Missing hiker

David R · Post by **David R** » Wed Jul 09, 2025 3:59 pm

Matthew wrote: Wed Jul 09, 2025 1:17 pm 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

What is the reasoning to think she went into that drainage? That would require her to miss the Three Points trail, continue down the drainage to Devil's Canyon and then decide for some reason to go upstream. Hit the Twin Peaks trail, ignore it and drop into Bear Canyon. It sounds more like they are running out of areas to look.

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Wed Jul 09, 2025 7:07 pm

David R wrote: Wed Jul 09, 2025 3:59 pm
Matthew wrote: Wed Jul 09, 2025 1:17 pm 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
What is the reasoning to think she went into that drainage? That would require her to miss the Three Points trail, continue down the drainage to Devil's Canyon and then decide for some reason to go upstream. Hit the Twin Peaks trail, ignore it and drop into Bear Canyon. It sounds more like they are running out of areas to look.

It's confusing to try and reason with it but I think the team is optimistic that she's next to a body of water. If you look at the whole situation as a whole, it doesn't make sense that she would even bother dropping off the ridge to the devil's canyon side when you can see the 6000ft lot the whole time on the ridge. With that in mind and with the information that has been shared, most of the ridge on both sides have been extensively searched so it's almost unlikely that she's actually on it. Taco is going out to search next week and i'm going to search a bit on monday and tuesday in some other areas and maybe might camp.

Edward · Post by **Edward** » Thu Jul 10, 2025 11:30 am

Here is RMRU's report. No luck. Sad case.

https://rmru.org/2025/07/01/2025-024/

Anthony · Post by **Anthony** » Fri Jul 11, 2025 1:30 pm

David R wrote: Wed Jul 09, 2025 3:59 pm
Matthew wrote: Wed Jul 09, 2025 1:17 pm 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
What is the reasoning to think she went into that drainage? That would require her to miss the Three Points trail, continue down the drainage to Devil's Canyon and then decide for some reason to go upstream. Hit the Twin Peaks trail, ignore it and drop into Bear Canyon. It sounds more like they are running out of areas to look.

I saw Matthew yesterday and discussed this with him.
I agree that it doesn't make sense that she'd pass thru the Twin Peaks Trail and continue down a drainage. However it seems possible that she hit the Twin Peaks Trail, and instead of going to Three Points, went east towards Twin Peaks and then got lost. I also wonder if she climbed one of the many boulder piles on Double Delight / West Waterman ridge hoping to be seen by a chopper and fell into a crevasse during the process.

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Tue Jul 15, 2025 8:32 pm

Hey everyone,
Taco and I have both joined the Monica Reza search effort and they are very organized but need more volunteers. Personally, I have found immense enjoyment scanning the slopes of waterman since it's not the typical type of hiking I normally do. They also have regular zoom meetings about the efforts and its all super informative.

They have their own Yurt in Camp Eaton which is stocked with potable water, walkies, sleeping arrangements, food, and showers. The general organization of the search is super good and I just highly recommend helping out if you have a free day.

The form is here https://www.bit.ly/findmonica432

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Fri Jul 18, 2025 10:38 pm

Alright guys, they updated their flyer to include some perks of you join. Most notably, a mylar balloon competition

IMG_0560.jpeg

Slowest_Hiker · Post by **Slowest_Hiker** » Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:57 pm

That Facebook group is a hot mess. You guys ok?
(I'd be there, but reasons)

David R · Post by **David R** » Tue Jul 22, 2025 10:06 am

Slowest_Hiker wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:57 pm That Facebook group is a hot mess. You guys ok?
(I'd be there, but reasons)

Just be happy that you aren't on the What's App chat, I'm torn between leaving and staying as I did spend one day a little over a week ago searching and may do it again but the rest is kind of out of control with well-meaning clueless comments.

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Wed Jul 23, 2025 12:36 pm

David R wrote: Tue Jul 22, 2025 10:06 am
Slowest_Hiker wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:57 pm That Facebook group is a hot mess. You guys ok?
(I'd be there, but reasons)
Just be happy that you aren't on the What's App chat, I'm torn between leaving and staying as I did spend one day a little over a week ago searching and may do it again but the rest is kind of out of control with well-meaning clueless comments.

Yoooo I'm in the group too! It's kinda toxic

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 11:04 am

Good morning everyone!

I told the whatsapp group that I am leaving due to a lack of transparency on their part, also because of that flyer with prize incentives if you join. There are 10-80 different reasons why as well but I think that more progress can be achieved if the search was open to the public and not privatized like in that group.

Below, there's a caltopo map that has a mix of data from about a month ago and from yesterday. Note that the volunteer group organizers removed the volunteer's ability to see all the previous tracks on the new map for some reason so that is why I have a gap of time.

Also, note that I did not take the drone images below and all credit of that goes to Laura Kerber.

Links
MAP: https://caltopo.com/m/P0GPMBL/9U7PKL82TDB54ABR
DRONE IMAGERY: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... drive_link

David R · Post by **David R** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 1:48 pm

I left once they started gatekeeping and all the absurd posts were giving me a headache. I am starting to think she may not even be out there and that there was foul play involved but who knows.

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 8:58 pm

David R wrote: Wed Aug 06, 2025 1:48 pm I left once they started gatekeeping and all the absurd posts were giving me a headache. I am starting to think she may not even be out there and that there was foul play involved but who knows.

Dude this is by far the deepest lore the Gabes have seen in a while. The volenteer group has both kicked out members as well as multiple members have left because of the way it has been run. It's insane to think that they went this deep on a search effort for a missing person

Post by **dima** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 9:46 pm

How deep have they gone? Some of us are out of the loop!

Is the hat the only hard evidence we have from her? If you're wearing a hat, you'd immediately notice if it fell off your head. Is the theory that it was in the pack, and fell out?

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 10:29 pm

dima wrote: Wed Aug 06, 2025 9:46 pm How deep have they gone? Some of us are out of the loop!

Is the hat the only hard evidence we have from her? If you're wearing a hat, you'd immediately notice if it fell off your head. Is the theory that it was in the pack, and fell out?

We gotta make a separate section of this forum that's private as hell in order to talk lore

Post by **HikeUp** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 10:37 pm

Sounds like a real shit fest. I hate people as a species because of this kind of crap.

Assuming she has perished, I fear a mountain lion got her...her being of such wee stature and lagging behind the "herd"...easy pickings for a mountain lion. And very difficult to find if dragged into a den. Is that what lions do?

Again, assuming she has perished, very sad. Very sad. Sincere condolences to her family, friends, etc. RIP.

Slowest_Hiker · Post by **Slowest_Hiker** » Thu Aug 07, 2025 9:38 am

She was carrying the hat tucked in her belt in the photos .

mikeywally · Post by **mikeywally** » Thu Aug 07, 2025 10:56 am

HikeUp wrote: Wed Aug 06, 2025 10:37 pm Sounds like a real shit fest. I hate people as a species because of this kind of crap.

Assuming she has perished, I fear a mountain lion got her...her being of such wee stature and lagging behind the "herd"...easy pickings for a mountain lion. And very difficult to find if dragged into a den. Is that what lions do?

Again, assuming she has perished, very sad. Very sad. Sincere condolences to her family, friends, etc. RIP.

from what i have read and remember, mountain lions do not typically eat the entire kill. they will eat, and come back and eat some more. and they usually won't consumer the entire kill. Also, SAR was out there really fast. There was also no blood reported.