Such a sad story. I remember one of the first times I went hiking, there were several of us and a guide. One of his rules was do not leave the trail, someone ask about using the bathroom and he replied '10 steps' then he explained that you should never take more than 10 steps off the trail. He said if someone sees you or doesn't like it who cares, that's better than becoming lost and a story on the 6 o'clock news. I have always remembered that and I think it is especially true when you are hiking alone or in unfamiliar areas. Yes I have followed this rule since that day.
Twenty steps is better, just look over your shoulder and note the direction you went, then turn around and walk back to the trail. I don't see how this woman could have become lost if she had simply backtracked.
Who care if you take a pee break? I do it all the time. Trail etiquette is that if you see someone relieving themselves, just politely ignore them and look the other way.
I cant tell you how many SAR missions I have gone on looking for people who left the trail to use the bathroom. First this is always not a good idea. If you do this, you must turn around every 10 or 20 feet and look to see what the forest looks like going back out. Second, mark your path with tree scrapes or something to help you find your way back to the trail. You don't need to go that far off trail to relieve yourself.
@@bawattsyl Brian, yes absolutely never leave your pack behind at the trail. Thank you, for what you do! You keep peoples memories alive forever and educate people on how to properly enjoy our trails.
Spot on advice, especially about looking behind you. You see people in movies going hundreds of yards into the bush for a pee or no. 2 - never made sense to me. Do not copy what idiots in movies do
Finished my Appalachian Trail thru hike in July 2023. Several times I met other thru hikers going the wrong way. Basically stopped for a bathroom break or water, got back on the trail and just walked the wrong direction.
A simple compass would have prevented most of these tragedies. Amazing the number of hikers who don't even carry a map or compass - and then get lost as Gerry did.
@@LaurenceDay-d2p I couldn’t agree more. In 99% of cases, I have paper maps and compass and most times a small GPS. In the case of the Appalachian Trail, very few folks had a physical compass. Many used their Smart Phones. As for maps, never saw a map but just about everyone was using the FarOut App (formerly known as Gut Hook).
I got lost in the woods exactly the same way. I was lost for 36 hours in Yolla Bolly wilderness, a true wilderness of deep forest that's 40 miles across in Northern California. Anyone who says they can't get lost in the woods hasn't spent much time in the woods. Its easy to get lost. I had nothing except my clothes. It was traumatic and caused life long PTSD that I still live with 30 years later. It ruined my climbing hobby and it ruined my ability to find pleasure in travel. It made me obsessed with home and the security of my home. It didn't make me agoraphobic, though. I can travel up to 100 miles away before the PTSD kicks in and then its a sense of doom.
good grief, dude. You need to get back to nature lolol because it's your NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. It birthed you, and you're AFRAID? Yep.. learn to walk in it, first. Do it.. because you're not doing well.
oo I can imagine! I think I would be the same. I live in Britain which is, of course, nowhere NEAR as big as your own country, and I fear getting lost in our woods
Her female friend who accompanied her and had to leave the hike due to a family emergency said that Gerry had gotten lost several times with her and she never should have continued on her own. So sad 😢
Yes, I read that too. Jane said that Gerry would often fall behind and get disoriented.. just very sad because Gerry was a wonderful woman who touched the lives of so many people. I can't even imagine her emotions and thoughts in her days at that final campsite:(
No disrespect meant, but I am wondering if Gerry might have been suffering from early-stage dementia. That would explain her becoming disoriented easily. Were there other memory or cognitive issues arising recently before she went missing? It's so sad what happened to her. She sounded like such a wonderful person.
@@bawattsylthat’s what I thought as well when you mentioned that they had found her inside her sleeping bag - how terribly scared she would’ve been, among other emotions 😢
@@georgiegirl8345 I know I can't imagine:( but even in her diary she seemed so brave and strong🙏 but it was very sad reading the last few pages of them:(
This story has always stuck with me. Getting turn around in the woods can happen fast. It only takes a simple tired brain lapse. Stay frosty, and stay safe out there!
People do not make honest assessments of their abilities and forget that this is not an amusement park, it can kill you. She obviously had no business being on the trail alone as she did not have the skills needed. It is a shame she did not recognize that.
Tying a line to a tree by the trail and holding on to that line at all times, if you have to go off the main trail for any reason is the best way not to get lost!
Geraldine’s story is one of the saddest missing person’s cases. She was so passionate about hiking the Appalachian Trial and unfortunately she lost her way. Some experts will tell you to hunker down, but sadly 😢 this may not help you if you are off the trail. It teaches us to be well versed in compass skills and map “know how”. She is a far braver lady than I. My comfort zone would be to hike with others, but I understand the beauty of hiking in solitude. One day I will attempt the Camino Santiago in Spain. I hope Inchworm is RIP. She’s hiking the trails in heaven 🌈🕊️ My deepest condolences to her friends and family.
To echo what somebody else said, you don't have to go far off the trail to get privacy. Obviously it depends on bush density, and I would advise NEVER taking your eyes off that trail, and you can get a few feet in. I was watching a video which was a real eye-opener for me. It was four or five guys walking through the bush (might have been PNW which admittedly has fairly thick foliage). They were walking perpendicular to the trail and they had orange vests on. They seemed to emerge out of nowhere and seriously they must have gone only 6 or 7 ft into the bush on the other side of the trail and POOF, they were gone!!! 2 lessons from that: you need to only go a few feet in and people can't see that you're having a poop (and let's face it, everybody out there is pooping in the woods so don't be overcome by potentially dangerous modesty), and given how quickly they disappeared, THAT is how easy it is lose your bearings completely, from the trail.
