Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

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rubiks
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by rubiks » February 24th, 2021, 8:40 pm

Don Nelsen wrote:
February 24th, 2021, 6:18 pm
That much water and etc. would have lasted me at least 3 or 4 days in temperatures like that, even a week since he wasn't moving much. This story get weirder with every telling.

Like Bosterson, I don't know of any user trails in the area. Game trails, yes, and some could look much like man-made at times.

I borrowed a friend's Facebook account to take a look at Bailey's page to see what kinds of comments he's getting. I read most and virtually all of those, nearly 200, say what a brave guy, or lucky guy, etc. he is. Nothing critical and only a few even mention learning some map reading skills or taking a few more things into the woods, and then only in gentle tones. Many posts mention making a movie or writing a book about this. Looks suspiciously like a ploy for attention or sympathy if it weren't for the broken bones and dehydration. Of course, people have done even weirder things looking for attention.

dn
Its amazing that as I read more about this, the story gets weirder and yet somehow I never actually get more information. I read his facebook post the first time around and now the WW story. Reading those two accounts gives me a Chris McCandless Into the Wild sort of vibe.

At this point I chalk it up to this guy having a thought process so different from mine that I'll never understand it. I can't imagine not even knowing what trailhead I'm leaving from, for starters.
You know exactly what to do.
There's no need to be afraid.
Keep walking.

squidvicious
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by squidvicious » February 24th, 2021, 8:52 pm

rubiks wrote:
February 24th, 2021, 8:40 pm
I can't imagine not even knowing what trailhead I'm leaving from, for starters.
But presumably once out of the hospital he had to go collect his car at some point, yes? That he left at this mysterious but retroactively identifiable trailhead? So even if he was a bit confused at the time, how could he be anything but certain now?

Not to mention that he keeps saying how he had to refer to his gps many times because the trail disappeared, or washed out, or was covered in debris before he even got as far as Indian Point (I haven't been up there since a few weeks before the big storm, but that doesn't sound like Gorton Creek), so again he should have been clear what trail he started out on.

No cars at the Herman Creek trailhead when I drove by the next morning though.

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drm
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by drm » February 25th, 2021, 7:49 am

I figured it out. He was actually hiking on Hamilton Mt, trying to get back to the equestrian trailhead, and that's when he got lost. Makes total sense. Anything (else) is just subjectificatorificationaryism. :roll:

squidvicious
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by squidvicious » February 25th, 2021, 8:49 am

drm wrote:
February 25th, 2021, 7:49 am
He was actually hiking on Hamilton Mt
Close, but not quite. He was in WA, but not hiking. He was at a gas station, where he spent 4 days sitting in his car waiting for someone to come out and pump his gas for him before he remembered. Embarrassed, he made up an elaborate story to cover.

Fortunately, none of his friends or his roommate noticed him missing all that time or thought to notify anyone, so it didn't cause too big a stir.

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Charley
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by Charley » February 25th, 2021, 1:14 pm

I haven't looked at a map of this area in a while (I think I last hiked to Indian Point in August), so it's been hard to follow all the extremely detailed, knowledgeable posts about the local trail conditions. I would get lost just reading through the posts and trying to follow in my mind!

Isn't it possible that he is just horribly, horribly confused? It seems like we're trying to piece together a puzzle about his route and whereabouts based as if his self-reported story is coherent and accurate. I'm not certain that it this account is reliable at all. Between the haziness of whatever trauma he endured, his demonstrated of lack of trail following know-how, and his slightly dramatic, self-aggrandizing way of framing the experience, why should we try to take what he says as any kind of truth? I don't mean that he's some kind of con, but I don't think it's too unkind to simply judge him as an unreliable narrator of this event.

And a gallon of water??? This reads, to me, like wild exaggeration for effect.
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.

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OneSpeed
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by OneSpeed » February 27th, 2021, 5:43 am

squidvicious wrote:
February 24th, 2021, 8:52 pm
No cars at the Herman Creek trailhead when I drove by the next morning though.
I was up at Indian Point a day or two before he was rescued, and when I left the actual, real Gorton Creek TH (which I take to mean "Herman Creek TH" I was 100% the last car out of there. This dude, for whatever else he may or may not have done, did not start his hike at what we all know as the Gorton (Herman) Creek TH.

Webfoot
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by Webfoot » February 27th, 2021, 5:25 pm

Don Nelsen wrote:
February 24th, 2021, 6:18 pm
I borrowed a friend's Facebook account to take a look at Bailey's page to see what kinds of comments he's getting. I read most and virtually all of those, nearly 200, say what a brave guy, or lucky guy, etc. he is. Nothing critical and only a few even mention learning some map reading skills or taking a few more things into the woods, and then only in gentle tones. Many posts mention making a movie or writing a book about this. Looks suspiciously like a ploy for attention or sympathy if it weren't for the broken bones and dehydration.
I think it is easy to forget how ignorant people can be. If his entire circle of acquaintances is outdoor-clueless as it sounds that would at least somewhat explain the perplexing choices related in his account.

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dirtman
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by dirtman » March 3rd, 2021, 9:48 am

After reading his facebook story, the thing I most recommend for him would be to learn about paragraphs.

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Charley
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by Charley » March 3rd, 2021, 9:22 pm

dirtman wrote:
March 3rd, 2021, 9:48 am
After reading his facebook story, the thing I most recommend for him would be to learn about paragraphs.
It was amazingly difficult to read.
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.

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Don Nelsen
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by Don Nelsen » April 23rd, 2021, 6:04 pm

So, I hiked the Gorton Creek Trail on the 14th to try to rid myself of a few pounds of Covid fatness. (didn't work, so far) As I started along the ridge east and above Deadwood, I looked for the spot the wayward hiker took a picture he posted on Facebook. Found it, a half dozen steps from the trail:

His photo:
Gorton 011921.jpg
My photo from exactly the same spot:
Gorton 041421 DN.JPG
He stated, in his telling of the tale on Facebook:

“This pic of Adams was taken from a narrow crumbling slope where the only available handholds were thorny brambles and that was supposed to officially be part of the trail.”

Well, I didn't see any "thorny brambles" and there's a nice fir tree right there to lean on if one wanted to. Definitely not a "narrow crumbling slope" either.

The spot where the pic was taken:
IMG_1871.JPG
Hmmmm....

13 miles 3,500' gain, hike # 31
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

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