geosp
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Post by geosp on Jul 16, 2019 19:59:02 GMT -8
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ErnieW
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I want to backpack
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 17, 2019 3:52:17 GMT -8
Any word on whether they caught or someone observed the knife wielding character?
One track of this story is a prideful woman gets lost and when they find her makes up a dramatic story to explain why she got lost.
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Post by autumnmist on Jul 17, 2019 6:06:28 GMT -8
Something I realized after rereading the posts is that apparently she had no phone of any type with her. Even if she and her husband were planning to hike together, it seems common sense would dictate that both carry phones of some type. Her husband "alerted" authorities, presumably by phone, and apparently that was the only phone they brought, or at least she didn't have one.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jul 17, 2019 7:30:38 GMT -8
I suspect he may have alerted the authorities by old-fashioned means. We had no cell signals there, or much of anywhere else in the Eastern Sierra. And, of course, since she was just walking the dog a bit, she might not have grabbed the phone anyway. I don’t carry mine most of the time.
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davesenesac
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Post by davesenesac on Jul 17, 2019 7:57:28 GMT -8
She had no phone at the time because after the long drive she had just gotten out of their vehicle so the dog and she could wander off a bit and pee while the husband parked nearby.
Given the bizarre puzzle of the case, on another board Monday, wrote: "Details are few as police and SAR have annoyingly clammed up as they usually do. They didn't even say if husband noticed other vehicles at campground as midweek it is often totally empty. Obviously authorities dislike the general public involved in these cases or knowing what is going on though I can never imagine why?"
Well we do understand why authorities are annoyed by and dislike the many obnoxious news and media reporters at least in this Internet era. In this case, the lead group does have a good website, however they never post information about current SAR cases until long after events.
inyosar.com/
Thus in the face of dominant speculation that it was another case of a guilty husband, I speculated what might be going on while generally complaining about the lack of meaningful public information. Reporters then not surprisingly run to relatives and friends roiling up all manner of personal issue conspiracies. Usual mean comment posters on Internet news sites then have a field day trying to out do each other making vile hateful inputs.
I've visited the White Mountains a number of times over decades with my last visit just a couple summers ago.
www.davidsenesac.com/2017_Trip_Chronicles/summer_2017-13.html
It is one of the most remote places to reach from urban California areas. Serious crimes are uncommon about our Sierra Nevada campgrounds and trailheads that says much about how we outdoor enthusiasts and rural folk that live in such areas are generally good people one can trust. These places are far from the urban cesspools where criminals and deviants tend to live so at least over past decades they rarely visit this part of the world we frequent. Part of that is because until the last couple decades, our mountains have been the playground of a dominant Caucasian culture. However that has been changing for the better as today one sees a significant mix of many ethnic groups. About a decade ago a San Francisco psycho took up residence in the county and began thieving from vehicles at hiking/backpacking trailheads and then set fire to the Inyo National Forest, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, visitor center that burned to the ground. He was caught, and convicted, with part of his sentence supposedly 3 years at a state mental institution.
On the other board, I wondered where he was now? Also wondered if any other vehicles or groups were at the remote campground? And if so what information have they offered? As for how the woman was not able to locate the main paved road that follows the crest of the range, I speculated with her husband driving, she may have never looked at maps for the area and when driving up was napping or not paying attention to what was passing by. Thus as she became lost, was confused. Some of we more experienced self sufficient enthusiasts in the same ignorant situation would have had little trouble bringing ourselves back to the road. The Owens Valley is in view steeply a mile below with a birds eye view of the snowy Sierra Nevada across that valley. Obviously any down climbing would bring one further away from a possible road. When lost a wise strategy is to climb up for an overall view of where one is. A possible issue is though she may have been an experienced hiker, a question remains whether she was one that generally just followed her husband.
In 2015 during a backpacking trip into the John Muir Wilderness, I became involved in an active SAR incident. A woman from a group was missing after camped about a mile from my position. I spoke with both members of the SAR team and those of the group. Someone in the group mentioned the well hiking experienced woman always just followed her husband. After deciding to turn back from day hiking a trail with a part of the group, she then solo got lost. I speculated that she likely never bothered looking at topographic maps because her husband kept that to himself, may have incorrectly followed a use path to a nearby lake, and then confused continued to follow its outlet stream that quickly steepens and it was there that she became more confused. Another SAR member related that was his suspicion too and by time I reached the trailhead a few hours later, they had found her exactly so. A reason I relate this is because as someone often in a lead position within groups, I make a point of sharing maps and decisions on trails and routes with others, forcing them to be more self sufficient in case solo they find themselves in trouble. And that also tends to reduce whining of those wondering why I went this way or that and how much further.
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marmotstew
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Post by marmotstew on Jul 17, 2019 9:22:38 GMT -8
A guy with a knife...AKA I was text hiking and got lost so I made up a story less embarrassing.