Better yet, carry a compass and Inreach. Take a reading on the trail, go off trail to the west, drop a turd, go back east. Thank God nature still deals with these feeble minded genetic dead ends such as Gerry, else the woods would be even fuller of REI granola chomping reddit reading turbotards from the suburbs
And any decent person on a trail can shoot an azimuth to the highest peak and then from there can triangulate exactly where they are. You can always stay put as well. They always find you where you were, if you’d just stayed
I would never hike alone. Whenever I’ve left the trail to take care of personal business, I think I can find my way back to the trail. But I can’t until someone calls my name. The sound directs me. Happens every time.
Wait... An older gal hiking alone with not so good map skills and had issue's reading a compass? This was an accident waiting to happen. Start a damn fire!!! Take a whistle. ALWAYS carry a Personal Locator Beacon. Horrible decision making. God bless her children.
Why didn’t her husband insist she pause the hike until she could get another companion? He must have known her very well. known she would have been helpless if anything happened while hiking alone. Maybe he planned to do just that when he drove up to meet her. So tragic What a terrible way to lose someone you love, never knowing for years. i am glad they did eventually find her for her family’s peace of mind.. 💐
I came across a story from someone who had been on a short hike in the area where she was lost. A young woman and her boyfriend did a weekend backpack trip. They heard someone yelling for help but were unable to determine their location. They called back to the person and tried to find them but they did not want to stray too far off of the trail and the person yelling moved away and the cries became more distant. The woman said this has always haunted her after hearing of this lost woman. Unfortunately I do not remember where I encountered this story and I cannot verify it's authenticity, but it struck me as an honest account of her experience.
Always carry a whistle, whether you have a dog or not (I do). If they had continued to blow their whistle, the person could have followed the noise and found them.
It is time for someone to design a hiking kit that prevents every mistake made in these stories. This would enable new hikers to benefit from solutions to the mistakes of past lost hikers.
If you can’t read a map and don’t use a compass so you get a gps but loose it, break the trip get a new gps learn to use a compass and map an restart the trip. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Don’t depend on 100s of people and helicopters to search for you, that’s pretty privilege. Where I live kids learn to use compasses in school and every military does the same. Orienteering as a very popular sport with huge tournaments in some countries running from point to point decided by someone else only using map and compass.
The book "when you find my body" goes into this story in depth. It's no exaggeration to say she made every possible mistake. She even bought a EPIRB, which is very expensive, but never bothered to learn to use it so she left it behind.
@@kathy888 Wow! I wonder why more people don’t use a whistle. That would probably have helped this lady, since she was so close to the trail. You have an excellent point.
I read the book about her "When you find my Body ". It really touches your heart and hopefully will give a lesson to others about how easy it is to get lost.Also 4 of the guys who had spent 2 years hunting for her and felt terrible they never found her ,were allowed to be the ones to carry her body out.Also a couple of them followed the creek in front of her camp and hit a road in 45 minutes.So sad the whole way around.
...it's sad most people lost contact with nature and just don't know how to survive anymore.. never underestimate mama nature, come prepared or don't go at all
I know this is an old thread, but there's something even experienced hikers don't practice. Looking behind you. Stop at short intervals and check your back trail. It's just a safe habit to get into. Things look different from the other direction. If you learn to focus not just on where you're going, but what it will look like if you come back that way, the life you save may be your own.
For me it is always unbelievable that people are not found despite search parties, dogs, helicopters and modern equipment such as thermal imaging cameras. This great woman survived for 4 weeks - all search operations had 4 weeks and nothing was found. that was incredibly bad.
So tragic. I do remember hearing about Gerry, and feeling so sad about what happened. Thanks for covering her disappearance, Bryan. I love how you handle these cases with so much compassion.
This story has always haunted me since the first time I heard it. Part of me doesn't want to watch it because of that, but since it's you, Bryan, I will.
Sadly she was not prepared to go on trail by herself. As a woman near her age and a fellow nurse, there is NO way I would ever continue on my own. Blessings to her family.
Normally I would never caution anyone not to hike alone because I have done that hundreds of times without any problems. But while hiking the A.T. in 2008/09 I came across a woman who had a friend with a car meet her at every, single trailhead because she got lost so easily. I wish Gerry hadn't ended up alone, such a kind caring person.
There are a lot of "ifs" to this story. If she would have brought a whistle, if she would have learned to read a compass, and if she would have just stayed in one place, and not try to find her way back. Sadly, there are many folks who are avid hikers or "experienced" hikers that end up dead.
It never fails no matter how many times I hear Ms. Gerri's story I always tear up when her diary excerpt is read. You can tell by the warmth of her smile she was genuinely kind and a beautiful person. May her family be at peace. I'm glad she was returned to them.
