Moderator please be leiniet!!! I'm trying to help. More information forthcoming...
Originally Posted by Don H
ALDHA will be forming a SAR Team and received permission from the Maine Warden Service to conduct the search for "Inchworm".
From the events page on the ALDHA Facebook group.
As proposed at the 2013 Gathering, ALDHA is forming a Search and Rescue Team to aid, assist and support the local agencies looking for missing or lost hikers on the Appalachian Trail.
For some background information please refer to the article in the winter edition of ALDHA's Long Distance Hiker by Bill O'Brien concerning Geraldine Largay. It is very important that those who do volunteer to join this mission understand that they will be required to be in shape, and take some necessary courses in order to help. We will be spending a few days on top of the mountain looking for her and you will be required to bring your hiking, camping and team equipment to the area.
The plan is to meet up on Wednesday May 28, 2014 and hike up the mountain and spend 3 or 4 days up there searching. If you would like to participate please call Mike Wingeart at 443-791-9196.
I've sperated the previous from the following due to the fact that the previous is public information and easily verified to the point of being fact. The following isn't verified due to eyewitness accounts being recanted or unverified and no transcripts of these accounts are available for public record. Other items are information based on SOME fact.
- There is some evidence indicating the AT in the area between Poplar Ridge shelter and Spaulding Mtn shelter was relocated/diverted in the not-to-distant past to a more 'southeasterly horn.' Some maps and guidebooks copywrited as early as 2012 give misleading or inaccurate desriptions of this section of trail. Another small section of trail near the Sugarloaf Mtn spur was relocated at some point. This is unconfirmed
- There are a few side trails between Poplar Ridge shelter and Spaulding Mtn shelter. There is a side trail north of Lone Mtn at the VERY clearly marked intersection of Mt Abraham trail. Across the intersection is a little used side trail to Carribou Pond Rd. This trail is overgrown after a short while, is unblazed and unlikely to be confused with the AT. Unconfirmed
- 3 South bound hikers, aka 'the boys' "recall meeting a woman fitting the description of Inchworm on the trail on Monday the 22ond somewhere between Spaulding lean-to, where he ate lunch, and Poplar Ridge shelter, where he stayed Monday evening. ... He does not recall the exact location where their paths crossed." A previous or later interview with one of these hikers (Crunchmaster) indicate they met this hiker resting on her acent (their decent) of Lone Mtn at 3:30pm. They do not report seeing any other hikers nor Ivanich. It is not clear if one or all of 'the boys' were interviewed and who said what. This entire account was either later recanted or considered unreliable by those in charge of the search. The entire interview is unconfirmed See below
- A solo North bound female hiker with short hair and glasses (Ivanich) left the Poplar Ridge shelter after Inchworm Monday morning the 22ond. She was on the trail by 9am and reports that Inchworm had already left. She stayed at the Spaulding Mtn shelter Monday evening and later reports she did not see Inchworm during any of that time, nor at the Spaulding Mtn shelter, nor the 3 boys. Its not clear how reliable this Interview was. Interview unconfirmed
- Regarding Crunchmaster and Ivanich Interviews, This is the Maine Warden replying here:
"Yes we did ask Ivanich and she never saw Gerry on the trail, and we have not found anybody, other than the boys if they are correct, that did see her on the trail that Monday."
- A very interesting (unconfirmed but VERY likely compiled by those leading the SAR effort) spreadsheet of NoBo vs SoBo hikers in the area Sunday, Wednesday the 21-24th with some weather indicators. No am or pm indications make this hard to follow. The link is here and needs to be cut and pasted to be viewed = https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Analk0I2hf1VdFNYUTN4UWU2YmFJYnZFcWc4b3ViN UE&usp=sharing#gid=0
- Grid map of the Maine Warden search in the Lone Mountain and South of Spauling Mountain shelter area. At the time searchers felt this was the most likely area she went missing. http://appalachiantrail.com/20130813/search-for-gerry-largay-continues/#!lightbox/0/
- Second map detailing some sort of search effort for Inchworm. Its unknown what all the details mean or suggest. http://www.dailybulldog.com/db/features/wardens-still-seeking-assistance-from-hikers-in-search-for-largay/
- Family and friends closely related to the Largay's and the search have presented some information not immediately available to the public but not sensitive either as its can easily be found online:
I have heard back indirectly from the Maine Wardens and wanted to pass along the information I got. It came directly from a reliable source. This was written to someone from the investigator.
