Re: Missing hiker in Mazatzals - gpsjoe (Joe Domin)

We hiked from the Mt. Peeley trailhead on the MDT23 to the cairned Peeley Summit route. We took the summit route for a short distance but then contoured around Peeley until we were able to reach the ridgeline. (this section was creeping into the ridiculous zone, don't want to repeat it) However, this landed us at the upper end of ravine 9. We hiked the ridgeline from 9 to 9A. (nasty thick) We worked our way on to ravines 8 and then 7. There were lots of broken up (trampled) manzanita bushes between 8 and 7. I had hoped to get to ravine #4 but we opted to turn around anticipating a long and slow trek back to the MDT. I had serious reservations about going back the way we came and was considering any alternate bailout route...............possibly bringing me closer to how Joe felt last November but let me tell you I WOULD NOT have opted to go down through Ravine 7 like Joe did a year ago----holy heck hannah! What would drive him down that as an exit?(perhaps the need for water at Thicket Spring?)

Thankfully our return route was much sweeter than our approach. From Ravine #7 we zipped through a small section of the ridgeline and then headed straight down the North side until we hit the MDT. This was so crazy-easy and fast compared to the way we came up. I have to believe Joe would have used a route like this rather than another ravine bailout.

Thanks to Trish for her maps, radio and binoculars also to Jacob for going with me and tracking our route.....loving my friends and all the awesome people on this site who are working together in an amazing way.

Sending positive thoughts to the family and searchers.
This is such a massive area to cover.

http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?GPS=9732
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw_ObRLRdjI