Keep an eye out missing couple 395 Dyer area

[ski3pin]

For illustration, here are a couple photos

Panorama from the top of Coyote Pass to the southeast, the grade down to the town of Silver Peak and the playa mined for lithium. The east side of the grade (this view) is a bit steeper than the west side.

Here's Fish Lake Valley Hot Springs. Coyote Pass is the gap in the Silver Peak Range on the far left.

the road in from the west (off of SR 264) is wide, graded, and flat. The parking area at the hot springs is very large. In Google Earth, drag street view down to the hot springs, the street view photo shows several travel rigs in the parking area that gives a sense of scale.

 

[ntsqd]

^^^^ Absolutely agree.

Looks to me like the Coyote Road description is the work of a private individual rather than someone official or corporate.

On the lug nuts topic, the tool that I used to tighten them lives in that vehicle.

 

[Old Crow]

The RV and car were brought down off the mountain yesterday (Sunday, 4/10/22) according to Travis' 05:23AM post today.

YouTube and "Diesel Brothers" TV personality Dave "HeavyD" Sparks volunteered to organize the recovery. Video of it will be posted on his YouTube channel.

Brief excerpt:

"HeavyD had conversations with my cousin Jennifer and myself and from that he formulated a plan to recover the RV and Kia from where the sat on Red Mountain. A lot of logistics went into an operation like this. HeavyD was able to coordinate with contacts out of Reno, they then flew into Tonopah in the early morning on Sunday. The entire team then made their way up to the stranded vehicles and worked throughout the day to make the recovery and bring everything safely down the mountain."

More detail and 2 post-recovery photos in the article. To see Travis' log, go to the first photo (a photo montage, actually) under 'The Search' and click on the 'See more' link.

Our hearts are full article


.

 

[ski3pin]

Old Crow, thanks again for the updates and cluing me in on all this social media stuff. Oh my goodness. What a world.

 

[PJorgen]

This is truly a sad story, but as a Nevada resident I'm disappointed to see that the family is putting some of the blame on local law enforcement.

As others in this thread have noted, when you venture off road, you are responsible for your own safety and survival. I've long maintained that the most important survival skills are thorough planning before the trip and good decision making during the trip.

As teledork mentions, studying maps and knowing the territory are critical before leaving. And as Craig333 states, we need to carefully consider the conditions before deciding to find out where that road goes. As I get older my physical abilities and limitations become bigger factors in my decisions. Thanks to everyone on this forum for all the thoughtful comments that help me make good decisions.

 

[teledork]

This is truly a sad story, but as a Nevada resident I'm disappointed to see that the family is putting some of the blame on local law enforcement.

As others in this thread have noted, when you venture off road, you are responsible for your own safety and survival. I've long maintained that the most important survival skills are thorough planning before the trip and good decision making during the trip.

As teledork mentions, studying maps and knowing the territory are critical before leaving. And as Craig333 states, we need to carefully consider the conditions before deciding to find out where that road goes. As I get older my physical abilities and limitations become bigger factors in my decisions. Thanks to everyone on this forum for all the thoughtful comments that help me make good decisions.

Seem to be standard to blame a government agency of some kind. I suspect it is the precursor to a lawsuit.( *edit below)

A few people have mentioned age and physical ability. Ever since the flat tire (at Potts Ranch) I think long and hard about the location risks and pay better attention to the condition of my vehicle - the tires should have been replaced BEFORE that trip. Friends were arriving the next day and several cowboys were in the area moving cattle and bathing in the hot spring so I could have asked for help but I am one stubborn old cuss and accustomed to taking care of myself (and I did not want to sleep in the camper on a jack) But I am about ten years older now and more cautious for that reason alone. I hurt my back pretty bad with that one.

I re-read the statement from the family. It sounds like there may have been difficulty in organizing a search because the missing couple were not residents of Nevada and the family would like to see that changed. There is no mention of legal action.

 

[ski3pin]

From elsewhere on the Internet....................

 

[Foy]

Man, that's tough to see. Looks like a pair of fairly simple problems became a fatal problem. Not that getting the Class C unstuck looks easy, but in general, it's not as though there was a rollover, fire, major mechanical issue, etc.

