It just sounds to me that somebody came up from that side trail and took her. A local that knows the area well. She could still be with us. Don't give up hope!
I've lived too long to care what others think about me
Very telling information EE. Being 66 and a nurse I have to wonder why she wouldn't have ask for help if she new she was in trouble? That question of course assumes she new she was in trouble. Like most my thoughts are about her most of my waking hours.
KK4VKZ -SOTA-SUMMITS ON THE AIR-
SUPPORT LNT
That's so bizarre. Thanks for the post, Hillwalker. Thanks for your post too ATTroll.. very interesting!! I feel so sad.Originally Posted by Old Hillwalker
Agree with attroll that Mt. Abraham trail was very well marked, sign looked almost new, perhaps 3 ft x 2 ft in size.
I do not see this as an extraordinarily slow pace for someone that averages 7-8 miles a day, who had up to 16 hours of light, was only planning to do 8 miles, and who just did a hellish (in my view) 10+ miles the day before. I only averaged slightly over 1 mph from Spaulding to ME 4. Granted, I was taking more pictures than usual, scanning the terrain for possible hazards, talking to hikers, staring in awe at the scenery on top of the peaks, etc., but that 18.7 mile section was quite difficult for this lowlander.
So, here we are. We believe that, if we really concentrate, really put our collective brains to work, we can determine exactly where Gerry Largay can be found. It is beyond comprehension that after all the searches, the dogs, the planes, the experts, the interviews, she is still not located. My faith in her preparation and her character was totally strengthened by Jennifer's post, telling us of her work with Brew, Warren, and her. Her being a nurse tells me that she is tough, not going to collapse in the face of adversity. She has got to be found, however her condition or circumstance. Otherwise, all who know and love her will spend their lives looking for her. They will see someone who "could" be her in a crowd, on a road, in just enough distance not to be able to focus on the face of that about 5'5," 115-pound woman they notice. It will be an endless chasm in their lives, particularly for George. So, where do you speculate that she is?
You never know just what you can do until you realize you absolutely have to do it.
--Salaun
I did that section a long time ago. The side trail to Abraham is like 0.8 and has the big rock cairns on it doesn't it? If I got the right mountain, that trail was a bit overgrown about a dozen years ago. I remember it being relatively flat as we reached the summit fairly quickly. I hope the trail was checked along there. Was she prone to taking side trails out to viewpoints?
"Sleepy alligator in the noonday sun
Sleepin by the river just like he usually done
Call for his whisky
He can call for his tea
Call all he wanta but he can't call me..."
Robert Hunter & Ron McKernan
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In the report I received from her friend and searcher it said;
Inchworm would not sight-see on any side trail unless it was less than 0.2 miles from the AT
Second guessing the Maine wardens...
If she was spotted near Lone Mnt at noon, she may have tried to push on past the Spaulding Mnt Lean-to to Crocker Cirque Campsite. The 5 miles from Spauldling Mnt to Caribou Valley Road the (possible) likely area of disappearance.
I had a similar thought. I disagree with the notion that she "had to have been found". As others have posted, it's not easy to find such a relatively small target in such a large, rugged area - plane crashes have taken long times to be found out in the mountainous woods.
As for the slow pace - if she was usually going so slow, how long had it taken her to get from Springer to this point? The going is slower in that part of Maine than on most of the trail, though, everyone says, and getting to Spaulding Lean-to, based on her pace, seems a reasonable, safe target. It's idle speculation, but she could have had any of a number of medical crisis events which threw her off course - I won't go into a list.
The more miles, the merrier!
NH4K: 21/48; N.E.4K: 25/67; NEHH: 28/100; Northeast 4K: 27/115; AT: 124/2191
If she were taken, where would the person had to have parked?
She was spotted at 3-3:30 pm. (see Attroll's post #343)
The closest parking would have been at Caribou Valley Rd. This is 5.2 miles north of Spaulding Mountain Lean-to.
I did that Blue Blaze on the 28th. It is more like 1.75 miles 1 way. the trail is clearly marked, trodden, and no where near as steep as what she had already done. The boulders are in the open (much like the Hunt Trail). If she fell on the boulders, she would be in the wide open. This is a 3.5 mile round trip. I doubt, given her pace, that she would head up that trail. Again, all of this is speculation.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln
It is also over the Sugarloaf saddle. When I hiked through there, I felt the decent off Sugarloaf was the most logical area that one could fall and not be seen. All that I encountered said that they did not believe she got that far. A Blue Blaze that is less than 0.2 miles is Spaulding Mountain. The sign lists it as 150 yards. It is more like the 0.2 miles. But again. There are no places to fall and not be seen on that trail and it is after the leanto.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln
Looks to be a similar distance, from Lone Mountain, to the trailhead of the Fire Warden's Trail, which is the extension, southeastward, of the Mt. Abraham side-trail from the A.T. direction.
