Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Use this forum to stay informed on missing persons alerts, active SAR's and unfortunate hiker accidents we can all hopefully learn from. Any information you may have on a missing person, including first hand weather related information or any other insight (however little) may prove to be critical information to Law Enforcement / SAR in locating the person in question.
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Critter
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Alternate (maverick's) search thread.

Post by Critter »

Caveman's post of this date with suggestion that the 890 posts from Larry might provide clues as to habits (or lack thereof) of Larry sticking to any kind of itinerary is valuable. I am a friend who just registered onto this site and have carefully read each of Larry's posts as suggested by Caveman. I have no idea about hiking, backpacking or anything remotely close, however I do know Larry is a maverick and his posts scream out that he NEVER follows his planned routes or itineraries or whatever you folks call them. Additionally, within these posts, he is drawing you a virtual map as to the color of his tents, clothing, his food stocks, etc, etc. I strongly recommend that someone at SAR take a couple of hours to review Larry's posts. Please see the pasted examples below and God speed.

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Re: new
by quentinc on Thu Aug 19, 2010 7:33 pm

I also backpack alone all the time. While I'm not advocating this for others, I take no precautions -- no itinerary, no SPOT. I often change my mind as to my itinerary while I'm out anyway. I go over crazy off-trail passes all the time, and generally try to find areas with no one in miles. My only concession to age is to see if I can go further on the first day than I've ever gone in the past. I finally made it all the way to Darwin Bench on the first day from North Lake last weekend, and I didn't get started until 11am. (This trick been working for the past 2 years, but I know at some point the jig will be up! )

And still....I'm convinced that by far the most danger I face is driving back home. (The stretch from Palmdale to LA at night is sheer terror.) Solo backpacking is a wonderful lesson in self-sufficiency.
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Re: How do you plan your trip?
by quentinc on Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:37 pm

I'm with the free spirits here. I don't own a GPS or even a compass, and have never tried Google Earth. I go to the wilderness to escape technology, not to import it.

I'm also down with the spur of the moment philosophy. Last summer I planned on a North Lake (via Lamarck Col) to South Lake trip, but ended up turning around in Evolution Valley and heading down the Muir Trail in the complete opposite direction, eventually winding back cross-country through Bear Lakes Basin, Feather Pass and Puppet Pass. And it was absolutely wonderful (although a bit too hard for the 7 days I had available).

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Re: Let people know (where you're going)
by quentinc on Tue Jul 19, 2011 8:09 pm

bheiser1 wrote:
(What insurance does the SAR team charge? Health insurance? in the way an ambulance service would?)

Good question -- I bet most health insurers would refuse to cover SAR.
Who does cover the cost of SAR? I know the rescuers volunteer their time (and deserve a Purple Heart for it!), but what about the helicopters, etc? I guess the NPS.

As someone who would make a bad "rescuee" (I change my mind on the fly too much to leave a meaningful detailed itinerary), I have to say I'd gladly pay if it were my life that was being saved. Who wouldn't?

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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by SSSdave »

As all of us, am still hoping quentinc appears...

I've made 7 posts on this thread speculating on where quentinc might be, what his condition might be, and what might be factors in his decisions. (Search on sssdave on pages 1 2 5 8 10 18. After a couple brief inputs I offered a longer analysis on page 5.) At this point search teams have left. A new smaller balmy though dangerous winter storm is approaching today that is forecast to lay down maybe a foot or so of additional snow making further searching both more difficult to perform and also less likely to bare results. Aerial search will fly over areas one last time again today before the storm.

We can still hope quentinc is alive and will be found but probabilities at this point are ... Even if he is stuck injured at some unpleasant place difficult to move, his food would be low or gone. Enough time has passed that lack of food would make him weak but he would very much still be alive and could last more days. Water would likely not be an issue. However if he was at all able to move around a bit consciously, he would have already done obvious things to help searches find him like putting some bright colorful part of his gear out in the open, shining flashlights, using a reflecting mirror, or burning some smoky item like wood whenever he heard helicopters or planes. Additionally searchers have not come across any tracks that is a strong argument that he was never able to move. These have not happened which is a reason in such situations SAR teams eventually come to a conclusion that a missing person was incapacitated from an early time and given history of similar searches rightfully close up their operations.

Thus it is likely he was seriously injured before the storm climbing or succumbed after the storm began due to exposure.

Occasionally mountain enthusiasts have lost their lives in the Sierra Nevada in the past and such will always be the case as there are many dangers. Many activities have little dangers with the most dangerous elements likely driving on mountain roads. Some activities like trail backpacking have only minor dangers that are rarely so serious that they take lives. Others like difficult peak bagging are very dangerous.

Quentinc's solo offtrail backpacking and exploration activities have some dangerous elements much like my and a good number of others on this board. And obviously more so as that is way he plays the game. It is game we participants are all aware of and given the freedom we enjoy in our society, are thankfully allowed to make our own decisions on whether or not to participate and take risks involved.

At any time an unexpected loose boulder in talus, or invisible slippery spot on a log crossing over a large deep fast stream, or falling down into labyrinths between large talus, or a single ice hard spot during a traverse across steep firm snow, or an unexpected pack weight shift while making a climbing move on an exposed face of steeps, or electrocution by lightning, are possible despite however careful one might be.

