Found Deceased CA - Paul Miller, 51, Canadian missing in Joshua Tree Natl Park, San Bernardino Co., 13 Jul 2018 #2

New Posts

Status
Not open for further replies.
zecats said:
Here ya go.

Hi there. This is Dawne. We’ve been back from Joshua Tree National Park for a week now and are still trying to process everything. We felt drained both physically and emotionally by the end of our time there but were glad we went. Joshua Tree struck us with its raw beauty. Huge rock outcroppings scattered randomly throughout the landscape are surrounded by high ridges and deep canyons. The land is rugged and much more vertical than Google Earth indicates. The air feels clean there and the quiet is absolute, peaceful in fact. Paul must have loved it. It reminds us in some ways of the Arctic. The tundra however, doesn’t have cactus plants, tarantulas and rattle snakes. It also doesn’t have a nasty bush referred to as ‘Cat’s Claw’ or ‘Wait a Minute’. We got very scratched up courtesy of this one. We are fascinated by the ingenious methods plants and animals have evolved there to survive in the desert. Joshua Tree is indeed a hard place.
Dave and I were on the trail each morning by 8 a.m.. Katie Ashe, the ranger in charge of search and rescue, arranged for one or two search and rescue volunteers (JOSAR) to be with us each day. They took our lead as to where we wanted to search. They are amazing people and really seem to care about finding Paul. We owe much thanks to Jim, Bill, Alice, Chris, Karyl and Shaelan. We are especially grateful to a wonderful man named Tomas. He was with us each day and worked tirelessly. We consider him to be a friend now. We met with David Smith, the park superintendent several times. He made sure we had the resources we needed to conduct our search and confirmed that the Canadian Consulate has been calling regularly.
The first day, we walked the trail trying to see it through Paul’s eyes. Although the trail is obvious, it disappears quickly once you venture off of it. We saw numerous spots just off the trail where he might have gone to get a better viewpoint for a photo. Over the days that followed, we searched below them. There are canyons and washes (areas that water flows down during flash floods) that he might have followed if he was chasing after a big horn sheep. We checked them out as best we could, clamouring over rock piles and climbing up canyon walls looking in cracks and crevices for clues. Helmets came in handy. I found that I was pretty good at climbing up but getting back down was a much slower process. Dave and Tomas are mountain goats though and covered a lot of territory. There are so many crevices there! We would spend hours just on one rock mound. We found a wooden cross and trail cam that the park was unaware of. They figure the camera was put there by biologists studying the sheep. They will check it out but suspect its camera stopped filming long ago. We also found lots of sheep bones, a bob cat skull and very old bits of clothing. By the end of our stay, Tomas felt that we had actually covered a lot of territory that couldn’t be searched thoroughly in July when the heat was so restrictive. He told us that search crews couldn’t stay out for longer than 2 hours at a time because of this. I got mildly dehydrated the first day and recognized the signs from a previous incident in the Grand Canyon years ago. I can attest to the fact that dehydration and heat exhaustion can lead to disorientation. Perhaps that is what happened to Paul. Tomas also mentioned that most of the volunteers were not comfortable with climbing so that was left to the few who could handle it. After seeing the terrain, I can understand that. Tomas was actually impressed with us for climbing slopes most volunteers couldn’t. Let’s just say that Dave and I were motivated. One evening, we went to a GPS training meeting of JOSAR volunteers and got a good look at the GPS tracks of volunteers in July. Ours’ will be added. For now, it is being left to volunteers to go out on their own time. A few are certainly doing that but I’d like to see more planning going into where they are searching.
I’d like to say that going to the park brought us some closure but the reality is that we are more confused than ever. What could have gone wrong? Paul was missing for 3 hours by the time the search began and I felt we searched further afield from where he could have wandered in that time frame. We have not ruled out foul play despite the lack of evidence. We visited the sheriff’s office only to find that they really have nothing in their file. They too think that Paul is in the park somewhere and that it is not their jurisdiction as a result. We left the information about Paul’s camera with them and checked out what pawn shops are in the area since they have not done that. One interesting point - we took out bags and bags of broken bottles and cans often found in locations that were difficult to get to. Why would people hike in so far just to drink? Maybe one of them had other motives. Maybe I’m grasping at straws. On the positive side, Paul’s posters are highly visible at all visitor centres and trailheads. We took down a stack of the newly updated posters and they were up in no time. A reporter and photographer from the Desert Sun in Palm Springs interviewed us and hopefully that raised the profile again. Thank you for that Sherry. Unfortunately the fires in California are the main headlines now. The link for the interview is Ainsley Otten.
So, where do we go from here? Both David Smith and Katie Ashe told us that there are more people visiting the park now and the hope is that someone will see something. I don’t hold out much hope for that. We searched pretty thoroughly off trail and came up with nothing. We need to keep up pressure on the park leadership in the hope that they will conduct more frequent organized searches now that the temperatures are cooler. I mentioned to David Smith that an organization known as the Jon Francis Foundation can provide drone pilots if the park can get permission to fly them. It would make the search so much easier especially in areas that are not easily accessible. I think we need to push this. We also need to contact the Consulate to make sure they don’t forget about Paul. I don’t think we’ll get any help from the Sheriff’s Department, unfortunately. The deputy involved in the case was away on holiday while we were there and although he said he would call me this week, I have yet to hear from him.
It’s strange but we felt very close to Paul while down in Joshua Tree. I often talked to him while searching, hoping that perhaps he would yield a clue in his game of hide and seek. One day, I noticed a cactus on the horizon line of a ridge. It looked like the profile of Paul’s wolf tattoo and I fancied that he was telling us to look there. On the final day, I told him quite angrily that it was his last chance to come out before we left. My little brother has always been a brat though so not surprisingly, he ignored me. Dave and I have decided that we will return at some point to continue the search. Leaving Joshua Tree without Paul was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do.
Click to expand...
What a loving sister!
 
