Former River Forest woman found dead near California hiking trail

A former River Forest woman was found dead near a hiking trail in central California on Friday, four days after she was reported missing.

A Monterey County search-and-rescue team found the body of Caroline Meister, 30, at the base of a steep waterfall after she left a Zen center in Carmel Valley Monday morning for a hike, according to the Monterey County sheriff’s office.

She was reported missing Monday night when her friends and staff at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center noticed she hadn’t returned.

Meister had lived in California for about two years. Her parents described her as a “very experienced and avid hiker who was very familiar with the area,” Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said at a news conference Friday.

Meister told the Zen center staff members she was going to hike a nearby trail that loops back to the center. A search team rapelled down the waterfall, according to the sheriff’s office, which said no foul play was suspected and that an autopsy was being performed.

“Our trails are very steep in our area, they can be dangerous in some areas, and even experienced hikers could have slip and falls,” Nieto said.