Inchworms Journal during 26 days lost...newest report

[muddy boots]

Yeh, the idea that George thought Gerry might have taken a zero day Tuesday, but even so, he called mid-day Wednesday to report her missing seemed odd. He would have known she couldn’t do the mileage in half a day. But maybe, because he hadn’t heard from her since Monday morning, (as far as we know) and she didn’t make it out Tuesday, by Wednesday, after sitting and waiting and worrying, he just needed to report her.

[muddy boots]

Cheryl, you found a very interesting post! Attroll posts from Warden a statement that “the cell phone ping from George sent on Monday about 1420 hours and her cell phone received,…..”

I took that to mean they know it reached her cell phone, (about 2:20 p.m.) but she didn’t answer?? Now the statement by George that “2:15 p.m. today will be two weeks since I last had contact from Gerry (a text) …” Having contact implies it was a back and forth text? That would be very different information than we have heard before. As far as I knew, the last actual contact was at 7:15 a.m. when they texted. If George’s statement means she responded to his text, then she was okay at 2:15? That would put her much closer to Spaulding lean-to.

[Sly]

Something else that doesn't add up is is that when Gerry didn't show up at Wyman Twp. on Tuesday (July 23), George figured she took a zero day (with the all day rain) and waited out the rain at Spaulding Mountain Lean To. George then waited until Wednesday for her and then reported her missing at somewhere around 1:30 that Wednesday. If Gerry only hikes 1 mph and she had 13.5 miles to hike, and the trail would have been muddy from the all day rain Tuesday, would she not have arrived at Wyman Twp around 8 pm if she had left at 7 am?

Since she didn't show up when arranged, that she took a day off in the rain, was probably wishful thinking. There are lots of other places after Spaulding Mnt Shelter she could have camped in a rain shortened Tuesday.

It's almost like you guys are insinuating George had something to do with it.

[muddy boots]

To be clear, not insinuating a single thing about George other than he was a worried husband. Just trying to make sense of the info.

[Sly]

Cheryl, you found a very interesting post! Attroll posts from Warden a statement that “the cell phone ping from George sent on Monday about 1420 hours and her cell phone received,…..”

I took that to mean they know it reached her cell phone, (about 2:20 p.m.) but she didn’t answer?? Now the statement by George that “2:15 p.m. today will be two weeks since I last had contact from Gerry (a text) …” Having contact implies it was a back and forth text? That would be very different information than we have heard before. As far as I knew, the last actual contact was at 7:15 a.m. when they texted. If George’s statement means she responded to his text, then she was okay at 2:15? That would put her much closer to Spaulding lean-to.

You need to read the quote over.

the cell phone ping from George sent on Monday about 1420 hours and her cell phone received, there is also another text received at 1030 she receives but does not answer. The cell phone company is guessing where that is, but if you remember the green band, about 120 degrees wide, Lenny had on the map that indicated that is most likely where the cell phone was at the time

[Don H]

It's almost like you guys are insinuating George had something to do with it.

I would be very surprised if George was not investigated and polygraphed very early on in the investigation.

[Sly]

I would be very surprised if George was not investigated and polygraphed very early on in the investigation.

I think that's SOP, but after seeing him in a couple videos, my gut instinct says he had nothing to do with it.

[BirdBrain]

I think that's SOP, but after seeing him in a couple videos, my gut instinct says he had nothing to do with it.

I agree. However the facts trump any suspicion. Before considering if he could be involved one must consider the logistics. She went missing in an area that was a 2 day hike from where he could get to her. People would have seen her or him in that area. It is impossible for him to be involved. Again, I agree. However, opinions are irrelevant here. Facts make it impossible.

[TD55]

Stop it you fools. Your idiotic ideas to even suggest the poor husband is anything other than a grieving husband are repulsive.

[BirdBrain]

Stop it you fools. Your idiotic ideas to even suggest the poor husband is anything other than a grieving husband are repulsive.

Fully agree. Although my post was more wordy and expressed it differently, I was trying to squish the possible escalation of this sort of thought.

[snifur]

this thread should be shut down. too many inappropriate comments throughout. respect the family of the hiker, the SAR teams and law enforcement. mods should also be ashamed for their tolerance and participation of such discussions. this thread is not a good example of the knowledge and people of WB.

[Dharma Dog]

this thread should be shut down. too many inappropriate comments throughout. respect the family of the hiker, the SAR teams and law enforcement. mods should also be ashamed for their tolerance and participation of such discussions. this thread is not a good example of the knowledge and people of WB.

This attitude is the reason so many missing persons are still missing.
A hiker seemingly vanished into thin air and not on a remote trail in the middle of nowhere but on the populated AT. Six weeks later not a shred of evidence has been found. It's time to stop worrying about internet etiquette, political correctness or hurting someone's feelings and find Gerry. It's time we start thinking outside the box. Collectively the many different mindsets on this forum are a powerful force that should not be discounted.
The internet detectives here may be Gerry and her families only hope.......please carry on.

[Symba]

This attitude is the reason so many missing persons are still missing.
A hiker seemingly vanished into thin air and not on a remote trail in the middle of nowhere but on the populated AT. Six weeks later not a shred of evidence has been found. It's time to stop worrying about internet etiquette, political correctness or hurting someone's feelings and find Gerry. It's time we start thinking outside the box. Collectively the many different mindsets on this forum are a powerful force that should not be discounted.
The internet detectives here may be Gerry and her families only hope.......please carry on.

