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

[atlstnspc]

The parking lot from the ridge. It would be a very steep climb down, getting steeper as it descends. He could have been "Rim Rocked". Sorry for the poor quality. If I ca get permission from the Web Master I'll post some videos to You Tube and provide a link.

 

[zecats]

View attachment 167126 The parking lot from the ridge. It would be a very steep climb down, getting steeper as it descends. He could have been "Rim Rocked". Sorry for the poor quality. If I ca get permission from the Web Master I'll post some videos to You Tube and provide a link.

Is this ridge from the diversion (wash) area? Or near the end of Oasis Trail? Did you hike along the wash at all? Or you were referring to the trail itself when seeing droppings?
Thanks for doing all this. It’s helpful to have eyes on.

 

[Bethan]

Rimrocked
“Climbing up to a spot from which you are surprisingly too frightened to descend. This term is most frequently applied in slickrock country; many climbers find it easy to scramble up the ladder-like layers...but going down can be quite unnerving. When one becomes so unnerved that they are stuck, they are "rimrocked."

Had to check this out in a Hiker’s Lexicon.
Always learning new things, here on Websleuths!

 

[atlstnspc]

Is this ridge from the diversion (wash) area? Or near the end of Oasis Trail? Did you hike along the wash at all? Or you were referring to the trail itself when seeing droppings?
Thanks for doing all this. It’s helpful to have eyes on.

I left the trail and walked to the end of the wash where it reaches a small saddle and a larger wash descends down the other side. Here is the Google Maps location of the Parking Lot Overlook:
34°06'47.7"N 116°06'43.5"W
Here is the location of the start of the side wash I hiked up to reach the Overlook:
34°06'39.0"N 116°06'25.6"W

From Google Maps the wash appears to be about 2/3 of the way to the Oasis and is easy to follow. Be aware the wash crosses the trail and I only hiked up.

I saw Sheep droppings along the wash but none on the trail.

We’ve had a lot of rain so I’ll ckeck the lower washes next and look for signs. Not to get to graphic but I think somebody will find Paul’s boots down a wash.

 

[tarabull]

Sorry for being OT...FWIW, maybe the JT Science Staff will find Paul!!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...al-park/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.8bfc7c1d1481

This is terrible news! Instead of destroying the park it would be nice if the vandals would do something constructive and look for Paul.

Joshua Tree Corrects Number Of Joshua Trees Taken Down During Shutdown
Snipped...
...However, the superintendent added that "Joshua Tree science staff are currently working to assemble an accurate and detailed report documenting natural and cultural resource damage that occurred during the shutdown. Botanists have confirmed that during the shutdown an out of bounds vehicle at Ryan Campground struck and killed at least one Joshua Tree."

 

[rosesfromangels]

Yes, the roaming scientists who are observant by nature, could be the ones to find him. Let’s hope so!

 

[carbuff]

Wow, that's rugged.

 

[SFDukie]

View attachment 166981 View attachment 166981 This is a small wash that crosses the trail about 2/3 of the way to the Oasis, running to the Northwest. It's the only attractive alternative route I see on the trail and if Paul was looking for Big Horn Sheep this looks like a good place to look. Also I did see Big Horn Sheep droppings as I hiked up . I reached the end in less than an hour and continued up to a small peak to the North and from there I could clearly see the parking lot. If Paul had seen the same thing he may have attempted to hike down the mountain and fell off a cliff.

This is past the "climb" in the trail-"far" side of which Neil saw PM, is that correct?
Appreciate the pictures and perspective!

 

[atlstnspc]

This is past the "climb" in the trail-"far" side of which Neil saw PM, is that correct?
Appreciate the pictures and perspective!

I’m not sure what Neil saw. Maybe you could provide a link?
I think this is the low point where the trail starts to ascend towards the Oasis. I’ll have to get a USGS Topo map to better understand the terrain.
Google Maps location of the wash where it crosses the trail:
34°06'39.0"N 116°06'25.6"W
Dead end of the wash at a cliff:
34°06'51.2"N 116°06'50.5"W

 

[atlstnspc]

I hiked up the opposite side of dead end wash I mentioned in my last post. This looks like prime Mountain Lion habitat with all the caves. I didn’t get to close, but this would be a good place to check. I’ll come back with somebody or at least get some bear spray. I don’t want to stick my head inside one of those caves and come up with a face full of fangs and claws.

 

[rosesfromangels]

I hiked up the opposite side of dead end wash I mentioned in my last post. This looks like prime Mountain Lion habitat with all the caves. I didn’t get to close, but this would be a good place to check. I’ll come back with somebody or at least get some bear spray. I don’t want to stick my head inside one of those caves and come up with a face full of fangs and claws.
View attachment 167430

Yes, we don’t need another Victim!

