In April 1953, at age 71, Steiner left his home in Brightwood and took one last walk into the forest. A day later, in search of his father, Fred Steiner drowned in the Salmon River after being thrown from his raft. Henry's body was found more than a week later, seated by a stump, a little ways off from the paths he'd walked most of his life. After stints in the Marines and logging, John Steiner continued his father's legacy by repairing many of the cabins his family built until he died in 2012.