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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

Wind direction and speed in Payson on 11/16:




Time (MST): Temp.: Dew Point: Humidity: Sea Level Pressure: Visibility: Wind Dir: Wind Speed: Gust Speed: Precip: Events: Conditions:
12:53 AM 35.1 °F 25.0 °F 67% 30.05 in 10.0 miles South 4.6 mph - N/A Clear
1:53 AM 37.9 °F 25.0 °F 60% 30.02 in 10.0 miles South 6.9 mph - N/A Clear
2:53 AM 36.0 °F 23.0 °F 59% 30.01 in 10.0 miles South 8.1 mph - N/A Clear
3:53 AM 37.0 °F 21.9 °F 54% 30.00 in 10.0 miles South 8.1 mph - N/A Clear
4:53 AM 37.0 °F 21.9 °F 54% 29.99 in 10.0 miles South 8.1 mph - N/A Clear
5:53 AM 33.1 °F 23.0 °F 66% 30.02 in 10.0 miles South 4.6 mph - N/A Clear
6:53 AM 30.9 °F 23.0 °F 72% 30.06 in 10.0 miles Calm Calm - N/A Clear
7:53 AM 37.0 °F 26.1 °F 65% 30.04 in 10.0 miles South 4.6 mph - N/A Clear
8:53 AM 48.0 °F 27.0 °F 44% 30.00 in 10.0 miles Calm Calm - N/A Clear
9:53 AM 55.0 °F 28.9 °F 37% 29.99 in 10.0 miles WNW 3.5 mph - N/A Clear
10:53 AM 59.0 °F 28.0 °F 31% 29.99 in 10.0 miles WSW 11.5 mph - N/A Clear
11:53 AM 61.0 °F 28.9 °F 30% 29.96 in 10.0 miles West 12.7 mph 25.3 mph N/A Clear
12:53 PM 61.0 °F 28.9 °F 30% 29.95 in 10.0 miles WSW 15.0 mph 24.2 mph N/A Clear
1:53 PM 61.0 °F 28.0 °F 29% 29.92 in 10.0 miles WSW 18.4 mph 25.3 mph N/A Clear
2:53 PM 61.0 °F 28.9 °F 30% 29.90 in 10.0 miles WSW 18.4 mph 24.2 mph N/A Clear
3:53 PM 60.1 °F 28.0 °F 30% 29.90 in 10.0 miles WSW 16.1 mph 24.2 mph N/A Clear
4:53 PM 57.9 °F 28.0 °F 32% 29.90 in 10.0 miles WSW 9.2 mph 20.7 mph N/A Clear
5:53 PM 54.0 °F 28.9 °F 38% 29.92 in 10.0 miles SW 9.2 mph - N/A Clear
6:53 PM 50.0 °F 28.0 °F 43% 29.95 in 10.0 miles SW 5.8 mph - N/A Clear
7:53 PM 51.1 °F 28.0 °F 41% 29.93 in 10.0 miles SSW 12.7 mph - N/A Clear
8:53 PM 48.9 °F 28.0 °F 44% 29.92 in 10.0 miles SSW 8.1 mph - N/A Clear
9:53 PM 48.9 °F 28.0 °F 44% 29.92 in 10.0 miles SSW 8.1 mph - N/A Clear
10:53 PM 46.0 °F 28.9 °F 51% 29.93 in 10.0 miles SSW 5.8 mph - N/A Clear
11:53 PM 43.0 °F 28.9 °F 58% 29.96 in 10.0 miles South 4.6 mph - N/A Clear

info I got from the SAR person involved was...smell was present on his team's hike in (suspect early in the day) as well as on their way out (dusk I suspect).

SAR team is told to report everything and he was the only member of the team to notice the odor.

Maybe the SAR person can expand on this.

I've been following this thread closely. Lower back issues preclude me from doing any hiking right now. I have spent considerable time in the Mazzy's, albeit some years (and about fifty pounds) ago. When this thread started, I had a thought about the route from Mormon Grove TH to Squaw Flat to Round Spring, trail 91 to 88. (BTW this is a beautiful area) From the drainage at Squaw Flat, the #88 trail climbs gently to a saddle along a ridge before dropping dramatically to a drainage leading to Round Spring (which has a large rock water tank). There is seasonal water along this route and near Squaw Flat. The ridge just NW of Squaw Flat runs to the NE, heading directly toward Sheep Mtn, a distance of about 1.5 miles as the crow flies (but they don't have to fly through manzanita). From this point, it looks like a straight shot to Sheep, but, of course, the map is not the territory.

