CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #6

[10ofRods]

If they took regular hikes I am sure Barbara must have been used to peeing behind a rock.

There wasn't a single large rock in between where RT says he last saw her and their RV. She'd have needed to walk a mile to get to those - when she could walk a quarter mile and use the RV, which was new and obviously purchased just for that purpose.

Which is why I keep saying that if she decided to prolong her hike by at least another 40 minutes, without water, and with the day getting even hotter, while avoiding the RV in order to get to some rock where she could pee, she was not in her right mind, IMO.

By "large" I mean at least 3 feet tall.



Those pretty yellow "flowers" are cholla - one of the most painful cacti of the desert. And those pretty landscaping type sword shaped plants have needles on the end of them that have ruined many a vacation - you don't even brush up against them without getting a very stinging toxin.

So...yeah...you'd pee right on the trail and it's not always deserted. And frowned upon by true nature types, who will shout at you if they see you. Good times. Barb would not have done that.

Personally, if I had to pee and I was hot and my DH decided to take a picture, I'd be more than irritated. I'd be pret' darned mad. My pace would quicken. I certainly would not head back to desolate rocks. I'd be in that RV lickety split.

Keep in mind that the RV was visible from near the place where RT was allegedly taking his last photos (apparently of the creek bed).

 

[Kapua]

See post #31 on page 2 of the Media Thread for a good "lay of the land". Poster included several photos of the area.

AZ - AZ - Barbara Thomas, 69, Timeline, Media, Maps, *NO DISCUSSION*

 

[Knox]

See post #31 on page 2 of the Media Thread for a good "lay of the land". Poster included several photos of the area.

AZ - AZ - Barbara Thomas, 69, Timeline, Media, Maps, *NO DISCUSSION*

From that same post, thanks for the link. Is this the "cave" RT said he went back and searched?

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

July 12, 2019

8:05am Barb leaves home to drop dog off at doggie care, it's a 5 minute drive from her house
8:10am Dog is dropped off
8:15am According to VI Dbdb, neighbors' cameras show RT and BT leaving their driveway in their new dually Truck and 5th wheel RV
11:00 am (in version told to family, RT says he started searching for Barb; from VI's sister)
12:00 noon. In the same version of the story, given by VI Dbdb as told to him by his sister, RT tells the family that he began to worry about the heat and called 911)
2:30pm RT says he returned to the RV about an hour before calling 911 (see below) and looked for Barb "for an hour)
3:26 pm SBCS dispatch log registers a missing person at Kelbaker and Hidden Hill Road
5:30 pm SBCS and SAR arrives at Kelbaker/HH

We can only estimate on the time it took to do the 2 mile round trip hike to the Granite Hills. It takes 2 hours to drive from their house to the place where RT called 911.

8:05am Barb leaves home to drop dog off at doggie care, it's a 5 minute drive from her house

I thought BT didn’t drive?

 

[wary]

8:05am Barb leaves home to drop dog off at doggie care, it's a 5 minute drive from her house

I thought BT didn’t drive?

I don’t think we know for sure. I also think it’s possible that the times are a little bit off, and that they left together in the truck/RV and Barbara just ran in to drop the dog off.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

If it takes 2 hours to drive from Home to where the RV was parked in the Mojave Desert and they left at 8:15, if RT started searching for BT at 11:00 then that means it only took 45 minutes to Park, Hike, Take Photos and get back to the RV.
That sounds like a FAST Hike.

 

[K9Enzo]

LOL I can tell many here have never dug a cathole outdoors.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

I don’t think we know for sure. I also think it’s possible that the times are a little bit off, and that they left together in the truck/RV and Barbara just ran in to drop the dog off.

So if times are off maybe days are also off and we can’t be sure that anyone actually seen BT leave the house that morning?

 

[Kapua]

If it takes 2 hours to drive from Home to where the RV was parked in the Mojave Desert and they left at 8:15, if RT started searching for BT at 11:00 then that means it only took 45 minutes to Park, Hike, Take Photos and get back to the RV.
That sounds like a FAST Hike.

I would call it a walk. Kind of like stopping off on the road to Hana to walk out to a waterfall - only way less interesting, IMHO.

 

[10ofRods]

From that same post, thanks for the link. Is this the "cave" RT said he went back and searched?

We think so. West Valley SAR posted it fairly early in the search. It's near the base of Granite Hills (if you have google 3D or google earth, you can find this type of rock and where it's jumbled like this).

If she truly were disoriented and no longer remembered how to get to the RV (was that what RT was thinking?) then she might remember to go back to this cave.

But it's not near the parking area. The foliage in that area is a bit less hostile, the plant in the lower left is softer (cuz shade during part of the day).

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

I would call it a walk. Kind of like stopping off on the road to Hana to walk out to a waterfall - only way less interesting, IMHO.

And that 2 hour drive and 45 minute walk was worth unhappily dropping off the dog at dog day care?

