Found Deceased NC - Mitzi Sue "Susan" Clements, 53, hiker, Great Smoky Mountains NP, 25 Sept 2018
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zecats
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Looking at the trail she was on when heading towards the parking lot at Clingman’s Dome, there’s a sharp right turn to stay on the correct trail. More straight and to the left is the Clingman Bypass Trail. This would take her towards the area she was found, headed towards the A T. Wondered if she missed that turn.
Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail
ETA sorry supposed to be a link
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BlkMtnGirl
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I thought that, too, after looking at the trails. I wonder if she kept trying to walk in the dark and fell off the trail somewhere down the mountainside. So sad. There need to be signs in hiking areas such as this to "Stay Put" if one gets lost off-trail.
cybervampira
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bradfordsleuth
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This summer really was not kind to so many hikers who either didn't come off the trails alive or didn't come out at all. So sad.
A posted check list of essentials at major trail heads may make a difference in the future and save a life. Having a whistle may have saved Sue's....we will never know.
A posted check list of essentials at major trail heads may make a difference in the future and save a life. Having a whistle may have saved Sue's....we will never know.
bradfordsleuth
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I so agree with you about the signs!
GraceG
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This article explains how she might have gotten off trail. Hers was the 11th death in this part this year alone. Tragic.Ohio woman who went missing while hiking in the Smokies is 11th death in park this year
Scary, I am in my early 50's and plan on hiking in numerous parks next April with my daughter. I'm buying a Spot, whistle, small mirror, Life Straw, compass and if I get lost I'm sitting in the open and blowing that whistle and flashing that mirror, and I'm not moving!!!
Wish I Knew
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This was such a sad, sad case.....and I can only imagine the guilt that *I* would feel.....
Wishing peace to all who loved her...
This was such a sad, sad case.....and I can only imagine the guilt that *I* would feel.....
Wishing peace to all who loved her...
Hazelnutty
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Oh no. I just knew she'd be found cold , weary & hungry. Rest in peace, Susan
Thanks for sharing this video and link to the series. She did a good job of telling the story. It's helpful, not just for information learned, but as a first hand account of what families experience when a loved one goes missing. It also helps the general public understand what they're going through, how the process works for the searchers and law enforcement.
I'm so sorry for Ms Clements and the loss her family has experienced. Such a tragedy. RIP
At the last video in the series #5, she reveals that her mom died of hypothermia and that was why they found a trail of her clothes. When someone has hypothermia, they mistakenly feel as if they're very hot and take off their clothes. She had also been on a fasting "cleanse" in the days before she got lost, so she hadn't had much to eat. This also affected her mental skills when she became hungry after being lost for a while.
Her daughter and the searchers think she died the night she went missing, when she went off trail. The first night, the searchers went by the area where they believe she went off trail. She wasn't there, she had gone already. They're guessing she went off trail to go to the bathroom (at night, total darkness) and couldn't find her way back. It just reinforces the importance of staying on the trail.
Her daughter is such a sweet, caring person. I hope they're all doing well, especially the younger daughter who was with her mother that day.
Mystery Of How Ohio Woman Got Lost In Great Smoky Mountains National Park May Never Be Solved
In one of her videos linked above, Susan's daughter says she almost made the same mistake in missing the fork on the path returning to the parking lot. She said you're walking downhill, so are watching the ground. The fork to the parking lot can't be seen unless you're looking for it. For most people hiking on a steep trail (with some stairs built in) your instinct is to watch the ground ahead of you.
I realize the parks don't like to mark the trails much at all in order to keep them looking "natural", but they really should reconsider, JMO. More and better signage would probably help a lot of hikers who end up lost.
Here's another example of two guys who got lost during a day hike. They went the wrong way at a 5-way intersection on the trail that doesn't have much signage.
Braving the storm: Backcountry rescuers save lost hikers in snow, frigid temps
In national parks containing millions of acres of unmarked, virgin wilderness, it doesn't seem unreasonable to ask for better signage on the tiny percentage of the park devoted to trails, especially on those trails that are well traveled by the general public. JMO.
ETA: Another factor in Susan Clements becoming lost after possibly missing the turn on the trail is that it was around 5 pm when she was making the hike back to the parking lot. Once she headed down the wrong trail, it was probably completely dark by the time she realized she was lost. No way to see the trail ahead of her.
Again, considering the popularity of Clingman's Dome and the large number of inexperienced day hikers who visit there daily, they really do need better signage along the nearby trails.
In one of her videos linked above, Susan's daughter says she almost made the same mistake in missing the fork on the path returning to the parking lot. She said you're walking downhill, so are watching the ground. The fork to the parking lot can't be seen unless you're looking for it. For most people hiking on a steep trail (with some stairs built in) your instinct is to watch the ground ahead of you.
I realize the parks don't like to mark the trails much at all in order to keep them looking "natural", but they really should reconsider, JMO. More and better signage would probably help a lot of hikers who end up lost.
Here's another example of two guys who got lost during a day hike. They went the wrong way at a 5-way intersection on the trail that doesn't have much signage.
Braving the storm: Backcountry rescuers save lost hikers in snow, frigid temps
In national parks containing millions of acres of unmarked, virgin wilderness, it doesn't seem unreasonable to ask for better signage on the tiny percentage of the park devoted to trails, especially on those trails that are well traveled by the general public. JMO.
ETA: Another factor in Susan Clements becoming lost after possibly missing the turn on the trail is that it was around 5 pm when she was making the hike back to the parking lot. Once she headed down the wrong trail, it was probably completely dark by the time she realized she was lost. No way to see the trail ahead of her.
Again, considering the popularity of Clingman's Dome and the large number of inexperienced day hikers who visit there daily, they really do need better signage along the nearby trails.
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cybervampira
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Report: Medical Examiner Says Cleves Woman Lost In Smokies Died Of Hypothermia
A Cleves woman who got lost while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains last September died of hypothermia and exposure, a medical examiner has determined.
The medical examiner in Swain County, North Carolina has released the report on the death of Mitzie “Susan” Clements, WBIR-TV reported Tuesday.
[...]
Dehydration was a contributing factor in Clements’ death. The medical examiner’s report says the death was accidental with no signs of trauma or foul play. A date and time of death could not be determined in the report.
At the time she disappeared, Clements was only wearing a zip-up sweater, spandex pants, athletic shoes and a plastic poncho. She had no food, phone, flashlight, or other supplies. The weather in the park had been rainy with high temperatures only in the 50s or 40s.
Park rangers believe Clements had missed a turn on the Forney Ridge Trail after telling her daughter to run ahead to the Clingman’s Dome parking area. Missing the turn took her along the Appalachian Trail, instead of back to the parking lot. Her daughter reported her missing when she did not return.
A Cleves woman who got lost while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains last September died of hypothermia and exposure, a medical examiner has determined.
The medical examiner in Swain County, North Carolina has released the report on the death of Mitzie “Susan” Clements, WBIR-TV reported Tuesday.
[...]
Dehydration was a contributing factor in Clements’ death. The medical examiner’s report says the death was accidental with no signs of trauma or foul play. A date and time of death could not be determined in the report.
At the time she disappeared, Clements was only wearing a zip-up sweater, spandex pants, athletic shoes and a plastic poncho. She had no food, phone, flashlight, or other supplies. The weather in the park had been rainy with high temperatures only in the 50s or 40s.
Park rangers believe Clements had missed a turn on the Forney Ridge Trail after telling her daughter to run ahead to the Clingman’s Dome parking area. Missing the turn took her along the Appalachian Trail, instead of back to the parking lot. Her daughter reported her missing when she did not return.