Missing California Hiker Was ‘Only Carrying Snacks for the Day’ When She Left Mountain Center

Officials say 30-year-old Caroline Meister "was not dressed or equipped for an overnight stay"

Officials are searching for a woman who went missing in Northern California during a hike.

Around 10 a.m. on the morning of March 18, Caroline Meister, 30, departed from Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in Carmel Valley for a hike. According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Meister hasn’t been seen since.

“She was only carrying snacks for the day and was not dressed or equipped for an overnight stay,” authorities wrote on Facebook.

She had reportedly shared her plans to take a trail that looped back to the Zen Center, and possibly hiking the “Windcave Trail.” At about 11:30 p.m. that night, more than 12 hours after Meister left, she was reported missing after failing to return home.

Meister is 5’6 and 150 lbs with long wavy brown hair and embarked on the hike wearing teal boots and carrying a blue bag. Deputies added that her hair was likely pulled up.

“The Monterey County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, Drone Team and a California Highway Patrol Helicopter have been working collaboratively throughout the day to attempt to locate Caroline,” police said.

“Additional resources are being requested to assist in continued search efforts.”

Related: Body of Missing Hiker, 61, Found at Bottom of Oregon Cliff After Not Returning from Solo Trip

Local news station KSBW spoke with Meister's parents, John and Jean Meister, more than two days after their daughter went missing. The Meisters are keeping hope that their daughter is still alive.

"She's very familiar with the area, she's also an avid hiker," her father told the outlet Wednesday afternoon after arriving at the site.

"She is very strong and resilient and we have great faith she's doing whatever she can to stay safe," her mother said.

Tassajara Zen Mountain Center director Heather Larusso told the outlet she is hoping for the best.

"We really don't know what happened, so everything is just speculation,” Larusso said. “All we know is that she was going on a simple hike, and she has yet to return from that hike.”

PEOPLE has reached out to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office for further comment but did not immediately hear back.

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