His dog, Bauer, was also found safe, officials said. Video of the dog posted on the Twitter account of the sheriff’s office appeared to show it in fair condition.
Since Monday, a large rescue effort involving a National Guard helicopter and Nordic skiers had been looking for Cody Michael, 23, of Rocklin, after he and his German shepherd disappeared.
They were last seen near Loch Leven Lakes Trail area in the Tahoe National Forest, authorities said.
Sometime during the hike, Michael had texted a photo of himself and Bauerto his family and said he’d be back Monday, but he never arrived.