HikeArizona.COM

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.

Searched Routes

Southern Ravines Map

Forecast Mormon Grove & Peeley

Crews looking for missing hiker
By Alexis Bechman

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

I'm planning to do Sheep from the west fork of Sycamore Creek, and according to the searched routes map, southern ravine 1 and more importantly 4 do not have routes in the drainage itself. I would think that is where anything would collect that originated from Sheep's summit area on the south side. Or is the visibility so good now post fire that the adjacent routes felt they were able to inspect the drainage without actually travelling in it?

@Barrett
SInce there haven't been any clues in more than 3 years, any search area is a good search area.

Anyways...good luck and be safe.

Barrett wrote:I'm planning to do Sheep from the west fork of Sycamore Creek, and according to the searched routes map, southern ravine 1 and more importantly 4 do not have routes in the drainage itself. I would think that is where anything would collect that originated from Sheep's summit area on the south side. Or is the visibility so good now post fire that the adjacent routes felt they were able to inspect the drainage without actually traveling in it?

With no additional clues located since confirming GPSjoe's vehicle at the Mount Peeley TH on 11/15/10pm, I don't think any surrounding search area can be considered eliminated. Thanks for your post.

Latest HAZ posted search efforts for April 5, 2014: http://hikearizona.com/trip=102060 :thanx:

I was in the area 3 weeks ago when Fan (an older Asian woman in my backpacking group) and I did the Deer Creek Loop. I had never really knew anything about gpsJoe, except seeing the various signs over the years, until this trip. When we had finally climbed up and gotten through the rest of the first segment of [destroyed] trail (Deer Creek) and came out, Fan told me about Joe and that the area we were in is where they found his vehicle. Anyways, just from that trip alone, I can tell you that anything would surely (most likely anyways) be in one of the washes, creeks, or drainage canyons. From everything I could see, once you are up and away from the creeks, even just a little bit, you completely lose sight of them and how deep the drop-offs can be. I am always surprised how often people are found relatively close to their vehicles or starting point...and if that's the case here, there is still much to search.

Just be careful...it is rugged and destroyed in places like no other (ok, maybe like the Blue Range).

Latest HAZ posted search efforts for July 19, 2014: http://hikearizona.com/trip=105777 :thanx:

GPSjoe's 72nd Birthday Friday-8/22/14.. good memories from what seems like only yesterday at 14,269ft
http://hikearizona.com/photo=152559 & http://hikearizona.com/photo=155222

Happy Birthday Joe, you are missed and never forgotten!

Today, November 8, 2014, is the fourth year anniversary of GPSjoe's hike disappearance in from the Mount Peeley TH with "no clues" reported to date. A reflection day for me and still such a mystery with so much ongoing individual and group search efforts having taken place since our first confirmation one week after, on 11/15/10..
Joseph S. Domin http://hikearizona.com/photo=292527 R.I.P.

I'm so sorry there has been no closure for this tragedy. I wish I had met Joe. He helped me a lot, messaging back and forth, with my Garmin 60cx.

GPSjoe is never forgotten. His friends, fellow hikers and family are in my thoughts today.

Almost 4 years since our first search... Lasting friendships were made that day. There has been a special beer (kiltlifter) in my fridge since February. It was the one I toasted to johnr1 but never opened. I plan to open it on sheep in the near future to toast to joe and john.

I Can't believe four years have gone by and still nothing has been found. I know it's not for the lack of trying. This hiking community is awesome, thank you all for not forgetting and giving up.
Contemplating of hiking Sixshooter-Icehouse loop next weekend.... last hike gpsjoe and I hiked together just a couple of weeks before the tragic incident.
Miss you Joe!

Reference:
GPSJoe Nov'10 Missing Person Poster--> http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ID=430110
Tonto NF- Mount Peeley TH "New Information Board Kiosk"--> http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ID=489803

The Tonto National Forest- Tonto Basin Ranger District at Lake Roosevelt, AZ, has responsibility for this new information kiosk at the Mount Peeley TH. Today-3/30/15, I discussed with the the responsible Tonto Basin Ranger / Wildlife Biologist, the Joseph S. Domin family desire to have a new GPSjoe Missing Person Poster mounted within this new kiosk. They agreed to do so. I will USPS mail a new copy of our GPSjoe missing person poster to them today.

Grasshopper wrote:Reference:
GPSJoe Nov'10 Missing Person Poster--> http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ID=430110
Tonto NF- Mount Peeley TH "New Information Board Kiosk"--> http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ID=489803

The Tonto National Forest- Tonto Basin Ranger District at Lake Roosevelt, AZ, has responsibility for this new information kiosk at the Mount Peeley TH. Today-3/30/15, I discussed with the the responsible Tonto Basin Ranger / Wildlife Biologist, the Joseph S. Domin family desire to have a new GPSjoe Missing Person Poster mounted within this new kiosk. They agreed to do so. I will USPS mail a new copy of our GPSjoe missing person poster to them today.

Very nice!

Thank you Hank!

@SUN_HIKER
:thanx: Gabriele for originally editing & providing these posters!

Is there online a GPS track of all previous searches for Joe that one can download onto his or her GPS unit and if so what is the required and or recommended software and GPS units?

SuperstitionGuy wrote:Is there online a GPS track of all previous searches for Joe that one can download

Yes, the complete GPS Route Search Listing (ie, all those posted on HAZ) is linked to the very first post on this forum topic, and is titled "Searched Routes".

New Tonto National Forest- Mazatzal Wilderness- Mount Peeley TH "Information Board Kiosk"
http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=35965