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

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It seems like the search being started within hours of him actually starting the hike, would lead to the best results. Like, how far could he have gone in that short amount of time? If he became unable to walk there would be a pretty narrow radius to search in.

Exactly, it baffles me. Are there caves in that area? Maybe he looked for shelter because of the heat. :confused:
 
JTNP is one of our favorite parks. We hike there frequently. We consider the park to basically be off limits April/May-October because it's too darn hot during the day. Heck, I don't even leave my house after 8 or 9 AM in the summer if I don't have too. We are very experienced hikers and I would never consider hiking JTNP in the summer. I'm deeply concerned for this man. It's been about 8 years since I've hiked that specific trail, but if memory serves, the trail back out of the 49 Palms Oasis is almost entirely uphill. I need to double-check that.

ETA: My memory seems to be correct. This link gives a great idea of what the trail is like.

Fortynine Palms Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park
Thanks for the link.

After reading the description of the trail, I can totally see how someone would want to hike it. It seems do-able at only 3miles and very appealing. For someone out of town and not appreciative how hot it will get, I can see wanting to do the trail and thinking it could be done in a rather short time.

For awhile I was wondering about a staged disappearance, as someone else also mentioned upthread, but after reading the description, I'm thinking this is simply something he wanted to do while on vacation (I'm assuming the couple is on vacation - I don't know that for a fact).

Where are you, Paul?

jmo
 
Do we know if he even took any water? Many people think, “I’m just going for a short hike. I’ll have a nice big drink when I get back to the car.”

Did he take any supplies at all?
Was he wearing sturdy shoes? No way he should have been on a trail like that without hiking boots.
Did he have a map?
Did he have a whistle?
Was he wearing a hat?

Some people have no sense!
 
I’ve heard coyotes close by at night in Joshua Tree. If the hiker had to bivouac injured and alone, this might not turn out well.
 
I’ve heard coyotes close by at night in Joshua Tree. If the hiker had to bivouac injured and alone, this might not turn out well.
Bolded by me.

In case anyone else doesn't know that word, it means to stay in a temporary camp without cover.

I had to look it up.

I am always learning something unexpected on WS. :)
 
This situation reminds me of the case that resulted in a conviction last year. It was a young woman who had gone for a hike and gone missing in Joshua Tree. Her body was found in an old mineshaft.

The search was prolonged and involved hobbyists specializing in mineshafts, IIRC. I wonder if the same hobbyists will be called on this time around?

Missing Marine wife's body found in mineshaft
 
Bolded by me.

In case anyone else doesn't know that word, it means to stay in a temporary camp without cover.

I had to look it up.

I am always learning something unexpected on WS. :)

I knew that word, but you are right, I also keep learning new things every day being here:)
 
Bolded by me.

In case anyone else doesn't know that word, it means to stay in a temporary camp without cover.

I had to look it up.

I am always learning something unexpected on WS. :)

There’s a joke among outdoor hikers that bivouac is a French word for “mistake.”

As in, no one really plans to bivouac. It only happens when your plans go awry.

(No disrespect meant towards the current missing person, just sharing a light-hearted comment.)
 
Bolded by me.

In case anyone else doesn't know that word, it means to stay in a temporary camp without cover.

I had to look it up.

I am always learning something unexpected on WS. :)

Bivouac is an army word. However, if you’d ever had to bivouac in the backcountry out of human error, you’d know that it makes for great stories, but you’d not want to do it again. This is why backcountry users should always carry the “ten essentials.”

I once had to bivouac, just a mile from the trailhead. It got dark, I couldn’t see my feet, and kept tripping. My headlamp couldn’t get me out safely. I had my 10 essentials. I slept under a tree dripping caterpillar poop all night.
 
Bivouac is an army word. However, if you’d ever had to bivouac in the backcountry out of human error, you’d know that it makes for great stories, but you’d not want to do it again. This is why backcountry users should always carry the “ten essentials.”

I once had to bivouac, just a mile from the trailhead. It got dark, I couldn’t see my feet, and kept tripping. My headlamp couldn’t get me out safely. I had my 10 essentials. I slept under a tree dripping caterpillar poop all night.
Caterpillar poop seems like a sweet deal....compared to ending up on a WS thread.

I hope Paul ends up with an incredible story to tell. Fingers still crossed for the guy.

jmo
 
So PLEASE let him have enough water, I think that would be the most important supply, given the wheather conditions. About the caves, there are quite a few in that National Park, but I couldn't find any in the immediate area....maybe someone with better "cyber skills" could provide some information?
 
So PLEASE let him have enough water, I think that would be the most important supply, given the wheather conditions. About the caves, there are quite a few in that National Park, but I couldn't find any in the immediate area....maybe someone with better "cyber skills" could provide some information?

He might have thought he could just get water at the oasis (the destination for his hike) and therefore didn’t take any.
 
So PLEASE let him have enough water, I think that would be the most important supply, given the wheather conditions. About the caves, there are quite a few in that National Park, but I couldn't find any in the immediate area....maybe someone with better "cyber skills" could provide some information?
I’m thinking an old mine shaft might be more likely than a cave as far as availability. However, I think you can also fall into a mineshaft?
 
I’m thinking an old mine shaft might be more likely than a cave as far as availability. However, I think you can also fall into a mineshaft?

Of course you can, I think it is all depending on his water supplies. When you didn't have enough water for some time you lose your sense of good judgement, you start to hallucinate ...
ETA Just my opinion!
 
It seems like the search being started within hours of him actually starting the hike, would lead to the best results.

Though the search started soon, my bet is that such searches start small unless there are obvious indications that the hiker is in grave danger. For example, the initial search could well of consisted of a ranger driving to the trail head (takes time), then walking the trail.

Once that search yielded nothing, several rangers were probably brought in to drive the paved roads in case he was waiting there, and spot check other probable areas. The area is huge and the rangers would need to decide whether it is better to stay mobile along the roads, or conduct foot searches in smaller areas. In short, the large scale search may of started two days later.
Like, how far could he have gone in that short amount of time? If he became unable to walk there would be a pretty narrow radius to search in.
I go hiking with my children and their friends. The youths are all athletic (running sports) and accustomed to high heat. The bad news is that they all have the physical ability to cover a lot of ground should they get lost (God forbid).

As a very rough guess, I am thinking….

A fit / acclimatized, but not an expert hiker walking with a purpose, but not speed walking can cover at most two miles every hour in flat terrain. Most lost people end up walking with a purpose. Rough, but not mountaneous terrain would reduce this to say 1.5 miles.

This pace could be kept for 3-4 hours before slowing or needing a relatively long break. The pace could then be resumed for another 3-4 hours. Any following pace would be lower.

But… the difficulty for searchers is that the area in the obtainable through the pace in square miles. Thus a possible 6 mile pace distance is 36 square miles to search. This means a lot of area.
 
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