Found Deceased MO - Carol Schulte, 72, experienced hiker, van in pkg lot, near Al Foster Trailhead, Wildwood, St. Louis, 23 May 2022

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Searchers comb trails for missing hiker in Wildwood
Volunteers join police, family in search for Missouri woman missing after hike
Volunteers join family, police in search for missing Wildwood woman
72-year-old hiker goes missing in Wildwood

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Schulte is 5’4″ and 128 pounds
...fairly experienced hiker who is familiar with that area.
...she is usually overly prepared,”
...“phone pinged off the Al Foster Trailhead at 6:30 a.m. Monday,” and then it went dead.
...no one saw Schulte in the park Monday or on the trails, but they think she was there because her minivan was parked there and her phone pinged.
“We do know … that this was her last location,” he said. “She turned her cellphone off at 7:04 yesterday. We have every reason to believe she is in this area. We just haven’t found her.”
...foul play is not suspected
“It’s a very commonplace for people to bike or hike or run. There’s numerous paths across this area. Once you get off the paths, it can be pretty rough terrain,”
...the area is dangerous, particularly with the Meramec River running as high as it right now.
The trail is 5 miles and goes to Sherman Beach and Castlewood State Park.
She said she met Schulte through a hiking and kayaking Meetup group and described her as a quiet person who has an adventurous side and a love for outdoors.
...said his stepmother never hiked more than 4 to 5 miles roundtrip. He also noted she never hikes alone, so they found it odd she went out by herself.

# More at links above
 
This is literally 5 minutes from my house. My wife and I frequently walk this trail or take our dogs there to swim in the Meramec river. Unless she left the main trail, it would be impossible for her to get lost. There are a lot of side, less traveled, trails there that would be easy to get lost on. But, her being an experienced hiker makes me think she would not easily get lost there.
 
Missing Hiker: Carol Schulte
This is a family-run page for updates relating to missing person Carol Schulte.
Carol Schulte, 72, has been missing since about 7am on Monday 5/23. Carol Schulte was last seen near the area of the Al Foster Trailhead, at 225 Grand Avenue in Wildwood.

25 May 2022 @ 8:55AM CST

Hi everyone, here is the latest update.
K-9 units remained in the area through 7:30pm last night.
K-9 units arrived on scene at 5:15 am this morning.
Carol's stepsons are meeting with the lead detective a little later this morning.
There is a small team of law enforcement conducing a more focused search today based on areas of interest from the K-9 units.
We will provide updates as more information becomes available. It is my understanding that anyone is welcome to go to the area and to search on their own.
My brother and I will likely return to the area later this morning after we’ve met with the detective.
Again on behalf of our entire family, thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, support, and love during this very difficult time.
We will provide updates through social media as we learn anything and if we learn that there is another large scale search planned.
 
I know it sounds like a longshot, but maybe she was abducted. Are there any cameras near the trailhead where she left her car Or on the roads she traveled?

I'm wondering if they have searched her meetup account, as well. Are we sure she was planning to hike alone? Is leaving early for a hike her usual MO? What is her husband saying about her plans?

Forensics are needed at this point, IMO.

JMO
 
This is literally 5 minutes from my house. My wife and I frequently walk this trail or take our dogs there to swim in the Meramec river. Unless she left the main trail, it would be impossible for her to get lost. There are a lot of side, less traveled, trails there that would be easy to get lost on. But, her being an experienced hiker makes me think she would not easily get lost there.
I'm hearing talk about the Zombie Trail. How close is it to where she parked? On the Facebook page someone said she took poles and wore her hiking boots. Apparently it's slick out there due to recent rains?

Thanks for any detail you can offer.
 
I'm hearing talk about the Zombie Trail. How close is it to where she parked? On the Facebook page someone said she took poles and wore her hiking boots. Apparently it's slick out there due to recent rains?

Thanks for any detail you can offer.
Here is a map of the Al Foster Trail.

The Al Foster Trail has two trailheads. The one were her car was found is the Meramec Greenway trailhead. If you follow the Al Foster Trail east, you end up at the other trailhead, the Sherman Beach trailhead. Here's a link to the Al Foster Trail:


If you veer off the Al Foster Trail at Rock Hollow, that is the Rock Hollow Trail, which ends at Ridge Road next to an elementary school. Rock Hollow Trail was originally known as Lawler Ford Road eons ago. It was simply a dirt road through the woods. Back in the 1960's or 1970's it had been pretty much abandoned. It became known as Zombie Road to us locals. It is allegedly haunted. A lot of kids used to go to Zombie Road in the 60's, 70' and 80's for thrills and/or partying. When the county got possession of that land (I don't remember when that was), they made it into the Rock Hollow Trail. Here's a link to the Rock Hollow Trail.


Those, IMO, are the most used trails in that area, but there are several others and many unnamed paths/trails through the woods.

Yes, it would be a little slick with the recent rains.

ETA: To my knowledge there are no cameras near the trailhead.
 
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I spent my entire childhood riding my horses at Forest 44 (a conservation area that connects to the trail where Carol was last seen) and Castlewood. I can confirm that these trails are dirt and rocks and do get quite slippery when wet.

It's also a pretty vast connected system of parks and conservation areas, so if she hiked further than expected or took a side trail, it could be challenging to find her.

I spent hours and hours on the trails, often alone, and never got lost or felt remotely threatened. I would put foul play very low on the list.
 
I spent my entire childhood riding my horses at Forest 44 (a conservation area that connects to the trail where Carol was last seen) and Castlewood. I can confirm that these trails are dirt and rocks and do get quite slippery when wet.

