Found Safe ID/MT - Kaden Laga, 20, riding horses w/family, separated, Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, 11 Aug 2019

[zecats]

Do we know the ages and conditions of the other family members? It's not clear from what I'm reading how many people were on this excursion. His dad is mentioned as being on horseback (by his mom - was she on horseback too? Was his wife there?) Anyway, it would seem there were only 3-4 of them. Since it says he was riding with his family, I doubt there was a guide.

Pregnant wife might not want to walk back by a longer distance; someone needs accompany her back - I'm guessing that's his dad. I don't know if he'd want his mom giving up a horse to walk with him.

Best thing to do would be stay together, although presumably some of the terrain covered by the horses might be really difficult for a human. So they would have all had to go which ever way the walker could handle. They might have been concerned about having the horses out that late. That area is notorious for being maze-like and difficult to walk through without a topo map and a compass (and a headlamp and a sleeping bag).

The articles on this are maddeningly short of info (as is the family's facebook page). I know they don't want untrained searchers, but surely they would want for people who might just be going hiking out that way to be on the look-out? Where is this trailhead? How did he get onto the trail - were they at a trail fork when they separated? All of that would be helpful for people know if they were planning trips out there this week.

Any locals know where the trailhead is? The one he was aiming for?

This is the trail mentioned in the article above that I posted. If this is the right one, it seems fairly busy. Strange no one has spotted him, unless he went off trial. Highly likely it seems. JMO

twin lakes horse trail Montana

 

[Inthedetails]

This is the trail mentioned in the article above that I posted. If this is the right one, it seems fairly busy. Strange no one has spotted him, unless he went off trial. Highly likely it seems. JMO

twin lakes horse trail Montana

I wonder if he was rushing ahead of the group to get assistance because of the lame horse? Maybe he thought he could cut through some land rather than stick to the trail in an attempt to make the trek shorter/faster?

jmo

 

[zecats]

I wonder if he was rushing ahead of the group to get assistance because of the lame horse? Maybe he thought he could cut through some land rather than stick to the trail in an attempt to make the trek shorter/faster?

jmo

Are we to assume these horses were rented out for the trail ride? Most times I been on a rented horse, a guide comes along. Not everyone knows how to keep a horse from bolting back to the stables, or recognizes when the horse should not be ridden (goes lame). At least he did realize the horse was lame, so makes me think the family has some experience with horses.

My point is was he headed back to the stables when he decided to walk ahead? That makes sense, though I don't understand how he would know any other way to get there other than to retrace the trail they rode out on. Perhaps he needed to relieve himself and became disoriented off the trail. It's discouraging dogs or helicopters have not found him.

 

[Sulamith]

I don't understand why he left the horse behind when I would think he could stay with it while it rested. It is not like a horse trailer could make it in the rugged area to load up the horse. Just read that the horse was found early on. I was worried the horse would be attacked by a predator while tied up. Now, to find Mr. Laga alive and well.

 

[Knox]

A family member on the fb page said the horse hasn't been retrieved and likely won't be as it's too injured to be hauled out. I'm curious how the horse was injured to that degree? Also said the horse was never with Kaden so info on the horse is not pertinent.

Search Page said 3 hours ago there are no updates, so still searching for Kaden. We were up in the national forest in CA last weekend. Water everywhere, hoping the same for Kaden.

 

[GordianKnot]

Okay, so this is different. The group didn't walk ahead of him. Instead, he walked ahead of them.

A bit odd that it's hard to get the straightfoward description of events, but sounds like we have it now. This makes more sense than him deciding to walk behind.

I bet the family kept thinking they would either eventually catch up to him while they walked or would meet him at the trailhead so they didn't worry as they walked along.

jmo

Sure, it makes sense that they wouldn't worry about eventually catching up with him....until they didn't ever catch up to him.

It makes no sense that they didn't register huge alarm at the point that they arrived at the 3pm trailhead rendezvous location and he wasn't there and didn't show up.

And if it's true that the horse was found tied up, that is just flat out weird.

Something ain't passing the sniff test here.

Based on what little we do know, I do think there's a strong possibility that JL is voluntarily missing.

Self-harm is one of the scenarios that would fall under the voluntarily missing heading that I don't think can be ruled out here.

It's not the only one, obviously.

JMO.

 

[Inthedetails]

A family member on the fb page said the horse hasn't been retrieved and likely won't be as it's too injured to be hauled out. I'm curious how the horse was injured to that degree? Also said the horse was never with Kaden so info on the horse is not pertinent.