Hi Bryan! Hope you are doing good. Thank you for covering the case about Gerry. It's so incredibly sad what happened to her, I can't even imagine how scared and alarmed she must have been getting lost after using the restroom. I hope that her family finds peace and comfort and may Gerry rest in peace 🙏🕊️ I wish you a safe and happy holiday season and I look forward to your next video! Sincerely Timber
TWO THINGS BACKCOUNTRY HIKERS COULD CARRY- A ROLL OF BRIGHT FLORESCENT TAPE. AND A PERMANENT MARKER! When a hiker becomes lost off trail. Simply Write their Initials or name on 1’ section of the tape. Tear it off and tie to a chest high bush. Those rolls are probably 100 feet or more. Every quarter mile keep leaving the marker tied on trees/ bushes. Could even write on a longer section if your injured etc! I have spent a life time adventuring into back country mostly off trail into very remote wilderness all seasons. Been turned around a few times. 🙏s for here family. People need to get proactive and devise things and techniques to survive and make themselves found
Very Sad case:( I remember reading about this. Reading her diary entries was heart breaking. Thank you for covering the case with such compassion! I also wanted to say thank you for your Christmas Card. I've never gotten a Christmas card from a youtuber. I really appreciate it and it is a beautiful card and love your labels too. Prayers for all the cases you cover and wishing you a Happy Holiday!
The story of Geraldine Largay's death, and the failure of searchers to find her, haunts me. She could have been saved. She was out there for almost a month before she died. Her situation reiterates the importance of not hiking alone. So many of these stories involve hikers, both male and female, and some of whom are very experienced, who go out alone and then disappear. It makes it clear that one should carry a compass and topo map and know how to used them! They are not heavy. They don't take up a lot of space. Had she been able to do this instead of relying on her (lost) GPS device, she might have made it back. Also, if you are going off trail to use the bathroom, take a compass heading so you know how to get back. All those trees look the same. This story also shows why a cellphone is not enough. I have been in national parks where there was no cellphone service of any kind.
It happened to me once on a hot day in Canyonlands National Park. I got lost and ran out of water. If I had stayed disoriented for another 20 minutes, I’d still be in there somewhere, skeletal remains amidst red 500-foot cliffs on all sides. Hiking alone is not a very good idea.😊
I've been in similar situations and thankfully another hiker or teammate came to my rescue. I'm very glad you made it out ok and hope you're having a great holiday season and wishing you a wonderful new year🙏thank you for watching and sharing your experience 🙏
Thank you for this video. It is astonishingly easy to get lost. If one is unfamiliar with the area, then any direction is as good as any other direction. The Pine Barrens of New Jersey offer a case in point: Stray fifty feet off the trail and you will be completely lost unless you can follow your own footsteps back to the trail. Many people do not possess this simple skill.
Thank you so much, Bryan. Another good story. So unfortunate. My concern is that, because of so many of these unfortunate incidents of solo hikers losing their lives, the Parks are going to be forced to require hiking permits that come with a steep fee for all hikers.
A large portion of the Maine woods is incredibly thick! Proficiency with a compass is an absolute must! What a shame, she sounded like a truly good person.
I just want to send my condolences to her family and everybody else that was affected by this I am just so sad to hear this this is a hard one All of them are hard but she's a caregiver in her heart and that's hard to That's hard to swallow because I know she's giving out so much love throughout her life
She had no business of walking that hike alone and she had no sense of direction and did not know how to use a compass. Stupid mistake. Very strange her husband didnt even look for her
I know a lot of people wander way off trail on a thru-hike to use the br.. and further they often leave their pack next to the trail.. I've talked about this in many videos. Please be safe out there and always carry a compass and GPS device 🙏
Yes, I'm from the BC Mountains always hike in pairs or more, and carry a satellite beacon. Check the weather before you go and daily. Never leave the trail.
ambulatory adults are easy to find. Draw a X on a map intersecting last sighting. Light fires every 100 yards. have a tender for each fire. The lost person will find his/her way to one of the fires.
If l had to leave a path to pee or whatever l would just go behind the nearest bush, not walk into the forest. Or at least tie something to a branch or shrub every few steps to find the way back, or bring a roll of bright string to roll out as l went and then follow back. Getting lost can happen so fast.
I also follow a RUclips channel called 'Beer in Beautiful Places', where Maddie the content creator hikes the Application Trail. It looks beautiful and it just does not look as potentially dangerous as the Pacific Crest Trail or the Continental Divide Trail. Poor Gerry, if only she had a GPS beacon.
I would never let my wife go into the wilderness alone like that. Ill advised foolishness. Gambling with her life, our future, my life, & the hearts of our children for some thrill or vain “accomplishment”. The time to do something like this was way before you made commitments. Either we do it together or you let that dream go. Exposing yourself unnecessarily to bears, the elements, killers & all manner of perils for what? Your bucket list??
I'm pretty sure she was an adult and her husband didn't let her do anything! Adults can make their owns decisions she shouldn't have been going alone that's the problem.
Clearly her husband did not stop her from her foolishness. That is their house. As for me & my house, we will serve the Lord. God's instruction & wisdom for marriage if for wives obey their husbands, even as the husband is to love his wife, as Christ loves his church. This simple structure would have allowed the wisdom the husband is to seek from the Lord to instruct him, & for him to therefore put the ky-bosh on this wild 'adventure' that ended in misery, heartbreak, & death of not just her life- but of all the relationships she had with her family. It could be as simple as: "Honey, you're not going on a cross country hike in the wilderness by yourself- it's not going to happen. Now, if you truly want to do this, & will properly train & prepare - I will as well, & do this trek with you. I cannot protect you from harm if you're out in the woods by yourself, & that is my job." @@journeysalkebulan
@@eioinmclove how dare you say something so vile…. You wouldn’t say that without hiding behind a keyboard. Bible says wives, obey your husbands. It’s just that simple.
