Found Safe NM - Maria “Rita” Moncada Moreno, 74, from Venezuela, separated from family member while hiking, Winsor Trail, Santa Fe, 5 Sept 2022

[Snoopster]

It's very easy to get lost by following an animal trail, a view trail, or a waterbar. These are some of the first places SAR focuses on.

What's a waterbar?

NVM. I googled it. (See how resourceful I am? )

P.S. Thank you for your insight @RickshawFan not only on this thread but many others as well! I've learned so much. (Including Lost Person Behavior)

 

[RickshawFan]

This video is really worth a watch to get oriented to the whole concept of "lost person behavior". You can scoot by the introductions.

This is a Harvard event.

I also like this one, which is a production of BC Government Program. Again, this is the "inventor" of the science of "lost person behavior".

 

[RickshawFan]

What's a waterbar?

NVM. I googled it. (See how resourceful I am? )

P.S. Thank you for your insight @RickshawFan not only on this thread but many others as well! I've learned so much. (Including Lost Person Behavior)

Thanks for the video! You can easily think the runoff from a waterbar is a trail. This was a factor in the search for Susan Clements who got lost and expired near the parking lot at Clingman's Dome. Her remains were discovered in a wash, perhaps after she wandered down a non-trail like a waterbar.

 

[Snoopster]

Thanks for the video! You can easily think the runoff from a waterbar is a trail. This was a factor in the search for Susan Clements who got lost and expired near the parking lot at Clingman's Dome. Her remains were discovered in a wash, perhaps after she wandered down a non-trail like a waterbar.

Yes, it's easy to see how someone could follow the run-off from that.

(My hiking is looking more basic everyday. I better up my game if I plan to go on a hiking vacation. There are so many more dangers than I realized.)

 

[RickshawFan]

Note in the "lost person behavior" videos, lost hiker remains are most often found very close to the trail, and sometimes very close to the trailhead.

 

[spiritkiss]

There have been many hikers that go off trail to go to the bathroom, get disorianted and get lost. Some keep walking making it worse. Women especially will go further into woods brush than a man to not feel vunerable. Especially if the trail is known for mountain biking. They come fast when your pants are down. Im thinking this is what may have happened possibly

 

[RickshawFan]

Yes, it's easy to see how someone could follow the run-off from that.

(My hiking is looking more basic everyday. I better up my game if I plan to go on a hiking vacation. There are so many more dangers than I realized.)

If you have a local (free) hiking group, those would be the best to go with for practice. Look at local mountaineering clubs, organizations like the Sierra Club and Appalachian Mountain Club. There are also Meetup groups. Try and get one with "old timers" and soak up their experiences. These will go in your information bank.
You also might be able to find a Meetup at your destination area.
Example: I was on a moderate 9-mile loop hike with a local hiking/mountaineering group in Oregon. I had been on a gazillion hikes, but never one with this particular problem. The group had a lot of "old timers" (into 60's-80's) and very experienced folks (not like me; I was "experienced" aka NOT). At mile 8 (yes, almost back to the cars), we came to a snowfield, a big meadow covered in snow, no trail in sight. The old-timers could guess, but didn't know exactly, where the trail went. The experienced folks had us all head back the way we came. Yep, 8 miles. We got to the cars at dusk. We followed up with homemade pie at a small café the old timers also knew about, and everyone let rip on similar experiences. So much knowledge on one trip!
Moral of this one: go back the way you came, if you get in a fix. This is what only 2% of lost hikers do, per the videos ^^^^.

 

[RickshawFan]

There have been many hikers that go off trail to go to the bathroom, get disorianted and get lost. Some keep walking making it worse. Women especially will go further into woods brush than a man to not feel vunerable. Especially if the trail is known for mountain biking. They come fast when your pants are down. Im thinking this is what may have happened possibly

Good thought.
I was a thru-hiker and became kinda lax about coverage (about a lot of things, actually) and could pee pretty much standing up with my pack on, but if you're a day hiker, you've not had much practice! So, yeah, easy to get turned around while you do your business.

 

[RickshawFan]

I am concerned about this case for many reasons, but also because the missing person is from another country. This adds a whole 'nother dimension of unfamiliarity, strangeness, anxiety, etc....

"Moderately difficult" has me worried, too. That's not an easy trail, or a moderate one.

 

[RickshawFan]

New Mexico Search and Rescue spokesman Bob Rodgers said Moncada Moreno and her niece decided to separate when they reached the Wilderness Gate area. The younger woman continued hiking on the Raven's Ridge Trail, while her aunt chose to turn back and wait for the younger woman at the car.

Snipped for focus

It sounds like there was a trail junction since the niece continued on a trail with a different name. If there was a trail junction involved, it would be very easy to take the wrong fork.

 

[Snoopster]

Great news!
NMSP: Missing hiker near Santa Fe ski basin found safe

New Mexico State Police have found missing 74-year-old Maria “Rita” Moncada Moreno safe on Tuesday.

 

[Gardenista]

Great news!
NMSP: Missing hiker near Santa Fe ski basin found safe

That's the last thing I expected to see on this case! Awesome!

 

[mewmew]

Not odd at all if she was in the mountains of NM. And it would definitely be de rigueur to carry one in your pack.

The apparel choice does concern me, though, from what I can see. In this environment (actually most hiking environments), you'd want to be in synthetics or wool exclusively, from the baselayers on up. The exception would be a puffy jacket (you want to be careful if it's down, though). Cotton can be a death trap, because it chills you by putting a layer of water (i.e. sweat) against your skin.

So, if poor MM has been out there for as long as she seems to have been, this apparel choice would be very worrisome.

Expert safety tip: it's currently become popular for women to wear leggings for hiking. If that is your choice, make SURE you are wearing synthetic leggings, and not cotton ones! They should be robust enough to survive a skinned knee, too. And NEVER jeans.

Thank you for clarifying, and for the wonderful advice!! I’m a newbie hiker so I’ll definitely take note of your tips. I wasn’t taking into consideration the temp changes in the mountains — MI is pretty flat, especially where I am. Your advice could save a life, heck, maybe even mine!

 

[RickshawFan]

Great news!
NMSP: Missing hiker near Santa Fe ski basin found safe

Wow, I didn’t expect that. Thank gosh for SAR. I would guess she took the wrong trail at a fork, but want the details!

 

[doublestop]

I just realized it might be hard to google any followup news, if there ever is any, since her name is the same as that of a famous actress--Rita Moreno.

 

[RickshawFan]

This happened just days after another hiker went missing in the same area and died. Also, note there was bad weather, and maybe no food or water.... So much luck involved here.

State police: Hiker missing near ski basin was found safe

Maria Moncada, 74, became separated from her niece at the Wilderness Gate around 9:30 a.m. on Monday.

www.santafenewmexican.com

 

[TootsieFootsie]

State police: Hiker missing near ski basin was found safe

Maria Moncada, 74, became separated from her niece at the Wilderness Gate around 9:30 a.m. on Monday.

www.santafenewmexican.com

Some more details here.

 

[Laughing]

Glad that she's OK!

@RickshawFan ,this is in the area of the ski basin, some quite rough terrain in the area:

Winsor Trail · New Mexico

New Mexico

goo.gl

About a half hour drive from town. You'll turn toward the Forest at the pink Scottish Rite building -- where my Dad went to dances in high school.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[RickshawFan]

This didn't look good, but I'm glad of the outcome!