Question: Do we know if Ivanic left Monday morning before Gerry and/or what interaction Ivanic might have had with Gerry, particularly Monday a.m. or later.
Answer: We suspect that Gerry left about around 0630 hours only because of an interview with .COM and QUEEN. QUEEN stated that she saw Gerry about 6am on Monday Morning and QUEEN and .COM left Popular about 0645 am, Southbound. QUEEN stated that Gerry left about 15 minutes prior to that. We know that Gerry sent a text to her husband and stated that it was 0715 when she left lean-to and I think it actually did not push out until 0720 hours.
Ivanic did say that she did not get up until about 0800 hours and Gerry was already gone. She left about 0900 hours and arrived at Spaulding lean to about 1600 hours.
Question: Who last saw Gerry and where is the big question.
Answer: I believe the last people to see Gerry are going to be .com and Queen, who were southbound hikers and left Poplar after Gerry left, they stated they did not meet her on the trail. We are reinterviewing hikers to make sure we did not miss something.
We are trying to determine the same thing, did anyone meet her on the trail. If the boys are wrong, I would say no one met her on the trail, if the boys are correct then she had to take a side trail to not make it to Spaulding because it is just a short distance to it. But Ivanic would have had to be right behind her and the boys do not talk about seeing two women on the trail on Lone Mountain, or meeting another female hiker alone after "Gerry".
We plan on having another search Thursday covering the area south of the AT where two side streams to Oberton come off the mountain, we have not searched in that area yet.
Poplar Lean to is at the edge of the map on the left, it is not marked.
Added note about the ping;
The last ping was on Lone Mountain. The ping just indicates a 30 mile radius, so all it tells us is that someone turned on the phone around 3pm
More information available mostly regarding cell phone activity (the writer does not believe the cell phone data is particularly helpful but thats up to the reader to decide) : This is the Maine Warden replying here.
Yes we did ask Ivanich and she never saw Gerry on the trail, and we have not found anybody, other than the boys if they are correct, that did see her on the trail that Monday.
I have not been on that section of trail yet but for her most of it would have been downhill for her, Kladiscope described it as a little scary, but then she added it was nothing like coming down to Caribou Pond Road along that steep area. A lot of the guys describe most of it as being open beside the trail. I have asked about scenic step offs and areas like that and I am not hearing about any. Although if you pull up aerials on Google maps or Bing I can see granite out cropping’s on the south side that look like cliffs to me.
My strategy going forward is after talking with the person again about the cell phone coverage. Which she would have had coverage up at Popular Lean to and couple other places coming North on the trail, is if you remember the cell phone ping from George sent on Monday about 1420 hours and her cell phone received, there is also another text received at 1030 she receives but does not answer. The cell phone company is guessing where that is, but if you remember the green band, about 120 degrees wide, Lenny had on the map that indicated that is most likely where the cell phone was at the time.
I think she would have answered both those text if she had stopped on the trail and took out her phone, so I am thinking something happens where she cannot get to her phone but it is on, I cannot remember where she carried her phone, but it indicates to me that she is SOMEWHERE in that green band or at least her cell phone is, which I believe is with her.
So I talked with another person and he has the Cell phone data on his computer and we are looking at areas within the green band that need further searching, one big area that stands out to me is south of the AT near poplar, we have not had anyone in there, it is quite possible now that something happened to her on this section of trail and most of it is within this green band. That is where most of the search effort will be Thursday.
When we are done I will get a map again. I cannot be there Thursday but two others will be there along with other local wardens who are very familiar with case and area. It will be a long day again and they have to get people in 2 different ways to the areas we want to cover, they both involve long drives and walking a couple miles into the search area.
You are right. According to Attroll another text is received at 10:30 but she does not answer.
