Hike Arizona urges anyone interested in searching to post or join an event.
If you go out, please track your hike on a GPS and post it for the benefit of future searches. Simply post it upon return. (if you need help ask the webmaster) Hike Arizona will see that it gets linked to a master map. If you have multiple variations in your group, please post all tracks. As more info is posted the map will evolve and the overlaps will be removed.
November 16, 2010
Tonto Rim Search and Rescue volunteers and Gila County Sheriff officers are currently searching for an overdue hiker.
The man, whose name has not been released, was last heard from nine days ago and is believed to be hiking near the Mt. Peeley trail or Sheep Mountain, off Forest Road 201, southwest of Payson.
The Gila County Sheriff’s Office first received a call that the man was overdue Monday, Nov. 15 about 9 p.m.
“The hiker has not been heard from since Nov. 7 and frequents the Mazatzal Mountain Wilderness area,” according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.
The missing hiker’s vehicle was located at the Mt. Peeley trailhead.
Six TRSAR volunteers are currently searching the ground. Earlier Tuesday, a Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter did an aerial search of the area, but found no signs of the man
Dawn
--On the loose to climb a mountain, on the loose where I am free. On the loose to live my life the way I think my life should be...For we only have a moment and a whole world yet to see...I'll be looking for tomorrow on the loose. ---unknown--
nonot wrote:Brian may have trouble getting tracks off his GPS. As I understand it:
Fri: He followed my route up the ridge between 7 and 8 about 400 ft in elevation until I sighted them, then he and Kenny went across drainage 7 onto the ridge between 6 and 7. From here they summited peak 6910, and went down via the ridge between 5 and 4B (I think)
Sat: He went up in the 2-4 area, summited Sheep Mtn, met Sam, where they came down between 3 and 4, dropped into 4, then out of 4 east towards the Thicket Trail.
Thank you! Do hope some had time to do that recommended ridge line down from Pk6910 (between ravines 4 and 5)? and also check out the possible fall areas around the upper base, just below PK6910 and possible fall areas around that upper section of ravine#4 just below the ridgeline?
Grasshopper wrote:Thank you! Do hope some had time to do that recommended ridge line down from Pk6910 (between ravines 4 and 5)? and also check out the possible fall areas around the upper base, just below PK6910 and possible fall areas around that upper section of ravine#4 just below the ridgeline?
Yea, we looked around as best we could but there's just so much ground to scan & cover and unfortunately the days too short to spend as much time searching those ridges and we'd have liked...
Yea, canyoneering is an extreme sport... EXTREMELY dramatic!!! =p
Before I forget - I found signs of ground disturbance on the 7-8 ridge for most of the route. Surprisingly there is a fairly sturdy corral about 1/4 of the way up as well. It was hard to say if any of the ground disturbance was human or not. In many cases I concluded it was not human since there was no observable damage to the nearby manzanita (which I would have to inflict as I made my way up). So it was probably nimble deer or elk responsible for most of it, as far as I can figure.
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, ankle-twisting, HAZmaster crushing ROCKS!!
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, shin-stabbing, skin-shredding plants!
Hike Arizona it is full of striking, biting, stabbing, venomous wildlife!
Need help getting the tracks of Brian's Garmin etrex legend. Apparently he needs a cable. Does anyone happen to have cables they could share for this particular model?
I have cable for eTrex Vista C (think it is similar to Legend) that he can use. I live in N Scottsdale at Carefree Hwy and Scottsdale Rd. I'm not able to drive to Gilbert to deliver...maybe he works closer to me or I can overnight to him.
Brian
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday......there is no SOMEDAY!
Yea, I never got a cable in the past because of the extra cost & I didn't have need at the time of uploading tracks. But it's that old style connector with the 4 dots and the cable is for a serial port though I only have USB ports... I work in north Tempe but that's still a descent drive from there. Maybe someone in the Mesa/Gilbert area still has one of these ancient connectors?
UPDATE: Looks like I might be able to get these tracks off of my unit after all...