Search Page said 3 hours ago there are no updates, so still searching for Kaden. We were up in the national forest in CA last weekend. Water everywhere, hoping the same for Kaden.

If the horse was hurt that badly, it does make sense that Kaden went ahead to get help for the horse. He was likely the fastest person in the group to do that task.

jmo

 

[Inthedetails]

Sure, it makes sense that they wouldn't worry about eventually catching up with him....until they didn't ever catch up to him.

It makes no sense that they didn't register huge alarm at the point that they arrived at the 3pm trailhead rendezvous location and he wasn't there and didn't show up.

And if it's true that the horse was found tied up, that is just flat out weird.

Something ain't passing the sniff test here.

Based on what little we do know, I do think there's a strong possibility that JL is voluntarily missing.
Self-harm is one of the scenarios that would fall under the voluntarily missing heading that I don't think can be ruled out here.

JMO.

I feel sort of silly trying to piece this together, but here's another shot at it:

Horse is injured and group decides it must be walked back. Kaden goes ahead to get help for the horse. Group walks behind but determines horse is too injured to even walk so they tie it up and proceed. Group expects to see Kaden along the way but never does. Horse is where they left it but Kaden missing.

Does that work?

jmo

 

[Sulamith]

A family member on the fb page said the horse hasn't been retrieved and likely won't be as it's too injured to be hauled out. I'm curious how the horse was injured to that degree? Also said the horse was never with Kaden so info on the horse is not pertinent.

Search Page said 3 hours ago there are no updates, so still searching for Kaden. We were up in the national forest in CA last weekend. Water everywhere, hoping the same for Kaden.

Yes, just saw that. Oh boy. Poor horse. I wonder if it still alive or if they sent it to the Rainbow Bridge so it would not suffer. (I am not being snarky here) MOO

 

[Knox]

Yes, just saw that. Oh boy. Poor horse. I wonder if it still alive or if they sent it to the Rainbow Bridge so it would not suffer. (I am not being snarky here) MOO

I'm hoping so, it's the humane thing to do.

 

[zecats]

I'm hoping so, it's the humane thing to do.

Especially if they tied it up and left it out there, defenseless.

 

[Knox]

I feel sort of silly trying to piece this together, but here's another shot at it:

Horse is injured and group decides it must be walked back. Kaden goes ahead to get help for the horse. Group walks behind but determines horse is too injured to even walk so they tie it up and proceed. Group expects to see Kaden along the way but never does. Horse is where they left it but Kaden missing.

Does that work?

jmo

Kaden Laga, 25, was last seen Saturday when the family was returning to the Twin Lakes trailhead from a horseback ride from the Moose Creek Ranger Station in Idaho.

Holton said a horse had gone lame and family members were taking turns walking. When the family stopped for lunch, Laga said he would continue to walk with the idea they would catch up with him.

The family arrived at the Twin Lakes trailhead without seeing him again.

Laga was about 16 miles west of Twin Lakes when he was last seen.
Search narrows for man who went missing in Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

The horse was tied and left in place. No one was walking the injured horse. Since they were minus one horse, family members were taking turns walking. Kaden, likely because he was the youngest of the group, volunteered to continue walking to the trail head, while the rest stopped for lunch.

That sounds to me like he was trying to get ahead of the group (horses move faster than humans walking). They likely thought he was in front of them the whole way back to the trail head.

IMO there is nothing nefarious going on here. Just a bad decision to separate when they should have stayed together as a group. How he got off the trail. maybe he thought he could find some water and got lost. They said he only had a quart with him.

I'm thinking this is going to end well (fingers crossed).

 

[zecats]

Still not located.

Reports: Montana authorities searching for missing Utah hiker

"Laga was riding horseback with his father and siblings when one of the horses went lame, his mother, Debbie Laga, told NBC Montana on Tuesday. The group made plans to meet at a trailhead later in the day, but Kaden did not return, Debbie Laga said.

The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office is searching for Laga with the help of the National Guard, Sheriff Steve Holton told NBC Montana. KSL.com tried to contact the sheriff, but he had not returned our call as of Wednesday morning."

 

[drama_farmer]

Kaden Laga, 25, was last seen Saturday when the family was returning to the Twin Lakes trailhead from a horseback ride from the Moose Creek Ranger Station in Idaho.