- This a a quote from a hiker about a side trail near where Inchworm went missing: I hiked that old road last Fall as part of a loop involving Sugarloaf. (I like to make dayhike loops involving bushwhacks). Leaving the AT, the old road has grown up into fairly thick brush soon after it drops down off the ridge into old logging swaths. The only way it is possible to follow it is by keeping an eye out for fragments of old red surveyors flagging along the route. Once down into the bowl of Caribou Pond, the old roads get open and clear, but there are many old drag roads in there leading all which ways. I believe that once the old road fades and gets thick most people would give up, and backtrack back up onto the ridge and the AT.........As far as her not stopping at the Spaulding shelter(s), I have deliberately walked past the Spaulding shelter(s) side trail several times without ever seeing the shelter. The section of the trail passing the shelter is mellow and when heading North only gets steep going up Spaulding, but not very. Once Spaulding summit spur is passed, the trail gets very easy all the way to the descent off the Sugarloaf ridge. Unless you take the short spur trail to Spaulding's summit, the trail is not that steep. This area is essentially in my back yard. (Unconfirmed)
- The hiker 'roughdrafts' posted that he was a day behind Inchworm in the cut past below. I've included this because the later part helps offer insight as to why 'the boys' mistook Inchworm for someone else. Roughdrafts 08-15-2013, 08:46
Hi all. I was hiking northbound on this section around the time Inchworm disappeared, and I've spent the last three weeks following the story as closely as possible, but I just recently finished my hike and was finally able to catch up with this thread. I don't know if I can be of any help, and I've already told wardens everything I know (including a list of names of people who spent Monday & Tuesday nights at Spaulding as well as Tuesday night at Poplar) but I believe they've caught up with and talked to all relevant parties by now.
My timeline is as follows:
Monday evening the 22nd - hike from Rangeley to Piazza Rock Lean-To
Tuesday the 23rd - hike from Piazza Rock (leaving at 5am) to Poplar Ridge Lean-To (arriving at 10am); spend all day/night there to wait out the rain
Wednesday the 24th - hike from Poplar Ridge (leaving at 6:45am) to Rt. 27 (arriving at 7:30pm) with a break at Spaulding Mtn Lean-To
I did not see Inchworm during this time, and I first heard that she was missing from SoBo hikers on Wednesday afternoon. That evening I met George Largay at the trailhead and told him everything I knew, including names of people to talk to (some of those names appeared on the first flyer that was posted, but again I believe wardens have since talked to all of them).
I should note that there was a NoBo female hiker with short hair & glasses on the trail during this time (I believe she spent Sunday night at Poplar Ridge & Monday night at Spaulding), but she's young and I doubt she'd be mistaken for someone in her 60s (though who knows?). I don't think I remember seeing any solo female SoBos, but I could be wrong.
Unfortunately I don't remember details of the terrain between Poplar Ridge and Spaulding so I can't help there.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY CORRECTIONS OR UPDATES ON THE ABOVE MENTIONED COMPILATION FOR GERRY LARGAY PLEASE HELP!!
Awesome thanks Sly
Actually Starfly, this was compiled by MFrenchy and I - not the SAR folks. Just info based on various trail journals, etc. So now the source can be "confirmed"
Thanks for compiling all this!
ps: hyperlinking the full url - Hikers Around Inchworm
Last edited by Turtle Feet; 03-06-2014 at 13:51.
www.postholer.com/Turtle Feet
Follow me as I crawl the A.T.
Life is an adventure or nothing at all ~ Hellen Keller
Thanks for the link Turtle Feet that's way better than mine! Question you might know...from where did Gabe and Willis come from?
Sorry Starfly, I don't know with any certainty.
www.postholer.com/Turtle Feet
Follow me as I crawl the A.T.
Life is an adventure or nothing at all ~ Hellen Keller
lat may is too early to be in the Maine woods looking for someone
Curious as to why May is too early? Grounds bare, dry, warm. Not black fly season yet, good visibility as leaves aren't quite full bloom.......
Starfly - at the very bottom of you compilation post you comment that you that Roughdrafts post may have included an explanation as to why 'the boys' mistook someone else for Gerry. Actually, Roughdrafts was referring to Kaleidoscope (who was also filmed in the Northwoods Law episode), a woman who is indeed in her '60's.
The woman that the boys saw was Ivanic, the other female NOBO that stayed at Poplar LT with Gerry on Sunday night.
Hope that helps to clarify.
www.postholer.com/Turtle Feet
Follow me as I crawl the A.T.
Life is an adventure or nothing at all ~ Hellen Keller
In late May there is usually still snow in the mountains in Maine in the high elevations.
