A rare “super bloom” event covering large expanse of the desert valley floor with wildflowers, dominated by the golden yellow of desert gold flowers in Death Valley National Park in California. (GaryKavanagh / Getty Images)
By Nick Givas September 4, 2026 at 9:08am
A group of men in California who went hiking last week used artificial intelligence to plan their excursion and ended up stranded before ultimately being rescued.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office posted about the rescue effort on social media Tuesday and warned the public never to rely on AI for complex journeys like this.
The three “novice” hikers from Roseville, California, initially made camp on Aug. 29, then pressed on to the Mount Shasta summit at 3:00 am on Aug. 30.
“The men summited at 7:00 pm that evening, well after the recommended turnaround time of 12:00 pm, and descended in the dark,” the Facebook post read. “An hour into their descent, the party called the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch to ask for directions, but eventually wandered off-route into the Mud Creek Canyon.”
After one of the hikers injured his knee, the group became stranded until rangers found them and provided medical care.
The three climbers were not identified by name, People magazine reported.
After being rescued, the group told authorities they had planned the hike with Google Gemini artificial intelligence. The AI system gave them bad routes, however, and didn’t provide them with a complete list of what they should have packed.
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“This was a critical misstep, as they were advised by Gemini to bring far less food and water than their group required, especially when their planned 8 hour ascent became a multi-day ordeal,” the sheriff’s office declared.
“It is always advisable to call the local USFS Mount Shasta Ranger station ahead of your trip to ensure you have the most accurate information, and to never rely solely on A.I. for your trip planning.”
Law enforcement also said the hikers did not follow guidelines for turnaround times and therefore didn’t have enough daylight to make it back.
“In addition, have multiple methods of wayfinding — do not simply rely on your cellphone or Garmin, and stop to verify that you are on the correct route often,” the statement concluded.
“While the Clear Creek Route on Mount Shasta is not a technical mountaineering route, it still requires climbers to be physically fit and prepared for unforeseen circumstances, such as an injury, inclement weather or unplanned overnight stay.”
The Sheriff’s Office thanked the USFS Climbing Rangers and Siskiyou County Search and Rescue volunteers for “their tireless work to ensure these three hikers returned home safely.”
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Nick Givas has been a reporter for The Daily Caller, Fox News, and served as Managing Editor of the Newsroom at Project Veritas. He’s also hosted three different podcasts, served as a Congressional Communications Director, and had his work featured in The Federalist, Daily Signal, New York Post, and Real Clear Politics.