The more miles, the merrier!
NH4K: 21/48; N.E.4K: 25/67; NEHH: 28/100; Northeast 4K: 27/115; AT: 124/2191
According to Map 6, 1.1 miles before Spaulding Lean-to, "Junction with Mt. Abraham Trail, which leads 1.7 mi. to summit (elev. 4,043 ft)." I took a number of pictures of Mt. Abraham (from Saddleback Jr./Horn I believe), and it is definitely above treeline, so it would have lots of cairns.
Based on attroll's update, I don't see her doing this trail unless she was planning a bailout, and planning to camp a couple miles past the summit. Based on that Lone Mtn ping from her cell phone, such a bailout would mean descending Mt. Abraham near dark on a trail (Fire Warden) which may or may not be marked well.
Based on the map at this link:
http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/W...ail-hiker.html
it does not look like the bailout trail to Kingfield (Fire Warden) was searched in detail, but may have been covered in the earlier quick searches.
While I do not think that Inchworm would bailout on the Mt. Abraham trail, nor would sightsee after a couple of grueling days, I can see a bailout being a definite possibility. If she carried Maine Map 6, she would likely see that Sugarloaf was an easier trail to descend, and would put her closer to her husband. The trail to Kingfield is not marked in full on the map, but it is clear that the trail descends steeply off of the summit. Here is some information about the Fire Warden Trail from http://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trai...-warden-trail/
This hike up Mount Abraham, locally referred to as Mount Abram, offers a challenging and rewarding experience for the experienced and advanced hiker. The Fire Warden Trail is the traditional, non-Appalachian Trail approach to the highest of the eight peaks that make up the 4.5 mile ridge line. The ridge line and eastern slopes of the mountain, up which the trail climbs, are a part of a Maine state ecological reserve. The well-worn Fire Warden Trail is easy to follow with blue-blazed markings until just after the campsite/privy where they start to become sparse as the trail gets more steep.
From the trailhead, the trail goes through forest stands of deciduous with open undergrowth, crosses another logging road at just over a mile, and continues to a campsite reached at roughly 2.5 miles from the start of the trail, the trail begins to steadily and sometimes steeply climb towards the 4045’ summit of Mount Abram. About three-quarters of a mile from the campsite, the trail breaks above tree line offering great views on a clear day of nearby Spaulding and Sugarloaf Mountains. The remaining half mile of the trail to the summit is a boulder scramble through the second largest alpine zone in Maine. At approximately 350 acres, it is second in area only to Mount Katahdin in the state. This section of trail is very exposed and can be dangerous in bad weather. The trail is well marked by cairns above tree line, but even the experienced and advanced hikers will need to pay attention as not to lose the trail, especially in bad weather.
At the summit, there is a fire tower (only the steel legs of which remain) marking the peak and, nearby, a shelter with the remains of an old fire warden station. Here, the trail connects to a side trail of the Appalachian Trail which runs north connecting to the Appalachian Trail Corridor. On a clear day hikers can enjoy 360 degree views of the entire High Peaks region of Maine.
Other Information
For more information about the interesting geology of Mount Abram and the features along the trail check out Geology of Mount Abraham in the Maine Geological Survey's website.
As of 2010, the Mount Abram Fire Warden Trail is in need of trail maintenance. Hikers will still be able to easily follow the trail, but several blow downs and washouts make this already difficult trail slightly more difficult hiking.
There doesn't have to be a car involved. Several months ago police discovered a guy they now call "the Hermit" who had been living in his own campsite, in the woods somewhere north of Bangor, for about 25 years. He stole supplies from summer homes and no one knew about him. I'm not sure what I think about a possible abduction. It seems increasingly possible, since no evidence at all of Gerry's gear has been located. And I can't help but think that if she's been abducted there may be a better chance that she'll be found.
I agree with much of what he says in this article, except the steep part. The section between Lone Mountain is not some of the steepest and most difficult in Maine. It is not even close. That section is fairly easy compared to the down off Poplar and up to Lone that she had already done. Lone Mountain is a bear. But she had already done that.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln
I wonder what the thoughts of her, two hiking partners, are now since they hiked the same exact hike that Inchworm did.. They told the reporters that they knew her well and would have known what decisions she would have made every step of the way.
I wish someone would interview them again. I wonder if they are just as baffled as everyone else. I'm thinking they are.
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