CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #6

[bleuboy]

Barbara could simply have needed to use the bathroom in the RV.

 

[girlhasnoname]

Barbara could simply have needed to use the bathroom in the RV.

That's what I'm thinking too. Barbra may have been drinking plenty of water before and opened the beer midway through the walk. Or she could have just been hot, tired and not wanting to wait while hubs took more pics of rocks.

I don't know about you guys, but I don't buy beer......I rent it.

 

[10ofRods]

So presumably, by "use the RV" BT may have wanted to take a hot shower, or recline in one of those comfy chairs and watch her favorite novella. MOO

Obviously, she would be seeking air conditioning (available in the truck) and water (available in the 5th wheel, which also could have had A/C - I'm assuming it does), and perhaps some electrolytes. Just getting out of direct sun at 2:30 would appeal to most people (but very little shade near the RV, that's for sure).

I can't imagine wanting a hot shower, only a cold one. It's cooled off a little here in SoCal, but it was 105F by 4 pm when Barb disappeared. By the time it's 90F in our yard, we have turned our water heater down significantly.

As to camping:

We know of no reservations that they had made, but...really...they didn't need reserations. NO campground in the Mojave Preserve or in Joshua Tree takes reservations. There were no reservation-taking campgrounds in the direction they were going until...you get near Vegas. But no one needs a reservation in Vegas, either. There are over a thousand casino-based spots, they never fill up, especially not in July. Heck, they could have gone to Laughlin to camp, there are 750 spots, most of them open, at Paradise.

We don't know where they were going next.

But I think it's probably that they may have discussed going to a campground some 15 miles north of where they were. It was not full, and it almost never gets full in summer. No hook-ups. Higher elevation than Death Valley's main area, A/C would be very very desirable, night time temps were probably close to 90 or the high 80's (it's been a fairly cool summer).

Most 5th wheels have rooftop A/C and come with a built-in generator. To get anything else, living in BHCity would be really weird, especially as the additional cost is not that much compared to everything else they had just purchased (the truck was not cheap). It's really hard to find a 5th wheel on a lot that doesn't have A/C. For dog owners, it's a super cool way to travel.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

That's what I'm thinking too. Barbra may have been drinking plenty of water before and opened the beer midway through the walk. Or she could have just been hot, tired and not wanting to wait while hubs took more pics of rocks.

I don't know about you guys, but I don't buy beer......I rent it.

And I dont walk a mile in a ...deserted...desert to pee in an RV loo, if I'm wearing bikini bottoms

 

[Knox]

And I dont walk a mile in a ...deserted...desert to pee in an RV loo, if I'm wearing bikini bottoms

What if you needed to do the sort of thing that includes using toilet paper?

 

[HongKongPhooey]

What if you needed to do the sort of thing that includes using toilet paper?

Well technically as a female all things do ( in an ideal world) but yes that might be a different kettle of fish

 

[10ofRods]

And I dont walk a mile in a ...deserted...desert to pee in an RV loo, if I'm wearing bikini bottoms

Have you looked at the search photos? Unless you're okay peeing right on the trail, you might have quite a prickly experience. Why would you do this, rather than walk the 4-5 minutes to the RV?

You'd be visible from the road in several sections, btw.

 

[MimosaMornings]

That’s why I always have a tissue or wet wipe in a pocket lol

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Have you looked at the search photos? Unless you're okay peeing right on the trail, you might have quite a prickly experience. Why would you do this, rather than walk the 4-5 minutes to the RV?

You'd be visible from the road in several sections, btw.

I'm English. We're a strange lot

For me it's moot. I dont believe she was there at all, but hypothetically yes if it was just 4 mins and she wasnt desperate, she would probably head back to the RV. I thought it would take longer, being as it was far enough away for him to lose her. Apparently. JMO

 

[MimosaMornings]

From what I can remember...I’m not sleuthing family members, just mapping it out in my head of who is close to Barbara.
Barbara’s son resides in Indiana. The rest of her family reside in Hong Kong.
Robbie’s family - Canada.

