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ck1
Joined: 04 Jan 2003 Posts: 1331 Location: Mesa
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Posted: 11/16/2010, 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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If volunteers are needed, could someone please post who to contact, I am more than willing to help search. I know others have helped in searches before...if there's a way to help please share. _________________ -Colin
"The Journey is the Destination" |
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SUN_HIKER
Joined: 05 Dec 2003 Posts: 1057
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Posted: 11/16/2010, 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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Please contact Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. We are in the Peeley TH area where the search is being conducted from the west side. That is the side we believe Joe was trying to attempt to approach Sheep Mtn from.
We pray that tomorrow will be a good day.
Gabriele _________________ SUN_HIKER
http://community.webshots.com/user/sun_hiker
Nobody can make you feel inferior
without your permission.
-Eleanor Roosevelt- |
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bigfoot
Joined: 19 Oct 2005 Posts: 64 Location: Austin, TX
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Posted: 11/16/2010, 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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Good gosh! Very distressing news! My prayers that Joe comes thru' this without much damage. I wish I could help out in anyway I can..Me..being a 1000 miles away doesn't lend itself well to a quick SAR. _________________ Do onto others as you would have others do unto you.
Do not compare yourself with others; you will end up bitter or vain - for there will always be people better or lesser than yourself. |
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Trishness The Snake Charmer
Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Posts: 2530 Location: Apache Jct, AZ
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Posted: 11/16/2010, 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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I'm praying for good news tomorrow~~~~
TT _________________ ~~~Trish~~~
"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings. |
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azbackpackr Hi Tech Wizardess
Joined: 31 Dec 2005 Posts: 3639 Location: Needles CA
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 3:30 am Post subject: |
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I guess Hank is too worried to remember to post on here. Here is his HAZ post:
Update on Joe as I know the details to date:
Gabriele and I finally made contact with each other on Mon-11/15 afternoon and concluded that Joe had left to do a day hike on Mon-11/8 and did not return. We soon obtained the Gila County Sheriff Dept S&R teleph# in Payson and Gabriele made the first call to start the wheels turning. I concentrated 11/15pm on taking a guess where Joe may have gone for this "only known to him" day hike route.. I guessed correctly the Peeley TH. A Gila Sheriff Dept Sergeant made the drive to Peeley TH very late 11/15pm and did confirm Joe's white 4-Runner parked at the Peeley TH (at end of FR201). All day today the Gila S&R team(from Flagstaff?) and a DPS helicopter (only for the morning) started a formal search. Most of the day today I was in phone contact with them to communicate my educated guesses regarding Joe's interest in finding an "off trail" route to summit Sheep Mountain from ~3.0mls to ~3.7mls in on the Mazatzal Divide TR23. Joe had attempted to gain the rugged north to south ridge line that runs up and downhill to the summit of Sheep Mountain.. this 11/8 attempt would have been his 4th try since late autumn of 2009. I have given the S&R teams my best guesses at Joe's possible exit waypoints on the Mazatzal Divide TR23 as well as send them a more detailed HAZ map link.. : http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?QX=81 I could be wrong with this route, and Joe could have taken a different route, but I am fairly certain that his end objective was to once again try to summit rugged with very dense vegetation- Sheep Mountain at 6996ft.
As of this writing, Joe will be missing for 9 days as of tomorrow Wed-11/17.
Late today-11/16 the S&R responsibility was transferred from Gila County to the Maricopa County S&R team. As I now understand from my recent telecom this afternoon with the S&R team commander, a complete search team- ground and DPS helicopter will be on scene from 11/17am. I believe many of the S&R team is spending the night tonight at the Peeley TH. Gabriele is in Payson spending the night with Joe's only son who flew into PHX from Chicago late this afternoon. The two of them will be driving to the Peeley TH early 11/17am to spend the day with the S&R Team. I'm recovering well from a surgery on 11/15 or I would be with them.. Please keep our GPSjoe, his family, and friends in your prayers and thoughts for a true survival miracle. |
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paintninaz
Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 3515
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 7:36 am Post subject: |
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Keeping positive thoughts and a belief that miracles do happen, I'm hoping for good news today. _________________ ~Tracy
“Friends make the bad times good — and the good times unforgettable.” |
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sbkelley
Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 284 Location: Tempe, AZ
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 8:39 am Post subject: |
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Here's to hoping they find him alive and well. That's some rugged country back in there. Hoping for the best... _________________ Mountains complement desert as desert complements city, as wilderness complements and completes civilization. - Ed Abbey |
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threedogz
Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 668 Location: Chandler
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 10:37 am Post subject: |
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Wow, what scary news, hope there is a happy ending here. _________________ You can never eat too much candy... |
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beckett
Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 1066
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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paintninaz wrote: |
Keeping positive thoughts and a belief that miracles do happen, I'm hoping for good news today. |
I'm on board with this...miracles happen every day. _________________ "A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
-- Walter Winchell, American newspaper commentator |
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Thoreau
Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 9
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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Does anyone have any contact info for the SAR team in charge, and are they looking for volunteers? |
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sam_hikes
Joined: 07 Apr 2003 Posts: 383
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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Any updates from the SAR team or news on Joe? |
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Hikngrl Canyoneering is my 'Happy Place'
Joined: 27 May 2003 Posts: 5578 Location: Peoria, AZ
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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Just wondering about everyone's thoughts on the possibiity of volunteering to search this weekend if for some unfortunate reason Joe is not found before then. Those of us who are left after the dropping like flys stages over on the backpacking thread for this weekend that is....Just looking for some feedback and your thoughts.... _________________ ~~~Diane~~~
I want to shine! |
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sam_hikes
Joined: 07 Apr 2003 Posts: 383
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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Did see on HAZ the following April post from Joe... Sounds like that peak was on his list--has anyone hiked it b/4?
