Woman Missing Near Clingmans Dome

**HooKooDooKu** · 10-01-2018, 15:38

Originally Posted by scope

Its fair to wonder about the daughter, but seems much less likely to be a criminal scenario than simply a younger person with less patience for walking slow, and possibly wanting some alone time. As an introvert, that's the first thing that comes to my mind - just being honest.

??? What are you talking about?

PennyPinchers' post implied the daughter was some way directly responsible for her mothers disappearance. You seem to be talking about why the two of them got separated.

At this point, I think it's already been well established that the separation was a matter of choice. Why they made that choice (difference paces, bathroom break, etc) doesn't matter.
What matters is that during a period of time the mother and daughter were separated, the mother seemed to have just vanished.

**johnacraft** · 10-01-2018, 16:05

Originally Posted by TNhiker

fwiw-----the daughter has been (im being told at least by my crews) at the command center at least up til friday......not sure if she was there over the weekend or today..

Do I have the sequence right?

1. Mother and daughter park at Clingmans Dome and hike down the Forney Ridge trail to Andrews Bald (~1.8 mi.).

2. Mother and daughter begin return to the parking lot and, after ~1/4 mile (~1.5 miles from parking lot), daughter hikes ahead to visit the viewing tower.

3. Upon visiting the viewing tower and returning to the parking lot, Mother is not at their car as expected.

Busy, well-maintained trail, headed in the right direction when they separated, minimal chance to take a wrong turn . . .

I don't know how you could make an error at the Forney Creek trail junction.

IMG_20150613_145718.jpg

I don't have a photo of the Clingmans Dome access trail junction with the Forney Ridge trail, but if she missed it, she would have intersected the Appalachian Trail in short order:

IMG_20150613_165503.jpg

While it may be difficult to remain optimistic after almost a week, I hope they find her alive.

**scope** · 10-01-2018, 16:22

Originally Posted by HooKooDooKu

??? What are you talking about?

Agreed. I thought pp insinuated that we should all question the daughter's story about getting separated. I was just offering my viewpoint on why I didn't think that was altogether reasonable to go there. Fair to wonder perhaps, but not so fair to say "let's be honest" as if we're all thinking of nefarious activity.

**George** · 10-01-2018, 16:26

Originally Posted by johnacraft

Do I have the sequence right?

1. Mother and daughter park at Clingmans Dome and hike down the Forney Ridge trail to Andrews Bald (~1.8 mi.).

2. Mother and daughter begin return to the parking lot and, after ~1/4 mile (~1.5 miles from parking lot), daughter hikes ahead to visit the viewing tower.

3. Upon visiting the viewing tower and returning to the parking lot, Mother is not at their car as expected.

Busy, well-maintained trail, headed in the right direction when they separated, minimal chance to take a wrong turn . . .

I don't know how you could make an error at the Forney Creek trail junction.

IMG_20150613_145718.jpg

I don't have a photo of the Clingmans Dome access trail junction with the Forney Ridge trail, but if she missed it, she would have intersected the Appalachian Trail in short order:

IMG_20150613_165503.jpg

While it may be difficult to remain optimistic after almost a week, I hope they find her alive.

with this sequence, and the small area to search, IMO the mother likely returned to the parking area and was removed by vehicle - makes more sense than getting lost

**Gambit McCrae** · 10-01-2018, 16:40

Originally Posted by George

with this sequence, and the small area to search, IMO the mother likely returned to the parking area and was removed by vehicle - makes more sense than getting lost

I have been following the story but it wasn't until Johnacraft put it into sequence and I pulled the map out that it became difficult for me to stay optimistic. We are talking 1.5 mile hike with 1 trail intersection. It is a scary thought but realistic that George is correct.

**TNhiker** · 10-01-2018, 16:42

fwiw......

we are doing another story on it today....

**TNhiker** · 10-01-2018, 16:44

Do I have the sequence right?

1. Mother and daughter park at Clingmans Dome and hike down the Forney Ridge trail to Andrews Bald (~1.8 mi.).

2. Mother and daughter begin return to the parking lot and, after ~1/4 mile (~1.5 miles from parking lot), daughter hikes ahead to visit the viewing tower.

3. Upon visiting the viewing tower and returning to the parking lot, Mother is not at their car as expected

yeah...

this is basically what im hearing from our guy down there today...

