HikeArizona.COM

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

nonot wrote:Hank,

I'm trying to collect my thoughts -has anyone been down Joe's actual bail-out route? I think HAZ and SAR have collectively covered most of the ravines and ridges, except that one?

rlrjamy wrote:by rlrjamy » Apr 05 2011 12:26 pm
Here is a look at my track (blue) from 4/2. The yellow is GPSJoe's last chance route.

04_02 GPSJoe Search.jpg

kingsnake wrote:I think I get it now, ravine #7 is the B-grid here?

Grasshopper wrote:by Grasshopper » Apr 05 2011 6:50 pm
Just to recap some history: GPSjoe's last hike (in from the Mt. Peeley TH) was on Mon-11/8/10. Gabriele and I determined something was wrong one week later on Mon-11/15pm and Joe's white Toyota 4Runner was located at the Mount Peeley TH Parking ~12:am on 11/16 (our only found GPSjoe clue to date). The "official" TRSAR efforts started on Tues-11/16/10 and continued through Sat-11/20 with Maricopa County Sheriff Mountain Rescue in charge.

Joe and I last hiked together on Mon-11/1/10 survey tape marking and completing the Davey Gowan Loop Hike. After this 11/1 hike and before Fri-11/5, Gabriele and Joe hiked together a long loop in the Pinal Mtns (~Six Shooter TR/Ice House Cyn Tr). From my discussions with Gabriele, GPSjoe appeared very dehydrated after completing this loop hike and was extremely slow returning back to the TH Start. I had lunch out with GPSjoe on Sat-11/6 to finalize our Montana lodging plans for a two week trip to Glacier NP in July'11. In our 11/6 lunch meeting and time together I noticed nothing of concern regarding Joe's physical self. We had no discussions regarding his upcoming hiking plans for two days later on Mon-11/8/10.

GPSjoe had previously completed hiking "all" the official trails in from FR25- the Mormon Grove TH, and FR201- in from the Mount Peeley TH. To my knowledge, the only hike attraction still open for him in this Mazatzal Wilderness area was a strong desire to successfully summit "Sheep Mountain Peak-6996ft".

From GPSjoe's personal computer GPS track files, we confirmed he unsuccessfully completed this Sheep Mtn Summit effort two times (11/16/09 * & 11/23/09) in from the Mt. Peeley TH over Mt. Peeley to the Ridgeline route and an additional know two more times (12/04/09 & 4/27/10) in from the Mt. Peeley TH via the entire Ridgeline route and an additional one more time (11/05/10) scouting trip via the MDT23 and then off trail via the north side in (this one became know to us as the "Last Chance Route") and then the last time (on Mon-11/8/10) in from the Mt. Peeley TH via a chosen route to where we know not..

* = This one became known to us as the overnight "bail-out" route via Ravine#7 to connect with the Cornucopia TR back to the Peeley TH mid-morning of 11/17/09;

Also consider this discussion topic: http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=186976

azLOVE wrote:has he been found yet?