I was referring to Ivanich. I don't remember encountering Kaleidoscope on the trail, though I may have.
My only correction to Starfly's post is in regards to this:
"It was overcast and drizzle on the 22ond progressing to heavy rain or whats described as steady 'pouring rain.' Possible treacherous/uncrossable stream crossings by mid to late day on the 23rd and rained all day the 24th as well."
Monday the 22nd wasn't overcast. That was a clear, sunny day. The rain began around 4am on Tuesday the 23rd and continued all day and into Wednesday, clearing up by the afternoon.
Sorry Roughdrafts - my bad, didn't mean to put words in your mouth.
Kaleidoscope is the 60-ish woman that the authorities are interviewing in the command center during the Northwoods Law episode. During that episode they were specifically questioning her about that Tues. night @ Spaulding. I believe the wardens commented to her that she was a day behind Inchworm - I'll go back and rewatch tonight.
There's this quote from Kaleidoscope, ""One night, I couldn't sleep," said Odvody, 62, who thinks she was hiking a portion of trail between Rangeley and Wyman Township a day behind Largay last weekend, but never saw her. "I was thinking about her." and a pic of Kaleidoscope in this article: http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/Over-rugged-terrain-a-mystifying-hunt-for-missing-hiker.html?pageType=mobile&id=1&start=1
www.postholer.com/Turtle Feet
Follow me as I crawl the A.T.
Life is an adventure or nothing at all ~ Hellen Keller
Roughdrafts - Hey thanks a bunch for the correction. I forgot the source where I got the 22ond weather description from but it doesn't matter, you were there! I pride myself on correct information and stuff like that helps. Wish I could go edit it but I don't see that you can edit or delete previous entries on this forum....anyway thanks again. Do you remember or would you describe the rain on Tuesday as being consistent with my info for that day?
Yes there would be some snow on the tallest peaks, but certainly nothing to hinder a renewed search for Inchworm in almost any other area, and some advantages. A very effective search could and should be undertaken in late May for her. I agree according to what I've documented I don't think Kaleidoscope was hiking the same section of trail the day of Inchworms disappearance.
Starfly has the reasons why...
Wing-Heart who has been coordinating the effort has spoken with the Maine warden service, the MATC, and Dave Fields and all seem to agree on the date. However, as time approaches, if there is too much snow it will be postponed until later.
The rain was pretty relentless on Tuesday, which is why I only hiked 8 miles (from Piazza Rock to Poplar Ridge) even though that meant I was done for the day at 10am. Several people, NoBo and SoBo, also gave up on longer attempts that day and ended up staying at Poplar (though once the shelter filled up, a few hiked on north to Spaulding or south to Piazza/Rangeley). The rain may have eventually let up that evening - I don't remember when. Wednesday morning was wet, but nothing like the downpour of Tuesday.
I haven't really stopped thinking/worrying about Inchworm in the 7+ months since her disappearance, which is why my memories of those few days are as clear as they are. I'm definitely interested in helping out with search efforts in the spring or summer if possible.
Roughdrafts if you want to help with the ALDHA crew, I think you'll need to take an online course, which, I understand, takes a few hours.
Contact Mike Wingeart 443-791-9196
Does anyone have a more composite list of grid maps that SAR covered? I only have two and they are sadly from media sources already posted. I'm wondering how well and how far south Orbeton Stream was searched. Its been my theory for a while but I won't go into explanation here. And btw, depending on the SAR outcome in late May, I'll be giving this stream another shot to at least as far as the Perham. Anyone wanna come?
Search for Geraldine Largay: Join us during the last week of May for a weeklong search for missing hiker Geraldine Largay, between Routes 4 and 27 in Maine (Rangeley to Stratton). The search is being organized by former ALDHA Coordinator Mike Wingeart, and we have the blessing of the Maine Warden Service to give it a shot. We will likely focus on the area north of where the major activity occurred last year. Contact Mike at 443-791-9196 if you'd like more information or would like to join us. http://aldha.org/new.html Contact Mike W. for confirmation, but you do not need to be trained as a SAR volunteer with map and compass skills to go help. Please come help us and tell everyone you know. And as a side note, please do not rely on media source for information about the search. If you have a choice, the AT south of Spaulding was searched less than the area north. Try there, emphasis on drainages, best access Banjum RD.
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