Found Deceased CA - Philip Kreycik, 37, Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, 10 Jul 2021

[Tower]

Every time I hear that a cell phone is left in the car all I see are red flags. We can pick apart why someone would do that when going into the woods alone till the cows come home but I will never believe that its for any other reason than to 'disconnect' from everybody. IMO

Yes, disconnecting is probably the reason, for the benefits or, in this case, other reasons?
As a female, I purchase every pair of running shorts, tights or bra with a phone option and have a comfortable very small belt for the rare clothes I wear that do not fit my phone.
However, most of the running men in my life refuse to carry a phone, no matter how much I insist and question why. They feel free and invincible. They tell me they’ve never needed it, so why bother? I truly think they’re crazy, but I have a dozen friends, including my own teenage son, that will not carry one and have no pocket that would hold it. So that bit of info just makes him a normal male trail runner to me. moo

 

[ElizabethAnne]

I wonder about the range of issues Philip dealt with on the job. "Clean energy" is great but maybe that wasn't the only issue he worked on.

PG&E is under a HUUGGE amount of stress right now with the connection between their electrical networks and multiple wildfires of recent years.

PG&E may (hopefully, IMO) be considering very expensive projects such as undergrounding major lines through forested areas, and how to rearrange company priorities to pay those costs without going under.

PG&E may be dealing with identifying failures of maintenance or other procedures that were the source or cause of some of the fires.

PG&E may be considering bankruptcy (again) or other shockwave changes to the company overall.

This all may have zero to do with Philip, but it can't hurt to keep in mind that this may be an upsetting or discouraging time to be a PG&E employee.

Good point - yes PG&E and the wildfires have been all over the news. PG&E still faces 33 criminal charges after $43.4 million settlement.

These reviews Working at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E): 261 Reviews about Pay & Benefits | Indeed.com show mixed reviews for people that work at PG&E in San Ramon, San Francisco and Stockton. One recent comment from an engineer said some leave to become consultants. One other said supervisors can make less of a salary than employees who are part of the union that they supervise.

In the Bay Area, after the pandemic has begin to slow down, some companies are calling back their workers to work in the office rather than from home. Some workers who want to continue to work from home or moved to less expensive areas are now being faced with pay cuts. I've heard some are up to 25% depending on the company and position.

Also I did not realize there were PG&E work locations in Stockton until I read some of the reviews on Indeed.

 

[scdiv]

Leaving the phone in the car isn't a flag for me, if that was his usual pattern. I totally get the need for speed and if you are a fast, competitive, type A runner it's all about your time. The smart watch captures the data and you can upload the data later when you connect. Running with a phone can be annoying. I used to just use a Fitbit and it didn't have a gps tracker so I had to use my phone and when the newer models had the gps built in, I stopped taking my phone too. Granted I wasn't really running in woods by myself, but I was thrilled to leave it behind and stop feeling that phone hitting me when I ran. Running belts, my hand, pockets - it all annoyed me. jmo.

The running in the heat after 11am is a little more odd, if that wasn't his usual pattern. But for a well conditioned runner, it maybe didn't cause him as much pause as it would more casual runners.

Regarding the official find social media pages - I understand the comment moderations and deletions. These threads grow out of control with speculation quite quickly. I think they are purposely moderating heavily to keep the current focus on the search, volunteers, etc. Not because of anything nefarious. We have watched other search and rescue find pages quickly turn into a toxic cesspool that gets so far away from the actual missing person and anything of value. jmo.

It must be so hard for friends and family not having any answers or closure in these active missing person cases. I hope he is found soon.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

I tend to agree none of that is suspicious for an avid and adventurous runner, even running in the extreme heat. He may have wanted to challenge his body. The fact that he had a problem during only a 45-minute run that has made him totally invisible for 10+ days is what I find mysterious. ElizabethAnne is also indicating he may not have researched his course well, or at least may not have parked in the best place to access that trail, which I find odd for an avid trail runner. I hope his family finds out what happened. Moo

Yes, here is the City of Pleasanton map and brochure on the Moller Ranch trails http://admin.cityofpleasantonca.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=31377

There is no mention of a connection to Pleasanton Ridge, which is an EBRPD (East Bay Regional Park District) managed park.

The only city owned park with trails that connect to Pleasanton Ridge is Augustin Bernal Park. Here is the brochure which includes a map as well http://www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/pdf/AugustinBernalMap.pdf The map clearly shows that there are trails that say "To Pleasanton Ridge Park/East Bay Regional Park" as you can see on the map on page 2.

The Moller Ranch trails in Green in the first link in the first paragraph show no connection to Pleasanton Ridge park on p 2. They dead end. To go to Pleasanton Ridge park from Moller Ranch trails would require trespassing into privately owned land and EBRPD Landbank land that is not open to the public.

The Preserve trails loop around and also show no connection to Pleasanton Ridge park.

