Identified! FL - Big Cypress Natl Preserve, Male hiker, "Denim" & "Mostly Harmless", Jul 2018 - Vance Rodriguez

[GatorFL]

not that I add anything to the discussion and I am quoting this from a few pages ago, but intestinal issues don’t always mean diarrhoea.

speaking from experience here, after a really bad acid reflux episode (caused by stress) that’s lasted over 9 months, I got to a point of losing about 20 pounds in a matter of months, despite eating. although eating at times was hard and I only ate soup, anything else would be hell to eat. no diarrhoea, if anything issues with constipation. it’s hard to move food through your body when you aren’t eating enough, aren’t moving, can’t eat everything and can’t drink anything or even a lot because the reflux hurts. and makes it impossible to sleep even in an upright position. just hell and this was with medication at first.

I’m not saying this is what MH had, but you never really know. all I know is that I felt like dying and that’s with everything at my reach - the best food, sleeping arrangement (for upright sleeping), etc. I’m better now but struggling to gain my weight back.

having tests done, my esophagus looked normal and nice, nothing to indicate I was having issues (but I was).

ETA We might never know what exactly happened with MH, but it’s crazy that no one knows him in this day and age. It reminds me of Stevik but MH was from a different era, smart phones and everything, it’s wild.

Thanks for your post. Agreed there is lots we will never know.

After yesterday's hike it reminds me a lot more of Christopher McCandless (Into the Wild) than Stevik.

 

[GatorFL]

Here is a link to some photos I took: Nobles Camp Hike

 

[Cooper 2020]

Wow, what a day.

I left my house around 7:30 and stopped in Weston to have a sandwich made. Got to the rest stop at around 9:15. I checked out the rest stop, there is actually a Collier County Fire House there. Inside the rest area there is typical vending machine fare and an ice cream machine. No tuna available here, but chips, soda, sticky buns and the aforementioned ice cream. Nothing fantastic to eat. On the north end of I-75 there is a gate to enter the trail to Nobles. There are several other trails here, they all loop around and they all enter the swamp. But the trail to Nobles is an old road, pretty easy walking. 4.7 miles to the camp.

I hiked in and it quickly became hot. I stopped about halfway to drop a water supply. On my way I saw some wildlife. A lot of birds--herons and cranes and one limpkin. I even saw a crayfish of all things in the middle of the road. Down a ways I found the eaten carcass of a snake, maybe 1' long. I heard some larger animals off in the brush. About 4 miles in I saw a bunch of green tape strung from the treetops and then some orange flags. Turns out the road has either a culvert going bad or a spring underneath it so the road was partially out. Passable, but barely. A vehicle could easily get stuck here. There were 2 6-7' alligators in the ditch here. After this point the road started to get overgrown so the walk became more like a hike.

I soon hit the turn and saw the sign pointing to Nobles, 100 yards away. Made that left turn and got into the clearing. It was obvious an FTA crew was in here less than a week ago, they bushhogged the pasture. I saw a note in the log book that they were here at the trailhead. The left a brand new fire ring here, it had not been used yet. I believe this is where the hiker who made the video camped.

The freshwater pond and the camp were off to the left. The campsite where they found MH is under a full canopy of trees. Well shaded. The picnic table is there still, moved to one side of the site, sort of opposite where his tent was found, instead of behind it. I could clearly make out where his tent was because the burned palm and the palm tree log are still there, they are easy to spot in the scene photos. The best place to get water was right there at the campsite, about 40 paces from where his tent would have been.

I decided to spend some time here from the heat. I ate my sandwich and drank some water in the shade at the table. After I felt refreshed I canvassed the site. I saw some evidence of other campers. A fire ring with some ash, an old fuel canister, and some eggshells and a couple of random pieces of toilet paper. The only thing that looked like it could have been a relic from MH's time was the canister. It was well rusted. I had brought a candle and lit it and said a prayer for him. I searched all over for anything he might have left: initials carved somewhere, a wallet hidden in the brush, etc. Nothing. Even on the underside of the table.

The sun shifted a bit and I decided to head back. On my way back I encountered a group of hikers that went through the swamp, on a different trail. They were soaked. They were about 1/2 mile from where I hid my backup water, which I needed. I went though 4 liters of water. Overall it was a nice hike, but very hot. He died in a very secluded spot, 100 yards from the main trail and sort of hidden at the campsite. I still find it hard to believe he didn't speak with others, but there were plenty of spots to disappear if he heard anybody coming.

I'll link some pictures tomorrow, I am spent tonight.

 

[Cooper 2020]

Thank you for going.

I am from(grew up) Saratoga Springs Ny about 20 miles south of Glens Falls Ny and have been following this since it was posted asking for help identifying him. MH looks very familiar to me but I can not put a name to the face. (I know he looks familiar to a lot of people!). Again, Thank you for checking things out and lighting a candle in his memory. Hopefully we will learn his identity and can rest in peace.

 

[Canaille]

Do hikers ever take metal detectors with them and/or has anyone ever used one around where he was found?

 

[deadfoot13]

Here is a link to some photos I took: Nobles Camp Hike

Thank you for sharing these, it's a huge help to see the environment and campsite.

Your wildlife scares the bejeezus out of me, I bow down to you for the oh, so casual mention that you hiked past a couple of alligators in the ditch :0 FL hiking sure ain't for sissies!

