Eigenguy wrote:I hiked to Ediza yesterday. I was really hoping to get to Iceberg and/or Cecile, but I started too late on a dayhike and I was exhausted. I remember reading that Matthew's hiking pace was incredibly fast. This hike was BRUTAL for me!
Here is one thing I really don't get... I crossed easily 50 people on the way to Shadow Lake, and maybe another 20 on the way to/from Ediza. Each of them said hello, so I believe they would have had some recollection of me and vice/verse. I find it odd that nobody came forward to say they saw Matthew on the trail whether it was Shadow/Ediza or Devils Postpile/Minaret. But perhaps this is because of the time that passed between whatever happened and the realization that he was missing.
That's actually really easy to explain. When I was SAR, one of the things we did was interview people we see on the trail, collecting information. It becomes obvious when one does this that people are really, really terrible reporters -- people
never remember things right. NEVER. It's why all SAR professionals carry notebooks and write everything down.
In interviews, people get age, race, clothing, pretty much everything wrong -- I've been on searches for Hispanic subjects and been informed that a "bunch of white guys" went through, only to find out those were the subjects later. I'd place bets (and win) that if I were to question the people who talked to you, they would muck it up royally.
Chances are good a lot of people saw him, but you'll never get to talk to those people because they were too caught up in their own fun and paying no attention, so have no really clear memories of him.
One of the things I do now, after coming to this realization, is when I meet people on the trail who don't appear to be doing well or really clear headed or just give me a feeling (ever meet someone who just doesn't seem prepared enough?), I make notes of what they look like, talk to them and try to get names, destinations, schedule, etc. I ran into (for example) a guy in soaked jeans, flannel shirt, with a massive external frame, hiking up into a snow storm up Kibbie Ridge as we were hiking down to get out of the storm -- he seemed to me on the verge of hypothermia. I reported him to the ranger at Eleanor the following morning because he looked like he might be on his way to real trouble, if he wasn't already halfway there.