Last edited:
zecats said:
Here ya go.

Hi there. This is Dawne. We’ve been back from Joshua Tree National Park for a week now and are still trying to process everything. We felt drained both physically and emotionally by the end of our time there but were glad we went. Joshua Tree struck us with its raw beauty. Huge rock outcroppings scattered randomly throughout the landscape are surrounded by high ridges and deep canyons. The land is rugged and much more vertical than Google Earth indicates. The air feels clean there and the quiet is absolute, peaceful in fact. Paul must have loved it. It reminds us in some ways of the Arctic. The tundra however, doesn’t have cactus plants, tarantulas and rattle snakes. It also doesn’t have a nasty bush referred to as ‘Cat’s Claw’ or ‘Wait a Minute’. We got very scratched up courtesy of this one. We are fascinated by the ingenious methods plants and animals have evolved there to survive in the desert. Joshua Tree is indeed a hard place.
Dave and I were on the trail each morning by 8 a.m.. Katie Ashe, the ranger in charge of search and rescue, arranged for one or two search and rescue volunteers (JOSAR) to be with us each day. They took our lead as to where we wanted to search. They are amazing people and really seem to care about finding Paul. We owe much thanks to Jim, Bill, Alice, Chris, Karyl and Shaelan. We are especially grateful to a wonderful man named Tomas. He was with us each day and worked tirelessly. We consider him to be a friend now. We met with David Smith, the park superintendent several times. He made sure we had the resources we needed to conduct our search and confirmed that the Canadian Consulate has been calling regularly.
The first day, we walked the trail trying to see it through Paul’s eyes. Although the trail is obvious, it disappears quickly once you venture off of it. We saw numerous spots just off the trail where he might have gone to get a better viewpoint for a photo. Over the days that followed, we searched below them. There are canyons and washes (areas that water flows down during flash floods) that he might have followed if he was chasing after a big horn sheep. We checked them out as best we could, clamouring over rock piles and climbing up canyon walls looking in cracks and crevices for clues. Helmets came in handy. I found that I was pretty good at climbing up but getting back down was a much slower process. Dave and Tomas are mountain goats though and covered a lot of territory. There are so many crevices there! We would spend hours just on one rock mound. We found a wooden cross and trail cam that the park was unaware of. They figure the camera was put there by biologists studying the sheep. They will check it out but suspect its camera stopped filming long ago. We also found lots of sheep bones, a bob cat skull and very old bits of clothing. By the end of our stay, Tomas felt that we had actually covered a lot of territory that couldn’t be searched thoroughly in July when the heat was so restrictive. He told us that search crews couldn’t stay out for longer than 2 hours at a time because of this. I got mildly dehydrated the first day and recognized the signs from a previous incident in the Grand Canyon years ago. I can attest to the fact that dehydration and heat exhaustion can lead to disorientation. Perhaps that is what happened to Paul. Tomas also mentioned that most of the volunteers were not comfortable with climbing so that was left to the few who could handle it. After seeing the terrain, I can understand that. Tomas was actually impressed with us for climbing slopes most volunteers couldn’t. Let’s just say that Dave and I were motivated. One evening, we went to a GPS training meeting of JOSAR volunteers and got a good look at the GPS tracks of volunteers in July. Ours’ will be added. For now, it is being left to volunteers to go out on their own time. A few are certainly doing that but I’d like to see more planning going into where they are searching.
I’d like to say that going to the park brought us some closure but the reality is that we are more confused than ever. What could have gone wrong? Paul was missing for 3 hours by the time the search began and I felt we searched further afield from where he could have wandered in that time frame. We have not ruled out foul play despite the lack of evidence. We visited the sheriff’s office only to find that they really have nothing in their file. They too think that Paul is in the park somewhere and that it is not their jurisdiction as a result. We left the information about Paul’s camera with them and checked out what pawn shops are in the area since they have not done that. One interesting point - we took out bags and bags of broken bottles and cans often found in locations that were difficult to get to. Why would people hike in so far just to drink? Maybe one of them had other motives. Maybe I’m grasping at straws. On the positive side, Paul’s posters are highly visible at all visitor centres and trailheads. We took down a stack of the newly updated posters and they were up in no time. A reporter and photographer from the Desert Sun in Palm Springs interviewed us and hopefully that raised the profile again. Thank you for that Sherry. Unfortunately the fires in California are the main headlines now. The link for the interview is Ainsley Otten.
So, where do we go from here? Both David Smith and Katie Ashe told us that there are more people visiting the park now and the hope is that someone will see something. I don’t hold out much hope for that. We searched pretty thoroughly off trail and came up with nothing. We need to keep up pressure on the park leadership in the hope that they will conduct more frequent organized searches now that the temperatures are cooler. I mentioned to David Smith that an organization known as the Jon Francis Foundation can provide drone pilots if the park can get permission to fly them. It would make the search so much easier especially in areas that are not easily accessible. I think we need to push this. We also need to contact the Consulate to make sure they don’t forget about Paul. I don’t think we’ll get any help from the Sheriff’s Department, unfortunately. The deputy involved in the case was away on holiday while we were there and although he said he would call me this week, I have yet to hear from him.
It’s strange but we felt very close to Paul while down in Joshua Tree. I often talked to him while searching, hoping that perhaps he would yield a clue in his game of hide and seek. One day, I noticed a cactus on the horizon line of a ridge. It looked like the profile of Paul’s wolf tattoo and I fancied that he was telling us to look there. On the final day, I told him quite angrily that it was his last chance to come out before we left. My little brother has always been a brat though so not surprisingly, he ignored me. Dave and I have decided that we will return at some point to continue the search. Leaving Joshua Tree without Paul was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do.
Click to expand...


