Missing hiker found in California mountain cabin says she fell off a cliff, was trapped by an avalanche

Tiffany Slaton, a woman who was missing for weeks in California’s Sierra Nevada, said she was in an avalanche and survived off leeks before she was found safe on Wednesday. 

“When I fell off of this cliff, I was unconscious for about two hours and did indeed need to splint one of my legs and popped the other knee back into place,” Slaton said while addressing the news media on Friday. “From there, I couldn’t actually get back onto the road, the main road was blocked because of the avalanche that I had been in.”

Slaton said she tried calling 911 numerous times but was not successful. However, her GPS was able to get her directions to the nearest Starbucks, but she says the route was a “long, arduous journey.” 

After about five days, she said she ran out of food. Slaton, who said she is a nutritionist, said she ended up surviving on leeks, boiled snowmelt, and made tea out of manzanita and pine needles. 

“The [Sierra] has a large selection of leeks that is hard to find in other places,” Slaton said. “I managed to survive off of these leeks and boiling the snowmelt for a very long period of time.”

She originally set out for a camping trip, so she said she brought two sleeping bags and a tent. But she said she lost the tent and the sleeping bags at some point, leaving her with just a lighter and a knife. 

“I’m pretty good at forging, and nature is quite terrifying, so usually once you start finding things that are scary for you, you do your best to keep moving and get over it,” she said. 

The owner of Vermilion Valley Resort found her in a cabin on Wednesday. 

“That was the 13th heavy snowstorm I had been in,” Slaton said. “If he hadn’t come that day, they would’ve found my body there.” 

Slaton celebrated her 28th birthday on Thursday. 

Slaton added that she is an archery teacher and an athlete.