Bill Ewasko found?

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Re: Bill Ewasko found?

Postby Ric Capucho » Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:47 pm

https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ht-bin/tv_browse.pl?id=ff9bf43b78dbec8883e51ef9357999fa

And here’s the topo immediately adjacent to Indian Cove 24,000. It’s called Joshua Tree South 24,000. I think it’s unlikely he had this with him, as it shows all potential refuges north and west as plain as day.

My conjecture is that it does show the terrain he was in when (I think) he walked off his maps.

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Re: Bill Ewasko found?

Postby Alchad » Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:26 am

Hi,

Good news for Bill's family and friends that he's been found, and also for those of you who devoted so much physical time and mental effort in trying to find him, at least you now have some of the questions about his disappearance answered, but still quite a few left unanswered.

I'm not a hiker, but got lured down this rabbit hole (as you do) reading Tom Mahood's Area 51 investigations on his website and started reading about his other investigation....

A few comments now that Bill has been found.

Firstly, as I said, not a hiker, but the thing that always had me scratching my head from the very beginning was why Bill would - on the belief that he was desperate to find water - go off heading north from Quail Mountain rather than heading back to his car, just didn't make sense. I know it's been said many times in posts, the sun and dehydration make you do strange things, but I just couldn't accept it. Now as it appears, he certainly had enough water and physical stamina to keep on for presumably several days heading in the completely wrong direction. Then he gets to within a couple of miles of safety which is downhill and across relatively flat terrain and he decides to (so it seems, but still to be confirmed) head up a smallish hill instead.

Again, if you're hiking, presumably you either head to your destination then follow your steps back to where you started from, or perhaps do a loop to take in different scenery but again back to your original starting point. There is a third option however which seems to me to be at least a probability, that you head off somewhere completely "left field" if you DON'T want be be found. It was commented in the the original thread that Bill had had financial problems, maybe he could only see one way out. Or perhaps there were health issues - who knows? But what we do know is that there were search parties out looking for him but didn't find him - maybe he didn't want to be found so instead of finding somewhere in the open where he could be spotted, he kept out of the way? Couple this to the fact that, as I understand it, to get to where he was found, he must have gone through areas of good cell phone reception.

It's been said many, many times the Bill loved Joshua Tree NP, maybe he decided that's where he wanted to spend his last day, maybe he had some pills or other means of making it easier, Perhaps he left a note, perhaps the Coroner will be able to comment, although after this time it's not likely.

Finally, the mystery ends with another mystery of it's own. I'm a Brit, in this country with a story like this the lower end of the newspapers would be going all out to find the 2 hikers and get the "inside story". Maybe the situation in the USA is different and such stories are not allowed until after the inquest? On a parallel path, the two hikers who found Bill's body, even if they didn't know who he was when they found him must certainly know by now. Even if they are absolutely decent private folk with no desire to profit from their find, or have there moment of fame, it's odd, to me anyway, that they haven't offered something up to Social Media, or forums such as Reddit or on here?

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Re: Bill Ewasko found?

Postby Hikin_Jim » Mon Feb 14, 2022 10:07 am

Alchad wrote:...if you're hiking, presumably you either head to your destination then follow your steps back to where you started from, or perhaps do a loop to take in different scenery but again back to your original starting point. There is a third option however which seems to me to be at least a probability, that you head off somewhere completely "left field" if you DON'T want be be found. It was commented in the the original thread that Bill had had financial problems, maybe he could only see one way out. Or perhaps there were health issues - who knows? But what we do know is that there were search parties out looking for him but didn't find him - maybe he didn't want to be found so instead of finding somewhere in the open where he could be spotted, he kept out of the way? Couple this to the fact that, as I understand it, to get to where he was found, he must have gone through areas of good cell phone reception.

It's been said many, many times the Bill loved Joshua Tree NP, maybe he decided that's where he wanted to spend his last day, maybe he had some pills or other means of making it easier, Perhaps he left a note, perhaps the Coroner will be able to comment, although after this time it's not likely.

A distinct possibility. I never in a million years would have guessed that Bill Ewasko would be found where he was found. My conjecture that he was trying to get to the water spigot at the West Entrance Station was the only thing I could think of, but, honestly, it's a bit weak.

Mr. Ewasko starts Thursday and presumably perishes on Sunday. A good hiker can make it all the way to the vicinity of Pt. 4282' where he was found in one day. What is he doing for the other two days? I've walked the terrain between Pt. 4282' and Park Blvd. It is not as easy as, say, a golf course green, but it's all fairly navigable. He's out there for all or part of four days. Presumably he arrived in the vicinity of Quail Wash the first day. I think we've been assuming that Mr. Ewasko was still alive on Sunday, but he wasn't necessarily. I've been in areas with very spotty cell service. Sometimes I've been able to get out a text; sometimes I have not. It's possible that Mr. Ewasko had the phone on and died some time Friday or Saturday. The stars aligned and phone just randomly got one ping out Sunday morning and got no further pings before the battery discharged. If Mr. Ewasko died, say, Friday, deliberate evasion is less likely.

