I go with the river theory. Has there been any searches conducted downstream?
The river was searched, and since it gets considerable fishing in the summer lots of people view it. There is only about three miles from the AT Crossing to the highway at the Sugerloaf Resort, and the last mile of that stream runs along the edge of the golf course, and another half mile runs behind a bunch of condominiums. Not much in the way of remoteness.
Here is a picture of the crossing. 101001245.jpg
Everyone has a photographic memory. Not everyone has film.
I'm going to chime in though its worth mentioning all of this has been covered already in this thread. Good thoughts Thorfinn although I disagree that the Poplar Ridge to Spaulding Mtn and beyond doesn't offer any good places to be lost in. Second to only the 100 mile wilderness, this is probably the most remote 'area' of the entire AT and this section is easily top 3 in the most remote. Once off trail by just a few hundred yards there are all kinds of places to be lost in. You're right that there are few hazards on or very near the trail here, though clearly she didn't end up on or near the trail. As far as the Carrabassett I can definitely say the south branch was searched very thoroughly and there isn't much there to hide a body, unlike the Orbeton. The main branch does get big and deep, plenty of places for her to be if she washed down that far, but by that logic you'd have to speculate all the way to the next damn or further...and then what? As mentioned by OldHillwalker, its is very popular recreation spot. If for some reason she is in some 8ft deep undercut or wedged below a boulder etc and hasn't been found at this point, I doubt she will be. Water hides stuff better than dry ground. And finally, there are other drainages and areas that haven't been searched well and far more likely to be where she ended up than the Carrabassett. I wasn't aware there was any major search effort this September, not that the wardens tell us anything. Was that this year? Any idea where 'they' searched? God I wish they'd give us a map!
Thorfinn, it's over 13 miles from Poplar LT to the South Branch of the Carrabassett and no one saw Gerry that day after about 7:30 am at Poplar. For her that's an entire days hiking. I can't believe that that she would have hiked all day to get to the Carrabassett without anyone seeing her.
My guess is she didn't make it past Orberton just 2.6 miles from her point last seen. The railroad bed that follow Orberton allows easy access to the trail.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
Reading about this for awhile. A lot to take in, but my first impressions are two things.
The water theory, and foul play seem very likely.
I hate to say it and do not want to offend, but my third theory is she walked away from the trail and her life on her own accord.
This is the theory I subscribe to. Um, to which I subscribe.Originally Posted by BaxterBear
Everyone has a photographic memory. Not everyone has film.
Why would someone who by all accounts had a loving family and had dreamed of hiking the trail just walk away from either?
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
I have a hard time buying the "she walked away from her life" possibility. If you're going to do that, you don't ask your husband to support you on your hike. But I don't rule out foul play -- either at the hands of strangers or someone known to her.
you left to walk the appalachian trail
you can feel your heart as smooth as a snail
the mountains your darlings
but better to love than have something to scale
-Girlyman, "Hold It All At Bay"
Yeah this backs up my BOG theory, I seriously suspect she slipped In a bog, if you don't think theirs bogs in that area you never been to ME, I really don't think she was kidnapped/abducted in any way, she made a wrong step and away she went never to be seen or heard from again.
I really don't think we will ever find out what happened to her.
Years ago, someone dear to me disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a seemingly happy life. We feared the worst, never considering she just walked away. She resurfaced months later living in another state. Sometimes people harbor secret pain we know nothing about. Do I think Gerry walked away? I doubt it for two reasons. First, with today's technology it's very hard to do anything without leaving an electronic trail or being seen on a security camera. Your story and your face get out there quickly. Second, Gerry was much older and wiser than my friend was. She was married a lot longer and had deeper roots, and likely more resources to get help in a bad situation, if that were the case.
As to why someone would hike the trail just to disappear, why not? It's the one place there aren't security cameras, and one doesn't need to show their ID or credit card to pitch a tent. If I recall correctly, Gerry had about 48 hours from 'point last seen' to when she was reported missing. Probably another 48 hours before it was viewed as anything other than an overdue hiker situation. A person could be far, far away in that amount of time. By the same token, if this was foul play, the perpetrator also has time to cover their tracks before anyone starts looking.
My prayer for Gerry and her family is first for answers, and second, that the authorities have done their due diligence and looked at this case from ALL angles, even scenarios that don't seem so likely.
The Boston Globe magazine next Sunday will have a feature article about Gerry's disappearance. The author has had great access to family, friends, AT hikers and the Maine search team. Hopefully she will have some new insights.
I don't recall any bogs between Poplar and Spaulding LTs.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
AT02, LT 03-04, BMT05, NPT06, Haute Route07, Abol Ridgerunner 07/08, EBC Nepal trek 10
Yes sorry this is not a boggy area. Past the Bigelow in the Carry Ponds is Arnold's Bog - this was discussed and debunked pages ago.
AT02, LT 03-04, BMT05, NPT06, Haute Route07, Abol Ridgerunner 07/08, EBC Nepal trek 10
My thought is she went off trail for naturals call. Fell was injured and than became part of the food chain. Or foul play.
Powerful story. Thanks for sharing the link...
Article states that she always left her pack beside the trail.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
Interesting that George was quoted as saying: “I no longer wake up thinking about Gerry’s disappearance every morning,” he says. “Now it takes a holiday or an anniversary or a certain Neil Diamond song on the radio.”
Wow, really??? Then I guess I think of Gerry more often than her own husband.
www.postholer.com/Turtle Feet
Follow me as I crawl the A.T.
Life is an adventure or nothing at all ~ Hellen Keller
Got this link from another website and thought of this thread:
http://www.maine.gov/ifw/education/p...mainewoods.pdf
Since all, always, and never are the three most difficult words in English to defend, when reporters make these kinds of statements I have to question their familiarity of the activity. Its rather like reading about a small plane that crashed after performing stalls by turning the engine off. She may have normally left it by the trail when relieving herself, but there can be any number of reasons she did not. Always would imply she was not involved with this process when we just don't know that as fact.
There are several speculations floating around relative to Gerry's disappearance. In mysterious instances like these Occam's Razor can be applied, which paraphrased suggests "the simplest answer tends to be the most correct".
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