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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

@Woodsnative Dave, thank you for this update. I have forwarded your below comments to the appropriate MCSO- Mountain Patrol Div for review and further consideration as deemed appropriate.

Hiker John wrote:I did catch sight of an occasional fresh bootprint heading my way, but those could have been anyone's from the weekend.

Where were these boot prints first noticed on the trail? Between the Peeley TH and Peeley Summit???

Sendo wrote:

Hiker John wrote:I did catch sight of an occasional fresh bootprint heading my way, but those could have been anyone's from the weekend.

Where were these boot prints first noticed on the trail? Between the Peeley TH and Peeley Summit???

I sighted these few random prints early in my hike, so between the Mt. Peeley TH and the Peeley Summit spur is about right.

I did a little off-trail up and don't Mt. Peeley yesterday...no clues. The road was in great shape except it rained while I was there and the ride out was a little adventurous. I'm glad I drove my Jeep. Sun_Hiker...great job on the flyer...it still is in perfect condition.

Thanks for again activating our HAZ- GPSjoe Master "Searched Routes" Map--> http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=739
(GPSjoe's family still appreciates any and all efforts of continued searching for any clues related to Joe's Nov 8th, 2010 disappearance)
:thanx: all!

rlrjamy wrote:I did a little off-trail up and don't Mt. Peeley yesterday...no clues. The road was in great shape except it rained while I was there and the ride out was a little adventurous. I'm glad I drove my Jeep. Sun_Hiker...great job on the flyer...it still is in perfect condition.

Thanks for the update, this is encouraging that the flyer is still hanging. Soon hunting season will start and usually the hunters go deep, fingers crossed that they will be on the lookout for anything that would give us a clue. Thanks again!

I was hiking an obscure and somewhat faint trail south of Saddle Mountain on Monday and came across a piece of clothing that appeared to have been there for about a year or so. The spot is well within a 1-day hiking distance from Mt. Peeley for an experienced hiker.

Is there a comprehensive list of clothing he was wearing, or perhaps a list of all his equipment? If this item matches something he was wearing or had in his pack it might be helpful.

christrask wrote:Is there a comprehensive list of clothing he was wearing, or perhaps a list of all his equipment? If this item matches something he was wearing or had in his pack it might be helpful.

With the exception of possibly having on his black flees zip-up vest , this 10/28/10 pic of GPSjoe--> http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=195968 is how he would have been dressed on his disappearance day Mon-11/8/10. Also, he would have had these same two Leki hiking poles and his GPS receiver is a Gamin 62S. Please describe color and exactly what you came across on your trail hike. Did you take any pictures to post and/or have a GPS waypoint coordinate to advise with the trail name/# you were hiking on this past Monday? Thank you for your post.

Here is the GPSjoe- Joseph S. Domin "Missing Person Poster" that we now have posted on the Mount Peeley TH- Information Board
(this poster provides additional details on some additional items he had with him on 11/8/10)

When I picked up this item I didn't think much of it, it was just sticking out from under a cowpie and looked like something I could clean and use. I didn't recall the disappearance of Joe until after I got home and saw the notes I made that were in the folder where I keep the maps for the area.

Grasshopper wrote:With the exception of possibly having on his black flees zip-up vest , this 10/28/10 pic of GPSjoe--> http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=195968 is how he would have been dressed on his disappearance day Mon-11/8/10. Also, he would have had these same two Leki hiking poles and his GPS receiver is a Gamin 62S. Please describe color and exactly what you came across on your trail hike. Did you take any pictures to post and/or have a GPS waypoint coordinate to advise with the trail name/# you were hiking on this past Monday? Thank you for your post.

Here is the GPSjoe- Joseph S. Domin "Missing Person Poster" that we now have posted on the Mount Peeley TH- Information Board
(this poster provides additional details on some additional items he had with him on 11/8/10)


Joseph S. Domin-gpsjoe Missing Person Poster..Edit 1.pdf

When I saw this photo my heart skipped a few beats. On top of his hat is an item almost identical to what I found on Monday. It's a cap or perhaps a hat liner made by "Under Armour". It's an off-white colour with sepia-tone images of leaves, pine needles, and a tree trunk. Almong the brim is a manufacturer's emblem consisting of a "U" and an "A" superimpose on each other.