However, my little theory that perhaps explains why we don't have to account for a lot of time still doesn't explain why he was in the vicinity of Pt. 4282'. Your theory does.

Alchad wrote:Finally, the mystery ends with another mystery of it's own. I'm a Brit, in this country with a story like this the lower end of the newspapers would be going all out to find the 2 hikers and get the "inside story". Maybe the situation in the USA is different and such stories are not allowed until after the inquest? On a parallel path, the two hikers who found Bill's body, even if they didn't know who he was when they found him must certainly know by now. Even if they are absolutely decent private folk with no desire to profit from their find, or have there moment of fame, it's odd, to me anyway, that they haven't offered something up to Social Media, or forums such as Reddit or on here?

I'm not sure that Americans are more resistant to tabloids than the British, but hikers can be a different ilk. A person who seeks off trail solitude might not be the type of person who would want tabloid attention.

I know for me that if the sheriff/coroner asked me to say nothing until after the coroner finished his/her work, I would say nothing. Add to that the fact that this in a way is very old news. Some dry bones and a few bits have been found. Not exactly headline material perhaps.

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Re: Bill Ewasko found?

Postby Ed » Mon Feb 14, 2022 10:42 am

National media do differ considerably in how they cover stories. In Mexico crimes and accidents are reported with gory photos not seen here. I frankly favor the Mexican approach, there is a certain candor and honesty to it. SAR type events here are covered with a light shallow skip-on-to-the-next-story approach that seems to assume the general public is not interested in the details. Which probably is true. And in my personal opinion there is an over-concern with privacy.
Though I agree with HJ that if the authorities asked me to remain silent, I would comply.

While Bill Ewasko is described as an experienced hiker and familiar with Joshua Tree, I suspect he was not as experienced a hiker or as familiar with Joshua Tree as many contributors to this discussion. Also, as noted by some people, his physical and mental state may have been degraded considerably by some event, in addition to thirst, heat and fatigue, unknown to us. Rattlesnake bite, coronary incident, etc. So I am not surprised at comments that 'Bill did not do what I would have done in the same circumstances'. Plus I have made mistakes when in full control of my physical and mental functions that could have been deadly. Assuming that Bill was proceeding rationally is the best analytical approach when you don't have much information, but it leaves out a lot of other possibilities.
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Re: Bill Ewasko found?

Postby Hikin_Jim » Mon Feb 14, 2022 12:27 pm

Well, now, hold on. Maybe Bill's last position actually does make sense and is rational.

Follow my logic, below, and what I've mapped here: https://caltopo.com/m/1VLTC
1. Bill goes to Quail Mtn.
2. Bill goes down Johnny Lang Canyon to Quail Springs Road. Maybe he's a little low on water, but he really wants to see Smith Water Canyon, so he heads west.
3. The further he goes, the lower he gets on water, but he really wants to see Smith Water Canyon. Bill says to himself, "Hey! I know! Smith Water Canyon. I don't need to abort. I've read that there's reliable water there." And indeed there is water in Smith Water Canyon, but it's not anywhere near the mouth. It's two miles up canyon. The mouth, where Bill is headed, is as dry as a bone.
4. Bill arrives at Smith Water Canyon and has an "oh, sh!t" moment. There's not a drop of water. But Bill keeps a cool head and takes a look at his map. Now, here's where my interest in maps really comes in. What does he see? Let's say he has a map that shows the Bigfoot and Creosote Trails. He knows he needs to get the heck out of there or he's a dead man. What's the shortest way out of here? He sees two routes out, routes that separate at what I've labled "Decision Pt." Park Blvd (and salvation) is on the order of 2.5 miles via the Bigfoot and Creosote Trails whereas it is a shade over 3 miles via the Quail Spgs Road. He sets out on the Bigfoot Trail. On the NPS 1:24,000, there's a little gap where there's no trail between Quail Spgs Rd and the Bigfoot Trail, but there's a wash clearly marked on the map that leads straight there. Bill's route in paralleled that wash, so he knows it's big, and anyone who has spent time cross country hiking in Joshua Tree knows that those washes are like highways in the desert. On the National Geographic "Trails Illustrated" Joshua Tree map, the aformentioned wash is listed as a trail and even has the mileage marked at 0.6 mi. I think it is entirely plausible that Bill might pick the Bigfoot Trail as his escape route.
5. En route, one of the below occurs:
  • He sees a SAR chopper and climbs NW, hoping to be seen.
  • He realizes that he's might not make it, sees a close by high point and climbs to see if he can get cell signal.
  • He wants to be 100% sure he's on track, so he climbs to get oriented.
6. Alas, the clock has run out on Bill Ewasko, and he perishes, possibly as close as 750' from a known hiking trail. Whatever the precise distance, he's less than a quarter mile from the trail, and he only had to climb maybe 150 vertical feet to get there, which really is very doable if you look at the slope.
7. The exact timing of Bill's demise is not known, but whether living or dead, his cell phone miraculously gets signal long enough for the infamous ping to occur on Sunday.

