Missing hiker in the Mazatzals

[bretinthewild]

Story says Gary Morris, 73 is the fire chief from the Pine-Strawberry district and was hiking the AZT from Sunflower to Doll Baby Ranch, was overdue as of Tuesday morning 10/29/19

If anyone is in the area keep an eye out.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/lo ... 503864001/

[david_allen_3]

I believe I met him yesterday on the trail. I have called Gila County Sheriff and gave them the info I had. Seems like a great guy. Praying for the best.

[Thoreau]

Saw the subject and thought it was the gpsjoe thread coming back up. =(

Sure hope this one is able to find a happy/quick ending!

[N8TRGRL]

I believe I met him yesterday on the trail. I have called Gila County Sheriff and gave them the info I had. Seems like a great guy. Praying for the best.

What section did you see him on?

[david_allen_3]

He was a little over 2 miles in from Mormon Grove Trailhead Parking area. About .25 mile north of Potato Patch. Talked with Search and Rescue this morning.

[chumley]

From Stacy Figueroa with the Pine-Strawberry Fire District at appx 9am:

At this time we do not have any news on Chief Morris. There is a small briefing going on right now for the hikers that are headed in this morning. I will put out what we hear from there. PLEASE REMEMBER, WE NEED OUR STATION PHONE LINES LEFT OPEN FOR ALL EFFORTS IN THIS SITUATION. I will be posting updates and handing the station updates so please, please wait to see them here and let our firefighters and administration continue in normal business operations. Also a reminder, let's give his family their privacy as well. They wish to keep their phones open for the same information in the search efforts. Thank you for your patience and support during this time.

[chumley]

Stacey Figueroa ~1pm:

Update on Chief Gary Morris. As of right now, this is what we have. 4 two man crews were dropped in areas of last phone pinging, or last known areas he was. They are Trackers and are searching out and tracking his boots/hiking. They are doing their best to keep people out so that non-trackers aren't messing up his boot prints. DPS Rangers are overhead and Civil Air Control are being added. There are also mule teams being put together. They are working on adding another tower to work all communications off of. Once a full IC post is established and an information number is up and running, I will share that. For now the info center is at the Sheriffs office in Payson.

For those wanting to help, after todays searches are completed, if it is still needed, a call out for volunteer hikers and search parties will be put out. At that point, we will have a phone number where you can call in and get your name on the list.

Thank you all so much for your concerns and prayers. Everyone involved is doing what they can to their best ability. As details are available, we will get them out. Until then patience and prayers are what we could use from everyone.

https://www.facebook.com/stacy.figueroa ... 7794084430

[te_wa]

looks like he'll be coming home today

[chumley]

UPDATE: Gary Morris made contact with the Gila County Sheriff's Office Wednesday afternoon and crews were working to locate him and airlift him out of the Mazatzal Wilderness. No word yet on his condition or what happened.

https://www.paysonroundup.com/news/loca ... 2fe15.html

[david_allen_3]

[N8TRGRL]

He was a little over 2 miles in from Mormon Grove Trailhead Parking area. About .25 mile north of Potato Patch. Talked with Search and Rescue this morning.

So happy you were able to supply helpful information!

[bretinthewild]

Glad he was found! Gila County Sheriff reported that he’d been picked up by helicopter and airlifted to Payson.

https://www.facebook.com/64198780919382 ... 45?sfns=mo

[The_Eagle]

Morris told AZ Family his new routing software took him down the wrong path.

[david_allen_3]

Tech fail. Map and compass for me.

[FOTG]

Tech fail. Map and compass for me.

Na still a human fail no matter how you cut it.

[sam_hikes]

A free copter ride home.

What no Inreach to keep his family from calling 911.

I bet he will never hear the end of this being chief as well as SAR.

[chumley]

Payson Roundup has published a long article that answers absolutely no questions about this.

https://www.paysonroundup.com/news/loca ... d1a94.html

[mazatzal]

Perhaps he missed the turn to Brush spring and went down the hill to Fuller seep?
(Distances, terrain, corral and water mostly match)

[chumley]

Perhaps ....

Perhaps a lot of things! I'm still not sure what the GPS had to do with it as it seems that he wasn't even using it except "he had periodically powered up his GPS to check that he was on trail". No mention of if that happened or didn't happen near where he got off trail or anytime thereafter.

[FOTG]

I just hope they get to the bottom of these faulty GPS apps leading people the wrong way