Let us continue to hope for a good outcome while understanding what seems to be likely and expecially thank SAR teams for their considerable personal efforts.
Last edited by SSSdave on Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by rlown »

I'm hoping SEKI comes back with a post storm plan. I guess I'm thinking he could be just outside of the primary search zone (unless he's just not able to respond). Several have mentioned areas already so I won't repeat them.
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by SEKI Public Affairs »

The following information has been posted on Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks' website at http://www.nps.gov/seki/parknews/newsreleases.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; about missing hiker Larry Conn
- News release (as below)
- A more detailed map of the search area

Aerial Search Continued Today for Missing Hiker Larry Conn at Kings Canyon National Park

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, CA – An aerial search continued for missing hiker
Larry Conn at Kings Canyon National Park on Wednesday, October 31, 2012. The search focused on specific high-probability areas, including likely travel corridors/camp locations around
Pinchot Pass, Taboose Pass, and Split Mountain. Despite aggressive searching, no clues have been tied to Larry Conn since he was seen by another hiker near his vehicle on October 19.
The search will be temporarily suspended on Thursday, November 1, due to impending weather conditions. Managers continue to evaluate any new information to determine the direction of search efforts over the coming days.
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by Hobbes »

I had mentally logged out for the winter while firmly ensconced in the surf zone, and came across a notice regarding a missing hiker in the Sierra. Didn't think much about it until I saw a reference to Quentin - just had to check HST, and here it is, a thread 24 pages long.

Wow.

I still remember exchanging some messages with him about the S. Sierra. Since we're both from SoCal, we tended to gravitate towards the trailheads closest to home. We're both soloists, and while I don't believe I take unnecessary chances, there was always the sense of esprit de corps amongst those who went solo, fast & x-country.

Others have posted various messages that attempt to cast some light on Quentin, but the one that stands out for me is this 'conversation' we had back in August:

Hobbes: I left the "trail" by lower Crabtree Lake and tried traversing around the eastern shoulder of Hitchcock. It was somewhat successful, although I had to drop elevation at one point. Then I went up the shelf on the south side of Whitney Creek, which fortunately dropped down to Timberline Lake. Otherwise there was a deep gorge to cross to get to the other side of Whitney Creek.

I didn't do Whitney, figuring it could survive without having me on top for the 26th time. I went back out along the PCT, although I did as much hiking off the trail as I could to avoid the hordes.


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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by ERIC »

I have done what I can to move all posts related to maverick's SAR efforts to the separate thread referenced earlier, and have now locked that thread. Nobody's posts were deleted, even though some of what I had to move I would consider to be borderline to outright haranguing.

Link to that thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8551" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by jimmeans »

Latest SEKI search map 10/31/2012
Latest SEKI search map 10/31/2012
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by Hobbes »

One look @ ACME mapper and/or a TOPO map of Taboose & Split, along with 'knowing' a little bit about Larry from various forum 'conversations', should lead one exactly to where Mav is going to go looking.

For one, Quentin never used trails, unless it was to get someplace/somewhere in the most direct fashion possible. Secondly, he favored staying high above treeline from which to be able to survey the landscape for x-country routes, passes, etc.

Personally, I don't believe weather was a factor, other than to hinder SAR efforts. If you read some of his past accounts, like this one, you would know that Larry not only pushed the limits, but liked to recount his experiences in a humorous fashion as well:

viewtopic.php?t=2176&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was so exultant at having summited that I decided to take a different route down fom the plateau. I thought I was doing the so-called Rockwell Variation, but it turned out to be the Rock Hell variation. Or the Rock Head variation...almost literally. Anyway, I ended up encountering the real Wall of Death, which you can see in the last photo. Three-quarters of the way down, I got myself into a trap where I couldn't climb back up, and ahead of me faced a 20 foot slope on a steep, completely smooth boulder. At the end of the boulder was a solid rock on the left, but sheer air in the center and on the right. I was clinging to hang on to where I was and couldn't hold much longer.

So I first let my daypack go, and it sailed right over the edge, its water bottles and bones sickeningly exploding and smashing everywhere. But, still, I realized my only chance was to let go myself, and try to fling my body over to the left where the rock would stop my slide. As the life wrenched out of my stomach, I launched. Seconds later I found my right hand clinging to a protuberance on the rock I was aiming for, with the rest of me poised over the edge of the cliff, on my back and upside down (head-first). I was able to pull myself back up...or else I wouldn't be typing this post today.

Don't try this at home!
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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by Hobbes »

One of my favorite posts from Quentin was this story recounting his climb of Mt Russell. He provided a great photo essay here:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5506" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've gone ahead and grabbed some of his captions:
-So I go up this, only to discover there's a real cliff on the other side, and I have to come halfway down and traverse to a saner crossing point
-Oh boy, my kind of route! This is the only way to the Russell-Carillon saddle. Believe it or not, it's Class 2, although I naturally discovered a Class 3 route instead.
-I considered being terrified, but then figured, "what's the point?"
-What's left of me, on top of Russell. Smoke in background is from my central nervous system.
-My feet after discharge from the hospital the next morning. I've been wearing the same boots the whole summer, what's with this?


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Re: Overdue Hiker - Do You Have Any Info?

Post by orbitor »

Based on the latest SAR map, the area from Palisade Lakes to Sawmill Pass has been thoroughly surveyed by helicopter. Ground crews extensively covered the Taboose area from Mather Pass to Pinchot Pass, and down the South Fork Kings River a ways. Absolutely no clues have been found. Is it reasonable to assume Larry would have pushed either north or south of these points given the state of his gear and supplies?

It also appears the trails to Red Lake and Sawmill Pass from the east haven't been checked by ground crews, though helicopter flybys are indicated.
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