If one bailed off the ridgeline north of Sheep heading westward rather than eastward, it might be tempting to follow this ridge SW towards trail #88, and then head back to Thicket Spring via trail # 95; especially if the bail--off the ridge was a slip and slide, and the return climb was too technical to attempt without some assistance. I have never hiked trail #95, so have no idea of its condition. This is a very roundabout detour, but it was on my mind. Much of this route would be in the direction from which the wind was coming on the 16th as well.

Just another wild guess from an old codger that hasn't been out much lately. If anyone wants to cover some new country a bit further afield, at least it is a very pretty area, once off the old trail #91, which I think is an old road. Thanks, best wishes, and God Bless to all those still persevering in the search. -Randy

@Randy
Topohiker covered trail 88 on a mammoth hike to "round spr" / sheep creek cabin.

Future plans:
I'll go back to the switchback area tomorrow (Thursday) and after that I'll attempt to assist the other guys coming down ravine #4 (Note: my task much easier than theirs)!

FYI, the SAR6 route is practically on top of Vaporman's descent route from Sheep Peak (Saturday)- they reported disturbance on their descent- I guess we now know why.

@nonot
LoL, yea... We even came back to the Thicket trail in about the same spot. ;) In the upper section of ridge 3-4, I thought it was probably SAR but didn't realize that the team also went all the way down to the bottom. :roll:

juliachaos wrote:

rlrjamy wrote:Joe and Liz slept on the ride back

Sorry about that don't think I would have made it home on the I-10 parking lot if I hadn't gotten at least a 5 minutes rest though.. =P Thank you for driving us!

Yes, that north side is a real pumpkin. And to be honest, I don't see Joe going all the way to Sheep on that one. Very nasty.

should have come to PRG to relax and let traffic clear

@Randy we almost took Sheep Creek on a sick return yesterday, it just wasn't in the cards

If anyone is heading out to the west or northwest of Sheep Mtn (as a dayhike, I'm not a packer) and I can tag along please PM me. I have plans Fri & Sat, but might change as Winter can't hold back forever.

BTW... found a hat near 6012

Grasshopper wrote:waypoints N34.00040 W-111.48175 and N34.00119 W-111.48074

I looked all around this area with Bruno this morning .... Later on, I ran into Richard who also searched that area. I went in... then went out thru "the forest" and noticed that a Manzanita shallowed my GPS . We went back and searched some more. Note...the gps that is there is the exact same kind as GPSJOE"S. Garmin 6ocxs unless he upgraded his. If anyone finds a Garmin gps with a cracked face panel in that area its probably mine... the gps has a bunch of gpsjoe's waypoints but only a couple tracks on it and it was tracking today.

rlrjamy wrote:. . . . a Manzanita shallowed my GPS

Bummer. No good deed goes unpunished.

rlrjamy wrote:by rlrjamy » Dec 09 2010 1:38 pm

Grasshopper wrote:waypoints N34.00040 W-111.48175 and N34.00119 W-111.48074

.. then went out thru "the forest" and noticed that a Manzanita shallowed my GPS . We went back and searched some more. Note...the gps that is there is the exact same kind as GPSJOE"S. Garmin 6ocxs unless he upgraded his. If anyone finds a Garmin gps with a cracked face panel in that area its probably mine...

What a bummer loosing your Garmin 60CSx out there in that abyss. GPSjoe's unit is the new Garmin Model 62s . Hopefully others will find your lost one. I had two reference waypoint locations for this above noted TRSAR 11/16 "dead smell" area due to a late 12/8pm WP conversion correction.. turns out the corrected WP location is the second WP noted above and is actually right on/off the MDT#23 at the ~3rd switchback. I now think that Richard, you/Liz/JoeB, and Letty from her last trip, have now searched this suspect area. Thank you all!