“We saw numerous spots just off the trail where he might have gone to get a better viewpoint for a photo.”

“There are so many crevices there!”

After what his sister says about the trail, I think considering he was in a hurry PLUS possibly going into spots off trail for photos it’s probably likely that he did fall into a crevice that can’t be seen from above.

1. He was in a hurry.
2. The fast hike was just intended for photos.
 
oceanstarryeyes said:
2. The fast hike was just intended for photos.
Click to expand...
Respectfully snipped for focus.

Yes, I agree. He was in a rush to find the Big Horn, get some pics, and make it back in time for his flight. It was this rush, no doubt, that left him vulnerable to error in unforgiving terrain...

Opinion and speculation only
 
Tomorrow marks 6 months since Paul vanished. I thought the cooler, more search-friendly weather would bring answers.

Hopefully there are more searches planned before it gets too hot again. Kudos to Paul's sister for making the trek; hopefully she has inspired others to do the same. I think it's important for search & rescue to see Paul's family make a 'boots on the ground' effort.
 
sassyblue said:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...al-park/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.8bfc7c1d1481

This is terrible news! Instead of destroying the park it would be nice if the vandals would do something constructive and look for Paul.
Click to expand...
I get so frustrated when I see stuff like this because they can use drones to police this vast territory; flying at levels that will not disturb animal/bird life. Some of the more sophisticated drones have satellite precision and can fly in a zone that doesn't disturb man nor beast. They are expensive, but not when comparing them to the cost of person power, or cost of these repairs or the irreparable damage to the park.

As always, just my opinion and speculation only.
 
rosesfromangels said:
Respectfully snipped for focus.

Yes, I agree. He was in a rush to find the Big Horn, get some pics, and make it back in time for his flight. It was this rush, no doubt, that left him vulnerable to error in unforgiving terrain...

Opinion and speculation only
Click to expand...
This does support and go back to the witness, Neil, and his observation that the man he claimed to have seen was walking quickly, "as if on a mission."

Assuming the witness account is accurate, and that this was Paul, my theory has always been that he (Paul) became lost trying to return on the trail back to the parking lot. After arriving at the Oasis and perhaps wandering a bit to find sheep to photograph and/or resting a bit in the shade, he wasn't able to find his way back...OR proceeded in a direction he thought to be the way out which was, in fact, not the correct direction. Heat of the late morning, dark clothing, lack of sufficient water also contributing to his demise. JMO
 
zecats said:
This does support and go back to the witness, Neil, and his observation that the man he claimed to have seen was walking quickly, "as if on a mission."

