Middle Mountain Search

[Ghostwheel]

Look at that terrain. How they found anything is some kind of miracle.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=503227529756868&set=a.124448997634725.31359.124446657634959&type=1

 

[rebeccaeee]

Look at that terrain. How they found anything is some kind of miracle.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=503227529756868&set=a.124448997634725.31359.124446657634959&type=1

Makes me think the dogs they had with them were extremely useful. The nose can smell what the eye can't see. That terrain, that time of year, that location. Someone knew exactly where they were headed with Dylan, IMO and knew that area as well as their own backyard.

 

[cattlekate]

Those are amazing maps, Sasquatch! But I am confused - I thought the remains were below the third "hard crook" to the left - directly to the east of point B. Do I need to catch up and see if they were below Point A or was that just a staging area?

 

[Ghostwheel]

Those are amazing maps, Sasquatch! But I am confused - I thought the remains were below the third "hard crook" to the left - directly to the east of point B. Do I need to catch up and see if they were below Point A or was that just a staging area?

If the bones were found in a culvert like the one shown on this helicopter video

Then the location would be something like this:

Which is at the Bear Creek road crossing:

I keep looking for other concrete culverts in the area.

ETA: The culvert from the helicopter video IS the same as the one at Bear Creek. The same fallen log is over the culvert to identify it.

 

[Carolyn H.]

The pictures showing the Bear Creek culvert area really gives me a different perspective on where Dylan was likely found. That spot also makes sense because the culvert is not far from the road and so is a likely and fairly easy dumping spot.

So does it seem likely that Dylan was placed in the culvert originally? I could see that happening. If that's the case, it still seems possible that more bones were or could be found by continuing to follow that drainage and creek area.

 

[mck16]

Can someone fix the margins? ty

 

[armcha1r_detect1ve]

Has it been stated that the culvert was the actual dumping site? If the bones were found in the culvert, could they have been actually placed where the drainage starts and washed down the concrete drainage pipe?

I guess I am asking... we see pictures of the concrete drainage pipe, but where is the originating water source that feeds that pipe/culvert? Up the mountain, but not necessarily on the road?

I guess the EXACT location of the remains has not been stated, so my thoughts on the drainage pipe are pure speculation.

 

[rebeccaeee]

Has it been stated that the culvert was the actual dumping site? If the bones were found in the culvert, could they have been actually placed where the drainage starts and washed down the concrete drainage pipe?

I guess I am asking... we see pictures of the concrete drainage pipe, but where is the originating water source that feeds that pipe/culvert? Up the mountain, but not necessarily on the road?

I guess the EXACT location of the remains has not been stated, so my thoughts on the drainage pipe are pure speculation.

No, LE has been silent about exact location and condition. The drain pipe would be for spring runoff and snowmelt, i think, and I would hope they searched the pipe itself to see if more bones were either inside or at that particular pipe's origin. I do think it is possible that a different and separate location may exist on Middle Mountain with other evidence but until LE says more, we're all speculating.

 

[Ghostwheel]

Has it been stated that the culvert was the actual dumping site? If the bones were found in the culvert, could they have been actually placed where the drainage starts and washed down the concrete drainage pipe?

I guess I am asking... we see pictures of the concrete drainage pipe, but where is the originating water source that feeds that pipe/culvert? Up the mountain, but not necessarily on the road?

I guess the EXACT location of the remains has not been stated, so my thoughts on the drainage pipe are pure speculation.

As has been said, it is pure speculation that anything was found near that culvert. All I have been able to positively identify is that the culvert on the video is the same as the one at South Bear Creek (I have been referring to it as Bear creek, but it is really SOUTH Bear Creek). Now that my disclaimer is over, that culvert runs UNDER the road. That is usually done as a way to keep the creek from running OVER the road, so the other end is somewhere upstream on the east side of the road. So IF any remains were found at the end of that culvert, possibilities include:
Body was dumped on the west side (where we see the culvert) RIGHT BY the culvert.
Body was dumped on the west side hill near the culvert and animals moved it.
Body was dumped on the west side hill inside the culvert and animals moved it or it washed out.
Body was dumped or left on the west side anywhere else, and animals moved it.
Animals dragged those particular remains to the culvert area from wherever. (through the culvert, over the road, etc)
Body was left on the east side, animals got to it, and some remains washed into and/or out of the culvert.
Some additional remains washed further downhill, and those found were all that were left.
Some remains were found in or at the end of the culvert, and some where found elsewhere.
Remains were moved to that area.