Hank,
Has the clue about the dogs "alerting" every been run to ground? It "kinda sorta" feels like a possible connection with this odor clue. The new waypoint is on the trail where there is a slope down to the left as one ascends. I posted a couple days ago about trying to get more detail from the original poster. Thanks

rlrjamy wrote:

Grasshopper wrote:waypoints N34.00040 W-111.48175 and N34.00119 W-111.48074

I looked all around this area with Bruno this morning .... Later on, I ran into Richard who also searched that area. I went in... then went out thru "the forest" and noticed that a Manzanita shallowed my GPS . We went back and searched some more. Note...the gps that is there is the exact same kind as GPSJOE"S. Garmin 6ocxs unless he upgraded his. If anyone finds a Garmin gps with a cracked face panel in that area its probably mine... the gps has a bunch of gpsjoe's waypoints but only a couple tracks on it and it was tracking today.

Oh no, bummer about your GPS. To me that's like losing your umbilical cord to the world/ After I 'almost' lost my Garmin60cxs' (went back one mile and found it sitting on a rock with a cliff next to it) I got the Lanyard line.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=6625

About Joe, he and I just upgraded to the Garmin 60s before our trip to NM and Colorado this summer. Although on this new model the clip is a lot more secure than the one on the Garmin60cxs, I still made sure I attached the Lanyard to it as well.
I just sold my 60CXS, now I wish I didn't otherwise I'd give it to you.

SUN_HIKER wrote:

rlrjamy wrote:

Grasshopper wrote:waypoints N34.00040 W-111.48175 and N34.00119 W-111.48074

I looked all around this area with Bruno this morning .... Later on, I ran into Richard who also searched that area. I went in... then went out thru "the forest" and noticed that a Manzanita shallowed my GPS . We went back and searched some more. Note...the gps that is there is the exact same kind as GPSJOE"S. Garmin 6ocxs unless he upgraded his. If anyone finds a Garmin gps with a cracked face panel in that area its probably mine... the gps has a bunch of gpsjoe's waypoints but only a couple tracks on it and it was tracking today.

Oh no, bummer about your GPS. To me that's like losing your umbilical cord to the world/ After I 'almost' lost my Garmin60cxs' (went back one mile and found it sitting on a rock with a cliff next to it) I got the Lanyard line.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=6625

About Joe, he and I just upgraded to the Garmin 60s before our trip to NM and Colorado this summer.

Sorry, forgot to mention, Joe had his Lanyard attached to his Garmin60s as well. So the chances that his Garmin60s would be found alone are very unlikely.

Shawn---more eyes out there couldn't hurt. Jacob and I wandered around in that area for awhile before we knew about the way point. It seemed pretty well traveled. Brian was headed out that way today. He was going to specifically give that area a good look and to descend ravine #4 (rumor has it-- he's starting to enjoy the Mazatzals--House of Pain.)

Just off the phone with the Mesa Ranger District folks that have the Mt. Peeley area in their jurisdiction. I've linked them up with this thread and hope to get some more info soon.

@Sredfield
As far as I know this suspect area via Arizonadreaming's original post a number of days and forum thread pages back has not been resolved and since she was not able to waypoint or mark(cairn,tape,etc.) this location going up the MDT23?, hike mileage in was iffy, and neither was she able to respond further to a number of other member PM's.. Her waypoint location could possibly be this 11/16 TRSAR "dead smell" location N34.00119 W-111.48074, but I don't know how we can confirm it..

@SUN_HIKER
I have two dif lanyards I use...it just wasn't attached

I think I can find it...I know the general area ...the dog was getting a little tired and I had to go anyways.

rlrjamy wrote:@SUN_HIKER
I have two dif lanyards I use...it just wasn't attached

OH NO!

anyone going up there this weekend?

Just left the Peely TH myself. Today I took the highway, err i mean ridgline trail to peak 6910 and hit a good chunch of ravine 4. I wanted to zigzag the upper section more but it's too thick and from the point 006 I headed down and found a good game trail. Due to all the big square size print and low clearances requiring me to crawl many times I'm assuming that those were bear trails... Once in the actual drainage the going got easier though still loads Of bushwhacking, army crawling, and rock hopping. Somewhere in all of that I dropped my GPS unit also. So it's going to be even tougher to get the tracks off of it this time! Ohh well, I needed a new one anyways... For most of ravine 4, I didn't see any sign of previous travel until I hit the springs in that clump of trees surrounded by ferns. Of course loads of games trail and bedding spots are there that I checked out as best I could. Stayed in the canyon this time all the way to the thicket trail and it was much easier traveling. So the lesson I learned the hard way is to stay on a ridge or a ravine and avoid the in between.

@rlrjamy. I saw u above the switchbacks this morning and thought I'd see on the next switchback not realizing that I was already on the top switchback... ;)