Didn’t I see pictures of her with young looking grandchildren? I’m assuming these are her son’s children? So those pictures aren’t recent?

 

[katydid23]

RT said nothing about Barbara looking for rocks. dbdb11 simply said that was something she enjoyed doing. Per RT, she continued ahead because she wanted to get to the RV.


:38 "By the time I took the picture, she was continuing on because she wanted to use the RV, and she rounded the corner, and I lost sight of her."

As a woman in my 60's, I totally understand the sudden need to get to an RV, if coming back from a 2 mile hike, after drinking a beer.

 

[GordianKnot]

What if you needed to do the sort of thing that includes using toilet paper?

You mean like, how do I put this delicately, pinching a loaf or something?

Dropping a load of lincoln logs?

Again, trying to be discreet here.

 

[cazador]

So.. As mentioned this morning..
If RT is recluse in their home and not eating... What does that say ?
After all he is not searching OR putting out missing person flyers.. or is he ?
If not, he seems worried about... Himself ?

I myself would be tearing the world apart looking for Barbara if I were him..
jmho

 

[Skigh]

If they took regular hikes I am sure Barbara must have been used to peeing behind a rock.

 

[10ofRods]

Can we/someone take a stab at creating a timeline based on things we've 'heard', ie the dog-boarder, the 'ice' (neither of which I have seen where the orig info came from?), the times RT mentioned to his HK fam, the known 911 call time, the neighbor who apparently saw BT in the morning (I dont' know where that orig info came from either if anyone can shed a link??); the 100 mile drive, the time for those stops.. the presumed missing around noon..

I'm wondering if BT hadn't even wanted to stop to look at rock formations. If they had been headed toward camping somewhere.. and she seemed dressed for sun an relaxation, etc.. and the fact that she apparently didn't want to wait for RT to finish up with his photog session.. (if she was even there at all), makes me wonder if she just would've preferred to be relaxing in her bikini with her beer in a lounge chair at some campsite or something, instead. Wonder how often BT got 'her way' in that relationship?

I have the times and some of the sources, but Pommy Mommy would have to help. It's not very long.

 

[gsleuth]

If they took regular hikes I am sure Barbara must have been used to peeing behind a rock.

Prickles..

 

[cazador]

You mean like, how do I put this delicately, pinching a loaf or something?

Dropping a load of lincoln logs?

Again, trying to be discreet here.

LOL .. I leave for a little while ... LOL

 

[10ofRods]

July 12, 2019

8:05am Barb leaves home to drop dog off at doggie care, it's a 5 minute drive from her house
8:10am Dog is dropped off
8:15am According to VI Dbdb, neighbors' cameras show RT and BT leaving their driveway in their new dually Truck and 5th wheel RV
11:00 am (in version told to family, RT says he started searching for Barb; from VI's sister)
12:00 noon. In the same version of the story, given by VI Dbdb as told to him by his sister, RT tells the family that he began to worry about the heat and called 911)
2:30pm RT says he returned to the RV about an hour before calling 911 (see below) and looked for Barb "for an hour)
3:26 pm SBCS dispatch log registers a missing person at Kelbaker and Hidden Hill Road
5:30 pm SBCS and SAR arrives at Kelbaker/HH

We can only estimate on the time it took to do the 2 mile round trip hike to the Granite Hills. It takes 2 hours to drive from their house to the place where RT called 911.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

You mean like, how do I put this delicately, pinching a loaf or something?

Dropping a load of lincoln logs?

Again, trying to be discreet here.

Let me know if my language is too oblique.

I can spell it out if needed...just trying to avoid using the word "crap" if at all possible.

I'm not sure if these are literal activities or American euphemisms but I wont derail by asking any more

 

[MimosaMornings]

So what vehicle did Barb take to drop off her dog?