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Re: Authorities seek help finding man missing in Yosemite

Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 1:26 pm
by rlown
Bummer. 3 weeks is a long time to be missing.

Re: Authorities seek help finding man missing in Yosemite

Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:27 pm
by SSSdave
The park police should be allowed to track overnight vehicles at trailheads and roadside. If so they could have looked for that person earlier.

For decades I've been advocating that backpackers should provide car license numbers when picking up permits including multiple numbers if there are multiple cars with a group. Currently the park police have no way of knowing whether or not a car parked at trailheads or elsewhere roadside is that of a backpacker, thru-hiker, or an illegal near road camper.

I would bet every night there are more vehicles parked along SR120 that are not those of backpackers but instead are people without a legal public campground spot or those who have a habit of doing so on the cheap. It's a decades old issue. Not a few are climbers. The most ridiculous abuse is always at the Cathedral Lakes Trailhead at Tuolumne Meadows where one often sees long lines of vehicles on each side of the road parked overnight. More vehicles than there are quotas and more are there on Saturday nights even though the quota mid-summer fills up most every night such that it should not vary. Whether in the NPs or NF I always volunteer my car license number onto permits and if I am going to park outside trailheads indicate such.

Re: Authorities seek help finding man missing in Yosemite

Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 5:01 pm
by maverick
The park police should be allowed to track overnight vehicles at trailheads and roadside. If so they could have looked for that person earlier.

Or maybe someone after 3 weeks, family, friends, or work, should have inquired about his well being or whereabouts. If the rangers had not checked his car, no one would still have known what happened to James. He did the right thing by leaving a note in the car, which eventually lead to his recovery, but was there an itinerary left with anyone back home? When was he supposed to be back in the Bay Area? How long was he out for? Was he doing several day hikes or short trips too? To many unanswered questions still, to make any sense of this tragedy.

Re: Authorities seek help finding man missing in Yosemite

Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 5:58 pm
by rlown
2 weeks of dust on the car wasn't a dead giveaway? Pardon my wording of that sentence. Even at the Wildlife refuges, they take down all the license numbers at checki-in and names even for the non-hunters. Seems apropos to do that in the NPS.

Re: Authorities seek help finding man missing in Yosemite

Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 8:36 pm
by zacjust32
At Road's End when doing the Rae Lakes loop this summer we were required to give our license plate and vehicle make and model on our permit. It may have just been the ranger there but I appreciate his concern and thoroughness.