So very tragic and sad. To be so close to civilization but not realize it. I’m surprised she wasn’t found, but it’s easy for we hikers at home to say what we’d do in that situation.
This was a hot topic on the web forum “White Blaze”, which is a long distance hiker group. One of the more pointed comments was it is possible to be an experienced AT hiker and yet have no actual backwoods experience. This became Gerry’s downfall, she had no ability to know how to self rescue. Many have stated a simple self rescue was to find a stream and follow downstream. In New England, this will always bring you out to civilization. Why she did not choose this has been a baffling question. Connected with what became poor decision making was her lack of survival gear, GPS device, whistle, compass and knowledge how to use with a map, all things rarely needed when hiking the AT. Sadly, my wife and I encountered the signage posted up and down the AT for miles about her being missing, so this story was something I paid attention to, including watching both North Woods Law episodes about the initial search and the finding of her final resting place. A very sad story.
I live in the woods.....I see where I'm going on my way....and then turn around and see what it looks like the other way. Keep calm..and use your brain. See sky..,sun ..lay of the land..
Had this woman never heard of FIRE. No excuse to not build a fire and keep it burning 24/7. She lived for a month and didn't have a fire???? This goes for all the other lost hikers too. FIRE The searchers will always see the smoke. SO SIMPLE.
When she was supposedly "preparing for months" before the hike. Wouldn't it extremely prudent to learn how to get REALLY good with map & compass PLUS basic understanding of how to figure out time of day AND bearing without a compass? A one day class and anyone can become very proficient
Please if you are going to step off the trail for ANY reason , even if you have a GPS device, PLEASE tie the end of a ball of bright colored yarn to a branch next to the trail and carry it with you to TCB. Then follow the yarn back to the trail, winding it up as you go, untie from the branch , and it's ready for your next off trail stop. HAPPY TRAILS TO YALL
Rest in peace Geraldine I pray for you and your family. To lose your life over such a simple call of nature. I know you are experienced and I know you've done everything in your power to make it to your husband and I know that you probably survived a long time because of your a lot of people said I would have walked around until I found safety well the park rangers recommend that you stay put they said you have the best chance of being found if you don't move around and Geraldine would have known that. Unfortunately for her they didn't find her in time and partly she made a mistake by putting the tent under trees that could not be located by an airplane then. It's just so senseless it's heart-wrenching it should have never happened. Rest in peace beautiful soul.
i recall r reading a book called “The Tracker”, about a man who was Native American and had been trained in the indian way to track animals and people. Most SAR persons do not have that level of training,intuition or NA heritage. I wonder if a Tracker would have made a difference in the search. it is just mind boggling that so many searchers for so long could not find her.
When I participated in treasure hunts, I invested in a satellite phone as well as the usual location devices. Well worth the money if you’re going to be in remote locations.
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Such a sad story. I remember one of the first times I went hiking, there were several of us and a guide. One of his rules was do not leave the trail, someone ask about using the bathroom and he replied '10 steps' then he explained that you should never take more than 10 steps off the trail. He said if someone sees you or doesn't like it who cares, that's better than becoming lost and a story on the 6 o'clock news. I have always remembered that and I think it is especially true when you are hiking alone or in unfamiliar areas. Yes I have followed this rule since that day.
Twenty steps is better, just look over your shoulder and note the direction you went, then turn around and walk back to the trail. I don't see how this woman could have become lost if she had simply backtracked.
Who care if you take a pee break? I do it all the time. Trail etiquette is that if you see someone relieving themselves, just politely ignore them and look the other way.
I cant tell you how many SAR missions I have gone on looking for people who left the trail to use the bathroom. First this is always not a good idea. If you do this, you must turn around every 10 or 20 feet and look to see what the forest looks like going back out. Second, mark your path with tree scrapes or something to help you find your way back to the trail. You don't need to go that far off trail to relieve yourself.
Yes I agree with everything you said and I've also told people not to leave their pack at the trail (as many do) this is such a tragedy:(
@@bawattsyl Brian, yes absolutely never leave your pack behind at the trail. Thank you, for what you do! You keep peoples memories alive forever and educate people on how to properly enjoy our trails.
Or just use a compass....
Spot on advice, especially about looking behind you. You see people in movies going hundreds of yards into the bush for a pee or no. 2 - never made sense to me. Do not copy what idiots in movies do
Finished my Appalachian Trail thru hike in July 2023. Several times I met other thru hikers going the wrong way. Basically stopped for a bathroom break or water, got back on the trail and just walked the wrong direction.
A simple compass would have prevented most of these tragedies. Amazing the number of hikers who don't even carry a map or compass - and then get lost as Gerry did.
@@LaurenceDay-d2p I couldn’t agree more. In 99% of cases, I have paper maps and compass and most times a small GPS. In the case of the Appalachian Trail, very few folks had a physical compass. Many used their Smart Phones. As for maps, never saw a map but just about everyone was using the FarOut App (formerly known as Gut Hook).