I found this item along a rarely used trail that I last hiked before 1985 but have marked on my map from back then. It does not appear on any topo except for a short stretch that goes from Upper Sheep Creek Spring southward to a prominent saddle on Black Ridge. That portion of the trail ends to a clearing with a salt lick. From there the trail goes eastward to Brunson Tank, and I found this item in a clearing on top of the ridge immediately west of the tank. The closest I can estimate the location is 33.91531N 111.51684.

When I found this item it was sticking out from under a cowpie, and I picked it up thinking I could clean it and use it, or at least remove it. I did not make the connection with Joe until I got home and saw my notes about his disappearance in the folder where I keep the maps of the area.

I understand that Joe was fairly active in providing GPS waypoints for hiking routes, and I would not be surprised if he had set up waypoints for this one. It is faint at best in a few places and it can be easily lost for the mile or so east of Brunson Tank. If you intend to scout the area and want some assistance let me know. The very south end of the trail, where it meets a dirt road that follows the power line, is almost impossible to find as there isn't even a worn path for the first quarter mile.

christrask wrote:When I saw this photo my heart skipped a few beats. On top of his hat is an item almost identical to what I found on Monday. It's a cap or perhaps a hat liner made by "Under Armour". It's an off-white colour with sepia-tone images of leaves, pine needles, and a tree trunk. Almong the brim is a manufacturer's emblem consisting of a "U" and an "A" superimpose on each other.

GPSjoe's hat in the referened pic (and the only hat I have ever seen him wear which was also his favorite for hiking) was made by Outdoor Research, the emblem OR would have been superimposed on his hat upper front as in the pic. It is possible what you saw was OR vs "U" and an "A"?

Also, here is a better link to REI for a closeup pic of above OR hat/color I reference: http://www.rei.com/product/238313/outdo ... e-sombrero

christrask wrote:I found this item along a rarely used trail that I last hiked before 1985 but have marked on my map from back then. It does not appear on any topo except for a short stretch that goes from Upper Sheep Creek Spring southward to a prominent saddle on Black Ridge. That portion of the trail ends to a clearing with a salt lick. From there the trail goes eastward to Brunson Tank, and I found this item in a clearing on top of the ridge immediately west of the tank. The closest I can estimate the location is 33.91531N 111.51684.

Is this the MyTopo Map location (brown teardrop, click for waypoint coordinates)? --> http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=1158
(Also, where do you normally TH Park to access via hiking this area around and up to the Brunson Tank?)

christrask, thank you very much for all this detail. One more issue I have for you to clarify: What did you do with this item you found after picking it up to examine?

If you could re-clarify/confirm my above so we can decide if we have a viable new clue to forward on to our appropriate Maricopa County Sheriff Office (SAR) deputy responsible. Also, if you could send me an HAZ- PM with your complete name and contact information which would be much appreciated for possible need to forward to the above for contact if needed.

Grasshopper wrote:GPSjoe's hat in the referened pic (and the only hat I have ever seen him wear which was also his favorite for hiking) was made by Outdoor Research, the emblem OR would have been superimposed on his hat upper front as in the pic. It is possible what you saw was OR vs "U" and an "A"?

There's a manufacturer's label on the inside that clearly says "Under Armour".

Grasshopper wrote:I found this item along a rarely used trail that I last hiked before 1985 but have marked on my map from back then. It does not appear on any topo except for a short stretch that goes from Upper Sheep Creek Spring southward to a prominent saddle on Black Ridge. That portion of the trail ends to a clearing with a salt lick. From there the trail goes eastward to Brunson Tank, and I found this item in a clearing on top of the ridge immediately west of the tank. The closest I can estimate the location is 33.91531N 111.51684.
Is this the MyTopo Map location (brown teardrop, click for waypoint coordinates)? --> http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=1158

Yes, that's the spot.

Grasshopper wrote:(Also, where do you normally TH Park to access via hiking this area around and up to the Brunson Tank?)

