Joe Pachak, a well-known artist, guide and cultural figure in Bluff, has been reported missing, prompting concern in San Juan County. Pachak, whose large natural-material sculptures and rock-art drawings are familiar to many Southeast Utah residents, was last heard from on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
For timely updates on this case, check the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Authorities searching and asking for public assistance
Friends in Bluff sounded the alarm after Pachak missed a planned meeting at the Cow Canyon Café and did not attend two scheduled Thanksgiving gatherings. The sheriff’s office and San Juan County Search and Rescue personnel are actively searching the area around his last known location at 241 South Sagebrush in Bluff. Deputies confirmed that Pachak did not take his cell phone, wallet or truck with him, raising concerns about his safety.
Grand County residents who recently traveled between Moab and Bluff — including along U.S. Highway 191, State Route 162, Butler Wash, Comb Ridge or nearby BLM roads — are encouraged to report anything they may have seen.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office at 435-587-2237.
What we know about his disappearance
Pachak, 75, is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, 150 pounds, with white balding hair and green eyes. Friends say he was in good health. While he is known as an avid outdoorsman who sometimes takes spontaneous hikes, it is unusual for him to leave without telling anyone where he planned to go.
Search and Rescue teams are focusing on areas near his Bluff property, where the surrounding canyon systems, washes and unpaved roads that can make searches challenging. Deputies have not indicated any sign of foul play and are seeking community assistance to expand the timeline of his last known movements.
Pachak’s artistic influence
Pachak’s influence reaches well beyond Bluff. Many Moab residents have attended his winter solstice effigy burns, participated in his workshops or encountered his field drawings of Basketmaker and Pueblo rock art in local galleries.
Pachak moved to southeastern Utah in the 1980s, teaching drawing and art history at Utah State University’s former White Mesa Institute. He settled permanently in Bluff in 1989, building a home and studio on an eight-acre property. In 1983, Pachak documented the first mammoth depicted in rock art, later creating a life-sized effigy of a mammoth for the city of Bluff’s annual winter solstice event.
Report any potential sightings or information to the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office at 435-587-2237.
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