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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

@CannondaleKid

CannondaleKid wrote:I don't have time right this moment but will post my GPS track, triplog and hopefully some photos of the area covered yet this evening.

Thank you! Much appreciated..

Grasshopper wrote:by Grasshopper » Dec 08 2010 8:15 pm

juliachaos wrote:by juliachaos » Dec 08 2010 8:00 pm

juliachaos wrote:@Grasshopper
A small group of us checked out that area today but didn't find anything there.
Scratch that... it looks as though we went in one switchback too early

You guys still did good as this traverse section needed to be searched anyway. Richard (laztazam) is going into this area manana!

For additional juliachaos triplog details and triplog comments/conclusions for continuing to search this once priority area, please reference the following-->
http://hikearizona.com/TL.php?ID=57093

On the switchbacks Sunday afternoon I felt a couple warm drafts of rising air that had a sweet, floral smell. They were gone instantly but I didn't get a putrid hit from them.

Cultjam wrote:They were gone instantly but I didn't get a putrid hit from them.

Better clues than we're getting anywhere else. I still can't figure out why anyone would cut off of Mt. Peeley in that terrain to take a shortcut even if losing daylight. It's just not a big enough time saver to be worth it. Of course, I'm not that kind of hiker. We gotta search where the clues are at.

Tough_Boots wrote:We gotta search where the clues are at.

I just want to clarify the plan: Tough_Boots is your now planned and posted Sat-12/18 and maybe Sun-12/19 hike search event.. http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/viewtop ... f=4&t=5716 to take all who show up and try to do a kind-of "grid" search per that pic area attachment posted by HAZ- suzaz on Dec 12 2010 1:22 pm?

Grasshopper wrote:I just want to clarify the plan: Tough_Boots is your now planned and posted Sat-12/18 and maybe Sun-12/19 hike search event.. http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/viewtop ... f=4&t=5716 to take all who show up and try to do a kind-of "grid" search per that pic area attachment posted by HAZ- suzaz on Dec 12 2010 1:22 pm?

That seems to be the plan. With this many folks signed up, we should finally get a thorough search of this area. If we can get multiple people getting hits of this odor at the same time, maybe we can figure out exactly what's going on in this area. Either finding Joe or being able to cross this area off the list of possibilities would be a success. One idea is that if we all fan out and someone gets a hit and can react fast enough to judge where the wind is coming from, they could contact someone in that direction. Possibly, if someone who wasn't comfortable going off-trail but wanted to help could be stationed on top of Peeley with binoculars doing their best to track everyone could orchestrate. This would demand everyone have radio's and gps and possibly the person on Peeley have a laptop and have us check in with our locations every so often (someone with SAR experience might be best for this). This all seems really complex but if we have 10-15 people in the same area, it'd be great to make it as efficient as possible. So far this is just an idea and no concrete plan. Any thoughts?

Tough_Boots wrote: Any thoughts?

Please post any additional thoughts on the main event thread--> http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/viewtop ... f=4&t=5716 :thanx:

I can't say where the smell came from or if it was Joe, but where I was located at the time, I could believe that a person could have fallen off of the area above me and tumbled quite a ways. There was a lot of vegetation in some regions but there were many relatively open areas also. My point is that it may also be worthwhile to have a few folks descend from the ridge near Peeley peak and continue past where I picked up the odor. The landscape below my way-point becomes very dense with vegetation.

We're looking for a road update sometime Friday---this storm is looking like it might be significant. Anyone able to get out there Friday?

I'm leaving in 30 minutes and will be there til sundown today so I can at least provide an update by 7 pm this evening. Looks like most of the heavy weather will hit today late morning and possibly snow in the afternoon. Tomorrow appears to have 10-15% chance of rain so hopefully it stays away to dry the road up a bit before Saturday.

@suzaz
I believe Bob (rlrjamy) will be heading up there tomorrow.

Grasshopper wrote:

Tough_Boots wrote: Any thoughts?

Please post any additional thoughts on the 12/18-12/19 main Search Event thread--> http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/viewtop ... f=4&t=5716 :thanx:

Latest update to above plans:

Tough_Boots wrote:SEARCH CANCELED!!!

Hey folks. Weather reports all over the area are getting worse. With yesterday's rain and a very good chance today and tonight (up to 50% chance at this point), the road is going to be dangerous and the area a waterlogged slippery cold mess. Its a bummer but lets not turn this into a disaster. We have good plans and will reschedule-- keep an eye out for new postings. Thank you all for getting involved in this. HAZ folks are the best around!

joe bartels wrote:by joe bartels » Dec 15 2010 7:00 am
Might consider pairing up and have each group assigned specific waypoints to check out.

