You could search trailjournals.com but apparently there were two Inchworms on the trail in '13 so sorting it out would be a chore.
You could search trailjournals.com but apparently there were two Inchworms on the trail in '13 so sorting it out would be a chore.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
I and a friend were doing seven peaks in the area in October. We had done the AT section from ME-17 to CVR in Oct 12. We ran into a couple who (at least the husband) was part of the search teams. he gave us a good bit of background info. I have not watched the show yet (my friend just told me about it, I bought it from Amazon and will watch it soon). Anyway, I know she was not soloing for most of the trip. Someone had met up with her early on and went close to 2000 miles with her. But that person (forget her trail name) had to go off-trail for a personal reason just before inchworm became missing. Hopefully, this matches with what she was telling .com. Anyway, that section is rough, but considering what I heard they did for searching, I have to believe she might have wanted to not be found. I pray for her and her family, but hope she is at peace wherever she may be. A beautiful wild area... Orbeton didn't seem too bad, but South Branch Carrabassett certainly was rough.
you left to walk the appalachian trail
you can feel your heart as smooth as a snail
the mountains your darlings
but better to love than have something to scale
-Girlyman, "Hold It All At Bay"
I just picked up a SOBO in Atkins, VA.... the weather is too cold and snowy for him.
Anyway, he met Inchworm a few days before she disappeared. He told me that there were mud bogs in that area of ME that he slipped off into with one leg that went up to his hip. He said it was like quick sand. He worries that if she slipped and fell into that mud bog that she could have disappeared without a trace.
the winter alhda magazine has a good write up on this
http://aldha.org/newsletter/2013_winter.pdf
Link to newsletter
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
Thanks Don H for the link to the newsletter. Seems like they did everything and anything to find her. Looks like we will never know what happened to her. I hope her family can find closure. If it was me I would be always hoping she would show up but that's me.
HikerMom I always wondered if she ended up in the bogs. Really..
jr, yes this matches what inchworm told us the night we met her in poplar ridge lean-to on sunday evening july 21. inchworm had a plan for herself, she knew where she was going in order to meet up w/ her husband. i don't believe she fully comprehended the terrain she would be facing. . .who would? i know it was a surprise for me, and i'd hiked quite a bit in maine's north woods before i section-hiked the maine AT this past july. . .very challenging terrain.
hiker mom, thanks for sending this link, i guess my membership w/ aldh has expired so i didn't see this newsletter. for what it's worth to anyone reading this, i took the photo of inchworm at poplar ridge on monday, early morning, just before she left to hike NOBO. she was so full of joy, so happy & energized to get out and hike. . .she inspired me to take her photo. i did, and that's the last known sighting of inchworm. 5 days later, when i arrived home, i got a call from paul, owner of the AT hostel in millinocket. he said that maine game wardens were asking hikers to call if they had any info on a missing hiker named gerry largay, "inchworm". i immediately called, spoke with a game warden, and then emailed photos of inchworm and of poplar ridge and of sections of the Trail just north of the lean-to. wish i had gotten a call days earlier. . .maine game wardens and others did everything they could, and more. i think of inchworm often. . .and i pray for her and her family.
.com
THX for posting the newsletter link Don. So many familiar faces
I know...
Hey rustmd... Don H posted the newletter link! Thanks goes to him and I'll add my thanks as well!
I keep thinking about you and how you took that picture of her, that morning, at the shelter. It must be so hard for you to accept her disappearance... just putting myself in your shoes. Wow!!
AT02, LT 03-04, BMT05, NPT06, Haute Route07, Abol Ridgerunner 07/08, EBC Nepal trek 10
I do recall some quite muddy sections north of the shelter where she was last confirmed seen. I guess if she had wandered off trail, there may have been a bog. Hope everyone is doing well. I haven't done too much hiking since Maine and the Mahoosuc Notch, but hope to get back to it soon.
--Joshuasdad
I read through this thread quite often, esp the article in the ALDHA journal. I guess there always has to be a first, but it's striking that she is the only hiker lost in Maine who has not been found. Have any of the people in charge of the search and who have access to all the info speculated about what they believe likely happened to her? I know it'd just be a guess, but still an educated guess is better than nothing. Just really curious to know what the experts think. The ALDHA article seems to stress the heavy rain and danger of creek crossings after downpours -- is it safe to assume that searchers looked extensively downstream from each crossing she would have made? It's hard to stop thinking about this.
