Don't go camping alone.

Probably yes. It doesn't want to get exposed, doesn't want to get shot either. More humans are its potential witnesses or killers, since by genetic memory -- knows humans are dangerous and ruthless. A gunshot in the wilderness means death (bleeding out, or bacterial infection).

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1563/cold-cases.htm

 

David Paulides, a former detective for the San Jose Police Department, has stumbled upon a vexing mystery concerning clusters of missing persons who vanished in a variety of national parks, including Yellowstone. A number of odd circumstances surround these missing person cases that cannot be easily explained.

A number of missing person cases, grouped together in 35 clusters in and around wilderness areas, particularly national parks, defy conventional explanations. Many of them involve young children or teenagers who simply vanish without a trace.

A few have been found hours later, many miles away, at such a distance over rugged country that it would not be reasonable for them to have gotten there in the time allotted. Some are missing clothing and have horrible scratches on their bodies. All seem to lack memory of what exactly happened to them.

A few bodies have been found, with clothing stripped from them. Most of these missing people, after an extensive initial search comes up empty, have never been seen or heard from again. Aside from a few objects or articles of clothing found, it is as if they had been teleported from the surface of the earth.

 

People Are Vanishing Into Thin Air In US National Parks

Most of those who have disappeared are children ages 20 months to 12 years and the elderly ages 74 to 85. Not one person carrying a firearm, and only one carrying a transponder device, has disappeared.

In all cases, the parents say that the child was right behind them when they disappeared.

The majority of children who have disappeared had dogs with them. In some cases, the dogs returned, but the children never did. Children found alive won’t talk about their experience or say they don’t remember what happened to them. They’re found usually running a low grade fever and appear traumatized. In all cases, the parents say that the child was right behind them when they disappeared. Usually, the children are wearing bright, colorful clothing when they disappear, and even if they are found miles away without the shoes they were wearing, their feet are not scratched or bruised.

Many of the areas that people have disappeared from carry such names as Devil’s Gulch, Devil’s Lookout, Twin Devil Lake and Devil’s Punch Bowl., perhaps named to reflect the evil people have sensed in these places over time.

95% of the cases, bad weather strangely follows a disappearance, washing out footprints and other clues and making it impossible to carry on a search until the weather clears.

98% to 99% of the cases, tracking dogs are unable to find a scent or simply refuse to track.

Almost 98% of the disappearances occur in the afternoon. Searchers have been known to cover an area over 100 times, only to later find the person, alive or dead in the same area they searched before.

 

Has books to sell.

And you believe HIM, over all those involved in conducting autopsies, concluding official search reports, national park management, police, and others involved? None of whom have a vested interest in 'selling' a particular idea?

 

1) people (especially parents, who should have been more responsible and weren't) lie. they say 'i only turned my back for an instant', when they really turned their back AND their mind for much much longer. they say 'he was RIGHT behind me', when he was really 100 metres behind. etc etc etc.

2) people loose the trail, quickly get lost, and VERY quickly succumb to hypothermia.

3) hypothermia makes you lose your mind, and throw out your thermostat. you feel hot and start taking your clothes off, starting with your shoes (out of habit). you forget to use your phone to call for help. you feel drunk. you fall down. then you die. animals devour you and scatter your bones within days, if you're not found.

4) it only SEEMS (to the searchers) as though they've already covered areas in which people are found, due to the highly imprecise nature of searching patterns. it's an illusion, and one usually engaged in due to the stress the search, and wanting to avoid feeling guilty about having missed the mark first time.

5) tracking dogs are not robots. they fail. they get tired. they don't always get it right.

6) the 'bad weather' is what causes the hypothermia. OBVIOUSLY.

7) afternoon is simply the most dangerous time to get lost, as cooling temps which you're not prepared for will bring hypothermia quickly.

 

I came somewhat close with hypothermia; a bad turn in the weather and wind. Hit me fast with terrible spastic muscle contractions and little balance, but was able to crawl to the front of the canoe and grab a backpacking stove, boil water, and drink it. Quick recovery by the third big cup. After that the stove is always within easy reach as well as a water jug.

 

the parents say that the child was right behind them when they disappeared

 

I solo bike camped quite a bit, on my self made recumbent cycle

 

Yes. Parents who should never have turned their backs on a child in a wilderness area. Children are not sensible and cautious, and must be in clear sight and arm's reach of an adult at all times, in such places. They will wander off trail as easily as they are distracted by a butterfly. All it takes is an irresponsible parent, engrossed in their own pleasures, to not instantly notice that they can no longer hear the footsteps of the child they claim was right behind them, and respond accordingly. I guarantee that every single one of these parents stopped monitoring their child for far longer than they claim they did. GUILT makes people lie. GUILT makes people desperately want it to be someone or something else's fault.

 

It's an incredibly sneaky syndrome, and happens much faster and at higher temperatures than the average lay person realises. Not to mention that the 'paradoxical undressing' and confusion common to hypothermia, is not understood by these gullible types who think there's something mysterious about people dying in wilderness areas.

 

Something I learned later: It's usually about 5 degrees F. colder down in the riverbed than the temp in the surrounding area.

 

For sure. And on ridge lines and weather facing hill flanks. Best place is near the bottom of the valley, but not IN the bottom of the valley. Sheltered from prevailing cold/winds (in your hemisphere that would be north).

 

I spent 10 years in Alaska, Yes, a place where the animals, the land, the temperature, will kill you with no remorse.
Nature can be cruel, and Alaska is a great place to experience that.
Everything wants to eat you, and many can,
The temp. can drop 80 degrees in 2 hours.


But the experiences, if you survive, will stay with you your entire life.

 

Heading into the NF tomorrow on foot. Fairly cold but have a lot of firewood stashed, insects and snakes no problem now. Need four or five days away.

 

Camped alone on the Peace river several times, a bug proof tent is a must. There are bobcats, wild hogs galore, coyotes and possibly panthers and bears (though I never seen signs) Makes for light sleeping but very sound sleep. World famous, fossil hunting destination. One pic of my collection.

(stock photo)