There's a pulloff along the old Beeline Highway at 33.90874N 111.48385W that I use as I go up an unnamed drainage known informally as "Norm's Creek". To get to the far south end of the trail that goes to Brunson Tank you can go up the dirt road beginning at 33.90605N 111.48403W and stop at 33.90593N 111.4957W. An unnumbered trail crosses the road here, passing through the fence on the NE. You will never notice the trail going to Brunson Tank as it is virtually nonexistent where it meets this trail.

Grasshopper wrote:christrask, thank you very much for all this detail. One more issue I have for you to clarify: What did you do with this item you found after picking it up to examine?

I have it here at home.

Grasshopper wrote:If you could re-clarify/confirm my above so we can decide if we have a viable new clue to forward on to our appropriate Maricopa County Sheriff Office (SAR) deputy responsible. Also, if you could send me an HAZ- PM with your complete name and contact information which would be much appreciated for possible need to forward to the above for contact if needed.

What is an HAZ-PM?

HAZ is the nickname of this website (hikearizona). A PM is a private message. Look at Grasshopper's photo and you will see a little button underneath that says PM. Click on that and it opens up a private message thread, already addressed to him.

Hope this is helpful. Thank you very much for taking an interest in this.
Elizabeth

azbackpackr wrote:HAZ is the nickname of this website (hikearizona). A PM is a private message. Look at Grasshopper's photo and you will see a little button underneath that says PM. Click on that and it opens up a private message thread, already addressed to him.

Okay, got it, and it's now taken care of.

Chris

Joe and I hiked in that area back in 07/08 looking for new stomping grounds. We did go back there a couple of times. I found our tracks and emailed them to Hank and Chris.
Would it be possible for you to take a photo of the item you found and send it in a pm to both Hank and me?

Thank you.

SUN_HIKER wrote:Joe and I hiked in that area back in 07/08 looking for new stomping grounds. We did go back there a couple of times. I found our tracks and emailed them to Hank and Chris.
Would it be possible for you to take a photo of the item you found and send it in a pm to both Hank and me?

Yes, I can do that and send it to you later today. I take it you add the photo by way of the "IMG" button.

I hadn't hiked that obscure trail since around 1985. I had intended to go up Norm's Creek and then over to Upper Sheep Creek Spring, but when I got there is was only 10AM and I decided to follow the route that was penciled in on my topo.

Chris

christrask wrote:

SUN_HIKER wrote:Joe and I hiked in that area back in 07/08 looking for new stomping grounds. We did go back there a couple of times. I found our tracks and emailed them to Hank and Chris.
Would it be possible for you to take a photo of the item you found and send it in a pm to both Hank and me?

Yes, I can do that and send it to you later today. I take it you add the photo by way of the "IMG" button.

I hadn't hiked that obscure trail since around 1985. I had intended to go up Norm's Creek and then over to Upper Sheep Creek Spring, but when I got there is was only 10AM and I decided to follow the route that was penciled in on my topo.

Chris

I think the image button won't work unless the photo is already online somewhere. I think if it is in your hard drive you have to click on Post (upper left hand corner of screen) then Post Photos, and post it. Anyway, if you try and fail, email the Webmaster, Joe Bartels. He'll help you, as will others.

christrask wrote:Yes, I can do that and send it to you later today. I take it you add the photo by way of the "IMG" button.

Chris, I just sent you a HAZ- PM with my personal email address which should be easier for you. I will intern forward pics to Gabriele and to GPSjoe's son Christian Domin in Chicago who is now following this new forum thread activity. Thank you!

azbackpackr wrote: I think the image button won't work unless the photo is already online somewhere. I think if it is in your hard drive you have to click on Post (upper left hand corner of screen) then Post Photos, and post it. Anyway, if you try and fail, email the Webmaster, teva joe. He'll help you, as will others.

While this is basically off-topic now since this is being taken care of via direct emails, just to be clear, you can upload images from your hard drive using the "upload attachment" tab below the box you type in. This works both in the forum and in PMs.

Ah! Will have to try it sometime.

I'm sorry to say, this beanie found was definitely not one of Joe's. He did have a couple of beanies however they both were plain black. This particular one looks like the outside has a Camouflage pattern (well weathered though).

I suspect most likely belonged to a hunter.

Thanks to all who will continue to keep on the lookout for any clue to help find out what happened to Joe.