CA CA - David O'Sullivan, 25, Pacific Crest Trail, Idyllwild, 7 April 2017 Irish citizen

[chinacat67]

I'd say that story is a miraculous exception to reality.

Exactly. The romanticism early twenties kids love...with a Hollywood ending. [emoji6]

My millennial, hiking, CA based daughter tells me that there is blowback against the book because the quantity of hikers on PCT has gone up, degrading the environment etc...

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[GraceG]

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. I've hiked the trail, though I never had the skills to do all of it, just bits and pieces of the easy parts. This year, with the heavy snowpack and high water it was beyond challenging to the point that even professional hikers were canceling. He had little heavy hiking experience. He would not have been able to hike the trail "as is" and would have had to have gone off trail, which leads to being hopelessly lost. I hope they do find him for closure, but this year was not a year for amateurs to take on the trail.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Family of lost Irish hiker searches for him near Idyllwild
https://www.kesq.com/news/family-of...l-searches-for-clues-near-idyllwild/654322823

Parents of missing PCT hiker seek memories in Idyllwild

http://idyllwildtowncrier.com/2017/11/14/parents-missing-pct-hiker-seek-memories-idyllwild/

David, 25, left his home in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland, on March 20. A novice hiker, he started in Campo on March 22 and had planned a five-month hike of the entire PCT from the border with Mexico to that with Canada.

“He hiked a bit, not a lot,” his father said. “He was mostly a day hiker. But he did train with weights on his back. He walked every day with the weights.”

David also tried to replicate the elevation he would be hiking on the PCT, but his father noted that the tallest peak in Ireland is 3,900 feet.

“He did a lot of research about the trail,” Colin added. “He was very disciplined.”

 

[Jmoose]

Somebody, or more than one somebody met this guy on the trail; they issued no more than 50 permits per day for the hike, and he was reported to have been one of 50 that were definitely issued. If nobody truly remembers meeting a hiker from ireland, then I can only imaging that he got into trouble fairly early on around Idlewild-it doesn’t make any sense to me otherwise

 

[iscaremyself]

Somebody, or more than one somebody met this guy on the trail; they issued no more than 50 permits per day for the hike, and he was reported to have been one of 50 that were definitely issued. If nobody truly remembers meeting a hiker from ireland, then I can only imaging that he got into trouble fairly early on around Idlewild-it doesn’t make any sense to me otherwise

right..from idelwild to big bear to agua dulce is a lot of forest and desert..
The hiking and pct websites are probably the best bet.

 

[LostInAustin]

I think we need a forum specifically for lost, missing, rescued hikers. There's just SO many! Hope David is found soon.

As a hiker, I'd love that. How do we ask them to do this?

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[LostInAustin]

Wild, by Cheryl Strayed. It's the millennial "Into the Wild" but with better ending. She hiked Pacific Crest Trail as complete novice.... movie version w Reese Witherspoon really good too...

https://g.co/kgs/iDGHks

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I thought she didn't actually complete it?

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[chinacat67]

I thought she didn't actually complete it?

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But she didn't disappear and is still alive...that was all I was thinking re: better ending.

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[LostInAustin]

But she didn't disappear and is still alive...that was all I was thinking re: better ending.

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This time. [emoji6]

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[PaulR]

I know a lot of PCT is in the wilderness where a cell phone won't be a huge help, but going relying on WiFi to be able to communicate seems like pure folly.

 

[LostInAustin]

I know a lot of PCT is in the wilderness where a cell phone won't be a huge help, but going relying on WiFi to be able to communicate seems like pure folly.

Yeah, I'm wifi only too, but it does absolutely nothing in the middle of nowhere. It won't even load a map properly, even with location on.

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[Elainera]

Somebody, or more than one somebody met this guy on the trail; they issued no more than 50 permits per day for the hike, and he was reported to have been one of 50 that were definitely issued. If nobody truly remembers meeting a hiker from ireland, then I can only imaging that he got into trouble fairly early on around Idlewild-it doesn’t make any sense to me otherwise

bbm You seem to be right. From this article, from October, 2017:

An Irishman who went missing while hiking in the US six months again has been reportedly spotted by a couple, who claim he is using the name 'Leprechaun.'

