Found Deceased CA - Matthew Thoke, 43, hiking, separated from group, Sequoia National Park, 21 Jul 2021

[10ofRods]

When I hike in high altitudes, I frequently have to leave the trail to go to the bathroom (altitude sickness.) I immediately assumed that’s what he was doing when he walked off trail and left his pack behind. I’m concerned about a fall after seeing the picture of the terrain.

NPS FB page is saying the area where he left the trail was basically a drop off. They have pictures up. I've been on the trail and was hoping there were some less steep southernly exits, but it turns out not. There are several places where you'd need to rappel to go further or need climbing equipment to get back up. This was apparently a place like that.

According to the NPS FB page his fellow hikers were so alarmed at his behavior that they turned back from their own trip and went immediately to get help.

(When needing bathroom areas on such a trail, your only choice is to ask your party to walk ahead a bit, and go on the uphill side - which is rocky, but, well, the rocks are where you go, without really getting off the trail). You can see stretches of trail where you'd have relative privacy and could see other people coming toward you for a long distance.

I personally wouldn't step onto the downhill side of that (it's hundreds of feet down). It's about 3 miles of that kind of trail, then there are some flats (still brushy/still ravines).

 

[10ofRods]

now it sounds as if he was going to hike to Crescent Meadow and back again - his pack is an overnight pack - perhaps he was planning to return to his pack and camp there.

Crescent Meadow is where the trail starts. They were heading up to Panther Creek - and perhaps planning to camp beyond at Bearpaw (where camping is allowed - not sure if it's flat enough to camp anywhere before BearPaw area).

No camping allowed at Crescent Meadow.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

RSBM:

All good questions. Found this article, which says:

“Thoke deliberately parted ways with his hiking group at Bearpaw Meadow on July 21, with the stated intention of hiking out to Crescent Meadow via the High Sierra Trail on his own. Thoke was last seen at about 1 p.m. that day, at which time he was traveling downhill and south off of the High Sierra Trail, about three miles east of the Crescent Meadow Trailhead, leaving his pack behind. The search was initiated that afternoon after Thoke failed to return to his pack.”
Search for Matthew Thoke in Sequoia National Park Moving to Limited Continuous Mode

I meant come back and camp where his pack was, not at Crescent Meadow, but I get what you mean. "with the intention of hiking out to Crescent Meadow..." is where I am confused I guess.

 

[BlkMtnGirl]

NPS FB page is saying the area where he left the trail was basically a drop off. They have pictures up. I've been on the trail and was hoping there were some less steep southernly exits, but it turns out not. There are several places where you'd need to rappel to go further or need climbing equipment to get back up. This was apparently a place like that.

According to the NPS FB page his fellow hikers were so alarmed at his behavior that they turned back from their own trip and went immediately to get help.

(When needing bathroom areas on such a trail, your only choice is to ask your party to walk ahead a bit, and go on the uphill side - which is rocky, but, well, the rocks are where you go, without really getting off the trail). You can see stretches of trail where you'd have relative privacy and could see other people coming toward you for a long distance.

View attachment 307327

I personally wouldn't step onto the downhill side of that (it's hundreds of feet down). It's about 3 miles of that kind of trail, then there are some flats (still brushy/still ravines).

Wow. Yeah. That’s not a bathroom break.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

it is reported his hiking group "immediately" went for help... without waiting for him? without looking for him? Did they assume he fell or went over? If they were so concerned to end their own hike, well, what do they think happened?

 

[distracted]

All good questions. Found this article, which says:

“Thoke deliberately parted ways with his hiking group at Bearpaw Meadow on July 21, with the stated intention of hiking out to Crescent Meadow via the High Sierra Trail on his own. Thoke was last seen at about 1 p.m. that day, at which time he was traveling downhill and south off of the High Sierra Trail, about three miles east of the Crescent Meadow Trailhead, leaving his pack behind. The search was initiated that afternoon after Thoke failed to return to his pack.”

That still doesn’t make sense. If he stated he was going his own way, why would he leave his pack with the others?

Search for Matthew Thoke in Sequoia National Park Moving to Limited Continuous Mode

Photo from the article of the thick vegetation and how difficult it would be to find Matthew.

Thank you!

 

[MichelleAntonia]

it is reported his hiking group "immediately" went for help... without waiting for him? without looking for him? Did they assume he fell or went over? If they were so concerned to end their own hike, well, what do they think happened?

that's my assumption. If they didn't see him on the trail and knew just how dangerous is was, it makes sense that they'd do that, at least to me.

 

[katydid23]

that's my assumption. If they didn't see him on the trail and knew just how dangerous is was, it makes sense that they'd do that, at least to me.

Yes, if they saw his pack, and no sign of him, and he didn't answer back when they called out to him, they'd be very concerned. That is a big drop off....