I got lost in the woods exactly the same way. I was lost for 36 hours in Yolla Bolly wilderness, a true wilderness of deep forest that's 40 miles across in Northern California. Anyone who says they can't get lost in the woods hasn't spent much time in the woods. Its easy to get lost. I had nothing except my clothes. It was traumatic and caused life long PTSD that I still live with 30 years later. It ruined my climbing hobby and it ruined my ability to find pleasure in travel. It made me obsessed with home and the security of my home. It didn't make me agoraphobic, though. I can travel up to 100 miles away before the PTSD kicks in and then its a sense of doom.
good grief, dude. You need to get back to nature lolol because it's your NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. It birthed you, and you're AFRAID? Yep.. learn to walk in it, first. Do it.. because you're not doing well.
I'm sorry you experienced that. It had to be terrifying. Have you considered therapy?
oo I can imagine! I think I would be the same. I live in Britain which is, of course, nowhere NEAR as big as your own country, and I fear getting lost in our woods
I'm thinking you may have had some preexisting tendencies - just sayin
I'm thinking you may have had some preexisting tendencies - just sayin
Her female friend who accompanied her and had to leave the hike due to a family emergency said that Gerry had gotten lost several times with her and she never should have continued on her own. So sad 😢
Yes, I read that too. Jane said that Gerry would often fall behind and get disoriented.. just very sad because Gerry was a wonderful woman who touched the lives of so many people. I can't even imagine her emotions and thoughts in her days at that final campsite:(
Did Jane try to talk Gerry out of going on alone?
No disrespect meant, but I am wondering if Gerry might have been suffering from early-stage dementia. That would explain her becoming disoriented easily. Were there other memory or cognitive issues arising recently before she went missing? It's so sad what happened to her. She sounded like such a wonderful person.
@@bawattsylthat’s what I thought as well when you mentioned that they had found her inside her sleeping bag - how terribly scared she would’ve been, among other emotions 😢
@@georgiegirl8345 I know I can't imagine:( but even in her diary she seemed so brave and strong🙏 but it was very sad reading the last few pages of them:(
This story has always stuck with me. Getting turn around in the woods can happen fast. It only takes a simple tired brain lapse. Stay frosty, and stay safe out there!
What’s odd that she walked 1/2 mile in for a bathroom break. 50-100yds is plenty far to squat & do your biz
I’d rather stay warm if that’s okay?
People do not make honest assessments of their abilities and forget that this is not an amusement park, it can kill you. She obviously had no business being on the trail alone as she did not have the skills needed. It is a shame she did not recognize that.
agreed
Tying a line to a tree by the trail and holding on to that line at all times, if you have to go off the main trail for any reason is the best way not to get lost!
Very good idea. Thank you for sharing and for watching! I hope you have a nice holiday season🙏🙏
Thats my method too. Tie a string to a tree at the trail and to my belt loop. I lose neither end.
Excellent method. Every backpacker should carry at least 50ft of slim nylon line. There are dozens of these on the internet.
Geraldine’s story is one of the saddest missing person’s cases. She was so passionate about hiking the Appalachian Trial and unfortunately she lost her way. Some experts will tell you to hunker down, but sadly 😢 this may not help you if you are off the trail. It teaches us to be well versed in compass skills and map “know how”. She is a far braver lady than I. My comfort zone would be to hike with others, but I understand the beauty of hiking in solitude. One day I will attempt the Camino Santiago in Spain.
I hope Inchworm is RIP. She’s hiking the trails in heaven 🌈🕊️
My deepest condolences to her friends and family.
To echo what somebody else said, you don't have to go far off the trail to get privacy. Obviously it depends on bush density, and I would advise NEVER taking your eyes off that trail, and you can get a few feet in.
I was watching a video which was a real eye-opener for me. It was four or five guys walking through the bush (might have been PNW which admittedly has fairly thick foliage). They were walking perpendicular to the trail and they had orange vests on. They seemed to emerge out of nowhere and seriously they must have gone only 6 or 7 ft into the bush on the other side of the trail and POOF, they were gone!!!
2 lessons from that: you need to only go a few feet in and people can't see that you're having a poop (and let's face it, everybody out there is pooping in the woods so don't be overcome by potentially dangerous modesty), and given how quickly they disappeared, THAT is how easy it is lose your bearings completely, from the trail.
Better yet, carry a compass and Inreach. Take a reading on the trail, go off trail to the west, drop a turd, go back east.
Thank God nature still deals with these feeble minded genetic dead ends such as Gerry, else the woods would be even fuller of REI granola chomping reddit reading turbotards from the suburbs
When you step off the trail, you suddenly realize things look the same in every direction.
So true!!
It also looks different once you turn around to head back. Then you realize heck I only know the view heading in.
It’s good to poop off-trail, but, maybe don’t go further off the trail than absolutely necessary?
And any decent person on a trail can shoot an azimuth to the highest peak and then from there can triangulate exactly where they are.
You can always stay put as well. They always find you where you were, if you’d just stayed
I would never hike alone. Whenever I’ve left the trail to take care of personal business, I think I can find my way back to the trail. But I can’t until someone calls my name. The sound directs me. Happens every time.
Wait... An older gal hiking alone with not so good map skills and had issue's reading a compass? This was an accident waiting to happen.
Start a damn fire!!!
Take a whistle.
ALWAYS carry a Personal Locator Beacon.
Horrible decision making.
God bless her children.
Actually, she did start a fire a few times or at least she tried. I guess she wasn't too good at that either.
