[at-l] Missing Hiker - PCT

[atinca at mindspring.com (Karen Koontz)]

Everyone--

If you are inclined to pray, we need some prayers up for a dear friend and
member of the Old Dominion ATC - "Seabreeze".  He has been an avid hiker for
years, has done the AT as a series of section hikes and upon retirement,
went out to finish the PCT (he did part of it last year I think).  He is
missing.  Here is the info we know so far from an e-mail I received today -
if anyone has any other ideas, please pass them on and thanks in advance for
any thoughts and prayers:

John (Seabreeze) has not been heard from since his Anza, CA maildrop May 2;
that is 20 days ago. I called the next three post offices he had mail drops
at, (Michele's idea) and his supplies dated April 19 from Richmond are still
there. I called the hostel whcih was next on his list and he has not arrived
there either. The owner of the hostel called me again this am and she
decided to call the Sheriff's Dept. I've spoken to a deputy twice today and
given them as much info/description as I could.

John is officially a "Missing Person" and they cannot call out search and
rescue at this time because the area he could be in is so large. Basically
he'd have to have a run in with the law or show up somewhere with amnesia so
that they would run an ID check.

Ken is in California; he left me a message yesterday from one of his first
stop and is back on the trail until Wed. My answering machine now gives him
phone numbers to call in California in case I miss his next call.

Just before he left in April, John had packed all his stuff into Ken's
renovated barn. Ken has the keys in California so I can't get in there to
retrieve any info. I will call John's office Monday am to get full name/DOB
etc and if they have any next of kin names, etc. Brian Townsend will email a
pic of John to the hostel owners in CA and they will get it to the law
enforcement and on the PCT bulletin.

Chris and Heidi are in Bryce/Zion until midnight Tues; talked to them
today---snow pack out west is very heavy; Grand Canyon just opened a month
late. The area John is in was slammed with snow this past winter. Chris has
a detailed plan of John's hike route (I have the mail drops/dates) and Chris
will get that to me on Wed to get it to CA. If they can narrow his route,
they can possibly start a search.

Everyone I've talked to in CA from the postal workers to the hostel owners
to the law enforcment officer have been wonderfully helpful.The people who
own the hostel have put out an email bulletin, and everyone out there has my
number and email if he turns up.I will keep you posted. I will also forward
the bulletin that the owner of the hostel is putting out when available.

My hopes are not high, but I'm having a hard time imagining a Ken without a
John. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.