Missing hiker

[Slowest_Hiker]

image-1.png

Location description is awful, but helo was searching on the west side of Waterman yesterday.

[HikeUp]

From a facebook thread I quickly found...

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... 707384424/

x.png

rant: this is how you ask for help? give shit fuck for info as to where and tell you to back off at the same time. "6000 ft trailhead"??? jesus tap dancing christ

[dima]

Also, surely contacting the "homicide" people with any info isn't what they meant. Right?

[Slowest_Hiker]

Yeah, very weird flyer.
Story through the grapevine I got is the friend she was hiking with got ahead and then couldn't find her and alerted SAR. Theory is she missed a turn and got lost.

[AW~]

Hmm...so we have so far to work with is 34.349583,-117.962806.
I suppose that she was hiking with her group, until she wasnt. So they called and bailed...with her car in Los Angeles, where she carpooled.

"We Hear You—Here’s How You Can Truly Help
Over the past several days, Montrose Search and Rescue and Crescenta Valley Station have received countless messages, phone calls, and offers from members of the public wanting to help search for Monica Reza in the Mount Waterman area. Your compassion and concern have been heartfelt and deeply appreciated.
That said, we want to be clear: We are not requesting or accepting civilian volunteers at this time."

[dima]

Where'd you get those coords??

[AW~]

Where'd you get those coords??

That was the facebook for Montrose SAR.

[HikeUp]

Google maps labels where the PCT crosses Highway 2 (ACH) as "6000 Ft Day Use". This is 1.3 miles east of Three Points. Near "Camp Glenwood". Of those three "landmarks" I've previously heard of one. BTW, PCT crosses ACH here at 6200 ft elevation.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/angeles/rec ... lhead-6000

Now I know.

If you could choose just one "method" of telling the public where the hiker was last seen, which would you choose?
1. Coordinates.
2. Mile Marker (presumably with out typos and a reference to an official highway, road, street designation). For example Mile mark 56 on State Highway 2 (also known as Angeles Crest Highway)
3. Same as 2, except reference a landmark. For example 1.3 miles east of Three Points, x west of Waterman, etc.
4. Or just type some random characters such as 60001 trailhead avenue, angeles crest highway.

To most people, 1 thru 3 would look just like 4. Good luck.

[dima]

If you could choose just one "method" of telling the public where the hiker was last seen, which would you choose?
1. Coordinates.
2. Mile Marker (presumably with out typos and a reference to an official highway, road, street designation). For example Mile mark 56 on State Highway 2 (also known as Angeles Crest Highway)
3. Same as 2, except reference a landmark. For example 1.3 miles east of Three Points, x west of Waterman, etc.
4. Or just type some random characters such as 60001 trailhead avenue, angeles crest highway.

That would depend on what their goal is. They explicitly don't want the public to go help look for her, and she was with other people when she got lost. So... I don't know what the point of this poster even is.

[HikeUp]

Bingo

I don't know what the point of this poster even is.

[Slowest_Hiker]

Seriously crossed signals. Or something.

[JeffH]

There is actually a sign there saying it is the 6000 ft trailhead.

[HikeUp]

There is actually a sign there saying it is the 6000 ft trailhead.

I've been there dozens of times and have never seen it.

[HikeUp]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/7336242 ... wXIfr&_rdr

group trying to find her without interfering with S&R.

[David R]

It sounds like the active search is over and they haven't found her. I think I know what mistake she made as I hike that ridge regularly. I think steep slopes is going to be the limiting factor in finding her though. I may go up there and see if I can get some views of those slopes this weekend.

[Matthew]

I'll be in there area tomorrow and might do a hike down the western ridge of waterman and check down on the twin peaks facing slopes

[AW~]

515011824_10231965015282186_7772054079929274006_n.jpg

This was posted...on that thread.

[Matthew]

515011824_10231965015282186_7772054079929274006_n.jpg

This was posted...on that thread.

what thread? I've been hiking a bit on that ridge where the (x) was, which was her hat. Her clothes are pretty vibrant and would be very visible from the air. I have the idea that she's under rocks in one of the boulder fields up there but that's a stretch of a theory

[AW~]

515011824_10231965015282186_7772054079929274006_n.jpg

This was posted...on that thread.

what thread? I've been hiking a bit on that ridge where the (x) was, which was her hat. Her clothes are pretty vibrant and would be very visible from the air. I have the idea that she's under rocks in one of the boulder fields up there but that's a stretch of a theory

From the civilian search Facebook. It was x = last seen, X2 = her hat.

[Matthew]

515011824_10231965015282186_7772054079929274006_n.jpg

This was posted...on that thread.

what thread? I've been hiking a bit on that ridge where the (x) was, which was her hat. Her clothes are pretty vibrant and would be very visible from the air. I have the idea that she's under rocks in one of the boulder fields up there but that's a stretch of a theory

From the civilian search Facebook. It was x = last seen, X2 = her hat.

got itttt

[Matthew]

I'm going to go search today and will be heading out from Pasadena at around 1pm today. I heard that 8 people went to go search yesterday then somehow got themselves lost somewhere in devil's canyon?! I will not get lost and will stay primarily on the ridge looking under and around all the boulder fields which are shaded and hidden from drones and helicopters.

[Matthew]

So here is a fantastic caltopo map I just built which includes the latest GPX tracks from every party so far. I also have included my search area as well as some boulders I have developed in recent weeks, just so I can use as reference points later!

https://caltopo.com/m/P0GPMBL

[Girl Hiker]

It's been too long now!

[David R]

Thanks I'll be up there tomorrow, it looks like the area where I think she may be has still not been searched too extensively.

[cougarmagic]

They're asking for some hardy bushwhackers to search the gullies down into Devil's Canyon. I know there are some folks here that fit the bill. Attached a screenshot from their Facebook group.

[dima]

Did you go over there, David? Did the area match your expectations? More theories?

[Matthew]

They're asking for some hardy bushwhackers to search the gullies down into Devil's Canyon. I know there are some folks here that fit the bill. Attached a screenshot from their Facebook group.

I would be down, im just super busy this week and only have tuesdays and wednesdays off.

This is the hike I did yesterday in search for Monica. My goal was to check in the areas around where the hat was found, specifically under rocks and around trees.

Screenshot 2025-07-06 215332.png

[David R]

Did you go over there, David? Did the area match your expectations? More theories?

Yes I went, the terrain was steep but didn't feel like it was steep enough to be fatal if someone fell. In addition the area is very open so even steep slopes could be easily seen with binoculars which is what I did. I hiked the northern side of Waterman where that west spur takes off from the main trail and hiked up one of the subsidiary ridges checking rock piles. I have been having a hard time with two facts. One that she would have missed the Three Points trail and continued into the Devil's Canyon drainage if she continued down. Secondly that she would have not realized her mistake and that she would not have tried to get back on the ridge and drop back down the north side. I could see clearly where she made her mistake and how she ended up in that draw as the trail does a little jog to the right at that point on the way down, if you continue straight you end up exactly in the drainage where her hat was.

I still feel like there is a good chance that she is somewhere on the western ridge maybe on the southern slopes. From my experience the simplest solution is usually the right one but this may be the exception and she could be somewhere in that Devil's Canyon drainage. I'll have to wait a bit but if she isn't found in a week or so I may go up and check some of those southern slopes.

[Taco]

I'll be heading out next weekend (sunday monday tuesday) with a rope. Looking at maps now. Would go earlier but cannot miss work.

[Matthew]

Just got a gpx from someone in the volunteer crew saying that there’s speculation she went into bear creek, which is definitely plausible. Attached is the file