 

[BlkMtnGirl]

All good questions. Found this article, which says:

“Thoke deliberately parted ways with his hiking group at Bearpaw Meadow on July 21, with the stated intention of hiking out to Crescent Meadow via the High Sierra Trail on his own. Thoke was last seen at about 1 p.m. that day, at which time he was traveling downhill and south off of the High Sierra Trail, about three miles east of the Crescent Meadow Trailhead, leaving his pack behind. The search was initiated that afternoon after Thoke failed to return to his pack.”

That still doesn’t make sense. If he stated he was going his own way, why would he leave his pack with the others?

Search for Matthew Thoke in Sequoia National Park Moving to Limited Continuous Mode

Photo from the article of the thick vegetation and how difficult it would be to find Matthew.

At first, I thought he went off on another side trail, but this sounds like he deliberately went off the trail. Without his pack. :-(

 

[capitola51]

Is the thing on his arm a neodymium magnet?
Like one of these? N52 Neodymium Magnets Dia 1-3/4 x 1/8" Super Strong Rare Earth Magnets

 

[NervousNellie]

Is the thing on his arm a neodymium magnet?
Like one of these? N52 Neodymium Magnets Dia 1-3/4 x 1/8" Super Strong Rare Earth Magnets

It’s a quarter.

 

[mlhenn]

Log In or Sign Up to View Sequoia Kings NPS

Aug 2 POST
UPDATE
The search for Matthew Thoke is scaling back to limited continuous mode. This means that Matthew is still missing, and the search is still active, however the large amount of resources and number of personnel have been reduced.

Ground searchers have been challenged throughout the process by terrain so steep, densely vegetated, and full of tripping and slipping hazards as to often impassable even for skilled searchers.

We ask the press and public to respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.

To Note:
In the comments,
•Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPS stated Panther’s Falls has been thoroughly searched; also shared hounds were brought out to search for MT
•Sequoia & Kings NPS stated drones have been utilized but do have some drawbacks to their use; also stated IR have been utilized (not sure what that is??)
•a person who was at the park on 7.22 was stopped & asked if she had seen MT. This person (DL) shared something interesting/insightful if true...worth reading IMO.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

IR = infrared - heat seeking

 

[mlhenn]

IR = infrared - heat seeking

Agghh! Thank you! I was clueless.

 

[BlkMtnGirl]

Log In or Sign Up to View Sequoia Kings NPS

Aug 2 POST
UPDATE
The search for Matthew Thoke is scaling back to limited continuous mode. This means that Matthew is still missing, and the search is still active, however the large amount of resources and number of personnel have been reduced.

Ground searchers have been challenged throughout the process by terrain so steep, densely vegetated, and full of tripping and slipping hazards as to often impassable even for skilled searchers.

We ask the press and public to respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.

To Note:
In the comments,
•Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPS stated Panther’s Falls has been thoroughly searched; also shared hounds were brought out to search for MT
•Sequoia & Kings NPS stated drones have been utilized but do have some drawbacks to their use; also stated IR have been utilized (not sure what that is??)
•a person who was at the park on 7.22 was stopped & asked if she had seen MT. This person (DL) shared something interesting/insightful if true...worth reading IMO.

Interesting. I'm reminded of Terrence Woods, who suddenly ran away down an embankment while working on a documentary tv series in rural Idaho. He's not been seen since. There's not really a prevalent theory on what happened, but some people think he had a mental break and ran into the wilderness. Others believe he was harassed by some of the tv crew or locals, but to me (MOO) it always just sounded like he had an unexplained mental health issue and ran. Very curious situation. I still think of Tee often. ID - ID - Terrence Woods, 27, missing, Penman Mine near Orogrande, 5 Oct 2018

 

[Rguycali]

"Thoke split from his group and was hiking towards Crescent Meadow when he walked off trail, downhill to the south, without his pack (a black overnight backpack)."


I wonder what made him drop his pack and go off trail, down the hill? It was only about 1 pm or so. Plenty of sunlight and he shouldn't have been over tired.

Why did he split from his group?

Maybe to use the restroom?

 

[Rguycali]

I started reading comments on NPS Facebook page from posts regarding the search. His "friends & family" are really attacking people in the comments. Also saw a post in the comments that all future updates will be between friends and family only...

 

[Laughing]

Maybe to use the restroom?

Other posters familiar with this area say -- no, not in the area described by the others in the hiking group.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Rguycali]

Other posters familiar with this area say -- no, not in the area described by the others in the hiking group.

jmho ymmv lrr

I figured that out after reading comments on the Facebook page. Apparently he left the group to return to the parking lot, but I've seen people say he wanted to hike to a different area. He is also married with a wife "Lisa".

 

[GraceG]

His body has been found in an area not highly visible. My prayers to his family. Body of missing 43-year-old hiker found in Sequoia National Park