Last edited by Vaporman on Nov 28 2010 7:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yea, canyoneering is an extreme sport... EXTREMELY dramatic!!! =p
Just looked at the cable that came with the unit and it does not fit my GPS! USB on one end and small connection that is like what fits into my small point and shoot Canon camera. Oh well I tried.
Brian
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday......there is no SOMEDAY!
te-wa wrote:I have had cell communication with Verizon and i do think there is a tower on Mt. Ord.
I get service along most of FR 201, and at the Peeley trailhead. I'm pretty sure Ord has cell towers; generally if I can see the towers on Ord, I'll have reception.
"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan
Verizon service was spotty at best for me hiking over to Sheep Mtn on Sat with no coverage from the high peak. Got signal but unable to place calls or SMS.
SPOT3 worked pretty well but isn't perfect either and had tracking problems especially in the ravines. Suspect if we stopped moving for long enough that more msg's would go through but we were fighting darkness and solid walls of manzanita.
Preston Sands wrote:
te-wa wrote:I have had cell communication with Verizon and i do think there is a tower on Mt. Ord.
I get service along most of FR 201, and at the Peeley trailhead. I'm pretty sure Ord has cell towers; generally if I can see the towers on Ord, I'll have reception.
I want to personally thank all that gave their time and energy over the holiday weekend to look for Joe. As if the terrain isn't bad enough, you had to deal with tough weather conditions also. You guys did a great job!
Ever since I summited Sheep Mt and saw the amazing views up there while searching for Joe, I've had the idea of clearing a route for a quicker hike to this amazing peak as a memorial to Joe and his many efforts to summit this elusive peak. I haven't personally hiked the ridgeline yet, but it sounds like the section from the Divide trail to peak 6910 is fairly 'easy going' so we'd only need to cairn and/or mark this section for the most part. Most of the work would be be blasting a route along the ridgeline from 6910 to Sheep Mt using saws, trimmers, and ribbons to mark the route. This would also help us in searching the northside of the peak since it's rather time consuming to reach without a clear path. And maybe extra visitation would help in finally finding Joe... Was wondering if anyone would be interested in joining me in this effort?
Yea, canyoneering is an extreme sport... EXTREMELY dramatic!!! =p
Vaporman wrote: I've had the idea of clearing a route for a quicker hike to this amazing peak as a memorial to Joe
...it would be the first thing I would do if I were over there searching... giving a clear and easier egress to make the related searches simpler... wish I was there to help.
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
Vaporman wrote:Ever since I summited Sheep Mt and saw the amazing views up there while searching for Joe, I've had the idea of clearing a route for a quicker hike to this amazing peak as a memorial to Joe and his many efforts to summit this elusive peak. I haven't personally hiked the ridgeline yet, but it sounds like the section from the Divide trail to peak 6910 is fairly 'easy going' so we'd only need to cairn and/or mark this section for the most part. Most of the work would be be blasting a route along the ridgeline from 6910 to Sheep Mt using saws, trimmers, and ribbons to mark the route. This would also help us in searching the northside of the peak since it's rather time consuming to reach without a clear path. And maybe extra visitation would help in finally finding Joe... Was wondering if anyone would be interested in joining me in this effort?
Is this designated as 'wilderness' or are power saws allowed/permitted?
"The censorship method ... is that of handing the job over to some frail and erring mortal man, and making him omnipotent on the assumption that his official status will make him infallible and omniscient."
George Bernard Shaw
hikeaz wrote:
Is this designated as 'wilderness' or are power saws allowed/permitted?
this is def. the mazatzal wilderness. no bikes, for yay!
What are all the quads and such doing in there then? Did the FS contractors use power saws during/after the fire?
"The censorship method ... is that of handing the job over to some frail and erring mortal man, and making him omnipotent on the assumption that his official status will make him infallible and omniscient."
George Bernard Shaw
Route Editor
Route Scout
"Joe's Ridge Trail"?