The Kia appears to be at least partially obscured from visibility from the air. If correct, it is difficult to say what an expanded search could have expected to have turned up.

Foy

 

[ski3pin]

The gut wrenching sad part of the Kia photo - if the location coordinates are correct - they drove out from the RV, reached the road they came in on, turned the opposite direction that (presumed) they drove in, and then chose to drive down this road.

 

[ntsqd]

I've been assuming since they were found that the decisions made by them once off the pavement were made when not of sound mind. Suddenly they realized they were in way over their heads and made panic decisions. At one time or another I'll venture that we've all done that. We just happened to survive and hopefully learn from them.

That old cliche' about the English sitting down and having a cuppa before making any decisions is often laughed at and it is rarely recognized as being really sound advice.

 

[ski3pin]

<snip>
That old cliche' about the English sitting down and having a cuppa before making any decisions is often laughed at and it is rarely recognized as being really sound advice.

The one we've always used and taught is STOP!
Stop
Think
Organize
Plan

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

That system works for me.Great advice.
Thanks .
Frank

 

[ntsqd]

And if you can have a nice cup of tea while you're STOP-ing it, so much the better!

 

[craig333]

The one thing I add to that is don't make decisions on an empty stomach.

 

[Foy]

The one we've always used and taught is STOP!
Stop
Think
Organize
Plan

That's a good and catchy acronym for our longtime goal concerning reaction to adversity, nearly always involving a stuck truck (or drill rig, or water buggy, or geophysical logging truck, etc, etc): Settle down, don't hurry, think ahead, we have one shot at getting this equipment moving and working again today, so we need to be sure not to foul up tomorrow by not taking the time to get it right today.

This situation brings sad, sad memories of the stranding of Albert and Rita Chretien, a Canadian couple, and the death of husband Albert Chretien back in March 2011. Drove off of I-84 in southwestern ID headed to Jackpot, NV from their BC home, guided by GPS. The route chosen was in fact the shortest, but it cut through the northern end of the Mahogany Mountains and if they'd have made it that far, the northern end of the Jarbidge Mountains, all in Elko Co, Nevada. It was a route not maintained in winter, and they drove headlong, at night, down less and less significant roads. Got stuck trying to turn around. Tried to get out for a day or two (?) before Albert struck off with the GPS and a couple bites of snack food, trying to reach Mountain City, NV and help, around 8 miles away as the crow flies. He never made it. Rita stayed in their 2WD van for seven weeks, surviving on a small amount of snack food and candy, and drinking meltwater and creek water. Rita was found in early May by locals on ATVs out hunting for elk horn sheds and was near death. She was rescued by air ambulance and survived. Albert's remains were found by elk hunters 18 months later in October 2012. His route, presumably guided by GPS, took him directly up Merritt Mountain to a point 2,400' higher than the van was stuck at. He died in a tree well in several feet of snow (recall that the 2010-2011 winter in much of the Rockies and Basin and Range saw a huge snowpack).

Foy

 

[Vic Harder]

That is a sad story Foy. I like this aphorism, borrowed from the wise folks in the far east "There is much to do. We must sit."

 

[AWG_Pics]

The problem is you never know when your skills fade. My dad was famous for being able to go to a new location all over the world and almost instantly know where he was and how to get where he wanted to go. That served him well until he was visiting us in Portland about 10 years ago, he had just turned 90, and he and my Mom went missing while on a 'short walk' in NE Portland. I left work, called the police and we separately drove all over everywhere until the police pulled me over to tell me my folks had turned up at a Safeway store about 5 miles away. We collected them and he just could not believe he had gotten lost on the grid of streets in Portland. It was the beginning of his decline mentally, which can happen to any of us. My dad lived another 10 years, but we all watched him like a hawk, thereafter.

 

[craig333]

My Mom just passed away Sunday night after a very long battle with Alzheimers. The first clue was when she got lost trying to visit me and my brother.

 

[ski3pin]

My Mom just passed away Sunday night after a very long battle with Alzheimers. The first clue was when she got lost trying to visit me and my brother.

Our condolences, Craig on the loss of your mom.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

My Mom just passed away Sunday night after a very long battle with Alzheimers. The first clue was when she got lost trying to visit me and my brother.

Craig, our sincere condolences.