Download or edit/save below..
(patience, may take slower computers a good minute to load)

A - Moderate
B - Most difficult
C - Difficult
D - Difficult
E - Moderate
F - Moderate

It turns out that our HAZ webmaster and founder had and still has the best proposed search plan (as previously posted above at Dec 15 2010 7:00 am on our "Mt. Peeley Trailhead 12/18-19" forum topic) for our ongoing individual and small group search efforts in locating GPSjoe. I have only modified JB's previous posted map link to remove the waypoints in "F" Grid that were searched and cleared by HAZ- CannondaleKid (Mark) on 12/16/10 and to add for clarity reference purposes from the Peeley TH, a small section of the actual trail for the Mazatzal Divide TR23 and also for the Cornucopia TR86/Thicket Spring TR95.

Here is the link for this now revised version (for your download, printing, or edit/save needs): http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?QX=236
(Please note that before download of these now six (A-F) "Search Grid Area Waypoint Listings" that you can delete these above referenced trail tracks if you choose)

Search Guidelines for above:
..With someone who owns a GPS or in a small group where someone has a GPS, pick an "A-F" Search Grid Area and with your GPS "track on" hike search through as many of that grid areas waypoints as safely possible;
..Later load your GPS track file onto HAZ (I will monitor) which will show those grid area waypoints that you and/or your group hike searched through and "cleared";
..Based on which grid waypoints were cleared, I will update our linked reference map above to delete those "cleared" waypoints;
.. Again :thanx: all !!

Also, just as a reminder for additional search areas other than for the six "Grid Search Areas A-F", please also include for those most experienced "Grid Search Areas G-J" and more:
1.. The search area between Mt. Peeley Summit SW to the Sheep Mountain ridgeline (at Peak 6748) which still needs more search attention due to numerous possible cliff and gully fall areas in this rugged section; More search effort needed in this area due to the fact that GPSjoe did do this route twice before (11/16 and 11/23/09), and even if on his last Sheep Mtn attempt Mon-11/8 he may not have chosen this via Mount Peeley Summit route going in, he could have chosen this route coming back out that day close to nightfall or after. Please Note: I have attached the following linked Grid/Waypoints series "G, H, I, and J" Map-->
http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?QX=255 for your ongoing download or edit/save reference (Search Grids "G, I, and J" are considered "Difficult" search areas and Search Gird "H" is considered "Most Difficult").
2..TRSAR-Twoseeking's Waypoint #006 from just south below the Sheep Ridgeline then heading towards Sheep Mtn hiking at the upper bluffs section just below the ridge, Reference WP#006 pic location: http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=167183 . Please Note: I have attached the following linked Reference Map--> http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?QX=256 to help highlight this needed Search Route area (please reference Track#2 in Red and note that this Track#2 is for reference to give a general idea of a possible lower ridge route that might have been taken by GPsjoe).
3..On the NW side off the Sheep Mtn Ridgeline after Peak 6910 and just before the last uphill to Sheep Mtn Summit, there are some very serious cliff drops and what looks like ledges or shelf's below these vertical cliff rock faces. This important yet to be searched HAZ/AZH section will require technical canyoneering skills and gear; All qualified are encouraged to search this rugged potential NW Ridgeline fall area. Some pics of this area: http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=169392 and http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=166507 . Winter snow will soon sock these NW facing slopes in for the winter season, so time is of the essence for any and all qualified to search this prime fall area that GPSjoe could have taken on his 11/8 return hike near dark or after dark..

You can set your minds at ease... I will not even be driving up to check the road and will be hiking locally instead.

Based on the current weather radar loop, Mt Peeley is being covered by a heavy weather front from the west and another front on the way so rain is the order of the day.

With the longer term forecast it is calling for 30-40% chance of rain over the next few days diminishing to 20% Wednesday & Thursday along with colder temperatures. Unfortunately that puts a real kink in the search efforts in the coming days.
Even worse it might not be long before the forest service closes the road for the winter and grind our search efforts to a halt until spring.

But I will continue monitoring the weather over the next 2-3 days to see if an opportunity pops up. If one does, I likely can make time Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday to try again. All we can do is hope...

I led an AOTC hike to the top of Mt. Peeley today. Road in is not bad - little muddy in spots but fine for 2 4WD's and 1 2WD Rav4. Very cold and no visibility at the top. We didn't notice anything unusual along the way.

Well doggone it...
Now I wish I went up this morning. Live radar at 5am this morning looked like it would be inundated for a few hours and with all the warnings about the road I went a bit conservative. Although the forecast doesn't look much better, I'll take another shot at it Monday and/or Wednesday.

After all, I made the effort to add more appropriate foul-weather gear to my ensemble and was fully prepared to submit them to a trial by fire... actually more like trial by deluge, but I'm pretty confident they'd come through with flying colors and I come through safe, warm and even more-or-less dry.

If anyone else might have of thought of being there on either Monday or Wednesday, I'd welcome the company.

CannondaleKid wrote:I'll take another shot at it Monday and/or Wednesday.

If you are able too, also try to knock off those last three open waypoint areas in "F" Grid.. Thx

Yup... being a bit more familiar with that area that's what I had hoped to knock out first, followed by a start on area E.

@CannondaleKid
I may be up for a M or W outing. Will let you know.