.

very snipped
I found the address of the their apparent starting point and ending point.
The distance from Moose Creek Ranger Station (Selway Rd, Kooskia, ID) to Twin Lakes trailhead (Darby, MT), based on a straight line measurement through the wilderness, is a very approximate 50 miles or so. That leads me to believe it was an overnight ride. (note: I could be completely wrong about my interpretation of the above quoted article, too!)

On clear, level ground, a human and horse can walk at about the same speed (app. 3-4 mi/hr). Of course, it can vary based on stride length, fitness level and terrain, for both horse and human. I'm unfamiliar with the terrain in this area, so in spots, I'm sure the group encountered terrain that allowed a jog or lope, as well as terrain that required the group to step carefully and slowly.
Moo, based on interpretation of available MSM facts.

 

[mickey2942]

I wonder if he was rushing ahead of the group to get assistance because of the lame horse? Maybe he thought he could cut through some land rather than stick to the trail in an attempt to make the trek shorter/faster?

jmo

The trees and wood are so dense in that area, it really is a bad idea to go off of the trail. Especially without a compass.

Hmm, the horse became lame, odd. Normally, you know what is going on with a horse pretty quick, horses don't keep "going" if they are hurt.

 

[zecats]

I feel sort of silly trying to piece this together, but here's another shot at it:

Horse is injured and group decides it must be walked back. Kaden goes ahead to get help for the horse. Group walks behind but determines horse is too injured to even walk so they tie it up and proceed. Group expects to see Kaden along the way but never does. Horse is where they left it but Kaden missing.

Does that work?

jmo

Good thinking. Maybe horse was hurt so they tied it and left it, one person walking while the others rode, taking turns. Stopping for lunch caused KL to walk well ahead, giving the others a chance to ride for a bit before catching up with him. They never caught up or passed him along the way. JMO

 

[Sulamith]

Is there a concern for wildlife behind dangerous in that area? I’m assuming so because it’s a wilderness, but I have never been there and don’t know if the bears, etc are a danger to humans usually or not.

I was watching a YouTube video of a hiker in Bitterroot. So beautiful there! He said he saw a wolf.

 

[Sulamith]

If the horse was hurt that badly, it does make sense that Kaden went ahead to get help for the horse. He was likely the fastest person in the group to do that task.

jmo

I wonder if there are any equine vets nearby. Would they treat a horse on the trail? If KL went ahead to get help for the horse, why did nobody stay with the horse until the vet got there if he/she agreed to go treat the horse on the trail?

 

[drama_farmer]

I wonder if there are any equine vets nearby. Would they treat a horse on the trail? If KL went ahead to get help for the horse, why did nobody stay with the horse until the vet got there if he/she agreed to go treat the horse on the trail?

There's so many unknowns and variables regarding the situation at this point, it's hard to analyze the options, tbh.

First, was cell phone service available so they could contact a vet (if a vet was even necessary) from the trail, or did they need to ride to the trail head or beyond to access assistance?
Is the injury actually treatable?:

There's a big difference between a horse becoming lame as the result of tearing off a shoe vs. a catastrophic, traumatic injury like a limb fracture.​

Is the injury treatable on the trail?

If yes, can it be dealt with by a non-vet with the right equipment/supplies, or does the horse need to be loaded into a trailer?​

Is the horse in an area accessible to a horse trailer, or can the horse be moved a reasonable distance to an area that is accessible?

Those are just a few of many more logistics that would need to be understood and managed. IMO

 

[Knox]

Search for Kaden Laga
1 hr ·
UPDATE THURSDAY 9:20pm:

All Teams made by the Family and from the State were dispatched today on their assigned trails. They covered a lot of land and narrowed down our search significantly! Kaden has not been found, but as we felt last night, today was a really good day in making significant progress in finding him. We have had a lot of miracles happen today and really positive outcomes.

Tomorrow the State of Idaho will be holding an official Press Release from their end, so please tune in to hear further information in the morning.

As the days go on our confidence in finding Kaden grows more and more. You would think our hope and faith would diminish, but that has not been the case. We all have felt your prayers, fasting, positive thoughts, generosity, outreach, and loving words buoy us up! We are absolutely blown away by how far reaching Kaden’s Story has gone and how spiritually healing it’s been to family members, friends, and even complete strangers. People who have never prayed or fasted before are doing so now to help us find Kaden, and this has been such a wonderful and deep expression of love. Thank you all! Keep the Faith because we will find Kaden.