Why didn’t her husband insist she pause the hike until she could get another companion? He must have known her very well. known she would have been helpless if anything happened while hiking alone. Maybe he planned to do just that when he drove up to meet her. So tragic What a terrible way to lose someone you love, never knowing for years. i am glad they did eventually find her for her family’s peace of mind.. 💐
@@prarieborn6458 Maybe he tried but she chose not to listen to him and continued with her hike.
I came across a story from someone who had been on a short hike in the area where she was lost. A young woman and her boyfriend did a weekend backpack trip. They heard someone yelling for help but were unable to determine their location. They called back to the person and tried to find them but they did not want to stray too far off of the trail and the person yelling moved away and the cries became more distant. The woman said this has always haunted her after hearing of this lost woman. Unfortunately I do not remember where I encountered this story and I cannot verify it's authenticity, but it struck me as an honest account of her experience.
Always carry a whistle, whether you have a dog or not (I do). If they had continued to blow their whistle, the person could have followed the noise and found them.
Always carry a whistle when hiking, and a gun, where legal.
It is time for someone to design a hiking kit that prevents every mistake made in these stories. This would enable new hikers to benefit from solutions to the mistakes of past lost hikers.
If you can’t read a map and don’t use a compass so you get a gps but loose it, break the trip get a new gps learn to use a compass and map an restart the trip. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Don’t depend on 100s of people and helicopters to search for you, that’s pretty privilege.
Where I live kids learn to use compasses in school and every military does the same. Orienteering as a very popular sport with huge tournaments in some countries running from point to point decided by someone else only using map and compass.
This is so sad. Her poor husband trying desperately to find her, and s&r with an impossible task. Rest in peace, inchworm.
The book "when you find my body" goes into this story in depth. It's no exaggeration to say she made every possible mistake. She even bought a EPIRB, which is very expensive, but never bothered to learn to use it so she left it behind.
Maybe a $2 whistle would have saved her. So very sad.
@@kathy888 That is such a good point Kathy, I always carry a whistle with me, not just when hiking but every day!
@@kathy888 Wow! I wonder why more people don’t use a whistle. That would probably have helped this lady, since she was so close to the trail. You have an excellent point.
The book is so good! I enjoyed it!
Natural Selection is real, circumventing with urban life has proven absolutely disastrous for mankind
Such a shame she got lost. She sounds like a great person. God bless her.
I read the book about her "When you find my Body ". It really touches your heart and hopefully will give a lesson to others about how easy it is to get lost.Also 4 of the guys who had spent 2 years hunting for her and felt terrible they never found her ,were allowed to be the ones to carry her body out.Also a couple of them followed the creek in front of her camp and hit a road in 45 minutes.So sad the whole way around.
...it's sad most people lost contact with nature and just don't know how to survive anymore.. never underestimate mama nature, come prepared or don't go at all
I live in Maine and remember this so well. So sad that they couldn't find her in time.
I know this is an old thread, but there's something even experienced hikers don't practice. Looking behind you. Stop at short intervals and check your back trail. It's just a safe habit to get into.
Things look different from the other direction. If you learn to focus not just on where you're going, but what it will look like if you come back that way, the life you save may be your own.
For me it is always unbelievable that people are not found despite search parties, dogs, helicopters and modern equipment such as thermal imaging cameras. This great woman survived for 4 weeks - all search operations had 4 weeks and nothing was found. that was incredibly bad.
It’s not as it is an open and limited area like a football field to search. 🤔
I don't think people understand how massive it is out there.
Huge area and thickly forested. Extremely difficult to find somebody.
So tragic. I do remember hearing about Gerry, and feeling so sad about what happened. Thanks for covering her disappearance, Bryan. I love how you handle these cases with so much compassion.
This story has always haunted me since the first time I heard it. Part of me doesn't want to watch it because of that, but since it's you, Bryan, I will.
Best to be not shy when relieving yourself.. 👍🏼🌲🌳🌲🍃
Sadly she was not prepared to go on trail by herself.
As a woman near her age and a fellow nurse, there is NO way I would ever continue on my own.
Blessings to her family.
Normally I would never caution anyone not to hike alone because I have done that hundreds of times without any problems. But while hiking the A.T. in 2008/09 I came across a woman who had a friend with a car meet her at every, single trailhead because she got lost so easily. I wish Gerry hadn't ended up alone, such a kind caring person.
Even men shouldn't go alone this applies triple time for women. and no that is not"sexist" it's actually caring about women ya know.
Your videos are absolutely perfect to listen to on a walk in nature
There are a lot of "ifs" to this story. If she would have brought a whistle, if she would have learned to read a compass, and if she would have just stayed in one place, and not try to find her way back.
Sadly, there are many folks who are avid hikers or "experienced" hikers that end up dead.
What a lovely tribute. Sending love to the family.
Thank you, Bryan. I love your compassionate covering of these stories!
Absolutely tragic! 😢Prayers for the bereaved loved ones. 🙏Thank you, Bryan, for all the work you do. It is SO important! Praying for your health 🙏
This is so sad, as most of these cases are. Thank you Bryan for all you do to bring awareness to these cases. I’m always hoping for happy endings.
Never Never go alone.
