rescue that Robert whitethorn person only had different time near successful him earlier nan result of his find would person been overmuch much tragic,' Jeff Kish, Executive Director of nan PNTA said successful a Facebook post.

His mother, Jan Thompson, who lives successful North Carolina, told CDN that she has spoken to him since he was recovered - and while he was anemic from malnourishment, she said that he was uninjured. 

Thompson said: 'He’s successful a batch of symptom and he isn’t speaking very well, but he’s coherent and seemed successful beautiful precocious spirits.'

Days aft Schock was reported missing his conveyance was recovered abandoned adjacent Hannegan Pass trailhead pinch its windows down and his wallet connected nan dashboard - raising interest and prompting hunt efforts for nan missing hiker.

His dog, Freddy, was besides found, alone, connected August 4 8 miles disconnected nan distant trail.

Air and crushed crews searched nan rugged terrain for 2 weeks but nary motion of Schock emerged. The U.S. Border Patrol conducted an aerial hunt connected August 16 and a crushed hunt adjacent wherever Freddy was found, but efforts were met pinch nary luck and were called off.

Jeff Kish continued: 'When our unit recovered Robert, he was capable to pass to them that he had been immobile, stuck successful that nonstop spot for astir 2 weeks, and based connected nan information that he was recovered in, location was nary logic for nan unit to mobility it.'

Schock was taken to United General Hospital successful Sedro-Wooley for treatment. 

The Chilliwack River Trail is known arsenic a difficult five-mile hike that tin return a batch retired of moreover nan astir knowledgeable visitors.