"The snow is gone, the trails are completely dry and the downed tree blocking access to the Mount Peeley TH has been cleared. So the pool is open.
I made another unsuccessful attempt to reach Sheep Mountain. This time my GPS said I was 0.35 miles (straight line) from the summit. What does me in on this hike is not the terrain but rather the low vegetation - Manzanita, Cactus, other stuff.
The approach I have tried is to go past the Mt Peeley summit turnoff on the Divide trail for just over 1/2 mile and turn left to gain the ridgeline which is only 200 yards (straight line) from the trail there. The first half mile of off trail hiking to the ridgeline is relatively easy since the forest floor is clear for hiking. After that the hiking becomes tough. The ridgeline involves class 3 scrambling and rock climbing and that is not the tough part. It is the low vegetation that eventually does me in. I made it to peak 6910 and beyond just before Sheep Mountain.
You need to be a little crazy to try this one but I know there are some crazies out there." |
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wanderingsoul
Joined: 19 Jul 2004 Posts: 2285 Location: Gilbert AZ
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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I would have joined the backpacking trip had I not been On-call.
But in light of the situation with Joe I think that is a nice thing to try to do.
Not sure what the Search Team will offer to let you do, but it is a good thought.
I called the Maricopa Sheriff early this morning to offer to do anything they needed. Thought maybe I'd be able to get someone to take my On-call at work in light of this situation?
I figured I was not experienced or skilled enough for wilderness search, but if I would be allowed I would hike to do. I offered what I thought they might allow and without me hindering their efforts. Told them I'd do what ever I could to help, Communication relay, gofer duty to run errands or whatever they may need, waitres service to serve food & drinks to those who came back tired and needed to rest. The individual I spoke to said there is no phone service to be able to pick up so she sent the information via radio communication. Said the ground crew have been out for some time and helicopter was in the air searching as we spoke. She took my name and phone number and said they'd call back.
I've heard nothing back, didn't think I would. I figured they don't want the general public hindering their efforts or more people to worry about.
But some of you who are stronger hikers may be able to assist more than I could offer.
Don't know if you call if they'd return your call either or if you just showed up maybe they'd allow you to do something. It could be worth a try. And if not I'm sure Gabrielle and Joe's son could sure use some moral support too.
This is just so distressing.
Just saddens me soo. Joe is experienced in wilderness & navigation , a strong hiker (he and Gabrielle can hike circles around me). He has done so much. I just can't believe. Thoughts running through my head say maybe he slipped or something and just has a minor injury that doesn't allow him to move quickly and has to take his time coming back depending on how far he hiked and the difficulty of the terrain. At least that is what I am hoping and that he will be found soon. _________________ Wanderingsoul (Michelle)
Positive Thinking Is the Spark that Makes Dreams Happen~~~Unknown |
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SUN_HIKER
Joined: 05 Dec 2003 Posts: 1057
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Posted: 11/17/2010, 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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update:
Just got back from the base station. As of today SAR is calling of the night search, will however resume tomorrow one more time with added manpower to do another intense search between Peeley and Sheep Mountain which is the route Joe headed.
Although officially SAR has not said so, I gather they will wind down their effort by Friday since they exhausted all areas to look.
We did get off Joe's computer a track file that he created the weekend prior to his hike on Monday. Unfortunately this file is the same area SAR has been pounding for days now.
I cannot begin to express the feeling having to leave the area with out finding my hiking buddy.
I know we and SAR did everything possible and I hope Joe knows that.
Saturday I'm leaving to spend Thanksgiving with family but my heart and mind will be in the Matazal's _________________ SUN_HIKER
http://community.webshots.com/user/sun_hiker
Nobody can make you feel inferior
without your permission.
-Eleanor Roosevelt- |
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