Also, if the story is true a gun would of stopped him 😈
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swmtnbackpacker
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Jul 17, 2019 11:14:38 GMT -8
She had no phone at the time because after the long drive she had just gotten out of their vehicle so the dog and she could wander off a bit and pee while the husband parked nearby.
Given the bizarre puzzle of the case, on another board Monday, wrote: ...
I've visited the White Mountains a number of times over decades with my last visit just a couple summers ago.
www.davidsenesac.com/2017_Trip_Chronicles/summer_2017-13.html
It is one of the most remote places to reach from urban California areas. Serious crimes are uncommon about our Sierra Nevada campgrounds and trailheads that says much about how we outdoor enthusiasts and rural folk that live in such areas are generally good people one can trust. These places are far from the urban cesspools where criminals and deviants tend to live so at least over past decades they rarely visit this part of the world we frequent. Part of that is because until the last couple decades, our mountains have been the playground of a dominant Caucasian culture. However that has been changing for the better as today one sees a significant mix of many ethnic groups.Talking about a planned PCT thru, a forestry worker warned me about leaving gear around due to meth heads setting up shop in rural America (including the 395 area), where the cops do not have as many specialized officers to concentrate on them. So electronics, gear, and worker tools disappear. Nothing about ethnicity though I’ll suspect it falls on general population lines.. It’s not a stretch that an outcast from a rural group couldn’t make it to Los Angeles and decided to try his luck in the forest either for burglary or to sexually assault a woman. Hope the police can figure it out. I think it’s less likely someone came from the big city with gas prices as they are, but who knows? Add I’ll wait but I’ve read about trailhead safety for decades. It was about 22 years ago when I returned to my vehicle after a morning hike in El Paso Franklin Mtns and two young guys were circling my vehicle despite the traffic nearby. I confronted them but you could also tell they may have been waiting for a break in the traffic.
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geosp
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Post by geosp on Jul 17, 2019 13:53:09 GMT -8
I suspect he may have alerted the authorities by old-fashioned means. We had no cell signals there, or much of anywhere else in the Eastern Sierra. Apparently he alerted the authorities via satellite phone. (Today news item)
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Jul 17, 2019 13:58:19 GMT -8
On a somewhat related point re using this as a teachable moment: "While stranded in the wilderness, Powell managed to find water to drink, ate a cactus and hiked at night to avoid getting dehydrated, her family told ABC News."
NO: once you've located water STAY PUT. Moving just creates a harder "moving target" for responders. They search an area, note it as "empty" and you move in behind them never to be located until a body recovery crew goes in on a future hiker's call.... plus the odds of getting injured as your weakened self loses strength and judgement is upped by moving around over rough terrain.
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Post by johntpenca on Jul 17, 2019 15:37:07 GMT -8
Not at all the feeling I had when we stayed there last summer. But I can’t really say—we were there for the bristlecones, and pulled in after dark and left at first light. Seemed like a fairly typical bunch of campers from what we could see. That was a random night in August, and the CG was pretty full. Can't really add anything. I just know the time I spent there was uneasy. Nothing specific, just a feeling. It could be a three way romance gone wrong.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Jul 17, 2019 21:50:23 GMT -8
Those trees are thousands of years old they've seen things...
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bp2go
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Post by bp2go on Jul 18, 2019 8:18:43 GMT -8
not an area of thick forest This story is too bizarre. Grandview is at 8700, a Pinyon Jumiper Woodland (ie., not a dense forest). She survived on cactus fruit? Well, that would be some surprise. I don't recall Opuntia cactus in that mix of vegetation, but maybe I missed? And cactus fruit are called prickly pears for a reason. Not easy to simply eat! So since the campground is described as flat, vegetation not dense, a guy waiting with a knife to "have his way" with a 60-year old woman (such a polite threat!) and she could take her little dog and run? Not buyin' it.
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swmtnbackpacker
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Jul 18, 2019 9:47:12 GMT -8
not an area of thick forest This story is too bizarre. Grandview is at 8700, a Pinyon Jumiper Woodland (ie., not a dense forest). She survived on cactus fruit? Well, that would be some surprise. I don't recall Opuntia cactus in that mix of vegetation, but maybe I missed? And cactus fruit are called prickly pears for a reason. Not easy to simply eat! So since the campground is described as flat, vegetation not dense, a guy waiting with a knife to "have his way" with a 60-year old woman (such a polite threat!) and she could take her little dog and run? Not buyin' it. There is a way to get the little spines out via fire but there should be either a fire ring or a lot of spines in her mouth. I’m starting to think she just got disoriented and is too embarrassed to admit it. Not that she should be ashamed if that’s the case. There’s plenty of informal trails surrounding many trailheads and campgrounds.
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Westy
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Post by Westy on Jul 18, 2019 11:14:53 GMT -8
Something seems disingenuous to me. Will be interested in results of investigation.
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geosp
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Post by geosp on Jul 18, 2019 13:45:49 GMT -8
I note that it was reported that her daughter had set up a GoFundMe page and had raised $21,000 by July 15th. 'To hire a private detective' Hope the money has been refunded or at least donated to the rescue services.
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