MT MT - Mark Sinclair, 66, Highline Trail, Glacier National Park, 8 July 2019

[PommyMommy]

JUL 16, 2019
Still no sign of man reported missing in Glacier National Park

• The last confirmed sighting of MS was on the Highline Trail by a visitor late afternoon July 8, between Haystack Butte and Granite Park Chalet.
• Ground and aircrews continue to search the Highline Trail and Granite Park Chalet vicinity, as well as other drainages and trails near the area.
• Crews have encountered treacherous terrain, high winds, rain, and bears, among other hazards.
• The park closed the trail from Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet because a sub-adult grizzly bear was charging visitors and near to search teams.
• Search team investigators have received an abundance of information about MS from the public, but nothing to reveal his whereabouts.
• Search managers expect to suspend large scale ground search efforts later this week unless something substantive is discovered.
• Investigations into MS’s activities, personal connections, etc. will continue.
• The search team is also distributing an updated photo of MS that reflects his most recent appearance.

https://flatheadbeacon.com/2019/07/16/search-missing-man-glacier-park-enters-second-week/

• Helicopters are being used, but dense vegetation makes it hard to spot people on the ground. Teams are also using drones and infrared flights.
• As of Tuesday, the Highline Trail remains closed and will be reopened once rangers conduct two patrols in a row where they do not encounter the bear.

Trail Still Cold In Search For Missing Man In Glacier National Park

• Park spokeswoman Lauren Alley says there is no evidence Sinclair was attacked by a bear.

 

[MaryLamb]

Today is July 16 and he’s been missing for 9 days without a sighting. I’m afraid it doesn’t look good for him.

 

[moonriverfarm]

I hope someone got the dog out of the car.

 

[zecats]

I hope someone got the dog out of the car.

I interpreted the reporting as the dog was in the car and the car was not locked. He left the keys. Witnesses saw the dog so I would imagine (hope) someone took care of it.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Search for Missing Man in Glacier Park Enters Second Week

On Tuesday, park officials stated that no new clues have turned up in the search for Sinclair, but that rangers are still combing the area along the Highline Trail and around Granite Park Chalet. Steep, treacherous terrain, inclement weather and even bears have challenged search crews. Officials said that the ground search would likely be suspended later this week unless something substantive is discovered.

Helicopters are also being used in the search for Sinclair, but dense vegetation makes it hard to spot people on the ground. Search teams are also using drones and infrared flights.


https://flatheadbeacon.com/2019/07/16/search-missing-man-glacier-park-enters-second-week/

 

[PommyMommy]

JUL 18, 2019
https://flatheadbeacon.com/2019/07/18/search-man-missing-glacier-park-scaled-back/
[...]

On Thursday, park officials announced that they were scaling back the search for Mark Sinclair, a 66-year-old Whitefish man missing since July 8.

[...]

The search effort has been moved to a “limited continuous mode,” meaning that active searching will not occur every day, but will continue in a reduced capacity with patrols.

[...]

Updated missing person posters with Sinclair’s picture and description will be posted throughout the park for the duration of the summer.

“We continue to ask the public to think back to their visits to the park last week. Additional sightings or the discovery of Mark’s belongings could help investigators identify new search tactics,” said Search Team Commander Ed Visnovske.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

JUL 25, 2019
https://vtdigger.org/2019/07/25/for...ntal-leader-missing-in-glacier-national-park/

[...]

Sinclair was semi-retired and based out of Whitefish, Montana, at the time of his disappearance. He was briefly employed at Glacier National Park as a visitor services assistant earlier this summer.

Prior to his time out west, however, Sinclair was a significant figure in the Vermont environmental community.

Sinclair was the director of the Vermont Conservation Law Foundation for many years, and later the vice president of the Clean Energy Group. During Sinclair’s time in the state, PB, the executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, said that Sinclair was “the best kind of ally.”

“He was incredibly smart and hardworking, but also generous, kind and quick with a smile,” PB wrote in an email. “He cared about people and the beautiful places he fought so hard to protect. It’s heartbreaking to wake up each day now and think of him as missing.”

[...]

JUL 26, 2019
Authorities searching for missing hiker
The NPS says he recently moved from Vermont to Montana.

