Story of missing hiker in Joshua Tree NP

[Hikin_Jim]

The west tending ravine...

That ravine looks pretty rough around 4200 feet. Might be an interesting spot to check out. Don't see how an injured guy could get all the way there, but then Bill seems to be full of surprises, now doesn't he?

HJ

[halhiker]

The west tending ravine...

That ravine looks pretty rough around 4200 feet. Might be an interesting spot to check out. Don't see how an injured guy could get all the way there, but then Bill seems to be full of surprises, now doesn't he?

HJ

Looks like a pretty well defined trail on the ridge to the south of that little ravine. Probably critters coming down for water but you never know.

[guest]

Hi,
Thanks for all the info, I appreciate what your doing Otherhand & the rest.
Great photos Jim, those rams are just amazing, never seen any that big!
Been to SmithWater Cyn a few times, and, as stated, lots of killing & eating by the lions, a real ambush sight.
A bit below the dry falls, if I remember, is a very cool shelter, as I'm sure Otherhand & SAR's guys know, big enough for close to 10 to sit, maybe cooler than Obey-Yoyo in Rattlesnake Cyn.

If I'm able, I'll venture out myself.

As with the man's body found recently down a "shaft" in Borrego, and with the guy found alive after 4 days I believe somewhere in the Wonderland many yrs. ago, he may be well hidden.

Closure for the family would be nice.

ss

[drndr]

HJ, I like that we've never met and you know I'm a cheap son of a gun!
Although I did break down and get an annual pass last weekend.


I'm going out tomorrow (Sat) with a med. experienced hiking group. Hopefully on trail by 830 at Covington. I will go as far the ravine and see what energy my group has left and decide whether to go up or just back track the way we came. I may stay to the southerly ridge and just look down into the ravine. It will all depend on terrain and the group.

Anyone else going to be out there. I will be in a group of five most likely. Honda Odyssey.

Dan

[zippetydude]

I have a question that I'm not sure how to phrase appropriately...uh, what if there are no remains? Is it uncommon for coyotes and the like to consume remains? It seems that at the very least it could lead to a dispersal of evidence, to put it delicately.

z

[thatoneguy]

I have a question that I'm not sure how to phrase appropriately...uh, what if there are no remains? Is it uncommon for coyotes and the like to consume remains? It seems that at the very least it could lead to a dispersal of evidence, to put it delicately.

z

The remains would be scattered at this point. Often the head is found further from the rest of the body because the wild life tend to play with the head like a ball.

I would suggest taking photos of any bones you find and record the location.

[Hikin_Jim]

I have a question that I'm not sure how to phrase appropriately...uh, what if there are no remains? Is it uncommon for coyotes and the like to consume remains? It seems that at the very least it could lead to a dispersal of evidence, to put it delicately.

z

The remains would be scattered at this point.

Well, I guess it's out in the open now.

Yes, remains would most likely be scattered. And not just human remains, but the remains of anything that Bill might have carried, which is why I photographed something like this:

My heart started beating rapidly when I saw that. I thought that I might have struck pay dirt. But when I turned it over I realized that it was just an old bit of mylar balloon.

If one were out there any object or item that is human in origin might be a clue. The way we'll probably find Bill is through an old sock or an old faded water bottle or trail bar wrapper or something.

If anything out there looks human in origin or out of place, investigate!

HJ

[drndr]

Did SWC past the dry waterfall. No one wanted to go back up the waterfall so I convinced them I knew another way. Either the northwesterly ridge or ravine right after the bend of the waterfall. We chose the ridge. Stayed in the high country til we were about half mile past Covington parking area and my van then dropped down to the road. My guess ( also not a GPS guy) is between 5 and 6 miles in about 4 hours. A little windy out but a beautiful day. Even chilly at times.

On that side of SWC not a lot of action. And no Bill. We saw no signs of human, including footprints, til we got down almost back to the car. A mylar balloon someone weighted down with a rock. We disposed of the litter. Did look get good looks from afar into the ravine. That will be my next route. Looked more wounded hiker friendly. I will try and do a map like HJ's if I can figure it out.

Two other side notes. That tarp in the trees is some kind of bug catching trap. Screen room all the way down to ground with bottle at top opening catching anything that flies out the top. Kind of a reverse funnel.

You know the button you push at the zoo to see what a lion sounds like. That real low, throaty, half purr/half growl. We heard that 3 quick times just as we entered the greenery before the bug trap. It was close and scared the @#$% out of us. Another reason no one wanted to go back that way we came.

[Hikin_Jim]

Two other side notes. That tarp in the trees is some kind of bug catching trap. Screen room all the way down to ground with bottle at top opening catching anything that flies out the top. Kind of a reverse funnel.

Ah, that makes sense. I could tell it didn't look right as a sleep set up -- no flat spot underneath. I thought it might be for observation, but a bug trap makes more sense.

You know the button you push at the zoo to see what a lion sounds like. That real low, throaty, half purr/half growl. We heard that 3 quick times just as we entered the greenery before the bug trap. It was close and scared the @#$% out of us. Another reason no one wanted to go back that way we came.

Good thing you weren't travelling alone. If you had been, you might have gotten a bad case of "cat scratch fever" if you know what I meant.

HJ

[Hikin_Jim]

Cold cases do get occasionally get cracked: Campsite of man missing since 2010 found.



Note the gear in the photo has been scattered some. Note also that it was a hiker who found the gear not someone from a SAR team.

HJ