Two hikers found dead on Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the 'lower 48'

Officials found two hikers dead after they went missing while climbing on Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the "lower 48" states.

The pair were reported missing on Tuesday evening by a third hiker after the two did not return to their camp for several hours, the Inyo County Sheriff's Office said in a post to Facebook.

The person told police that the two hikers planned to climb down to "the Notch," a flat cliff on the West side of the mountain's face. Then, they would ski or snowboard back to Upper Boy Scout Lake, where they had set up camp.

Officials with Inyo County Search and Rescue deployed a helicopter and foot teams to scour the area, but the two were found deceased. It was not immediately clear when the hikers were discovered.

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The case will be handled by the Tulare County Sheriff-Coroner's Office, which has jurisdiction over the area, according to Inyo County deputies.

At more than 14,500 feet in elevation, Mount Whitney is the eleventh highest peak in the country. It lies on the boundary between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Inyo National Forest, around 100 miles east of Fresno, California. The shortest trail route from the mountain's base to its summit stretches 10.7 miles, according to the National Park Service.

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at cmayesosterman@usatoday.com. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.