Former Air Force nurse helping others ... so glad she was found for her last wish & comfort for her family💖
It never fails no matter how many times I hear Ms. Gerri's story I always tear up when her diary excerpt is read. You can tell by the warmth of her smile she was genuinely kind and a beautiful person. May her family be at peace. I'm glad she was returned to them.
Hi Bryan!
Hope you are doing good. Thank you for covering the case about Gerry. It's so incredibly sad what happened to her, I can't even imagine how scared and alarmed she must have been getting lost after using the restroom. I hope that her family finds peace and comfort and may Gerry rest in peace 🙏🕊️ I wish you a safe and happy holiday season and I look forward to your next video!
Sincerely
Timber
No restrooms anywhere close. Privies at the shelters, mostly very clean. You plan for them. Otherwise, you dig a cathole.
A very sad tragedy. Her husband must have been very distressed and hurt.
TWO THINGS BACKCOUNTRY HIKERS COULD CARRY- A ROLL OF BRIGHT FLORESCENT TAPE. AND A PERMANENT MARKER! When a hiker becomes lost off trail. Simply Write their Initials or name on 1’ section of the tape. Tear it off and tie to a chest high bush. Those rolls are probably 100 feet or more. Every quarter mile keep leaving the marker tied on trees/ bushes. Could even write on a longer section if your injured etc! I have spent a life time adventuring into back country mostly off trail into very remote wilderness all seasons. Been turned around a few times. 🙏s for here family. People need to get proactive and devise things and techniques to survive and make themselves found
I remember when they were looking for her. I never heard she was found 😢😢. So sorry for the family and their loss. I get lost too.
Very Sad case:( I remember reading about this. Reading her diary entries was heart breaking. Thank you for covering the case with such compassion! I also wanted to say thank you for your Christmas Card. I've never gotten a Christmas card from a youtuber. I really appreciate it and it is a beautiful card and love your labels too. Prayers for all the cases you cover and wishing you a Happy Holiday!
Yes, I read them too and it's just heartbreaking:( thank you for watching and your feedback🙏
The story of Geraldine Largay's death, and the failure of searchers to find her, haunts me. She could have been saved. She was out there for almost a month before she died.
Her situation reiterates the importance of not hiking alone. So many of these stories involve hikers, both male and female, and some of whom are very experienced, who go out alone and then disappear.
It makes it clear that one should carry a compass and topo map and know how to used them! They are not heavy. They don't take up a lot of space. Had she been able to do this instead of relying on her (lost) GPS device, she might have made it back. Also, if you are going off trail to use the bathroom, take a compass heading so you know how to get back. All those trees look the same.
This story also shows why a cellphone is not enough. I have been in national parks where there was no cellphone service of any kind.
It happened to me once on a hot day in Canyonlands National Park. I got lost and ran out of water. If I had stayed disoriented for another 20 minutes, I’d still be in there somewhere, skeletal remains amidst red 500-foot cliffs on all sides. Hiking alone is not a very good idea.😊
I've been in similar situations and thankfully another hiker or teammate came to my rescue. I'm very glad you made it out ok and hope you're having a great holiday season and wishing you a wonderful new year🙏thank you for watching and sharing your experience 🙏
I felt that one. Powerful! Her soul flys on for sure.
Thank you for this video.
It is astonishingly easy to get lost. If one is unfamiliar with the area, then any direction is as good as any other direction. The Pine Barrens of New Jersey offer a case in point: Stray fifty feet off the trail and you will be completely lost unless you can follow your own footsteps back to the trail. Many people do not possess this simple skill.
Oh man, at least they found her remains and diary to give her family closure.
She was totally unprepared
Great presentation- very thorough! Subscribed to ALL notifications. Great speaking voice, too!
Thanks for covering this. You have such a respectful and gentle way❤
You can always carry a couple hundred feet of brown paracord to anchor at the main trail in case you need to blaze a brown trail.
Lmao blaze a brown trail
Directionally compromised individuals need to take extra precautions or do not step a foot into the woods!
There is a book about her that oncludes her journal entries called When You Find My Body. Thank you for sharing Bryan.
Sad story.😟 May she rest in peace.🙏
This case has always intrigued me. So sad.
Note to self: pee on the nearest tree on the trail. Never go off trail.
Yeah but might have been more important than a pee! 😂😢😢😢
@@C-Here Well poop a few steps off the trail too.
@@carolcarol3938
😅😂👍
Thank you so much, Bryan. Another good story. So unfortunate. My concern is that, because of so many of these unfortunate incidents of solo hikers losing their lives, the Parks are going to be forced to require hiking permits that come with a steep fee for all hikers.
Thank Bryan for All that you do. My condolences to this lady Gerry's family. Another Sad ending. 🙏🙏🙏
A large portion of the Maine woods is incredibly thick! Proficiency with a compass is an absolute must! What a shame, she sounded like a truly good person.
very sad ...God bless this great lady......r.i.p....
I just want to send my condolences to her family and everybody else that was affected by this I am just so sad to hear this this is a hard one All of them are hard but she's a caregiver in her heart and that's hard to That's hard to swallow because I know she's giving out so much love throughout her life
Another great video, although sad.
I think about poor Geraldine a lot. Her diary broke my heart. She sounds like such a sweet strong lady.
Thanks. ✌🏻👊🏼
She gave searchers nearly a month to find her strong lady!
She had no business of walking that hike alone and she had no sense of direction and did not know how to use a compass. Stupid mistake. Very strange her husband didnt even look for her
Thanks for another great video. Hope you're doing great.
