[pct-l] lost hiker update

[phix at optigan.com (Pea Hicks)]

Rick Bowen wrote:

>> From that area to Saddle Junction should not be a problem.  And for that 
> 
> matter from Saddle Junction on for a few miles is also fairly benign. 
> There are some slopes but nothing really steep.  There is a problem area 
> if he turned left towards Tahquitz Peak instead of towards Saddle 
> Junction. Is there any other information that might set an end point for 
> the area to search?

here's what i know about that area at that time. i went thru there 
northbound the day *after* connie/alex say that they last saw him there. 
the trail was entirely covered in snow in that area. there was a 
prominent set of footprints that was pretty easy to follow, as many 
hikers had gone thru already.

BUT in several places there were other sets of prominent footprints that 
went elsewhere, NOT following the general route of the PCT. at least 
twice i started following the wrong set of footprints, only to learn 
from my GPS that i was headed the wrong way. fortunately i never went 
very far down a wrong track.

if memory serves, the first place i almost got lost (mary & dave were 
with me on that day- donna, they should be in agua dulce soon), was a 
spot in the upper part of little tahquitz valley (near where the pct 
meets the tahquitz peak trail) where a prominent set of footprints 
headed to an overlook of sorts looking down into the idyllwild area. i 
don't remember this spot being dangerous per se, but in theory one could 
make the mistake of continuing in that direction and possibly getting 
caught trying to make a steep descent of some sort, where there's no 
trail to descend.

anyway, just a thought, as i'm sure that seabreeze must have simply been 
following footprints at that point, as everyone else was doing. he could 
have made the same wrong turn, or a similar wrong turn in that area.

girlscout