Assuming the witness account is accurate, and that this was Paul, my theory has always been that he (Paul) became lost trying to return on the trail back to the parking lot. After arriving at the Oasis and perhaps wandering a bit to find sheep to photograph and/or resting a bit in the shade, he wasn't able to find his way back...OR proceeded in a direction he thought to be the way out which was, in fact, not the correct direction. Heat of the late morning, dark clothing, lack of sufficient water also contributing to his demise. JMO
Click to expand...
I think this is the most likely scenario, and that you are probably spot on.
Now, to find the dear man, and return him home...
 
It's been a long time since I hiked this trail. I am trying to recall if there are washes right off the trail. There are countless washes all over the desert and I'm sure there were here as well. If you've ever hiked in the desert you know how confusing it can be to follow a wash. There are other washes that branch off of them quite regularly. If you follow a wash you are unfamiliar with, you can easily become disoriented because of the sheer number of side washes you could mistake for the main wash. I wonder if Paul followed a wash and got lost on what he thought was the wash he followed in. He could have wandered for a long time thinking he was heading back toward the trail and with the heat succumbed along the wash far from the trail head.

Over winter break I hiked several parks in Arizona. They have weather and terrain similar to JTNP. At one of the trail heads I saw a sign asking if you knew your heat risk based on the temperature. Below 80 degrees the risk of heat related effects is low. If the temperature is 80-95 degrees it is recommended you finish hiking by 2 PM, 95-110 degrees by 10 AM, and above 110 degrees no hiking is recommended.

This trail head is in the park, but not in the main part of the park. In order to access it, you leave the main drive of JTNP, drive down highway 62 a few miles, and take a short road up to the trail head. Like I said, it's been a long time since I hiked the trail, but if my memory is correct, the only thing on the road to the trail head is a veterinary office on the corner. Of course more things could have been built since I hiked there. I usually just hike in the main part of the part or the south part. However, the area near the city of Joshua Tree (the city and the park are both named JT) has been built up substantially in the past few years.

I'd like to hike this trail again with a new perspective and to see if I can imagine what might have happened to this gentleman. I do believe he's out there, just waiting to be found. JTNP is a beautiful, magical place, but it's also unforgiving.
 
I’m going to JT tomorrow and intend to do this hike and I’ll check off trail afterwards. Can anyone tell me where Paul was last seen and his direction of travel? I do a lot of Desert hiking and it strikes me odd that there weren’t any of his footprints on the trail. When all else fails I just follow my own footprints back.
 
atlstnspc said:
I’m going to JT tomorrow and intend to do this hike and I’ll check off trail afterwards. Can anyone tell me where Paul was last seen and his direction of travel? I do a lot of Desert hiking and it strikes me odd that there weren’t any of his footprints on the trail. When all else fails I just follow my own footprints back.
Click to expand...
A witness reported seeing him hiking on the way out to 49 Palms Oasis (about halfway out). This has been a bit controversial, and so to be more valid, his car was found at the trailhead of same trail. It is presumed he hiked here because of car, his wife's account and potential witness sighting. Not known if he made it to the Oasis, or if he made it back to trailhead, or became lost somewhere during the out-back hike.

IMO He made it out and became disoriented and lost trying to hike back. Maybe take a look-see if there are any potentially misleading other directions he could have headed from the Oasis.

It's great you're doing this. Be careful yourself. Keep us posted. TIA
 
atlstnspc said:
Thanks for the quick response. I’ll use my imagination and look for places to make a wrong turn. I’ll be bringing my Garmin GPS so I can mark any points of interest. And lots of water.
Click to expand...
Please look down between the boulders and down the ravines. This is how I believe he will be found.
Safe hiking to you.
 
Thank you for doing the hike. Stay safe.

If you see this in time, I am also curious about the area on the other side of the parking lot. Rather than going up the trail, if one walked across the lot to the other side, there are some rocks there and what may possibly be a lookout of sorts? I am curious if Paul went over there and fell. I wonder if that was thoroughly searched.
 
MntnHiker said:
Thank you for doing the hike. Stay safe.

If you see this in time, I am also curious about the area on the other side of the parking lot. Rather than going up the trail, if one walked across the lot to the other side, there are some rocks there and what may possibly be a lookout of sorts? I am curious if Paul went over there and fell. I wonder if that was thoroughly searched.
Click to expand...
Good thinking!
I think the best starting point is where Neil said say Paul.
However, I think "what if" thinking such as the above, is very useful at this point.

PFP
(Prayers for Paul)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Members online

... and 121 more.
Total: 3,157 (members: 122, guests: 3,035)

Online statistics

Members online
122
Guests online
3,035
Total visitors
3,157
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
592,387
Messages
17,968,275
Members
228,767
Latest member
Mona Lisa
Back
Top