Inyo County Search and Rescue geared up search operations for a missing backpacker. 39 year old Henry Nguyen was reported overdue by his mother.

Nguyen reportedly has a habit of climbing and backpacking for months at a time but was scheduled to finish this leg of his trip into the Sierra over a week ago. Wednesday the ball field in Big Pine was used as a makeshift airfield to shuttle the volunteer searchers into the backcountry by helicopter.

The missing man was climbing in the Birch Mountain area above Big Pine and then into the Palisades from the west side of the mountain. Nguyen is reported to commonly ask people he meets in the back-country to e-mail his mother to tell her of his location. He is described as a 39 year old Asian man, 5’9″ tall, and 125 pounds.

If you have seen this man backpacking in the Sierra west of Big Pine, call the Inyo County Sheriffs Department at 873-7887.