Fathers calls for hiking permits after son dies on Mount Baldy
After his son died while hiking Mount Baldy, Kenneth Muensch Casanova called on Angeles National Forest officials to require permits on the dangerous mountain.
"If you talk to anybody about Marcus, they'll tell you that he was an old soul," Casanova said. "He was so much kinder than an average 18 or 19-year-old."
Marcus Muensch Casanova was one of the three hikers rescue crews found dead on Mount Baldy two weeks ago.
Kenneth said his son and a friend wanted to conquer the Devil's Backbone Trail in Mount Baldy as part of an effort to broaden their horizons in the great outdoors. Kenneth said he tried to convince his son not to go on the hiking trip because of the dangerous conditions on the mountain.
"He said 'Look, I promise you if I get up there and I feel like my life is in danger, I'll turn around," Kenneth recalled. "And then he went and died."
Since 2017, 23 hikers have died on Mount Baldy, including Marcus. In 2025, deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department carried out 200 rescues on the mountain.
"Our mountain communities can be very unforgiving," said Eric Vetere, commander of the West Valley Search and Rescue. "You're basically placing an ice skating rink at a 45 to 50 degree angle, and when you slip and fall, that's what you're sliding on."
Kenneth said his son slipped and fell 600 feet during the hike.
"His friend walked across just fine and then he heard Marcus call his name," Kenneth said. "Turned around and Marcus was sliding. He slid down 600 feet and hit his head at 30 mph on a rock."
Kenneth urged officials to implement a permitting system for Mount Baldy, where people have to watch a video about unexpected extreme hazards before they're allowed to hike.
"I encourage everybody to go to the U.S. Forestry website," Kenneth said. "They have opened it up for public comment. Go and ask them for a simple permitting system."
Angeles National Forest officials are hosting a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Details on how to attend or submit a comment if you cannot attend are posted on their website.