 

[SFDukie]

I’m not sure what Neil saw. Maybe you could provide a link?
I think this is the low point where the trail starts to ascend towards the Oasis. I’ll have to get a USGS Topo map to better understand the terrain.
Google Maps location of the wash where it crosses the trail:
34°06'39.0"N 116°06'25.6"W
Dead end of the wash at a cliff:
34°06'51.2"N 116°06'50.5"W

Hey thanks again.

I’m not sure what Neil saw. Maybe you could provide a link?
I think this is the low point where the trail starts to ascend towards the Oasis. I’ll have to get a USGS Topo map to better understand the terrain.
Google Maps location of the wash where it crosses the trail:
34°06'39.0"N 116°06'25.6"W
Dead end of the wash at a cliff:
34°06'51.2"N 116°06'50.5"W

Hi atl-
Neil relayed that he saw PM on Neil's return leg, PM's outbound leg, partway downslope (from PM's outbound perspective, upslope from Neil's return perspective)
narrative is here-CA - CA - Paul Miller, 51, Canadian missing in Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino Co., 13 Jul 2018

 

[zecats]

I hiked up the opposite side of dead end wash I mentioned in my last post. This looks like prime Mountain Lion habitat with all the caves. I didn’t get to close, but this would be a good place to check. I’ll come back with somebody or at least get some bear spray. I don’t want to stick my head inside one of those caves and come up with a face full of fangs and claws.
View attachment 167430

Luckily (I guess) mountain lions are uncommon here, though they have been spotted...recently as article in March 2018.

Mammals - Joshua Tree National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Do be careful though please.

 

[carbuff]

I hiked up the opposite side of dead end wash I mentioned in my last post. This looks like prime Mountain Lion habitat with all the caves. I didn’t get to close, but this would be a good place to check. I’ll come back with somebody or at least get some bear spray. I don’t want to stick my head inside one of those caves and come up with a face full of fangs and claws.
View attachment 167430

Lots of places there where somebody disoriented from heat exhaustion and not thinking clearly might have crawled trying to find shade.

 

[atlstnspc]

Luckily (I guess) mountain lions are uncommon here, though they have been spotted...recently as article in March 2018.

Mammals - Joshua Tree National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Do be careful though please.

They may be uncommon, however wherever there are Big Horn Sheep there will be Mountain Lions to eat them. Case in point- Picture taken at the canyon to the right of the Oasis, about 1/4 of a mile in, found in a rock cave. The large white one is an old deer leg bone. The rest are Big Horn Sheep, meat still attached. I kept looking up on the way back. They attack from above and behind.

 

[dspdenver]

They attack from above and behind.

We just had a trail runner attacked at Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins. He managed to kill the young mountain lion by suffocating it, per the necropsy. Apparently, with lions, always fight back if you are attacked. Take care out there.

 

[zecats]

View attachment 167592 They may be uncommon, however wherever there are Big Horn Sheep there will be Mountain Lions to eat them. Case in point- Picture taken at the canyon to the right of the Oasis, about 1/4 of a mile in, found in a rock cave. The large white one is an old deer leg bone. The rest are Big Horn Sheep, meat still attached. I kept looking up on the way back. They attack from above and behind.

Jaw officially dropped.

OT News of a jogger in Colorado who was attacked by a mountain lion and actually was able to strangle the cat with his bare hands and kill it, after wrestling with it for some time. The cat did attack from behind, as I've heard they're prone to do, and as you pointed out. Usually they attack smaller victims like children. This was an adult man and the cat was apparently a juvenile. Yikes!

 

[atlstnspc]

Hey thanks again.


Hi atl-
Neil relayed that he saw PM on Neil's return leg, PM's outbound leg, partway downslope (from PM's outbound perspective, upslope from Neil's return perspective)
narrative is here-CA - CA - Paul Miller, 51, Canadian missing in Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino Co., 13 Jul 2018

Thanks. I’ll take this into account. It narrows down the time line.

 

[atlstnspc]

Here is a good pod cast that features George Land, the JT public affairs officer .
Episode 2 - Paul Miller - Joshua Tree National Park | Locations Unknown
Mr Land gives a description of the search effort.

 

[tarabull]

Cant help but think of Paul and wonder if he travelled much at home in Canada...hope he had seen Big Horns before he headed out at JTNP in July 2018.

Sheep count 'healthy' - Penticton News

Snipped...
...The count tallied 97 California Big Horn Sheep, 23 Rams, 57 Ewes, 17 Lambs, 66 Mule Deer, 64 does, one buck and one fawn, and three coyotes were also spotted.