I agree. and my two cents here is about my hiking the past few weeks. I was in the area she was. I am a decent backpacker who is in excellent shape, minus bad blisters, and it rained when I was out there. I got turned around twice due to trail markings and my lack of glasses used for distance (fuzzy things but can see fine). I walked over ledges that I do not want any of my family or friends to ever do. It was dangerous and I could see how one false step would mean my demise. I was worried about myself out there on the AT. I'm not being sarcastic with this post, I'm being honest. I think of myself as an above average backpacker with skills that range back almost twenty years. I'm only 41 now. I thought about inchworm as I hiked last week. I thought about crossing a logging road and how fast those trucks fly by and how easily I could be hit and jettisoned into a marsh never to be found under water. I thought a lot about how I could help finding something about her. I saw a book next to a ford that was abandoned. I kept my eyes open and nose clear; but it is a dangerous section I was in; very slippery on the rocks and roots, hand over hand grabbing roots and trees to climb two sections (one of those sections twice since I got turned around somehow, that sucked...where there's a giant square bolder on top of the ridge). If she didn't walk away to another lifestyle I would best guess her soul is now part of the AT. I know part of my soul is part of the AT ever since my thru hike in 2000. I am happy about that with myself; I hope she is at peace where her soul rests. At this point, and after two weeks, it is about closure only and anything is helpful. I can go on conspiracy theories about other happenstances with Inchworm, but that is to be left alone and facts go a long way now.

[SawnieRobertson]

Snifer, I disagree. You are advocating censorship of other hikers' speculations. That will never happen until she is found and the story of what happened is revealed. What happened is vital to the hiking community. This is not an evil thread. It is the opposite.

And, as for the timing of the report, it should have been decided in advance by Inchworm herself. Although it a PITA for the hiker, setting a time to contact those who are prepared to help if one has not shown up is the correct practice for all of the now-obvious reasons. In this case it seems to me that it might not have helped, but it is good practice.

Sorry to offend.

[Don H]

I think that's SOP, but after seeing him in a couple videos, my gut instinct says he had nothing to do with it.

I agree.

I don't think anyone here is making an accusation, but apparently some are wrongfully jumping to that conclusion.

[ScottishLass]

this thread should be shut down. too many inappropriate comments throughout. respect the family of the hiker, the SAR teams and law enforcement. mods should also be ashamed for their tolerance and participation of such discussions. this thread is not a good example of the knowledge and people of WB.

In all the speculation on this board, I have not read one sentence where the poster accuses anyone. There is much more danger in censoring free speech than in well-intended discussion.

[Madthrush]

I agree.

I don't think anyone here is making an accusation, but apparently some are wrongfully jumping to that conclusion.

I have read back through the posts and I can't find any point in which anyone accused the husband. The cold hard fact is that the moment anyone steps onto the AT, or partakes in any other outdoor activity, they are willingly entering the public domain. We are free to speculate about any aspect regarding their activity while they were undertaking a public activity. And let's remember Inchworm vanished while undertaking a hobby that is beloved by millions. Many of us are upset and confused that this could happen to a fellow hiker - we want answers. Censoring free speech on the thread would be a much greater crime than a poster speculating -- unless the poster was violating some prior agreement about the nature of permissible content. When I signed up for WB I don't recall having to agree not to speculate. I think if you're going to follow this thread you need to be open to everyone's ideas and opinions.

[modiyooch]

I think it's time to get back on topic. If it is foul play, logic tells us it can't be anyone waiting at the trailhead. If she had gotten that far, she would have been spotted. That section is described as one of the most remote stretches excluding the wilderness and she was smack dab in the middle. Yes, there is a dirt road, but it took me one hour to get there by that road, and I was fortunate that I got that far with the down trees and the crevices.

[Cheryl Carlson]

According to attroll "cell phone ping from George sent on Monday about 1420 hours and her cell phone received".
I found this email from George sent to his ministry leaders from his church and posted by "AngelMom" from another blog spot. I have attached this post. It states by George that 2:15 pm today (posted August 5) will be 2 weeks since I had my last contact from Gerry (a text). Isn't it kind of important what this text said???? That was their last reported communication.
Attachment 23864

I think that this "text" that George received from Gerry at 2:15 pm on Monday, July 22 is key, because it showed that Gerry could still text with her phone (or someone did). The question is what did the text say and where was she when she texted him? That seems to be the very last communication from Gerry. Was she texting George when she neared Spaulding Mountain Lean To saying she was going to keep hiking beyond that point or did she not make it that far? If she left Poplar Ridge approx. 7 am, she should have arrived at Spaulding Mountain Lean To about the time of that text.

[Turtle Feet]

Cheryl, I could be wrong, but I believe that text he's referring to was the one on Sunday, the prior day (I believe that email was sent on Sunday @ 2:15 to let him know she had reached the summit of Saddleback. He's said over and over that the last communication from Gerry was the 7:15am text on Monday, the 22nd.

I think that this "text" that George received from Gerry at 2:15 pm on Monday, July 22 is key, because it showed that Gerry could still text with her phone (or someone did). The question is what did the text say and where was she when she texted him? That seems to be the very last communication from Gerry. Was she texting George when she neared Spaulding Mountain Lean To saying she was going to keep hiking beyond that point or did she not make it that far? If she left Poplar Ridge approx. 7 am, she should have arrived at Spaulding Mountain Lean To about the time of that text.