Found Deceased CA - Paul Miller, 51, Canadian missing in Joshua Tree Natl Park, San Bernardino Co., 13 Jul 2018 #2

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tarabull said:
But what if (for example)Paul got mixed up and off the path only to end up coming out at the highway like the person explained happened to a few in their group...a cell phone when timing is critical could be a lifeline STS. (Even to call a cab never mind the wife)

Obviously Paul didn't expect to be in any type of trouble. No one expects to go missing.

My husband always says 'better to have it and not need it'

As a wife I would have insisted he take his cell, Justin Case, we all know him. A relative of Justin Time...but to each there own.
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Justin Case, I like that. :) , more or less what I was just thinking, the Boy Scout motto, Be Prepared.
 
Mr. Carbuff didn't used to carry his phone. The battery was unreliable and often drained quickly, so he'd turn it off and leave it in the car when he was hiking in the mountains, so he could be sure to have some battery left when he got back. But if he was hiking nearby, he'd leave it at home.
 
KaaBoom said:
He was supposed to be back by 11AM, so they could check out. She reported him missing at 12:30. If a husband goes out for a quick hike at 9AM with plans to be back by 11AM check out time, I think many if not most wives would figure out that something was wrong by 12:30. So I don't find anything unusual about that. He was 90 minutes overdue at 12:30. Even using the 3 hour time frame, he was still overdue at 12:30. Which is why I guess they elected to start an immediate search.

If I had been him, left at 9AM, and knew I had to be back by 11AM, I would drive out, hike until 10AM, then turn around and start back, which would get me back to the hotel by check out time. Maybe he was dependable about things like that, so the wife probably knew that something was wrong at 11AM. By 12:30 her concern would have been confirmed.
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He didn’t take his phone and it was reported earlier he had no watch. Strange indeed if that is the case, and how to judge time? But you certainly are correct about her reporting him missing in a timely fashion. And the search for him started fairly quickly as well. That’s what makes this so mysterious.
 
zecats said:
I'm not sure. But I don't remember any photos of Paul's backpack or gear, other than a possible camera pic. SS I remember a bunch of pics.
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O/T It was David Blake, the young man who went missing in Georgia and was later found deceased. They had a picture of him and his pack.
 
I don't find not carrying the phone or watch too weird. He knew how long the trail was, and approx. how long it would take him. Some folks, like myself, can't stand to carry an extra ounce of anything when jogging or hiking; maybe Paul was similar.
 
As stated above, I think some cameras show the time. Most likely not having reception (which he would probably know from previously visiting Joshua Tree and/or just researching the Park), he didn’t find a need for the phone and figured it was in the car if he needed it after. I don’t personally find leaving it in the car odd (it was in the car, correct? Or am I misremembering?) I’m not saying you should do that and not bring a phone with you just in case (I would personally, but it is also my camera!) but I just don’t find it super odd.
 
MntnHiker said:
As stated above, I think some cameras show the time. Most likely not having reception (which he would probably know from previously visiting Joshua Tree and/or just researching the Park), he didn’t find a need for the phone and figured it was in the car if he needed it after. I don’t personally find leaving it in the car odd (it was in the car, correct? Or am I misremembering?) I’m not saying you should do that and not bring a phone with you just in case (I would personally, but it is also my camera!) but I just don’t find it super odd.
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Oh wow! I’m pretty sure though that he left it behind completely, as in, in the hotel room. So now it’s he left it in his car? If so, that’s a completely different story. Also, could you please substantiate that with a link? TIA
 
neesaki said:
Oh wow! I’m pretty sure though that he left it behind completely, as in, in the hotel room. So now it’s he left it in his car? If so, that’s a completely different story. Also, could you please substantiate that with a link? TIA
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I didn't state it as fact--I asked if I was correct or if I was misremembering this. Thanks to zecats for helping refresh my memory.

I don't personally find it all that odd it was left even at the hotel room--I feel as though I have read his wife stating he often left his phone behind. A couple thoughts on this: 1) Though not what I would personally do, there are people who just don't use their cell phones that much; or 2) It's possible it was left behind on accident if he was in a rush to get out the door to this hike. If he was someone who didn't always have a phone on him, I would lean towards option 1 IMO. My mom is like this--she has a cell phone but often leaves the house without it. I obviously wouldn't recommend this when setting off on a solo hike, but if this was a pretty straight-forward one for Paul, he may have never thought a second thing about leaving the phone behind.

ETA: From the article zecats linked "He also left his cell phone at the hotel – not unusual, Otten said.

“He is not a glued-to-his-cell” person, she said.
 
neesaki said:
All of this, considering you are on a time constraint, and expected to leave in time to board a flight to Canada. Really? Come on guys. Somethings seriously off. Jmo
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I don't find that unbelievable. I believe their plans were to check out, spend the day hiking, then catch their flight. But his wife decided she was not feeling up to it, and wanted to sleep in. So he decided to go out by himself and try and salvage part of the day, get a little hiking in, then return to the hotel in time to check out.

That sounds to me like a guy who was just trying to get as much out of his vacation as possible, before he returned home.
 
I also say this not as a knock on anyone, trust me, but more as self-deprecating against people like myself and Paul. But I think the different reactions to his wanting to squeeze in this hike right before a flight might just be the difference between national park crazies like me and Paul (lol) and others. I have a list of things that are "must-do" when I visit a park (and I'm sure people do the same for non-park destinations too, but with the park, the difference is also that wildlife and weather are super unpredictable and nothing is guaranteed).

I have used this example before, but when in the Smokies, I wanted a view from Clingmans Dome that wasn't socked in with clouds so badly, that I climbed it three times in our five day trip until I finally got the view I wanted, foregoing other new things in favor of this. When we head to Yellowstone this summer, I have a certain shot I want of Grand Prismatic Spring, and if it's too steamy the first (or second) time I try, I will hike up again to get that shot. This is likely how Paul felt about the bighorn sheep (and how I will feel about grizzlies this summer!) If I had time to do one more hike or drive-through of a park area where I might be able to see this elusive (to me) animal, I would do it. It's just a different mindset about these things, and I can see why people might question it like "This guy is nuts. It's just a sheep and he has to leave for a flight in like two hours!" But I totally get it, and I think that's why none of this (up until his disappearance) seems fishy to me at all. MOO
 
I think I may have said this before, but leaving your phone behind is irresponsible IMO, because as a hiker who has gotten lost in the woods during a winter hike, I used the compass and the map I had downloaded to find my way out, during which time I had no cell service. They weight next to nothing. Also, once out, what if my car didn’t start?? At least I could of called someone.

Never be in a hurry, take a moment and stop, ensure you are best prepared to face the unknown.

Hope you make it out Paul...
 
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