 

[Dre]

JUL 25, 2019
https://vtdigger.org/2019/07/25/for...ntal-leader-missing-in-glacier-national-park/

[...]

Sinclair was semi-retired and based out of Whitefish, Montana, at the time of his disappearance. He was briefly employed at Glacier National Park as a visitor services assistant earlier this summer.

Prior to his time out west, however, Sinclair was a significant figure in the Vermont environmental community.

Sinclair was the director of the Vermont Conservation Law Foundation for many years, and later the vice president of the Clean Energy Group. During Sinclair’s time in the state, PB, the executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, said that Sinclair was “the best kind of ally.”

“He was incredibly smart and hardworking, but also generous, kind and quick with a smile,” PB wrote in an email. “He cared about people and the beautiful places he fought so hard to protect. It’s heartbreaking to wake up each day now and think of him as missing.”

[...]

JUL 26, 2019
Authorities searching for missing hiker
The NPS says he recently moved from Vermont to Montana.

@PommyMommy what a good article!! Thanks for sharing this! So sad.

 

[PommyMommy]

This article mentions Mark in the first paragraph but that's about it; no new information. Interesting article about the park, though.

SEP 1, 2019
Calls for service keep Glacier rangers busy
It’s been quite a summer for rangers here.

A rockfall accident ended the life of a 14-year-old Utah girl. A viral video showed a man hitting golf balls off the shoulder of Going-to-the-Sun Road during a construction delay. A backcountry search launched in July for Mark Sinclair, who has yet to be found.

[...]

Rangers retrieve locked keys in vehicles. They help change flat tires. Stranded at a trailhead? They’ll get you back to your vehicle. They’ll ticket you for leaving food or campfires unattended. They’ll adjudicate disputes over parking spots. They’ll race into the wild country to search for lost hikers. They’ll recover drowning victims, which is one of the leading causes of death in the park. They’ll arrest protagonists in domestic violence encounters. They’ll haze bears. They’ll carry people out of the backcountry on litters. They’ll go in search of human-habituated grizzlies.

[...]

Statistics shared by Glacier National Park for one week in July shows they responded to about 100 calls for service each day, or 703 total in one week alone. And it’s not just checking out the situation that’s time consuming; most calls for service result in follow-up contacts and filing the paperwork.

[...]

“So if you’re walking the Highline Trail, someone in uniform is one of the first people you see along the first part of the trail, saying, ‘Welcome. What’s your plan? Do you have enough water?’ and if they’re in flip-flops, maybe direct them to a different trail,” Mitchell said. “They went from having an event every day to not having another one there for the rest of the year. It’s remarkable what that kind of conversation can do.

[...]

They get reports of lost hikers from family members who expected someone to return in six hours from what’s a 10-hour hike. They get calls from people who say a loved one is somewhere in the park, but didn’t tell anyone where they were going.

[...]

 

[Dre]

I keep checking back but nothing for this man

 

[Luckyzmom]

Very sad , have not found any updates anywhere either

 

[CastlesBurning]

Officials discuss missing persons cases in Montana national parks

 

[PommyMommy]

Officials discuss missing persons cases in Montana national parks

Glad to see this thread bumped!!! Thank you, Castles.

From the article:

[...]

In the last decade, Glacier National Park currently has two open missing persons cases.

[...]

In Glacier, on July 8, 2019, Mark Sinclair of Whitefish was last seen hiking the Highline Trail. His photo is still on the trail.

This summer, Barry Tragen of Columbia Falls failed to return to his vehicle near Kintla Lake, both men leaving rangers with not much to go on.

[...]

Austin tells us that technically the searches for both men in Glacier are still ongoing.

For Sinclair, they know he went down the Highline Trail, but then after that point there’s not enough clues to lead them in a specific direction.

[...]

“Something we need to look at is how much are we going to risk if we can’t find any clues looking over cliffs and using aviation assets; at some point you have to scale back, because we still have the other 3 million people to respond to and take care of,” said Austin.

Officials say search and rescue efforts are primarily the parks responsibility, but for both parks, local sheriff’s departments and outside resources are always a big help.

[...]

 

[Luckyzmom]

Thanks very much, good to know they are still looking when they can
Prayers for these men and their families and friends.