 

[Nerissa]

Well, it's JMO, but knock me over with a feather if these two weren't quarreling that day

The kennel said BT seemed 'angry & aggravated' - and that was not normal

RT asked her to 'stay' while he took more pics...she didn't

He thought she just might be out in some cave. Why?

Mayhap because they had argued & he thought she might have taken off to some cave or off the trail because she didn't particularly care for the sight of him at the moment...?

Things weren't normal that morning.....& the kennel staff, at the least, are the eyewitnesses to that fact

JMO

 

[Nerissa]

I'm going to say that BT & RT went together to drop off her dog (assuming there is another car aside from the truck? Not to say it couldn't have been the truck: just saying the truck would probably not have the trailer)

Thing is: navigating a truck & trailer ain't easy. I've done it. You just don't pull into any parking lot assuming you'll fit!! Can you get in? Can you get out? LOL, some interesting times to be had

I think they traveled together, RT driving, BT went inside alone & dropped off her dog, then they went home (this is only @5minutes from their home) & then headed out in truck & trailer

JMO

 

[Auntie Cipation]

And that 2 hour drive and 45 minute walk was worth unhappily dropping off the dog at dog day care?

As I understand it, they were on their way out to a few-day camping excursion. This stop was supposedly a spontaneous driving-break, take-a-walk excursion on their way to wherever they were going to make camp/spend the night. Ostensibly. MOO

 

[Cherwell]

DBM (somebody made a similar reply first)

 

[10ofRods]

And that 2 hour drive and 45 minute walk was worth unhappily dropping off the dog at dog day care?

Well, now you guys have got me started.

She probably thought they were taking the dog (I would, if I'd just participated buying a monstrosity with A/C - which, btw, comes standard on 5th wheels, along with a generator, you can add a second one - I'll check when I see the photo of that truck again).

Of course, perhaps they were just bickering. Maybe he wanted a really early start, to avoid the heat and do more hiking.

My theory is that she agreed to have couples time in the desert (their favorite thing) before flying out.

If couples weighed everything according to what is worth it to each partner, there would never be a single marital quarrel. Many couples can't even plan a trip without one of them giving in, in major ways, to the other one. It takes a lot of time and communication to do that. And sometimes, separate vacations.

They were both known to enjoy desert time. Once on the road, presumably, they were looking forward to Mojave Preserve and all its wonders (which to a desert lover, are many; and even if not a desert lover, if you've moved to Bullhead City, you'll appreciate the 10 degree temperature drop at the Granite Hills).

 

[Knox]

And that 2 hour drive and 45 minute walk was worth unhappily dropping off the dog at dog day care?

Maybe she was unhappy because she wanted to take the dog ...

 

[K9Enzo]

I don’t know what kind of sense of direction BT had but people really do get turned around, even on short trip destinations. Especially if people started out together and separated along the way. Two miles in general is not really a big deal. But you add the heat, not sure of the ground surface and you have something different.

Recently I was making my way back to my vehicle after a easy, clearly marked loop trail when I came across someone not sure how to get back to the parking lot. I was actually concerned enough not to just point them in the direction but started a conversation that allowed us to walk together. My normally super aloof dog with strangers took a interest in this person, almost like he was concerned for her as well.

 

[katydid23]

I don’t know what kind of sense of direction BT had but people really do get turned around, even on short trip destinations. Especially if people started out together and separated along the way. Two miles in general is not really a big deal. But you add the heat, not sure of the ground surface and you have something different.

Recently I was making my way back to my vehicle after a easy, clearly marked loop trail when I came across someone not sure how to get back to the parking lot. I was actually concerned enough not to just point them in the direction but started a conversation that allowed us to walk together. My normally super aloof dog with strangers took a interest in this person, almost like he was concerned for her as well.

She was lucky to run into you.
I have a pretty good sense of direction. My cousin has NO sense of direction, ZERO.
I hate even riding with her because she is always lost, and gets defensive if I say, are we going the right direction?
But I don't think BT had that kind of an issue, usually. IDK though.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

rsbbm,

(snipped)

So I'm just curious about this hiding-the-key-under-the-rock-thing (which I don't know where that came from, but I have seen mention of it in the thread) - why on earth, on such a short little stint, taken as an aside while traveling to a camping destination, knowing it would be just a short hike, WHY would the key have been hidden under a rock??

(snipped)

The same reason why some folks place their house keys in their shoe/flip-flop at the beach: so they don't lose the keys in the ocean or somewhere in the sand.

While hiking, you might climb rock formations, explore around brush, bushes, etc. Imagine, after returning to your vehicle after a 2-mile exploratory hike you discover your keys are no longer in the pocket in to which you placed them.

Place them under a rock somewhere close/r to your vehicle, you may reasonably expect the keys to still be there when you return from your x-miles hike-a-bout...