Yeah, I questioned the SOBO hiker on the bogs a lil bit more. You are right about the bogs not being close to where she was last seen.... he remembered them being a lil closer to where she was but after looking at the book he saw they were further away. He told me the bog that his one leg slipped into could swallow up a person. I don't know if it was close to the Carry Pond section.
http://www.bangordailynews.com has an article about people missing in Maine and Gerry's case is the first one in the article. It's good to keep her face "out there", just in case someone remembers or sees something relevant.
Is this the story? http://bangordailynews.com/2014/01/1...ng/?ref=search
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
Yes, that's it.
- Geraldine Largay trail name 'Inchworm' age 66. A 'North Bounder' section hiking the AT with car support from her husband George Largay. Still missing. Below is the only compilation of facts regarding her dissapearance, that I am aware of, thats available to the public.
- Left rt 4 near Rangely on the AT near Piazza Rock well equiped for a planned 3 day section hike to rt 27 near the Sugarloaf trailhead. She started on Sunday July 21st 2013 and planned to meet her husband the evening of Tuesday the 23rd on rt 27. Approximate daily mileage splits = 10.7/8/13.5
- Reported to be in excellent shape, no injuries, and in high spirits when last seen. Also had a tent, multiple ways to start a fire, was a nurse with excellent first-aid skills, a cell phone, etc.
- Inchworm was reported to wear a bright red fleece for normal conditions. She had black rain gear and a dark colored pack. 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.
- Her last text message to her husband was at 7:15 or 7:20 am in the morning of Monday, July 22ond indicating she was heading north on the trail from the Poplar Ridge Shelter. This was confirmed by several reliable eyewitnesses who were also at this shelter, and two South bounders further elaborate that she had left by 6:30am North bound.
- She was known to make use of the Shelters, and prefered this over her tent, which she was having some 'trouble' with. What the trouble with the tent was is unconfirmed. According to her habits and her husband, her next goal was very likely the Spaulding Mtn shelter.
- Poplar Ridge shelter to Spaulding Mtn shelter is approximately 8 miles. One large stream crossing is 2-3 miles from her starting point named Orbeton Stream, a wide stream usually ankle deep and would have been rising a little but no dangerously so on Monday, and very difficult to cross on Tuesday. This is general knowlege but concerning this incident unconfirmed.
- Compared to her previous day of hiking and her planned hike the next, this 8 mile section would be considered moderate and the elevation loss and gain moderate to easy from the perspective of a seasoned multi-day backpacker.
- Hikers confirm she was never seen and did not sleep at the Spaulding Mtn shelter Monday evening to Tuesday morning. This is reported by multiple hikers there and seems to be considered reliable. Spaulding Mtn shelter is aprox 150 feet away from the AT and it is believe there are two seperate shelters there.
- Inchworm dissapears Monday the 22ond and does not leave any gear, hiking poles, or any evidence or clues of any kind. There is zero evidence that she made any effort, or was able to make any effort to be found.
- The exact details of the massive SAR (search and rescue) effort are unclear. Its been revealed that SAR volunteers described the terrain between Poplar Ridge shelter and Spaulding as the following "The terrain in this area is very gentle, no cliffs or crevices she could have fallen into, or off of. Searchers covered ten deep both sides of the AT and all side trails from Poplar Ridge to Hwy 27. She is not within 200’ of any of these trails." (this is a quote. Clearly the trail is not always gentle, and there are some areas here a hiker could fall. But its not the Himalayas either. italics added)
- The search consisted of hundreds of professional volunteers, game wardens, forest rangers, helicopters, horseback, atv, and a variety of K-9 units including cadaver dogs. It lasted for several months and was officially suspended until spring in late fall. An untold but likely large amount of 'unorganized' searches by other volunteers have taken place as well as hunters and woodsman traveling the area. Also, the area is traversed by hundreds of hikers, who may have conducted small searches due to the fact that the case was well know and countless flyers were posted near trailheads.
- The game wardens in the case 'ruled out' foul play (according to media sources and not a direct quote), and a mysterious telephone call to an inn in the area was a false lead. (It is the opinion of the writer based on the details of the mysterious telephone call that it is definetly a false lead. There are a variety of ATV trails and logging roads that are very near the AT in the area of her dissapearance, and she was traveling alone. Foul play can never be ruled out in a lost person scenario, but there is no direct evidence of any kind to suggest it)
- A new search will be conducted in the Spring of 2014. The time, area, and scope of the search are unknown, though there are strong indicators that the effort will be scaled down significantly compared to the previous efforts. This is unconfirmed