Next to Alviso Adobe park in Pleasanton, there is the Castleridge Staging Area that opened in 2018 that is the actual staging area for Pleasanton Ridge Park Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park opens new Castleridge trail Another staging area for Pleasanton Ridge park is further south on Foothill Rd and is called the Foothill Staging area. Another is planned in the future at the intersection of West Las Positas Blvd and Foothill Rd and will be called the Garms Staging Area.

In this article from the Independent Search Continues Friday for Missing Runner Tony Orion is quoted discussing the possibility that he went on private property trying to reach I-580. The Pleasanton police spokesman Erik Silacci is also quoted as discussing the police researching the routes he might take to get to the park.

Obviously the city maps don't show any connection between the Moller Ranch trails and the Pleasanton Ridge trails. I don't understand then why someone with a masters degree in urban planning would then go to a property at a city park staging area and then go through private property to reach a regional park when there is a staging area just down the road (Castleridge) that directly connects to the regional park.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

Family remains hopeful as search for Philip Kreycik continues | KRON4

KRON4 did a story this evening including an on-camera interview with the father. Some excerpts are:
"“We still believe in our hearts that Philip is going to be on his way home soon and we already know he’s on his way,” Philip Kreycik’s father, Keith, said.

Keith and his wife live with Philip and his family. They are staying hopeful that Philip will return home soon.

“He’s an incredibly strong guy and if there’s anybody who can make it out of the woods he will and in fact he may have already made it out of the woods,” Keith said.

Keith says they have moved their search crews off the trail and into nearby neighborhoods, asking people to look in their garages, barns, ditches for anything of interest to them."

 

[ElizabethAnne]

Every time I hear that a cell phone is left in the car all I see are red flags. We can pick apart why someone would do that when going into the woods alone till the cows come home but I will never believe that its for any other reason than to 'disconnect' from everybody. IMO

Agreed. I hiked the night time Livermore Hoot Owl guided tour through Sycamore Grove with a ranger that is an LARPD employee and even though the web page says to leave your cell phone in the car because it is not allowed Livermore Area Recreation and Park District - Hoot Owls I still took it with me in case there was an emergency. No one is taking me in the woods without me taking my fully charged up cell phone. I turned it off during the hike, but would I leave it in the car? Not a chance.

Also, when I plug in the Moller Ranch Staging Area to Google Maps in the starting destination and in the ending destination put a random trail that is in the EBRPD Pleasanton Ridge Park like Ridgeline Trail and press the Walking Person icon and ask Google for directions, this is what happens:

---I get a triangle in Orange with an exclamation point (!) inside that is hard to miss that is a warning that says in bright orange that is also hard to miss "This route contains restricted usage or private roads."

---When I click on the Tehan Canyon Rd direction portion it says in Orange with another Orange triangle exclamation point warning again in bright orange "Restricted Usage Road."

Google Maps clearly indicates when I try it that the walking route from the city Moller Ranch Staging Area to EBRPD Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park trails is restricted and involves private roads.

It isn't at all subtle. The warning messages that pop-up in the Google Maps direction function are quite clear.

 

[jbennett]

The city of Pleasanton was operating a cooling center that day and it was so scorching hot that the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services was issuing alerts like ***UPDATED*** Statewide July Heat Wave Prompts Counties to Open Cooling Centers | Cal OES News along with multiple counties throughout the area. The Moller Ranch and Preserve aren't new the trails and they aren't Pleasanton Ridge trails. They are in HOA land in a neighborhood and don't connect to Pleasanton Ridge trails without trespassing through private property or off-limits EBRPD landbank areas. The real staging area for Pleasanton Ridge is further down Foothill Road (Castleridge). Plus there is one toward Sunol called the Foothill Staging area.

I personally don't think I would be choosing that particular day to check and explore a brand new set of trails alone in Pleasanton during the time of scorching heat all the while leaving my cell phone in the car.

Exactly my thoughts, and especially when he just ran the evening before. Any seasoned runner knows to give your body *at the very minimum* a full 24 hours in between runs to recover or you risk injury, especially a run in the heat that is described. It's completely hinky to me that he would attempt this run in the heat with no phone or water when he just ran the evening before.

 

[Pet woman]

Exactly my thoughts, and especially when he just ran the evening before. Any seasoned runner knows to give your body *at the very minimum* a full 24 hours in between runs to recover or you risk injury, especially a run in the heat that is described. It's completely hinky to me that he would attempt this run in the heat with no phone or water when he just ran the evening before.

