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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

Gabriele mentioned that she and Joe found SPOT to be unreliable, but, did Joe carry one anyway? If so, was it the original "unreliable" model?

Did Joe carry a cell phone, PLB, or other device that he could have used to signal for help?

Preston Sands wrote:Gabriele mentioned that she and Joe found SPOT to be unreliable, but, did Joe carry one anyway?

Unfortunately no. If you review some of the thread posts by him in the electronics section of forum topics, you will see his narrative discussions on what he perceived to be the ideal device for both GPS and rescue. He was anxiously awaiting a company to introduce this new "got it all device" which I am certain he would be one of the first owners/users of..

juliachaos wrote:Agreed. Sheep itself looks very safe; no areas where you'd be forced onto a steep wall. There are many areas along the ridgeline that one could fall if one decided to go that way. However, the manzanita is so thick that you probably wouldn't travel far. I'm of the opinion that the SE ridge/drainage areas would be the most likely places to find Joe, especially because he has used them for bailing before. Pushing through the thick brush at night could result in falling down a rock wall that isn't easily seen in the dark. I agree that the SE sections should be concentrated on first.

Not sure if my opinion counts for much, since I haven't been on scene (maybe I can get down there after Thanksgiving). This struck me though:
"pushing through the thick brush at night could result in falling down a rock wall that isn't easily seen in the dark."
It seems like something very much like this must be what happened. In addition, the SE side has so far come up dry. I think the idea of disorientation leading to a wrong-way bailout has merit. Why the disorientation? Who knows - dead GPS batteries, some sort of injury, we can't say. But I think the idea needs to be considered, especially if it was after dark. With the tough vegetation it sounds like in the dark with no moon, it could be very easy to get turned around.

Any chance we can get a map with the drainages numbered or labeled so we can better reference them in our discussions??

If any plans firm up for Friday or Saturday I will offer my assistance for the search effort. I have a Jeep and I will be available. Perhaps a drive into the Cornucopia Mine area for search of the last known bail out?
Will be watching for any posted dates & times.

Grasshopper wrote: Grasshopper wrote:

Trail Gypsy wrote: I just wish the Maricopia Sheriff Dept-Mountain Rescue- Operations Chief would consider posting his 4th here to help clarify and confirm or deny what is best for us (HAZ and AZH) to proceed from here..

Dave Bremson with CAMRA/MCSO Mtn. Rescue has been in a Search Management class all weekend thru Mon. I am sure he will get back to you as soon as he can.
Thx
Ed



Thanks Ed- David's advise will be appreciated by us all.



I just wanted to bring this most important post from Ed back up to the front of this thread as of this 12:55am on Tues-11/23. We have posted so many unanswered questions over the past few days that David Bremson-Operations Chief,WEMT-Mountain Rescue can help answer, clarify, and hopefully give us some guidance from this point on. We do hope to hear back from him soon.

suzaz wrote:Any chance we can get a map with the drainages numbered or labeled so we can better reference them in our discussions??

This is one we hope that David Bremson will soon help us answer in his reply.

Five important things have recently been strongly suggested not to forget (and I am sure many more to come) when planning our upcoming, organized HAZ and AZH "Search Outings":
This search/outing leader should assure-
1.. The critical importance of not disturbing any clues and reporting any clues (via GPS waypoints, etc) them back to Maricopa County Sheriff Dept- SAR/Mountain Rescue's assigned contact person/contact teleph#s..TBD (Hopefully David B from Mountain Rescue will address);
2.. Having 2-way radios and agreeing on the HAZ/AZH channel/frequency that will be use to communicate with each other during the search;
3..Taking your own or possibly borrowing someone else binoculars and/or a small telescope;
4.. For those who don't have or use a GPS, it has been suggested that you pack in some large white cloth sections(like torn bed sheets) and maybe some strong twine to drape on top of vegetation to signify a critical clue for later helicopter fly over easier identification of the exact location;
5.. Take some colored Survey Tape (can buy from Home Depot or Lowes, Ace Hardware) to mark the searched path you take in, this will help significantly in others search efforts later on to eliminate duplication of effort in certain areas;
:thanx:

Grasshopper wrote:Five important things have recently been strongly suggested not to forget (and I am sure many more to come) when planning our upcoming, organized HAZ and AZH "Search Outings":
This search/outing leader should assure-
1.. The critical importance of not disturbing any clues and reporting any clues (via GPS waypoints, etc) them back to Maricopa County Sheriff Dept- SAR/Mountain Rescue's assigned contact person/contact teleph#s..TBD (Hopefully David B from Mountain Rescue will address);
2.. Having 2-way radios and agreeing on the HAZ/AZH channel/frequency that will be use to communicate with each other during the search;
3..Taking your own or possibly borrowing someone else binoculars and/or a small telescope;
4.. For those who don't have or use a GPS, it has been suggested that you pack in some large white cloth sections(like torn bed sheets) and maybe some strong twine to drape on top of vegetation to signify a critical clue for later helicopter fly over easier identification of the exact location;
5.. Take some colored Survey Tape (can buy from Home Depot or Lowes, Ace Hardware) to mark the searched path you take in, this will help significantly in others search efforts later on to eliminate duplication of effort in certain areas;
:thanx:

Just a note on item #2...