Now a couple have come forward to claim they meet David (25) on August 20.

The Missing Person - David O'Sullivan - PCT Hiker Facebook page said in a statement: "Andrew Zech has been in touch claiming that he and his girlfriend Michelle met David travelling from Packwood to the trail head that leads to Leech Lake on or about Aug 20th.

"They got a spin with him. They claim that David's trail name is Leprechaun.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-ne...irishman-who-went-missing-in-us-36216195.html

 

[Elainera]

From early January:

'All we can do is wait and hope' - aerial footage shows extensive search for Irish man missing in California

The brother of an Irish man who has been missing in America since last year has said his family are still hopeful that the "unbelievable" search effort will provide answers.

Commercial pilots and aerial surveyors teamed up to conduct an aerial survey mission over Idyllwild this week.

David's older brother, Niall O'Sullivan, told Independent.ie that his family are overwhelmed by the response from "complete strangers".

https://www.independent.ie/irish-ne...irish-man-missing-in-california-36456003.html

ETA: nothing after this, so apparently they did not find any trace of him

 

[Jmoose]

Jeez-I am really feeling terrible for his family. I wonder if they knew, when David left Ireland, that this hike would be something for which he was incredibly ill-prepared

 

[GraceG]

bbm You seem to be right. From this article, from October, 2017



https://www.independent.ie/irish-ne...irishman-who-went-missing-in-us-36216195.html

I'm seriously doubting the legitimacy of this sighting. That area is east of Mt. Ranier, fairly near the end of the PCT. I think it would be highly unlikely that David would not contact his family once through WIFI or other means in almost 4 months from April to a late August sighting. I have to speak from experience as a former LE investigator. Often when you get a singular sighting that's not backed up by anyone else or any other digital evidence it's often someone getting caught up in the emotion of an investigation and they see someone similar in appearance, behaviors, or accent on TV or in media and convince themselves that have an active clue. They really do mean well, but it is usually not credible.

 

[Elana619]

Bumping now that hikers are starting northbound for the year.


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[dotr]

Mother of Irish hiker missing in US 'living in a nightmare' as new search planned one year after mysterious disappearance - Independent.ie
April 2018
Mother of Irish hiker missing in US 'living in a nightmare' as new search planned one year after mysterious disappearance
'The day that we get the phone call with the news that his body has been found will be horrendous but what we're going through now is equally horrendous'

Weekly searches are being carried out by volunteers in the US for missing Irish man, David O'Sullivan
"As thousands of people undertake the gruelling PCT this year, Carmel hopes she might finally get answers about what happened to her boy.

"We've been told if there's any update they'll let us know, so I feel like I'm constantly listening out for the phone or watching Facebook for something.

"We've posted on the new PCT hikers page about David to ask people to keep an eye out for him.

"There'll be thousands going through the area this month and we're hoping one of them will even see something like an item of clothing."

 

[MelmothTheLost]

"There'll be thousands going through the area this month and we're hoping one of them will even see something like an item of clothing."

Idyllwild was involved in one of the recent spate of wildfires, though this particular fire has been contained. If David's remains were in that area they may come to light as the area is searched.

Residents Evacuate as Idyllwild Fire Breaks Out

 

[Ari_]

Was Idyllwild involved in last years wildfires? Or the mud slides? I cannot remember.

 

[GraceG]

Was Idyllwild involved in last years wildfires? Or the mud slides? I cannot remember.

There were both, first the Cranston fire that burned 13000+ acres near Idyllwild (Cranston Fire burning near Idyllwild is 100 percent contained, fire officials say – Press Enterprise) followed up by mudslides when the terrain was soaked after most of the vegetation burned off. Mudslides that closed roads in San Jacinto Mountains are cleared; evacuations lifted – Press Enterprise