A man who previously appeared on HGTV has died while hiking on Mount Whitney in California's Sequoia National Park.
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Kalem Peter Kazarian, 52, died on the mountain, although authorities have yet to determine his cause of death.
Kazarian appeared in the 2019 HGTV pilot of Go Big or Go Home, alongside hosts Koko and Nick Chandler.
Hiker Dies on Mount Whitney in California
The Tulare County Coroner's Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Kazarian's death. Authorities have not yet released further details.
Born in Fowler, California, Kazarian was a well-known member of his local community, a devout Christian and a contractor with Kazarian Custom Homes.
Beyond his professional work, Kazarian contributed to charitable housing projects, including helping build homes in Yerevan through Habitat for Humanity Armenia.
His family's history also inspired author Joan Schoettler's book, The Honey Jar: An Armenian's Escape to Freedom, which recounts their escape from Armenia.
Kazarian shared a passion for hiking with his wife, Jonelle, and the couple recently celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary.
They had three children together, Judi, Peter and Frank.
The family reportedly plans to hold a memorial service later this month.
Mount Whitney Has Seen Several Fatal Hiking Incidents
Kazarian's death follows several fatal hiking incidents on Mount Whitney, one of California's most challenging mountain destinations.
In January, search crews discovered a hiker's body during an aerial search of the mountain's north face.
Authorities launched the search after the individual became separated from their companions and failed to descend the mountain.
Rescuers located the body below an area known as the "final 400" stretch, a particularly steep section of the route that becomes especially dangerous during winter conditions.
Last December, search teams also recovered the body of a 21-year-old hiker following a search that lasted several weeks.
Another hiker died in a fall on Mount Whitney the previous October, shortly after the mountain experienced its first snowfall of the season.
Search teams discovered both hikers who died late last year along the mountain's 99 Switchbacks section, another demanding portion of the popular hiking route.