Even with the radios the SAR team was using, range is limited due to the terrain. The radios likely to be used by civillian groups are also in a frequency range that is a little less adept at bending around hills and terrain, so keep this in mind when out there. Channel 15 did work well for us on Saturday though, no interference. Channels 15 through 22 will also make sure that everyone is transmitting at the maximum power their radio is capable of. (The lower channels overlap FRS frequencies and most radios will only transmit at .5 watts to keep legal, vs. 1-2 watts.)

The SAR teams were often doing radio relays to get messages back to the command post, so that method might be needed out there as well.

Another thought on the matter is that the Mt. Ord repeaters are actually pretty well positioned to get access to from that general area, so if by luck some HAM's can be involved, it could help a lot with that aspect. (One of the Ord repeaters is even reportedly linked back to a repeater here in Phoenix, so that could be a way to get info in/out as well. 146.920 on Mt. Ord to 147.240 on Shaw Butte.)

I can't be out there this coming weekend unfortunately, but if needed, I'll gladly do what I can to help in this department whenever I can.

Kenny wrote:If any plans firm up for Friday or Saturday I will offer my assistance for the search effort. I have a Jeep and I will be available. Perhaps a drive into the Cornucopia Mine area for search of the last known bail out?
Will be watching for any posted dates & times.

If you want to do a day trip on Friday I'm in.

It looks like a more specific thread regarding just this weekend has been started here: http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/viewtopic.php?t=5678

Kenny wrote:I have a Jeep and I will be available. Perhaps a drive into the Cornucopia Mine area for search of the last known bail out?

That would get folks in pretty close with a quicker hike to the area but that would have to be one tough jeep. After hiking the road this past weekend, it's pretty nasty-- looked to me like only ATV's could get very far.


Also, though I think the southeast drainages are the main focus point like most others, we have to look at some of the drainages farther north. Let's face it, as experienced as Joe was he was also 68 and anything could have happened.

I am very good friends with GPSJoe's son and daughter-in-law and I live here in Phoenix. I currently have a broken foot and am very limited to helping, but my husband is more than willing to help and has an ATV. Can you please let me know how we can help? Whether its participating in the events this weekend or if it is just supplying food, water, materials, etc that you would need for this effort. Please keep us informed and let us know how we can help.

I have friends arriving today for the rest of the week. One is a good hiker so he and I will head in to Thicket Spr tomorrow and/or Friday and do some searching on the southeast side of Sheep Mtn. I'll pick up and use survey tape.

@cjensen116
:thanx: for your offers to help. I suggest you just continue to follow the activity on this main forum thread and also the developing search outing thread now at our link--> http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/viewtop ... f=4&t=5678 (our HAZ- nonot-Steve is coordinating this effort), so just dive in to support as you deem appropriate and/or posts and Steve will reply.. T-hank-S again!

@ Grasshopper, thanks for the advice, I just left a post on that page as well. Again, please dont hesitate to ask for any help from us. Joe's family are very dear friends of mine and I am willing to do whatever we can to help out.

hey folks,
This is probably something everyone else has done but I'm putting it out there for anyone's use. I've created a bunch of tracks for the major drainages coming off the south and east sides of the ridge plus way-points for the higher spots on the ridge. Its a little sloppy since I'm still fairly new at some of this stuff. I've been plugging the tracks into GoogleEarth and going up drainages. See what you all think. The south/western one (track009), though it leads out farthest from any TH, looks the most pronounced and gentlest to me. Though it would be a long hike back, maybe it would seem smart coming off of Sheep Mountain in the dark. For those that made it to Sheep Mountain last week, how did things look from that direction?

http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?MY=121

Susan great idea on a drainage map. Kyle thanks for jumping on it, I'll fine tune it and get it linked!

I urge anyone interested in searching to post or join an event. Steve has an event posted for a Fri-Sun base camp. If you are looking to do something else then post your own event so others that may be interested have the option to join and/or exchange ideas on the area of interest.

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. I 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 I'll get rid of the overlaps.

Keep in mind there are no physical clues (that I am aware of, please correct me if so) such as a hat, glove, foot print... anything found on route to Sheep Mountain. The only thing we know for sure is his truck was parked at the Mt Peeley trailhead. Aside from foul play he could realistically be a fair distance from that point until we know more. If you know more dig into your heart and share the information.

