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UPDATED: Authorities searching for missing hiker on Mount Baldy

Three canine search teams, eight Apache County Sheriff’s deputies and five sheriff’s posse members (about 25 people) were searching Mount Baldy Wednesday morning (Aug. 17) for hiker Frank Carl Patane, 60, of Tucson, who has been missing on the mountain since Thursday, Aug. 11.

Patane is described as Caucasian, 5-foot 7inches tall weighing about 150-155 pounds.

Read the full story at...
source: http://www.wmicentral.com/news/latest_n ... 002e0.html

SkyIslandHiker wrote:all terrain vehicles

I assume this is only outside of the wilderness? Even in a SAR situation, I don't believe the use of mechanized equipment is allowed?

Authorities continue search for missing hiker

GREER – Authorities, searching for lost hiker Frank Carl Patane for the the past six days, are not giving up.

The search started Saturday morning, by which time Patane had been gone two days with probably a day's worth of supplies.

"He's not a camper, just a day-hiker."

Hikers in the area are encouraged to watch for Patane and report any sightings.

Read the full story at...
source: http://www.wmicentral.com/news/latest_n ... 002e0.html

ATV's are excellent in a search operation for taking searchers to their assigned grids via legal routes as well as monitoring legal routes around the search area to help in containment of the lost suspect. If the defined search area is to small it may also mean that only the men and women on ATV's will likely spot and capture the missing subject. Brennan Hawkins life was saved in 2005 outside the search area just that way after being missing for five days in the Unita Mountains in Utah.

Any SAR news?

I don't see any advertised info on trail closings but would guess they've closed ALL of Baldy like we saw with the Sheep Mtn SAR?

This is not looking good with nightime temps in the 40's and some daytime temps in the 50's during the typical moonsoon rain events.

Lost solo dayhikers on real AZ mtn's don't make major media as was the case with Sheep Mtn and now Mt Baldy?

This thread is now locked, if you have new information please contact me.

There is no tolerance for disrespectful posts when the lives of people are involved nor towards those involved in search/recovery.

EDIT: unlocked, stay on topic. please think before you post, rude comments and arguments have no place here...

Thanks Joe!

Really wet and lots of lightning this weekend, but everybody was out working the grids.
The family showing up at the search site helped buoy everyones spirits in spite of the weather.
Lightning up on Baldy finally forced the "H/O Relay guy" to hike out off the peak, so we lost some communications capability.
Hopefully the canine search today will give positive results.

This is terribly worrisome. It has been an awfully long time to be lost. Hoping for good news soon.

Yes my prayers are with this man and the SAR people

Search for missing hiker continues
Updated: 7:04 am, Wed Aug 24, 2011.
Mike Leiby - The Independent
GREER - Volunteers got a bit of a break Sunday night as search efforts to find missing Tucson hiker Frank Carl Patane, 60, on Mount Baldy were temporarily suspended while more canine search teams were brought to the mountain, according to Richard Guinn with the Apache County Sheriff's Department.

Guinn said searchers are going on the assumption that Patane is still alive. He has been missing on the mountain since Thursday, Aug. 11.

Guinn said that although the hope is that the man is still alive, the longer he remains missing the greater the chance that...

Read the full story at...
http://www.wmicentral.com/news/latest_n ... 002e0.html

Local search effort organized for missing hiker

It's been nearly three weeks since Frank Carl Pantane went missing while on a hike up Mount Baldy.

The search organized by the Apache County Sheriff's Office has been suspended but a private group is planning an extensive search of the mountain on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5.

Read the full story at...
source: http://www.wmicentral.com/news/latest_n ... 002e0.html

I wonder if he decided to try and hike the "Old Baldy trail". It's been decommissoned for maybe 25 years. I've explored a little of both ends and its ROUGH! I've even found a VERY OLD trail sign nailed to a tree. This man being 60 and an experienced hiker might suggest that he did this trail long ago. I'd like to BP this trail with some experienced BP'ers. From my experience at the lower end, you need to hike around ALOT of downfall and the old trail is almost non-existant.

As a rough guess-timate the hiking speed is a .25 mile an hour with plenty of places to dissappear. The old trail is much better at the top but I haven't explored it beyond 2-3 minutes. I know everyone has passed the upper end and thought whats up with this wide path and where does it go to? The upper end of it keeps you in the trees until the very last hundred yards to the summit of Mt. Baldy. The Indians complained to the USFS in the early 80's on how sacread the mountain is to them and the USFS re-configured the trail to avoid it leading to the summit.

I found the lower end of the trail and sign by accident. I spent a day relaxing in the camping area which is my favorite and is located near the very last meadow on the West Fork trail going uphill. There's a heavily used camping spot which is on an old island of big pined trees. You have to tip-toe thru a marshy-bog area a couple 100 yards to get too it. Once there the W.Fork creek runs right thru it on the south side. You need to cross the W.Fork and head south thru a very large meadow, There's plenty of Elk and Deer scat in this meadow (no kidding). Sorry, no GPS points.

Once you hit the treeline, enter it. I stumbled upon the trail on my first exploration (2004-05) and found a trail sign and trail with alot of downfall. Several years later I couldn't find the sign or trail (2008-09). I've kind of forgotten about this info until now after reading this post. Last year (2010) I met a hard-core (I tip my hat) 80+ year old local guy who I met at Baldy Saddle whose been hiking the area since the 30's. This man said the upper end had a bunch of steep switchbacks and was a much faster way back in the day to reach the summit of Mt. Baldy.

The hiker from Tucson, Frank Carl Patane, 60, who went missing on Mount Baldy last August was never found. His family is offering a $10,000 reward for finding his remains.
http://www.wmicentral.com/news_premium/ ... 963f4.html

azbackpackr wrote:The hiker from Tucson, Frank Carl Patane, 60, who went missing on Mount Baldy last August was never found. His family is offering a $10,000 reward for finding his remains.
http://www.wmicentral.com/news_premium/ ... 963f4.html

I backpack - hike in this area alot, alone Old Railroad Trail to Greer and to Lee Valley Reser, and I wonder who to ask more information on this, there maybe a mix up. the local newspaper printed this item with a much younger person as missing, just a couple weeks ago.

Missing hiker Frank Patane's remains were found a few days ago by some antler hunters.
http://www.wmicentral.com/news/apache_c ... 963f4.html

@azbackpackr
Thanq for posting this. Finally, his family has closure. RIP.

New2hyk wrote:@azbackpackr
Thanq for posting this. Finally, his family has closure. RIP.

Yes, I know they had no idea what could have happened to him, and it must have been terrible for them. I hope it does bring some closure.

Out of curiosity anyone hear where his remains were found?

whereveriroam wrote:Out of curiosity anyone hear where his remains were found?

Heard through the grapevine: Along East Fork of White River about 6 miles from Jct of East/West Baldy trail. (Might have gotten turned around at the trail junction??)