CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, Bullhead City, hiking wearing bikini in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019

[Davia18]

This is a first for me. I've never heard of anyone hiking in the desert wearing a bikini.

It's really common in this area I'm always surprised when I see people out hiking or out riding side by sides and have nothing on but bikini's.

 

[Curiousobserver]

Well, true. That article did say Hidden Hill "area." So, no telling. Ugh! MOO

Either way, if she was nearly back to the camper and not up in the hills then she should have been easily spotted by a helicopter or ground searcher by now. There are a few photospheres taken of that specific area (Granite pass) that give you and idea of the terrain.

In fact, unless she was climbing up onto the boulders you would think you would spot her.

 

[ZZbball22]

Apparently the key to the trailer was hidden under a rock and when RT found it there, he knew Barbara hadn't returned. I am wondering why the key was under the rock. It seems like if they were going on a hike together and planning to return together, that one of them would carry the key. I wonder if that was their normal practice? MOO

I really don't like posting repeatedly and replying to everything. But would you want to lose your keys in the desert and not have them when you got back? Jmo

 

[owsley]

It's really common in this error. I'm always surprised when I see people out hiking or out riding side by sides and have nothing on but bikini's.

Amazing. I've never seen anyone hiking in a bikini, period, sober at least. In temps of 104-108, it seems a bit ludicrous.

 

[wary]

Apparently the key to the trailer was hidden under a rock and when RT found it there, he knew Barbara hadn't returned. I am wondering why the key was under the rock. It seems like if they were going on a hike together and planning to return together, that one of them would carry the key. I wonder if that was their normal practice? MOO

If I remember rightly, @dbdb11 said that she loved to collect ‘desert things.’ Maybe it’s not the first time that one of the two veered off for photographs, or to check out an interesting thing on the ground, and they ended up separated. So a centrally located key would make life easier, if they did arrive home separately.

 

[Davia18]

Barbara's husband is interviewed.

Woman missing from Mojave Desert, husband believes she was taken

We have similar trailer and same ford dually. We keep our trailer keys locked in our truck and use the keypad to open the truck and get the keys.
I can see why husband feels she was abducted. Sounds like they were not to far from the road, there could have been someone at the trailer when she got there trying to break into it. JMO

 

[MimosaMornings]

What if they were actually parked/camped off of Hidden Hills Road? And Needles Highway/40 is what her husband is referring to as a highway?

 

[Curiousobserver]

Amazing. I've never seen anyone hiking in a bikini, period, sober at least.

Its California-

 

[PommyMommy]

Yeah, it's around 4 or 5 miles round trip, depending on start and end points we dont know. 30 minutes for a mile isnt unreasonable? Also it's not a rigid two hour timeline?. Is it? Do we have exact time? Could be more or less even.

I think 30 minutes is reasonable.

I'm not understanding what you mean by, "it's not a rigid two hour timeline?"

Do we know what time RT called 911?

MOO

 

[lonetraveler]

Looks like the same person to me. More power to her if she is comfortable hiking in a bikini.

But if you look at desert nomads, they all cover up from the sun. And I’d have a backpack with water,water and the 10 essentials. Even if I intended to stay within sight of the campground

It's that she was hiking in the desert without water or anything that puzzles me. If I hiked in a bikini I'd start a fire with my sweaty thighs rubbing together.

 

[fictionisbetter]

What if they were actually parked/camped off of Hidden Hills Road? And Needles Highway/40 is what her husband is referring to as a highway?

I had that thought, as well. I found this site that gives me a clearer idea of the area.

Hidden Hill Road Reviews - Campendium

 

[PommyMommy]

I really don't like posting repeatedly and replying to everything. But would you want to lose your keys in the desert and not have them when you got back? Jmo

No, but I would trust my husband to hang onto them and return along with me, lol. Maybe that's naive, but we don't lose keys often so I wouldn't think about putting one under a rock. That's why I wondered if that was their normal practice. MOO

 

[PommyMommy]

We have similar trailer and same ford dually. We keep our trailer keys locked in our truck and use the keypad to open the truck and get the keys.
I can see why husband feels she was abducted. Sounds like they were not to far from the road, there could have been someone at the trailer when she got there trying to break into it. JMO

That exact thought has crossed my mind as well. MOO

 

[lonetraveler]

Thank you PommyMommy =] Just found this site today when I was checking out this story. What a great, informative site! We live about an hour from here and go to the preserve often. Never camped tho. Just drive around and check out the sites. This story is boggling my mind.

Welcome to Websleuths! Wade right in, there is so much for you to explore on this website.

 

[Davia18]

It's that she was hiking in the desert without water or anything that puzzles me. If I hiked in a bikini I'd start a fire with my sweaty thighs rubbing together.

That part really bothers me because being from Arizona and her living in Bullhead which is extremely hot this time of year we know always have a water in your hand when walking away from your trailer. I could be wondering around with my kids and I always make each one grab a water even if we will only be 20 yards away from the trailer. Our roads even have jugs of water all along the main hwy because of our excessive dry heat. MOO

 

[Curiousobserver]

It's a very common practice among hikers and runners to hide your key near to the car. I hide mine before a long run even when I have pockets because if you loose the key, which I have done, you need to retrace your whole route and hope to God the key isn't hidden in the grass somewhere. In the desert loosing your key could be fatal so I am not surprised by the hidden key.

 

[Curiousobserver]

That part really bothers me because being from Arizona and her living in Bullhead which is extremely hot this time of year we know always have a water in your hand when walking away from your trailer. I could be wondering around with my kids and I always make each one grab a water even if we will only be 20 yards away from the trailer. Our roads even have jugs of water all along the main hwy because of our excessive dry heat. MOO

That is why I am leaning towards them taking a short hike of a mile or two and she got lost. Maybe that wasn't the only beer she had had and it seemed like a 1-beer hike, she is a little disoriented from the heat and the beer and she ends up in the hills somewhere.

 

[lonetraveler]

Well, assuming he has a digital camera or was using a phone, they should have been able to gather some useful info from the photo(s). If it was a phone, it may have had the exact GPS coordinates of where he was when she headed back to camp and showed his route back, so they’ll have a more accurate path to follow. If it’s a digital camera, they should be able to pinpoint the area by the photos as well as the time the photos were taken, to help narrow down the time frame in which she went missing.

Hopefully it will help somehow.

Great points, I was also wondering if he was carrying a phone. Would also like for LE to look at the last photo taken for a timeline.
Would also like to know if scent dogs are being used and if they have caught her scent anywhere around the camp area to where they were hiking.

 

[Davia18]

That is why I am leaning towards them taking a short hike of a mile or two and she got lost. Maybe that wasn't the only beer she had had and it seemed like a 1-beer hike, she is a little disoriented from the heat and the beer and she ends up in the hills somewhere.

Could be, sadly that would mean she's no longer with us, I feel the heat is to much to survive in without water this long.
I understand why husband is leaning to abduction.

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

I'm miffed by the words "bikini clad" and "beer in her hand". Come on now reporters. She's not some irresponsible party girl. She is a 69yo woman on her vacation.