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Two hikers discovered human remains near Mt. Williamson in Inyo County this month, and according to the Sheriff’s Office, the bones may have been there for decades.

Tyler Hofer and his climbing partner spotted the remains Oct. 7 beneath a boulder on the far side of the Williamson Bowl. Hofer, a dedicated climber for eight years, said he noticed something white popping out from the gray rocks. He assumed it was a bone, possibly belonging to some sort of animal. But when the two hikers moved the rocks aside, the entirety of a human skeleton, including a skull, appeared buried beneath.

“The entire skeleton was laying there intact,” he said. “The only thing remaining were the shoes and the leather belt around it.”

Hofer said the shoes could have been rock climbing shoes, raising questions about how the person landed in the area in the first place, because it’s not considered a typical rock climbing destination.

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