 

[Pet woman]

It certainly caught my attention, in regards to orange triangles popping up to warn of off limit areas, in the vicinity of a possible route taken by Philip. Then when I saw that his parents lived with him, it struck me how that could be a stressful situation. I agree it doesn’t add up, after running the night before, to take to trails for another run, in the am.particularly due to extreme heat. The phone being left in the car, and lack of water to hydrate with, are red flags to me. In addition, with young children, and a challenging job, I wonder if Philip, became overwhelmed. After an extensive search and rescue effort, not having answers, is troubling, to say the least. I hope family and friends, will get a resolution soon.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Regarding water, I have not seen any definitive statements that Philip did or did not take water on his presumed run. Some runners bring a hand held bottle. Others use a "water drop" strategy and leave a bottle somewhere by a trail for hydration if they're returning the same way. But expecting a short run, it's equally likely he didn't take any.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Regarding private land and trespassing, I tried creating a route in Strava from the Moller staging area to the Pleasanton Ridge trails. Strava would only route me through the same route as PK (based on current Google Map on the FAQ page), and would draw long detour routes around presumably off limits trails when I tried to incorporate them. Strava did not flag these or explain why they couldn't be used even though heat maps show they have been used before. This might be from recent search tracks being added to Strava, but not sure. Most of this route is labeled the "Lying Stump Shortcut Trail" in Strava.

The FAQ route is on the left, Strava on the right. There's also faint heat map routes on it.


When I look at Google streetview, the trail starts at 8208 Moller Ranch Dr. at a paved access point. There's no gate to jump. It appears the trail then goes into the woods. I can't read the sign next to it but the trail looks well used and the photo is from March 2021. ETA this seems to be the water tower access road.

 

[mlhenn]

I may be by myself with this, but Philip leaving his phone in the car, running where he did or when he did...none of that sends a red flag for me. I guess I’m basing that opinion on the fact that nothing has been shared to make me feel otherwise. Family and friends have shared they’re confident he went on this particular run. He is a runner and some runners do choose not to carry a phone with them.
As far as some land owners not allowing their property to be searched isn’t automatically suspicious to me either. Although, I don’t 100% agree with it, I do respect it. Some people are private. Some think “liability” if a person was hurt while searching the property. And sadly, some people are just uncooperative.
Again, JMO and I could be totally wrong...

 

[annpats]

As far as some land owners not allowing their property to be searched isn’t automatically suspicious to me either. Some think “liability” if a person was hurt while searching the property.

Well, surely the liability thing wouldn't be an issue if the police were searching on the property, would it? I could understand if it were SAR teams or volunteer searchers, but surely the police would be exempt...?

 

[moonriverfarm]

DBM

 

[moonriverfarm]

I wish the gentleman that ran with Phillip the night before his disappearance would divulge what was discussed.

At this point, the friend has declined commenting on their conversation, which leads me to believe whatever was said could be pertinent to his disappearance.

Where was this discussed - I don't see it on the Find page.

 

[Normancita]

I wonder if LE have gone thru his phone records.

I’d be interested to know what apps he used in his phone, particularly social networking apps.

Could he have met up with someone at the park for a “run?”

I have several suspicions but I’ll sit on my hands for now.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

Well, surely the liability thing wouldn't be an issue if the police were searching on the property, would it? I could understand if it were SAR teams or volunteer searchers, but surely the police would be exempt...?

I think it is a 4th amendment rights issue. The police need to get verbal consent to search a property. They just can't start going on property to search without the permission of the owner. If verbal consent is not given, the police need to get a warrant to search the property. I don't know if that applies to drones or not and whether they need to get permission in order to have drones fly over a property.

 

[Bridger]

Well, surely the liability thing wouldn't be an issue if the police were searching on the property, would it? I could understand if it were SAR teams or volunteer searchers, but surely the police would be exempt...?

The issue has nothing to do with the police or who finds the body. The issue is that if there is a hazard on private property, the property owner is liable for injuries caused by the hazard if he has not properly protected against the injury occurring. Think unfenced swimming pools or exposed live electrical wires.

 

[mlhenn]

Philip Kreycik's Family Holds Out Hope in 2nd Week of Search for Missing Jogger

July 21
Friends and family of Philip Kreycik are holding out hope in the second week of searching for the missing runner from the East Bay.

“We are all baffled that we haven’t found anything yet. Not even a trace, like a piece of clothing or a shoelace or anything,” Jen Yao, Kreycik’s wife, told KPIX 5 Tuesday.

Because Kreycik ran ultramarathons and has extensive wilderness experience, his father Keith thinks it’s possible he’s made it out of Pleasanton Ridge now.

“He’s so strong that we think he could’ve gone a long, long distance. Even if you’re living in an area where you say, ‘he never could’ve made it 20 miles over here,’ in the time period we’re talking about it would’ve been very easy to get 20 miles away from the center of town,” Keith Kreycik said.

They think it’s possible he’s well beyond the bounds of Pleasanton Ridge.

His family believes he may have traveled as far south as Hayward, made his way onto the Iron Horse Trail, or possibly as far north as Berkeley.

 

[mlhenn]

Family remains hopeful as search for Philip Kreycik continues | KRON4

Police are tracking Kreycik’s timeline from the moment he left his house to when he got to the trailhead — where his car and belongings were found in the parking lot.

They have found nothing to believe he isn’t on the ridge. They do believe something went wrong.

“He’s an incredibly strong guy and if there’s anybody who can make it out of the woods he will and in fact he may have already made it out of the woods,” Keith said.