It's also a pretty vast connected system of parks and conservation areas, so if she hiked further than expected or took a side trail, it could be challenging to find her.

I spent hours and hours on the trails, often alone, and never got lost or felt remotely threatened. I would put foul play very low on the list.
My concern about her not making it onto the trails was heightened by posts on the family's Facebook page saying she was a school bus monitor who started work at 7 a.m. That here phone was turned off shortly after that time is concerning.

I hope I am wrong. They are going to start looking on elevated trails because the flat ones have been well-searched.

Come home, Carol!
 
My concern about her not making it onto the trails was heightened by posts on the family's Facebook page saying she was a school bus monitor who started work at 7 a.m. That here phone was turned off shortly after that time is concerning.

I hope I am wrong. They are going to start looking on elevated trails because the flat ones have been well-searched.

Come home, Carol!

I am a little confused.
Is it thought Carol hiked earlier that morning and then intended to be at the School Bus Monitor position at 7 am.?
Is it thought she never made it to hiking after parking the car?
It doesn't seem the dogs are picking up a scent indicating a hike.
Maybe I am misinterpreting what I see.
How close to the School Bus Monitor location is this hiking trail and her parked vehicle?
Are there any large animal predators in this area? Bear, Cougar, etc.
Hoping Carol is found safe.
 
I am a little confused.
Is it thought Carol hiked earlier that morning and then intended to be at the School Bus Monitor position at 7 am.?
Is it thought she never made it to hiking after parking the car?
It doesn't seem the dogs are picking up a scent indicating a hike.
Maybe I am misinterpreting what I see.
How close to the School Bus Monitor location is this hiking trail and her parked vehicle?
Are there any large animal predators in this area? Bear, Cougar, etc.
Hoping Carol is found safe.
I asked on the family Facebook page (linked below) whether she was supposed to work Monday morning and haven't heard back. I looked at the school district's calendar & found nothing that states what date the school year ends.

Updates this morning are informative re: SAR & LE efforts. All the searchers have covered a lot of ground with some areas searched multiple times.

Nearby cameras are being checked & one of her stepsons will be talking to detectives about those results. It's Thursday so the sooner, the better!

The community is concerned & working together well covering trails. Because of that, if she is on the trail system, I think she will be found. The Meramac River is being searched by kayakers.

A meetup hiking group is going out this morning:

Dogs have not picked up her scent. They need some clues as to whether she ever used the trails that day. I see questions about that now in the latest posts here:


Come home, Carol!
 
I asked on the family Facebook page (linked below) whether she was supposed to work Monday morning and haven't heard back. I looked at the school district's calendar & found nothing that states what date the school year ends.

Updates this morning are informative re: SAR & LE efforts. All the searchers have covered a lot of ground with some areas searched multiple times.

Nearby cameras are being checked & one of her stepsons will be talking to detectives about those results. It's Thursday so the sooner, the better!

The community is concerned & working together well covering trails. Because of that, if she is on the trail system, I think she will be found. The Meramac River is being searched by kayakers.

A meetup hiking group is going out this morning:

Dogs have not picked up her scent. They need some clues as to whether she ever used the trails that day. I see questions about that now in the latest posts here:


Come home, Carol!
TY. What about any businesses near where Carol parked her vehicle? Any businesses she would visit nearby, coffee shop, etc., within walking distance? Looking on Google Maps I don't see anything.
 
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TY. What about any businesses near where Carol parked her vehicle? Any businesses she would visit nearby, coffee shop, etc., within walking distance?
When I check the maps - Google Maps, Instant Street View, Google Earth, all the retail stops seem to be before she would have turned onto Old State Rd that goes to the trailhead in Glencoe. She lives in Ballwin, to the NE of the mainly residential and undeveloped land along Old State Rd. I'm not seeing any retail near the trailhead.
 

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I asked on the family Facebook page (linked below) whether she was supposed to work Monday morning and haven't heard back. I looked at the school district's calendar & found nothing that states what date the school year ends.

Updates this morning are informative re: SAR & LE efforts. All the searchers have covered a lot of ground with some areas searched multiple times.

Nearby cameras are being checked & one of her stepsons will be talking to detectives about those results. It's Thursday so the sooner, the better!

The community is concerned & working together well covering trails. Because of that, if she is on the trail system, I think she will be found. The Meramac River is being searched by kayakers.

A meetup hiking group is going out this morning:

Dogs have not picked up her scent. They need some clues as to whether she ever used the trails that day. I see questions about that now in the latest posts here:


Come home, Carol!
Thanks for posting that update here. I also read the information on the page and it all doesn't sound very good. How far could she possibly have gone if she was indeed to be at work that morning? Earlier someone said she doesn't usually hike more than 4-5 miles. It isn't clear if the earlier phone ping was when she arrived at the park, or if there were others prior. Did she get to the park at 5am? 4am? On Sunday night?
 
One last question, if anyone knows.
Where is the location of her School Bus job?
TY.
 
That sure seems early to be out hiking if you need to be at work by 7am. It's still dark until about 6am.
Someone finally confirmed she had taken the day off work. But there's contradictory posts on quite a few things so who knows? I am wondering who saw her last before she left home and if she has any medical conditions.

Other than abduction, the river is becoming my concern at this point. If we get confirmation she was seen on the trails, I'm afraid she may have run into wildlife or fallen from a ledge above the river.

The searchers volunteering from the community are very dedicated from what I'm seeing. It's a beautiful thing!

Come home, Carol
 

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