WA WA - Samantha Sayers, 28, Vesper Peak, North Cascades, 1 August 2018

[doodles1211]

@seattletimes
A third day in a massive search for a missing solo hiker in the North Cascades has come up empty. The woman’s boyfriend and others have spent $5,000 on bags of supplies they are leaving along a trail, along with a note they hope she will find
https://st.news/2O9uz3Q

The Seattle Times on Twitter

"Experienced day hiker, Samantha "Sam" Sayers, 28, had left alone for a hike on the Vesper Peak trail at North Cascades in Washington state, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said.

But she hasn't been heard from since."

Search continues for missing Seattle hiker

 

[Purplepixii]

Oh no, another missing hiker? I am starting to think that solo hiking is too dangerous

 

[ACG2x]

Ugh - poor girl. Really hope for the best here but whenever I see “missing on a hike”, always cringe because of how rugged path can be to locate someone.

 

[MFH]

Sam’s instagram Sam Sayers (@samsayers813) • Instagram photos and videos

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Sam’s instagram Sam Sayers (@samsayers813) • Instagram photos and videos

Her bald head is interesting - pretty distinctive in a woman. Presumably she has deliberately shaved her head since if she's lost her hair because of an illness such as cancer she probably wouldn't be able to hike in such demanding surroundings.

 

[GraceG]

The bald head is not from chemo. She has full eyebrows. Chemo causes hair loss over the entire body, not just the head. Another picture shows a tattoo on part of her head, so I'm guessing it's a fashion choice. She's from PA according to social media, so she may be an experienced day hiker but it is unknown how much high country experience she had. I grew up in the Cascades, that trail is not for the novice but it's a better choice than many of the summit hikes. Vesper Peak — Washington Trails Association

 

[MFH]

Her bald head is interesting - pretty distinctive in a woman. Presumably she has deliberately shaved her head since if she's lost her hair because of an illness such as cancer she probably wouldn't be able to hike in such demanding surroundings.

I had wondered about her hair as well, and found answers when I scrolled wayyy down her Instagram. She has a post explaining her hair loss. February 2016.

 

[GraceG]

After looking at the Instagram it does look like she has a fair bit of experience in the area which is in her favor.

From the Seattle Times:“Her boyfriend, Kevin Dares, and his siblings say they have spent close to $5,000 for 150 one-gallon Ziploc bags, each stuffed with Clif bars, a poncho, socks, compass, flashlight, fire sticks and a lighter. They have been given to searchers to place in the area.”

According to the second news article she was wearing hiking pants and a sports bra. I am guessing that the fact that they are leaving essential gear means they are concerned she didn't have enough supplies with her. Temperatures are in the mid to upper 50’s at night and there is snow in the high elevations. That's survivable if she can shelter from the wind and stay dry. Massive search continues for Seattle hiker missing since Wednesday


Desperate search continues for hiker missing 4 days on solo climb

 

[sasha17]

Find Sam Sayers Facebook group - #findsamsayers

 

[sasha17]

Poster.

 

[Elainera]

From the Seattle Times:

Sayers’ Facebook page shows a smiling young woman who is enjoying life. Her head is bald as she has alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease that causes hair loss.

Massive search continues for Seattle hiker missing since Wednesday

Does this disease have other effects on the body that could have contributed to her getting lost or lead to a medical emergency?

 

[sasha17]

From the Seattle Times:

Sayers’ Facebook page shows a smiling young woman who is enjoying life. Her head is bald as she has alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease that causes hair loss.

Massive search continues for Seattle hiker missing since Wednesday

Does this disease have other effects on the body that could have contributed to her getting lost or lead to a medical emergency?

It doesn't sound like it. Seems to be hair loss and possibly fingernail issues. Alopecia areata - Wikipedia

 

[Elainera]

Samantha ‘Sam’ Sayers Missing: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

"Also, we have a clue. A person reported this morning after seeing the story that he had lunch with Sam near the summit on that day at roughly 3p.m., which meshes with other reports on timelines, he says that after they parted ways he later saw her from a distance making her way down the west side of the mountain towards Spada Lake."

 

[GraceG]

If you look at the bottom of this page about the trail you can see "trip reports" from people who have hiked the trail to the summit within the last few days. If you click on their small photos they enlarge so you can get a good idea of the landscape and how much snow there is. The sunset photo taken over a week ago from the overnight camper shows what I believe is the lake she was seen descending towards. Vesper Peak — Washington Trails Association

 

[sasha17]

If you look at the bottom of this page about the trail you can see "trip reports" from people who have hiked the trail to the summit within the last few days. If you click on their small photos they enlarge so you can get a good idea of the landscape and how much snow there is. The sunset photo taken over a week ago from the overnight camper shows what I believe is the lake she was seen descending towards. Vesper Peak — Washington Trails Association

I can't say for sure, but my guess it the lake in that hiker's sunset photo is Copper Lake. On the map I'm including on this post, Vesper Peak is marked by the orange marker. Copper Lake is the lake directly to the west of Vesper Peak. Spada Lake is the much larger lake to the southwest.

I hiked to the peak of Bald Mountain last summer. It's the peak to the west of Vesper Peak, on the north edge of Spada Lake. The terrain around there is all rocky with many cliffs, ledges, and drop offs. Very worrisome.

 

[sasha17]

Update from the USCG at 1:42PM today: "USCG Air Station Port Angeles has deployed an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter to assist local efforts in the search for missing hiker, Sam Sayers. The aircrew has been tasked with an aerial search of the south side of Vesper Peak in the North Cascades, Washington."

USCGPacificNorthwest on Twitter

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

just sharing some positive energy here that Sam is found and is alive and safe. I don't pray but I do hope. Seems a lovely woman, so very excited and vibrant in her IG posts.

 

[sasha17]

Update from the USCG at 1:42PM today: "USCG Air Station Port Angeles has deployed an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter to assist local efforts in the search for missing hiker, Sam Sayers. The aircrew has been tasked with an aerial search of the south side of Vesper Peak in the North Cascades, Washington."

USCGPacificNorthwest on Twitter

Update to their post from USCG at 4:05PM today: "The helicopter search of the area yielded negative results. Local authorities have stood the aircrew down. The Coast Guard stands ready to respond if further assistance is requested."

USCGPacificNorthwest on Twitter

I wonder why local authorities had them stop?

 

[SpanishMossAntiques]

Update to their post from USCG at 4:05PM today: "The helicopter search of the area yielded negative results. Local authorities have stood the aircrew down. The Coast Guard stands ready to respond if further assistance is requested."

USCGPacificNorthwest on Twitter

I wonder why local authorities had them stop?

Because they finished their search: "The helicopter search of the area yielded negative results" - these guys are VERY experienced in these types of searches, and have a lot of equipment available to them to aid in this regard. Having been a Park Ranger myself and having had to search for numerous people, I can tell you that a bad fall (where a leg bone gets broken) can be deadly quite quickly. The best thing is for searchers to be on foot patrol, and to use drones...

 

[GraceG]

I can't say for sure, but my guess it the lake in that hiker's sunset photo is Copper Lake. On the map I'm including on this post, Vesper Peak is marked by the orange marker. Copper Lake is the lake directly to the west of Vesper Peak. Spada Lake is the much larger lake to the southwest.

I hiked to the peak of Bald Mountain last summer. It's the peak to the west of Vesper Peak, on the north edge of Spada Lake. The terrain around there is all rocky with many cliffs, ledges, and drop offs. Very worrisome.