Lost Hiker Found After 6 Days

Story about a lost hiker in Arkansas. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...-says-n1015441

I have been backpacking several times in the winter and early spring in the Caney Creek Wilderness where he was lost . I understand it is easy to get lost and I don't fault him for that but the wilderness is pretty small, bounded by roads on all 4 sides and is primarily made up of two parallel ridges and valleys with creeks and roads at both ends of each. I curious as to why he didn't just follow one of the valleys. I hope we get hear his side of the story of what happened in the 6 days he was lost.

Forest Service map of the area and trail description https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE...sm9_039458.pdf

Google Map of area https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ca...690899!5m1!1e4

Seems to be a lot of that going around recently.

Since was able to send text to mother, youd think he would have been found quickly if had stayed that location.

He was "Experienced and well prepared"

Except that didnt have a map/ compass or gps that knew how to use...... Which do seem to be a trend. Thanks facebook.

I only hiked the Buckeye trail he was on, once. With an experienced hiker who'd done that trail a few years before. We lost the trail a few times. But we also had maps and knew to head down to the south side as that was toward the Caney Creek trail (water) which is easier to follow. Photo's of him, he was carried out on a stretcher. Photo's from hospital show a bandage on his head. I'm JUST GUESSING, that he fell and was injured. And much of that wilderness doesn't have any cell signal at all (I actually did get a signal, but only from the eastern trail head on the top of the mountain).
Glad they found him and he's going to be fine.

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Originally Posted by rhjanes

I only hiked the Buckeye trail he was on, once. With an experienced hiker who'd done that trail a few years before. We lost the trail a few times. But we also had maps and knew to head down to the south side as that was toward the Caney Creek trail (water) which is easier to follow. Photo's of him, he was carried out on a stretcher. Photo's from hospital show a bandage on his head. I'm JUST GUESSING, that he fell and was injured. And much of that wilderness doesn't have any cell signal at all (I actually did get a signal, but only from the eastern trail head on the top of the mountain).
Glad they found him and he's going to be fine.

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It has been 30 years since I was on those trails, pre-cellphone days. My first backpacking trip was on Caney Creek when I lived in Dallas. I did the Buckeye trail once in the March or April. I checked and there was rain during the week he was missing. About 3 inches in Mena to the north and about 1 inch in Umpire to the south. I wonder if creek crossings were problematic. A blow to the head might explain things too. I am also glad he is OK.

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Originally Posted by TexasBob

I. I checked and there was rain during the week he was missing. About 3 inches in Mena to the north and about 1 inch in Umpire to the south. I wonder if creek crossings were problematic. A blow to the head might explain things too. I am also glad he is OK.

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I had same thought. Rain creates flash flood issues in that area.

True on the flash flood issues. I'd not thought of that. I'm pretty sure that was the eastern Caney Creek trailhead they brought him out on (looked like a creek cross into a parking lot, that matches my last time at that eastern TH). The farther west he'd be on Caney, creek would be an issue if rain created high water. But he did seem to start and report being lost on Buckeye (Mountain ridge trail). But then he could have fallen up there either attempting to go south to Caney or north to that creek.

Just guess's on my part. Again, glad he was found, safe and the SAR teams were all also safe. SAR were reporting how tough the search was, sightings of rattle snakes, copper heads, bear, plus deer and all the rest of the critters whose home we hike into.

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Originally Posted by Slo-go'en

Seems to be a lot of that going around recently.

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almost like it's a competition, right?

Mother said it was his first time hiking alone.......