Now, is this latest theory a foregone conclusion? Absolutely not. For one thing, we still haven't gotten the coroner's report. For another, @otherhand has not yet had a chance to to view the site. And of course, we don't yet know precisely Bill's final location.

However, the one thing my possibly crack pot theory does explain is why Bill went north when he was in trouble. If he made it out to the vicinity of Smith Water Canyon, the shortest way out is via the Bigfoot Trail. If looked at from that perspective, suddenly Bill's location makes sense. I might very well choose the same bail out route were I rational and in trouble.

I sure would like to know what maps he had on his person, but if he had the free topo map that the park service gives out of that area, Indian Cove 1:24,000, or the National Geographic "Trails Illustrated" Joshua Tree map, then this is a very possible, rational scenario.

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Re: Bill Ewasko found?

Postby jdclifford » Mon Feb 14, 2022 12:34 pm

I'm a bit late to the party! Wow...amazing that he was found. Joshua Tree is so rocky, but that area he would have been found in is super rocky. Amazing he made that last push in elevation as dehydrated as he would have likely been.
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Re: Bill Ewasko found?

Postby jdclifford » Mon Feb 14, 2022 1:41 pm

I just viewed the GPS location the helicopter circled in on which Tom posted. I don't believe I ever would have looked there within a few more years of searching.
I have to say, beyond simply being thankful he has been found, I am relieved that I don't have to make that long drive from Silver CIty, NM anymore. Being a part of this search has provided me with meaning and I'm really looking foward to engaging local searches of hikers who were never found. There are at least three cases within two hours of where I am.
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Re: Bill Ewasko found?

Postby RichardK » Mon Feb 14, 2022 4:06 pm

I was looking at the San Bernardino Sheriff's website. On the page for Coroner Press Releases (https://wp.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/media-c ... s-release/), I found this notice:

702201693: On Tuesday, 02/08/2022, at approximately 5:27 PM, Morongo station deputies responded to Joshua Tree National Park. Human remains were located and later recovered. The name is withheld pending confirmation of identification and the notification of next of kin. For additional information contact San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Specialized Investigations Division. [02092022 1840 AB]


No new information here, but there is an additional contact resource "Specialized Investigations". Does anyone know how long it takes for the coroner to do his thing?
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Re: Bill Ewasko found?

Postby OtherHand » Mon Feb 14, 2022 6:01 pm

Found the site today.

My first estimate as to the location of the copter's landing zone was wrong, as well as my second and third guesses. But in the process of running after assorted wild geese, I came across some footprints that shouldn't have been there and followed them back to the real LZ. Hueys make a pretty good dents in the landscape.

Although it was cleaned up fairly well, because there's still some "stuff" at the site, I'm not going to publicly mention specifics. The location I had posted previously is close enough for government work. For reasons I won't get into, I'm highly confident Bill approached his final site from the SW. He did NOT come down from the Panorama Loop trail above to the north. Sadly, Park Road is clearly visible from the site. I could even hear it. He wasn't very far away from saving himself. Seems a shame he covered so many miles to fall short so close.

I passed within 400' of this site way back in 2012. But I never would have thought to check out this specific spot as it wouldn't have made any sense. It is remarkable in its unremarkability. In more recent hunts, it is with a heavy heart that I note that bretpct passed within 70' of the skid imprints on his trip last Saturday (bret, drop me a note). Most people don't understand how easy it is to miss things in the desert. It's very deceptive.

I don't have Verizon, so I couldn't check coverage at the site (my carrier said nada). The Serin splash map shows no coverage there, but on his probable approach to this final spot it's likely he passed through a real fringey area close to the 10.6 mile mark. So the cell stuff was correct.

I think I'm done with Joshua Tree. Given the increase in tourism them over the past 11 years (hipsters, Instagrammers, etc) and the godawful continuous traffic choked strip mall Yucca Valley has become, it's just not fun visiting there anymore. Bill gave me a reason, but that's done with now.
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Re: Bill Ewasko found?

Postby Hikin_Jim » Mon Feb 14, 2022 6:30 pm

From the SW not the SE?

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