{"id":453287,"date":"2026-09-04T12:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T12:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/453287\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T12:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T12:08:17","slug":"california-hikers-rescued-from-mountain-after-using-ai-route-planner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/453287\/","title":{"rendered":"California hikers rescued from mountain after using AI route planner"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A trio of hikers were rescued from a <a data-ylk=\"slk:California;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/california\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">California<\/a> mountain after using A.I. to plan their route.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200bThe three men, each from Roseville, a city located in the Sacramento metropolitan area, were rescued on Monday after becoming stranded on <a data-ylk=\"slk:Mount Shasta&#039;s;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/americas\/california-mount-shasta-climber-dead-b2095666.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Mount Shasta&#8217;s<\/a> Clear Creek Route.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Upon being found by USFS Climbing Rangers, the men revealed that they had relied on <a data-ylk=\"slk:Google&#039;s Gemini A.I.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/tech\/google-gemini-robot-deepmind-ai-b3025138.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Google&#8217;s Gemini A.I.<\/a> to prepare for the trip.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200b&#8221;At the conclusion of the rescue, the men told a Sheriff&#8217;s Deputy on scene that they had relied heavily on Google&#8217;s Gemini AI to provide them with information about the route as well as what to pack for their trip,&#8221; the Siskiyou County Sheriff&#8217;s Office said in a <a data-ylk=\"slk:statement;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SiskiyouCountySheriff\/?locale=en_GB\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office says that it rescued three hikers on Monday after they used Google's Gemini AI to plan their climb up Mount Shasta (Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_635\/a2e886801e8a289502ade62ec2045662.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Siskiyou County Sheriff&#8217;s Office says that it rescued three hikers on Monday after they used Google&#8217;s Gemini AI to plan their climb up Mount Shasta (Siskiyou County Sheriff&#8217;s Office)<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200bThe statement continued, &#8220;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 (sic) ascent became a multi-day ordeal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Independent has contacted Google for comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200bThe group had initially made camp on Saturday before heading for the <a data-ylk=\"slk:summit;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/mountain\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">summit<\/a> at about 3 am on Sunday. They reached the summit at 7 p.m. that evening, despite officials warning that hikers should turn back if they do not reach that top by midday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While descending, the group contacted the sheriff&#8217;s office for help but eventually veered into Mud Creek Canyon, where they became stranded. Later that night, one of the hikers fell and suffered a knee injury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200bEventually, USFS Climbing Rangers found the group the next morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200bLocated just 60 miles south of the <a data-ylk=\"slk:Oregon;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/oregon\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Oregon<\/a> border and standing at 14,179 feet, Mount Shasta is the fifth-highest peak in California.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"The sheriff's office described using the AI tool as a 'critical misstep' (Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_635\/8a2cdfc375445d51673f152b4d88a255.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The sheriff&#8217;s office described using the AI tool as a &#8216;critical misstep&#8217; (Siskiyou County Sheriff&#8217;s Office)<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200bAccording to the <a data-ylk=\"slk:Mount Shasta Avalanche Center;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shastaavalanche.org\/general-route-description\/clear-creek#\/view\/observations\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Mount Shasta Avalanche Center<\/a>, the Clear Creek Route is the easiest way of reaching the summit. While climbing, hikers can see views of the Konwakiton Glacier and the Wintun Glacier, as well as Mud Creek Canyon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200bThe sheriff&#8217;s office warns that the route requires climbers to be &#8220;physically fit&#8221; and prepared for all weather conditions and a potential overnight stay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200b&#8221;Serious accidents and fatalities occur on the Clear Creek route when individuals become lost and wander into more dangerous terrain, such as the Mud Creek drainage,&#8221; the office says. &#8220;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 AI for your trip planning.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"The sheriff's office warns that hikers should turn back when climbing Mount Shasta, if they have not reached the summit by 12 pm (Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_635\/336def675c6d14cd984fb201a7d85326.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The sheriff&#8217;s office warns that hikers should turn back when climbing Mount Shasta, if they have not reached the summit by 12 pm (Siskiyou County Sheriff&#8217;s Office)<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The hikers&#8217; rescue after using <a data-ylk=\"slk:Google&#039;s Gemini A.I.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/bulletin\/news\/google-gemini-billion-users-chatgpt-b3031850.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Google&#8217;s Gemini A.I. <\/a>for their climb came just days before Google <a data-ylk=\"slk:announced;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/company-news\/inside-google\/company-announcements\/mrbeast-gemini-google-health\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">announced<\/a> that it had announced a new partnership designed to show off examples of &#8220;surviving harsh environments with Gemini&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200bThe brand unveiled a multi-year partnership with YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known professionally as MrBeast, on September 2.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u200bOn September 5, Donaldson is set to star in a video following him and various teams &#8220;using Gemini to help them identify dangers, survive brutal weather changes, and stay one step ahead.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A trio of hikers were rescued from a California mountain after using A.I. to plan their route. \u200bThe&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":453288,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28970,2007,7,9,8,179101,21829,179096,125606,14624,179099,2637,179098,179097,179100],"class_list":["post-453287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-a-i","tag-ai","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-clear-creek-route","tag-gemini","tag-gemini-a-i","tag-gemini-ai","tag-google","tag-mount-shastas","tag-sheriff","tag-the-siskiyou-county-sheriffs-office","tag-usfs-climbing-rangers","tag-usfs-mount-shasta-ranger"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/453287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=453287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/453287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/453288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=453287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=453287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=453287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}