Sunrise Hike Ends in Tragedy in Wyoming

A woman who set out to enjoy a sunrise view from a popular peak in Wyoming fell 200 feet to her death, reports CNN. Calli Aust and her husband hiked to the top of Steamboat Point in the Bighorn Mountains early Tuesday, and Aust fell from the summit, according to a post by the Sheridan County Sheriff's Office. The office says no foul play is suspected and the death is being treated as accidental. Aust's husband apparently didn't see his wife fall. He first called for help to report her missing, and a search team found her at the base of the summit after 7am.

Steamboat Point, an abandoned fire lookout, is located in Bighorn National Forest, per the Sheridan Press. It doesn't have a dedicated safety barrier, only what is described as an old pipe that remains from the building's footers. "It is not a safe barrier, but merely a remnant of the lookout tower," says a public affairs officer with the national forest. A post at Afar.com explains the peak's popularity, noting that it's an "an easy climb that yields spectacular views over the whole of Sheridan County and the Cloud Peak Wilderness." The site says it is likely the most photographed natural attraction in the region. (More hiking death stories.)