Utah Father Charged with Felonies After Hike Endangers Kids

Micah Smith, a 31-year-old father from South Jordan, Utah, faces multiple felony charges after leading his three young children on a strenuous hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon that turned perilous when a storm struck, leaving two of the children in critical condition from severe hypothermia.

On October 11, Smith took his 8-year-old daughter and sons, aged 4 and 2, on the Broads Fork Trail, a challenging 5-mile round-trip path with a 2,100-foot elevation gain rated as difficult and not recommended for young children. The group aimed for the summit at about 11,330 feet but encountered rain, hail, and snow after several hours. Despite warnings from his daughter and text messages from his wife urging him to turn back, Smith pressed on, according to charging documents filed in Salt Lake County 3rd District Court. The daughter later told investigators that her father described the outing as a "once-in-a-lifetime thing" and dismissed her fears by saying, "You shall not pass," as storm clouds gathered.

The family became lost and sought shelter near the summit under a boulder, using sticks and rocks as a windbreak. During the overnight ordeal, the 2-year-old son fell and struck his head,...