Just a suggestion----reflective tape that would show in headlamp light would be good to mark a route. When you leave the trail write name time date on it when exit find your tape and write out time etc. Yes, it's unsightly but lets people know the general area you are in to prevent repeats and lets people know who you are and where you are. Then mark as needed, less of course if you have GPS. Remove all except access if you are convinced you did a thorough search..

I preach to the choir but bushwacking tips, really brutal stuff-- tight, thick clothing, small slim pack, knee and elbow pads for crawling and pushing aside branches, gloves, glasses for eye protection. Look for broken branches and scuffs for a fall line ( hard from below). In thick brush don't just look at the ground, items may be in upper branches.

Good luck all. I hope I can be there.

Tough_Boots wrote:hey folks,
This is probably something everyone else has done but I'm putting it out there for anyone's use. I've created a bunch of tracks for the major drainages coming off the south and east sides of the ridge plus way-points for the higher spots on the ridge. Its a little sloppy since I'm still fairly new at some of this stuff. I've been plugging the tracks into GoogleEarth and going up drainages. See what you all think. The south/western one (track009), though it leads out farthest from any TH, looks the most pronounced and gentlest to me. Though it would be a long hike back, maybe it would seem smart coming off of Sheep Mountain in the dark. For those that made it to Sheep Mountain last week, how did things look from that direction?

http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?MY=121

Those look good... might want to assign numbers? I would add one even further west on that soft ridge; miles often do not really mean that much when you've spent hours bushwhacking... easier routes leading to an open trail sometimes have the greater appeal. I've gone 8-10 miles out of my way to be able to walk easy after grueling hours pushing through thorns.

laztazam wrote:Eric and Nonot both make excellent suggestions that I agree with. I think we need to go out and search the southeast ridges and gullies.

laztazam wrote:As stated previously, searching the southeast side is also valuable and much more doable.

I totally agree with this for a late this week or hopefully next week plan for the strong non mountaineering types who have a high tolerance for pain.. who can step-up to lead and organize this? My thoughts= working in ~westward through the bush from in-between the 2 key waypoint coordinates that Eric posted for that ridge exit down from Sheep Mtn Summit(EDIT: not Sheep Mtn. Summit but rather the Ridgeline down from Peak~6910 per Eric's exit waypoint) to the 2 key waypoints that I just posted on this thread for where GPSjoe did that ridge-line "bailout" hike on 11/16/09.. the group would spread out between the 2 key waypoints located on the Thicket Spring TR95 and start inward toward Sheep Mtn/Ridgeline concentrating on washes/drainages/ridges, etc.; If you look closely at my just posted GPSjoe 11/16/09 bailout hike, you will see that he headed down and straight for a major drainage to attempt to gain the Thicket Spring TR95 which he did accomplish at ~8:30am on 11/17); EDIT: Eric believes that on GPSjoe's last Mon-11/8 possible Bailout attempt, that he decided to try the rocky ridgeline down from PK6910 to gain TR95 "rather than" exit back down the drainage as he did on his 11/16/09 hike;

IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION FOR ALL NOW PLANNED CAMP LOCATIONS and "OFF-TRAIL" SEARCH EFFORTS IN FROM THICKET SPRING TR95:

Please read the above again with my new EDITS just added and note that I initially misunderstood that Eric's(ssk44) recommended bailout scenario was coming off the ridgeline from Sheep Mountain Summit. I was incorrect in understanding of this scenario. Please read my now corrected EDITS above to determine the now recommended waypoint areas to search and note that now for all who are planning to backpack in, should strongly consider hiking in so as to have their base camp at the Thicket Springs area and not the previous also recommended location of Sheep Creek TR / Thicket Spring TR95 as this location is a long way from Eric's recommended scenario and GPSjoe's previous 11/16/09 Bailout hike. I apologize for the possible confusion I caused .

Once again Eric's recommended "key" waypoints:
Peak 6,910 (Lat. 33 Degrees/59'/35.55"/N & Long. 111 Degrees/30'/03.84"/W)
Arrival Point: Thicket Spring Exit (Lat. 33 Degrees/59'/26.78"/N & Long. 111 Degrees/29'/19.00"/W)

Once again the "key" waypoints" for GPSjoe's 11/16/09:
Exit @ Pk6834- Bailout to TR95= N33.993859 W-111.50095
Arrive-TR95 fm B/Out Route = N33.990301 W-111.488441

imike wrote:Those look good... might want to assign numbers? I would add one even further west on that soft ridge

I'll work on that later tonight when I'm home from work. Joe said he was gonna clean up my original so I'll wait to see what he makes out of it as well.