**FreeGoldRush** · 10-01-2018, 17:09

Originally Posted by HooKooDooKu

At this point, I think it's already been well established that the separation was a matter of choice.

From the info we have been given I think all that is well established is that they heard from the daughter. That's an important distinction when trying to solve a mystery. I'm certainly not accusing the daughter of being inaccurate. In fact, we haven't seen any info that would suggest an opinion of her good or bad. It's just that "well established" would require multiple pieces of evidence that support the same theory.

And I wouldn't rule out deception on someone's part as a possible explanation of the mystery.

**MuddyWaters** · 10-01-2018, 20:14

1.5 mi, no packs, is like 45 min walk at most. Two people walking different paces would only separate by 5 min. As well.

Did daughter think she was really going to get there much sooner? Not unless she ran.

Mom didnt want to see observation tower as well? Dont buy that.

Going ahead had no possibility of gaining daughter anything tangible. With another, you not leave until they do.

Naturally separating because one faster...ok.
Separating to see the tower.. sound debateable

Most trail too steep to get off of as well, voluntarily. Most can wait 40 min for bathroom to use too.

An animal wouldnt drag her too far either, and there would be signs.

Another person being involved is in top few possibilities in my mind that make most sense.

**TNhiker** · 10-01-2018, 21:10

Mom didnt want to see observation tower as well? Dont buy that.

from what the PIO told my reporter----the mom was too tired to make the trek up to the dome......so the daughter went ahead with the plan to meet at the parking lot...

**TNhiker** · 10-01-2018, 21:14

Also--Muddy---you're making a lot of speculation without knowing how fit these two are, their skill level, and other potential health issues that she may or may not have...

**MuddyWaters** · 10-01-2018, 21:26

Maybe so, but a caring daughter wouldnt leave a mom with mental or health issues would she?

Its highly improbable to me she got off trail and lost without aid of a person or being forced off by a encounter with animal. GSMNP is just not off-trail travel friendly.

Its not unusual to take wrong trail, its not unusual to get lost without a trail. Those dont seem to apply. Which is why very rare for dayhiker to go missing for long. They dont normally leave the trail.....voluntarily.

Um just throwing out logic
Not speculating about anything
Except that its hard to go missing in a very defined area and very defined timeframe, with no trace. Which is why its rare.

**Slo-go'en** · 10-01-2018, 21:36

So, I assume still no sign of her? Nearly a week later? Not good.

If they separated 1/4 mile from Andrews Bald, it's possible the mother went down the Forney Creek trail, which has as a very similar name to Forney ridge trail, though the picture of the sign makes knowing which direction to go pretty obvious. At least to us. But we have no idea what kind of physical shape she was in, but apparently she was tired.

From the map, the creek trail looks to be fairly level leaving the junction while the ridge trail goes up hill. I could see taking a rest at the sign, then getting up and going left instead of right. Then after awhile you realize your going steeply down hill. This might not seem right, but it's the easiest thing to do, so you keep going, deeper and deeper into a remote area of the park. It's also on the side of the mountain which falls into shadow early in the day. Hypothermia and panic set in and who knows what she does next.

**MuddyWaters** · 10-01-2018, 21:50

Hypothermia can be factor in poor decisions for sure.
But by time its that bad, outlook is not too good unless help intervenes.

**blue indian** · 10-01-2018, 22:02

another mystery of the Smokies

**HooKooDooKu** · 10-01-2018, 22:16

Originally Posted by johnacraft

Do I have the sequence right?

1. Mother and daughter park at Clingmans Dome and hike down the Forney Ridge trail to Andrews Bald (~1.8 mi.).

2. Mother and daughter begin return to the parking lot and, after ~1/4 mile (~1.5 miles from parking lot), daughter hikes ahead to visit the viewing tower.

3. Upon visiting the viewing tower and returning to the parking lot, Mother is not at their car as expected.

This is the first that I've heard of this sequence of events (plainly laid out), but makes the most sense.

**TNhiker** · 10-01-2018, 22:41

This is the first that I've heard of this sequence of events (plainly laid out), but makes the most sense.

my response to this in a previous post came after I read an email from the reporter working the story today as it was told to him by the Park's PIO....

**HooKooDooKu** · 10-01-2018, 23:04