One year after a Wyoming college professor mysteriously vanished after leaving for a bike ride in the mountains, local police are still searching. And survival experts wonder what led an experienced outdoorsman to disappear into the wilderness.
Authorities are still searching for 39-year-old Nash Quinn after he disappeared while mountain biking in Albany County, Wyoming.
Quinn, a visiting professor of jewelry and metalsmithing at the University of Wyoming, was last heard from July 8, 2024, and is believed to have left for a bike ride sometime before July 21.
While his last-known location remains unknown, Quinn typically frequented three popular areas while riding — Happy Jack, Roger’s Canyon and Sheep Mountain — according to police.
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The Laramie Police Department declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
Despite efforts to locate Quinn, he has yet to be found nearly one year later.
The mystery surrounding Quinn’s disappearance raises questions about how a seemingly healthy and experienced biker could have fallen victim to Wyoming’s wilderness.
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“It’s a very brutal environment,” Jason Marsteiner, founder of The Survival University in Colorado, told Fox News Digital. “You have to have some respect for your surroundings, wherever you are. So, in a nutshell, the core survival skills you need to learn are communication, fire, shelter, water and food.”
Quinn, an avid outdoorsman, would often leave for bike rides without bringing much gear and prided himself on being a minimalist while enjoying the elements, according to Cowboy State Daily.
After Quinn went missing, his cellphone, wallet and car keys were reportedly discovered inside his apartment. Quinn would also leave for short rides without bringing water, his friends told the local outlet.
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Quinn disappeared in one of Wyoming’s peak summer months, when the days can reach high temperatures but dip into cooler weather after the sun goes down. The wide range could have posed a significant risk to Quinn, potentially resulting in hypothermia if he was not properly shielded from the elements overnight.
“Quinn’s a minimalist,” Marsteiner said. “He just takes his bike out. That’s a common thing. A lot of people do that. They don’t think anything of it. But the temperatures at night can drop, even in July, to [around] 45 degrees, and it’s potentially a rainy season.
“If you get stuck out there, and you don’t have anything, hypothermia is a very real thing. And your body shuts down pretty fast with hypothermia.”
After Quinn’s disappearance, police said his white mountain bike also had not been found, a key detail that could have led authorities to finding him if it had been a more vibrant color.
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“He has a white bike [with] black tires,” Marsteiner told Fox News Digital. “It blends in easily.”
For weeks, authorities searched nearly 70,000 acres for Quinn on foot, bike and horseback, while using drones and helicopters. But even with aerial searches, Marsteiner warns, it can be hard to spot someone who is stationary.
“When they’re flying over top and looking down, they can see movement really well,” Marsteiner said. “If he’s just laying there, and his bike is just laying here, and it’s wedged underneath a rock or a bush, they’re not going to see him.”
The search for Quinn was taken over by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, but investigators reportedly have since reduced search efforts and are only following up on leads.
“The case remains open until we get any other new information or some other reason to close it,” Sheriff Aaron Appelhans told Cowboy State Daily. ” We don’t have any information to pinpoint a search area.”
The Albany County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Nearly one year after Quinn’s disappearance, the Laramie Police Department is asking for anyone visiting the mountains to continue looking for Quinn, and experts implore those who are in the wilderness to take the steps to protect themselves.
“This all comes from the heart,” Marsteiner said. “I really hope that this is a learning experience. Unfortunately, I really feel like Nash has perished, and I feel for his family. If we can save one more life by talking about what happened with Nash here, then it’s all worth it.”