At the time of his disappearance, Timothy Barnes was a resident of Rancho Cucamonga, California. He left Tenaya Lakes near Highway 120 east of Tioga Road in California at approximately 9:00 AM on July 5, 1988. Barnes planned to hike to the Polly Dome Lakes in Yosemite National Park, which are located approximately three miles from Tenaya Lakes. He failed to return later that day as scheduled and has never been heard from since. His friends reported him as a missing person to park service rangers the following morning. An extensive search of the surrounding area failed to produce any evidence as to his whereabouts.