Found Deceased CA - Ann Herford, 66, Hiking on Arnold Rim Trail, Calaveras County, 15 Nov 2023 *Active Search*

[Unalienable Rights]

Calaveras Sheriff's
https://twitter.com/CALAVERASCSO
@CALAVERASCSO


Ann Herford, a 66-year-old hiker, has been missing on the Arnold Rim Trail. The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office SAR Team is actively searching the area. If you have information or saw her along the trail, please contact the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office at 209-754-6500.

Search continues for missing hiker in Calaveras County

A hiker is still missing after dozens of people participated in a search for her on Thursday in Calaveras County.

www.cbsnews.com

Search continues for missing hiker in Calaveras County​

******
The search continued again on Thursday with more search teams participating. In total, 64 people, three canine teams, two drones and nine e-bikes were deployed on Thursday, but Herford was not found.

The sheriff's office is now asking people who live in the Lakemont subdivision area that surrounds the Arnold Rim Trail to check their property and outbuildings.

******
Search teams that were deployed by the California Office of Emergency Services include the California Rescue Dog Association, Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit, Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, Nevada County Sheriff's Office, Marin County Sheriff's Office, Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, United States Forest Service, Calaveras County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue and air assets from the California Highway Patrol.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1724931050298896459

 

[GraceG]

Although some of the Arnold Trail system looks to be a fairly easy walk/hike, there are sections considered moderately challenging. The articles (one linked) all mention that there are a number of people normally on the trails. My first thought was given her age and possible fitness level, she might have had a medical event, but if so, given the popularity of the area, I think she would have been found. Praying she is safe and found soon. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/...le out,encounter other people while exploring.

 

[slowpoke]

From MyMotherLode.com

“Persons in the area of the Lakemont subdivision that surrounds the Arnold Rim Trail and is north of Highway 4 are being asked to check their immediate property and outbuildings for any possible signs of Herford. However, they are not giving specifics as to why they have targeted this area.”

 

[tarabull]

Did she take her phone or wear a smart watch?

 

[slowpoke]

She is a traveling nurse from Michigan, working in Calaveras County, CA.
She was reported missing on Tuesday after colleagues noticed her not showing up for work, but I think it says she had headed for a hike from the weekend.
Her car was located parked near Lakemont subdivision in Arnold.

Search efforts continued Friday for nurse who went missing while hiking in Calaveras County

Ann Herford is a 66-year-old traveling nurse from Michigan who was working in Calaveras County. She was reported missing Tuesday when her colleagues noticed she never showed up for work.

www.cbsnews.com

A picture of her from the cbsnews video:

 

[slowpoke]

Search intensifies for missing hiker from Michigan in Calaveras County

Ann Herford, working as a traveling nurse practitioner, was last seen Sunday

www.kcra.com

A coworker said Ann told her she has a passion for hiking, and was doing so on her days off.
A nephew in MI said his aunt loved exploring new areas as a hiker, but only as a day hiker, and never past dark.
Neighbors said her car has been parked where it was found since Sunday.
Ann seems like a well-loved, vibrant person.

 

[charminglane]

Let today be the day that Ann is found.

 

[jeepgypc]

UPDATE AND INFO FROM CCSO....

Missing Hiker, Arnold
Updated Information 11/17/23
Early this morning, the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue held a briefing and sent teams into the field in search of Missing Person Ann Herford. 79 searchers were deployed to search for her.
<modsnip - snipped for copyright, please see the link>

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=741511411344379&id=100064565807412

Now, I live in this county and hike this trail regularly. Where she was parked is a short jaunt to the San Antonio Falls overlook. She was only known to hike a few miles in a hike and was NOT an experienced hiker like first reported. This I would think, be where she may have thought "wow, waterfall! I'm gonna hike and explore there." It is a very steep overlook to see the waterfalls and the creek canyon. There are huge volcanic crags and drop offs. The only way down is to rapell or come in from private property way down creek and is very overgrown and hard to get to. The overlook is a hairy and scary area and she could of possibly have gone there and fell hundreds of feet into this canyon.

She also could have taken the old logging skidder trail to see the top of the falls where San Antonio creek goes over, and that is a nasty area as well and possibly slipped and gone over the edge.

From pics posted by a SAR out of the area up there, one rapelling pic looks like the volcanic overlook area.

Also, a nephew tried to ping her phone, if it is with her and broke it will not ping also dead battery will not ping.

It's a nasty area down in the falls.

 

[charminglane]

UPDATE AND INFO FROM CCSO....