IF anything was found at the end of the culvert, the creek bed runs right past where the search base was located, then down to that culvert. It looks more like a run off stream than an actual creek that runs year round, though.

 

[nao]

It's more logical to leave remains, before the known turn around - because peoples are going to said place, people usually hike up hill. and pullover place is on other side of road to culvert.

 

[katydid23]

I wish we knew if the body was pushed off the cliff OR if the remains were moved there by animals after the fact. :cry:

 

[cattlekate]

Amazing sleuthwork, ghostwheel. Thank you.

 

[rebeccaeee]

As has been said, it is pure speculation that anything was found near that culvert. All I have been able to positively identify is that the culvert on the video is the same as the one at South Bear Creek (I have been referring to it as Bear creek, but it is really SOUTH Bear Creek). Now that my disclaimer is over, that culvert runs UNDER the road. That is usually done as a way to keep the creek from running OVER the road, so the other end is somewhere upstream on the east side of the road. So IF any remains were found at the end of that culvert, possibilities include:
Body was dumped on the west side (where we see the culvert) RIGHT BY the culvert.
Body was dumped on the west side hill near the culvert and animals moved it.
Body was dumped on the west side hill inside the culvert and animals moved it or it washed out.
Body was dumped or left on the west side anywhere else, and animals moved it.
Animals dragged those particular remains to the culvert area from wherever. (through the culvert, over the road, etc)
Body was left on the east side, animals got to it, and some remains washed into and/or out of the culvert.
Some additional remains washed further downhill, and those found were all that were left.
Some remains were found in or at the end of the culvert, and some where found elsewhere.
Remains were moved to that area.

IF anything was found at the end of the culvert, the creek bed runs right past where the search base was located, then down to that culvert. It looks more like a run off stream than an actual creek that runs year round, though.

I am intrigued by the idea of the body being dumped on the east side and these remains perhaps dispersed by animals through the drainage system. The east looks to be the more secluded area, although it is hard to tell without being there in person. Would also love to know where articles of clothing were found in relation to bones.

Wish we knew which side of Middle Mtn the searched, if not both. I do believe more searches will be taking place and hope more is found, obviously. The thought of having to bury a loved one and then discovering more parts of him is more than I can bear. I think for this reason, as well as evidentiary testing, we will see searches continue on Middle Mtn throughout the summer.

 

[sayd]

We are at Blue Spruce RV Park this week, and all's I can say, is I am amazed they found anything. I think LE here must be good, very good!

 

[katydid23]

We are at Blue Spruce RV Park this week, and all's I can say, is I am amazed they found anything. I think LE here must be good, very good!

When I watched the you-tube videos of people driving that road it is AMAZING that anything at all was found. It is like a needle in a huge haystack to find anything there. It leads me to believe they had an idea where to focus their search. JMO

 

[sayd]

That's exactly what I think too Katydid. I just can't figure out how they knew where to look.

 

[Ausgirl]

Sorry if it's been asked elsewhere already - but what condition would the ground have been in on the mountain, at the time Dylan went missing? ie, frozen, hard, boggy, soft, etc..

 

[rebeccaeee]

Sorry if it's been asked elsewhere already - but what condition would the ground have been in on the mountain, at the time Dylan went missing? ie, frozen, hard, boggy, soft, etc..

Hard. Rocky mtns are generally hard but minimal snow 9 days prior and no rain. Cold, rocky ground. Too hard to dig, if that's what you're thinking, Lots of debris to conceal though.

 

[Ausgirl]

Hard. Rocky mtns are generally hard but minimal snow 9 days prior and no rain. Cold, rocky ground. Too hard to dig, if that's what you're thinking, Lots of debris to conceal though.

Cheers, and yup I assumed too hard to dig - but also, wondered if dispersal of bone might be greater if the ground is hard and conditions cold (ie, less insect activity, slower decomp rate, thus much more time and reason for predators to find covered or uncovered remains). Plus, maybe more likely that bones would scatter downhill faster and further on dry/cold/inclined ground?

Just thinking, this all might make it quite hard to locate the exact place where Dylan's body first lay on the mountain.

 

[sayd]

It is a really pretty drive. In the area that looks like the staging area in previous posts, this morning there was a nice horse trailer and three or four vehicles, maybe more searchers? Who knows. FWIW, just past there is a very steep drop-off with a metal culvert quite a ways down. Perfect spot if you ask me. Too steep to hike down too, but certainly easy enough to stop a truck next to it and toss something down. I would say this was on a turn on the north side of the road.

It was raining today and there were lots of muddy areas.