 

[Laughing]

Here is a link to some photos I took: Nobles Camp Hike

That's some 'gator!!!

 

[Catmommy]

Thanks for your post. Agreed there is lots we will never know.

After yesterday's hike it reminds me a lot more of Christopher McCandless (Into the Wild) than Stevik.

You know, I kinda wondered about this. The book broke my heart. The movie makes me cry. Every. single. time. I have no doubt that someday someone somewhere will make a movie about Harmless. I bet it will make me cry too.

 

[GatorFL]

Do hikers ever take metal detectors with them and/or has anyone ever used one around where he was found?

I wish I had one. I would have brought it. I am not sure if it would have been useful. Nobles has been described as an old air strip and also an old homestead. The campsite is pretty compact it would be pretty easy to search with a detector. But that probably would not find a wallet.

 

[GatorFL]

You know, I kinda wondered about this. The book broke my heart. The movie makes me cry. Every. single. time. I have no doubt that someday someone somewhere will make a movie about Harmless. I bet it will make me cry too.

I guess the major difference is McCandless started writing about his experience. MH was writing code. I wonder if anybody has plugged the code into Screeps to see what happens?

 

[iluvmua]

Go to James Renner's Twitter page and look at the photo of MH and his doppleganger.

They look eerily similar

 

[ilovepierre]

@GatorFL Thanks for the photos of the campsite!

 

[GatorFL]

Go to James Renner's Twitter page and look at the photo of MH and his doppleganger.

They look eerily similar

Is he a true crime guy or a political writer? I got 10 tweets in and decided to bail, he's way too political to give a minute to.

 

[GatorFL]

Go to James Renner's Twitter page and look at the photo of MH and his doppleganger.

They look eerily similar

Reported elsewhere the guy in the photo is alive and well.

 

[UnlicensedPI]

Reported elsewhere the guy in the photo is alive and well.

I haven't seen this, but I'm pretty sure the image has to do with a movie and the woman in the photo is an actress, not "a girlfriend"
The image connects to a website dedicated to a certain casting director's movies.

 

[ilovepierre]

Is he a true crime guy or a political writer? I got 10 tweets in and decided to bail, he's way too political to give a minute to.

James Renner is a true crime writer/blogger.
He’s written a lot of stuff online about Maura Murray and even published a book about her disappearance.

IMO

 

[SeattleStew]

A couple things that make me think our friend, Ben, may have been from the West Coast, and I wonder if that is why he has not been identified.

His Columbia Sportwear ball cap. His Brooks-Range Mountaineering tent and jacket. These are brands from Northern California/Oregon. You also see a lot of people in the PNW including in British Columbia, Canada wearing Columbia branded gear. Yes, I know other states carry these items, but in particular Brooks-Range (no longer in business) catered to mountain climbers (you know, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, Whistler, etc.) more than casual or experienced trail hikers. Of course, we have tons of high-tech in these areas as well. Also his Canadian watch could be a clue to the PNW. Lots of us go (or used to go) shopping across the border due to the favorable exchange rates. A watch would be just that type of item. And it's very common here to wear jeans i.e. denim on trail hikes.

 

[lonewanderer]

A couple things that make me think our friend, Ben, may have been from the West Coast, and I wonder if that is why he has not been identified.

His Columbia Sportwear ball cap. His Brooks-Range Mountaineering tent and jacket. These are brands from Northern California/Oregon. You also see a lot of people in the PNW including in British Columbia, Canada wearing Columbia branded gear. Yes, I know other states carry these items, but in particular Brooks-Range (no longer in business) catered to mountain climbers (you know, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, Whistler, etc.) more than casual or experienced trail hikers. Of course, we have tons of high-tech in these areas as well. Also his Canadian watch could be a clue to the PNW. Lots of us go (or used to go) shopping across the border due to the favorable exchange rates. A watch would be just that type of item. And it's very common here to wear jeans i.e. denim on trail hikes.

I have never heard mention of the watch being Canadian. Can you go into detail about that? Its a new lead for me.

 

[SeattleStew]

I have never heard mention of the watch being Canadian. Can you go into detail about that? Its a new lead for me.

I am looking for the source. It's my recollection right now that another sleuther here stated it was a model sold at Walmart in Canada. If I can't find it in the next couple minutes, I will edit.

 

[UnlicensedPI]

A couple things that make me think our friend, Ben, may have been from the West Coast, and I wonder if that is why he has not been identified.

His Columbia Sportwear ball cap. His Brooks-Range Mountaineering tent and jacket. These are brands from Northern California/Oregon. You also see a lot of people in the PNW including in British Columbia, Canada wearing Columbia branded gear. Yes, I know other states carry these items, but in particular Brooks-Range (no longer in business) catered to mountain climbers (you know, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, Whistler, etc.) more than casual or experienced trail hikers. Of course, we have tons of high-tech in these areas as well. Also his Canadian watch could be a clue to the PNW. Lots of us go (or used to go) shopping across the border due to the favorable exchange rates. A watch would be just that type of item. And it's very common here to wear jeans i.e. denim on trail hikes.

Columbia ballcaps are worn everywhere, so I don't think it ties him to anywhere in particular. We know where he bought his tent, in Georgia, not the West Coast.