Utah Dad Charged with Child Torture After Hike Left His Kids Near Death

Father forced his kids to summit extreme trail

On October 11, 2025, Micah Smith loaded his three kids into the car and drove to Big Cottonwood Canyon. The plan was to summit Twin Peaks, one of the most visible mountains in the Salt Lake Valley.

His children were 2, 4, and 8 years old. The trail gains over 5,000 feet and is rated extreme.

By nightfall, two of his kids had stopped breathing, and his daughter was performing CPR on her little brother under a rock in a snowstorm. What rescuers found the next morning led to six felony charges.

He Picked One of Utah’s Hardest Trails

Twin Peaks sits at 11,328 feet and looms nearly 7,000 feet above the Salt Lake Valley floor. The Broads Fork Trail to the summit covers about 9 miles round trip and climbs more than 5,000 feet.

Hikers describe scrambling on all fours over loose boulders and losing the trail entirely in the upper sections. The route is not maintained past the meadow at mile two.

Experienced hikers budget 8 to 10 hours to complete it. Trail guides explicitly say it is not recommended for children or beginners.

His Wife Told Him to Come Home

Smith started the hike around 9 a. m. with his daughter and two sons. By late afternoon, storm clouds were rolling in.

His 8-year-old told him they should leave. He said no.

His wife was texting him, asking if the kids were safe. At 5:18 p.m., Smith replied that his 4-year-old was exhausted, everyone was starting to fail, and it was raining. His wife texted back telling him to leave because it was getting dark.

He kept going.

“Are We Going to Freeze to Death, Daddy?”

Investigators found videos on Smith’s phone from that afternoon. In one, his daughter can be heard asking if they were going to freeze to death.

Smith told her they were almost to the top. In another video, he told the children they were taking “the path less traveled” and that it would be hard.

When his daughter said she was getting scared and wanted to go home, Smith allegedly told her “you shall not pass. ” Then the storm hit.

The Storm Caught Them at 11,000 Feet

The family reached the summit around 6 p. m. as snow, hail, and rain began falling. The temperature had dropped 20 degrees from when they started.

Smith later told investigators he tried to hike back down but only made it about 600 feet before stopping. His 2-year-old had fallen and hit his head on the way down.

The boy seemed dazed. With three small children, worsening weather, and fading daylight, Smith decided to find shelter.

They Huddled Under a Rock Overhang

Around 8 p. m., Smith found a large boulder with an overhang. He gathered logs, sticks, and rocks to build a windscreen.

He put pine needles on the ground and used his body to try to keep the children warm. His daughter later told investigators she was “worried about not living.” The children were not dressed for the conditions. Rescuers would later note the kids were wearing very little clothing when they were found.

Smith Taught His Daughter to Do CPR

During the night, the 2-year-old stopped breathing. Smith said he performed CPR until the boy started breathing again on his own.

Then the 4-year-old became very cold and also had trouble breathing.

Smith taught his 8-year-old daughter how to do chest compressions so she could help keep her brothers alive while he left to find help in the morning.

Rescuers Found the 4-Year-Old Unconscious

Search and rescue teams, along with helicopters from the Utah Department of Public Safety and Intermountain Life Flight, found the family Sunday morning.

The 8-year-old was near a boulder with some sticks stacked against it. The two boys were underneath her.

The 4-year-old was mostly exposed, unconscious, and appeared lifeless. He had no pulse. His body temperature was 62. 6 degrees.

Paramedics performed CPR for 25 minutes while rushing him to the hospital.

The Boy Had a Stroke and Lost Part of His Skull

At the hospital, doctors worked to save the 4-year-old’s life. He regained a pulse but then suffered a stroke.

Surgeons had to remove part of his skull and insert a drain. He was placed on a heart and lung bypass machine. His brother was in stable condition. His sister was discharged.

Smith had third-degree frostbite but was otherwise in fair condition. As of late November, the 4-year-old remained hospitalized.

Prosecutors say he will never fully recover.

Smith Was Kicked Out of the Hospital

On November 10, about a month after the rescue, Smith was removed from Primary Children’s Hospital. Staff accused him of interfering with his 4-year-old son’s medical care and tampering with equipment.

He was trespassed from the hospital. He was also arrested on suspicion of domestic violence after the incident.

Prosecutors noted that a month before the hike, Smith had told police he was “going through a really hard time” and had expressed suicidal thoughts.

Prosecutors Say His Behavior Is Spiraling

Smith was charged with three counts of child torture and three counts of aggravated child abuse. All six are first-degree felonies punishable by up to life in prison.

Prosecutors called him “extremely selfish” for choosing to summit the mountain over the safety of his children. A judge ordered him held without bail.

His brother started a GoFundMe calling Smith a hero who “bravely sacrificed himself” to protect his kids. The page has since been deleted.

The Children Paid the Price

The charging documents say Smith admitted he did not check the weather before the hike and was not prepared. Only two deputies on the search and rescue team felt confident hiking to where the family was found.

The trail is rated hard by every source and explicitly not recommended for winter conditions.

Visiting Twin Peaks via Broads Fork Trail, Utah

The Broads Fork Trailhead is located at the S-curve about 4 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, southeast of Salt Lake City. The parking lot is shared with Lake Blanche and fills up by 7 a.m. on summer weekends.

The trail to Twin Peaks gains over 5,000 feet and takes 8 to 10 hours for experienced hikers. Dogs are not allowed.

The route is not recommended in winter due to avalanche terrain. This is an extreme hike that requires scrambling, route-finding, and proper preparation.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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