Missing Hiker, Arnold
Updated Information 11/17/23
Early this morning, the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue held a briefing and sent teams into the field in search of Missing Person Ann Herford. 79 searchers were deployed to search for her. <modsnip>

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=741511411344379&id=100064565807412

Now, I live in this county and hike this trail regularly. Where she was parked is a short jaunt to the San Antonio Falls overlook. She was only known to hike a few miles in a hike and was NOT an experienced hiker like first reported. This I would think, be where she may have thought "wow, waterfall! I'm gonna hike and explore there." It is a very steep overlook to see the waterfalls and the creek canyon. There are huge volcanic crags and drop offs. The only way down is to rapell or come in from private property way down creek and is very overgrown and hard to get to. The overlook is a hairy and scary area and she could of possibly have gone there and fell hundreds of feet into this canyon.

She also could have taken the old logging skidder trail to see the top of the falls where San Antonio creek goes over, and that is a nasty area as well and possibly slipped and gone over the edge.

From pics posted by a SAR out of the area up there, one rapelling pic looks like the volcanic overlook area.

Also, a nephew tried to ping her phone, if it is with her and broke it will not ping also dead battery will not ping.

It's a nasty area down in the falls.

Thank you for this information from your experience and observations.

 

[jeepgypc]

Thank you for this information from your experience and observations.

I'm trying to post pics from the San Antonio Falls area that I took in thespring, but can't seem to get them uploaded. It's a beautiful area but very scary if you do not know how to hike the area. We have had cold dewy a.m.'s up there and the lava cap is slick.

 

[jeepgypc]

Here are coordinates to the falls. You can use Gmaps, OnX, or any map program in satellite to see the area.

38.2579701, -120.3852764

 

[slowpoke]

Search efforts underway for Michigan woman who went missing while hiking in California

Search efforts are still underway for a traveling nurse from Michigan who was last seen hiking in California.

www.clickondetroit.com

“Her family told police that Herford enjoyed hiking but did not have wilderness survival skills and never planned on walking more than a couple miles at a time.”

===

Hopefully, that can help narrow down the search, knowing that she generally doesn’t do long hikes.

 

[charminglane]

Search efforts underway for Michigan woman who went missing while hiking in California

Search efforts are still underway for a traveling nurse from Michigan who was last seen hiking in California.

www.clickondetroit.com

“Her family told police that Herford enjoyed hiking but did not have wilderness survival skills and never planned on walking more than a couple miles at a time.”

===

Hopefully, that can help narrow down the search, knowing that she generally doesn’t do long hikes.

It's possible she was distracted by the beauty of the falls and went farther than usual.

 

[slowpoke]

Updated information 11/18/23 Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office

“Today’s search has involved 120 searchers, (5) canine teams, neighborhood canvassing and aircraft.”
The aerial search had to be shortened due to adverse weather, but will resume when the weather improves.

 

[RickshawFan]

I'm trying to post pics from the San Antonio Falls area that I took in thespring, but can't seem to get them uploaded. It's a beautiful area but very scary if you do not know how to hike the area. We have had cold dewy a.m.'s up there and the lava cap is slick.

They need to be jpegs. Try lowering the quality to <100%, so it’s below 1 mb

 

[RickshawFan]

We’re past 72 hours, which is the general SAR time frame for successful searches.

Also, the sheriff is asking folks to check sheds and outbuildings. This is not a suggestion generally applied to “missing while hiking”, but more usually to seniors (silver alerts) and lost children in outdoor areas. I would guess they have details that aren’t public.

 

[AnyNameIWish]

It's made SF Bay area news finally so hopefully anyone who saw her who was passing through might remember something. Hope she's found safe soon.

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/nurse-michigan-missing-california-18501924.php

 

[slowpoke]

Tried to do a timeline:

11/11 Sat: Breakfast with a friend, mentioned hiking

11/12 Sun: through investigation, believed when Ann seen near trailhead (Arnold Rim Trail) and when car was parked at the location where later found

11/14 Tue: reported missing after not showing up for work

11/15 Wed: car located by trailhead, by Lakemont homes. Search and rescue immediately started.

11/18 or 11/19, not sure: nephew was scheduled to pick her up in Michigan
(”was set to pick up his aunt tomorrow in Michigan”)

 

[jeepgypc]

There is nowhere to be found any kind of search and rescue or law enforcement out and about in the area now. It is getting kind of weird with different inconsistencies being told and a new update that they searched an undisclosed field in Arnold. <modsnip - no link to an approved source>

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02tUxBxAFLwD5RVQqSeKX5hTk5GnqH319VrrHwUTUxj2oZfKbhC238i89mZa2azjJxl&id=100063661895883

 

[slowpoke]

There is nowhere to be found any kind of search and rescue or law enforcement out and about in the area now. It is getting kind of weird with different inconsistencies being told and a new update that they searched an undisclosed field in Arnold. <modsnip - no link to an approved source>

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02tUxBxAFLwD5RVQqSeKX5hTk5GnqH319VrrHwUTUxj2oZfKbhC238i89mZa2azjJxl&id=100063661895883

Then, are you thinking the resident who saw her near the trailhead is mistaken?

(From your link: “Additionally, they say Herford was spotted by a resident near the trailhead, and her car was discovered nearby.”)