Three hikers planned their trip with AI and ended up stranded in a U.S. canyon

Three amateur hikers from Roseville, California, ended up stranded in Mud Creek Canyon after relying heavily on Google Gemini to plan their Mount Shasta trip.

The group set up camp at about 2,560 metres on Saturday, August 29, then left for the summit at 3 a.m. the following day with supplies intended for one day. The climb took much longer than expected, and they did not reach the summit until 7 p.m.

They began descending after dark. About an hour later, they called the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office for directions after following the AI assistant’s guidance and failing to return to the correct route. They reached Mud Creek Canyon, where one of the hikers later fell and injured a knee. The three could not continue and spent the night in the steep canyon area.

U.S. Forest Service rangers found them the next morning and provided first aid with help from volunteers with the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s search-and-rescue team. All three eventually returned safely to their starting point.

The hikers told rangers they had relied on Gemini for route information and recommendations about equipment, food and water. The sheriff’s office said those recommendations led them to carry far less food and water than they would have needed in an emergency. Their plan was to complete the trip in about eight hours, but getting lost turned it into a journey lasting several days.

Authorities advised hikers to contact a local U.S. Forest Service ranger station before entering the mountains for current information on routes and conditions. They said artificial intelligence should not be used as the sole source for planning a climb.