Such a tragic case. Minor correction - I live in Nashville, and Brentwood is about 10 minutes South of Nashville. May be difficult to tell on a map.
Glad she was finally found so her family could have some closure. RIP Geraldine. ❤
Another sad 💔story. Thank you for sharing. Prayers for her loved ones. 🙏
I'm convinced that after 50, no one should hike alone.
@user-us5pv8zw3z no idea. Hey screw it. Stupidity culls out the herd.
Not 50. No one should hike alone at all.
This was so SO sad. Didn't have to be. Please carry a compass and take a bearing if leaving the trail to tend to nature calls. Still makes me tear up.
I know a lot of people wander way off trail on a thru-hike to use the br.. and further they often leave their pack next to the trail.. I've talked about this in many videos. Please be safe out there and always carry a compass and GPS device 🙏
Elderly woman alone hiking- not a good decision
Yes, I'm from the BC Mountains always hike in pairs or more, and carry a satellite beacon. Check the weather before you go and daily. Never leave the trail.
Not the best idea for any woman to hike alone too many creepazoids
Yes us women should all live in fear and never leave the house 🙄
Omg that’s so so so tragic….. very hard to swallow what she had gone through in that month of solitude waiting to die… o m g
Sad story bless her heart.
Funny how you call it going to the bathroom though.
I don’t know how people attempt to do those things without good knowledge of basic navigation, at the very least, or continue without a GPS.
Waiting for this ... thanks Bryan.
ambulatory adults are easy to find. Draw a X on a map intersecting last sighting. Light fires every 100 yards. have a tender for each fire. The lost person will find his/her way to one of the fires.
If l had to leave a path to pee or whatever l would just go behind the nearest bush, not walk into the forest. Or at least tie something to a branch or shrub every few steps to find the way back, or bring a roll of bright string to roll out as l went and then follow back. Getting lost can happen so fast.
Happy Holidays Bryan and to your family, hope you have a happy and safe holiday and a great New Year
Thank you and for you as well🙏
@@bawattsyl your most welcome 🙏
A very private woman. How many persons walk on that trail that you have to leave it to do your stuff? I think she must have been confused already!
Gosh. Terrible😒 RIP ma'am.
How tragically sad.
I also follow a RUclips channel called 'Beer in Beautiful Places', where Maddie the content creator hikes the Application Trail. It looks beautiful and it just does not look as potentially dangerous as the Pacific Crest Trail or the Continental Divide Trail. Poor Gerry, if only she had a GPS beacon.
THANK YOU SHE WAS FOUND FINALLY
I would never let my wife go into the wilderness alone like that. Ill advised foolishness. Gambling with her life, our future, my life, & the hearts of our children for some thrill or vain “accomplishment”. The time to do something like this was way before you made commitments. Either we do it together or you let that dream go. Exposing yourself unnecessarily to bears, the elements, killers & all manner of perils for what? Your bucket list??
Well said.
I'm pretty sure she was an adult and her husband didn't let her do anything! Adults can make their owns decisions she shouldn't have been going alone that's the problem.
Clearly her husband did not stop her from her foolishness. That is their house. As for me & my house, we will serve the Lord. God's instruction & wisdom for marriage if for wives obey their husbands, even as the husband is to love his wife, as Christ loves his church.
This simple structure would have allowed the wisdom the husband is to seek from the Lord to instruct him, & for him to therefore put the ky-bosh on this wild 'adventure' that ended in misery, heartbreak, & death of not just her life- but of all the relationships she had with her family.
It could be as simple as: "Honey, you're not going on a cross country hike in the wilderness by yourself- it's not going to happen. Now, if you truly want to do this, & will properly train & prepare - I will as well, & do this trek with you. I cannot protect you from harm if you're out in the woods by yourself, & that is my job." @@journeysalkebulan
You would "never let" your wife? Flaming heck, she isn't your dog.
Loads of women hike alone with no problem. This is one tragic story.
@@eioinmclove how dare you say something so vile…. You wouldn’t say that without hiding behind a keyboard. Bible says wives, obey your husbands. It’s just that simple.
Im from Virginia and we call it Appa latch un. That's how you say it
So very tragic and sad. To be so close to civilization but not realize it. I’m surprised she wasn’t found, but it’s easy for we hikers at home to say what we’d do in that situation.
This was a hot topic on the web forum “White Blaze”, which is a long distance hiker group. One of the more pointed comments was it is possible to be an experienced AT hiker and yet have no actual backwoods experience. This became Gerry’s downfall, she had no ability to know how to self rescue. Many have stated a simple self rescue was to find a stream and follow downstream. In New England, this will always bring you out to civilization. Why she did not choose this has been a baffling question. Connected with what became poor decision making was her lack of survival gear, GPS device, whistle, compass and knowledge how to use with a map, all things rarely needed when hiking the AT. Sadly, my wife and I encountered the signage posted up and down the AT for miles about her being missing, so this story was something I paid attention to, including watching both North Woods Law episodes about the initial search and the finding of her final resting place. A very sad story.
Thanks Bryan. Everyone hiking needs a personal locator beacon
I live in the woods.....I see where I'm going on my way....and then turn around and see what it looks like the other way. Keep calm..and use your brain. See sky..,sun ..lay of the land..
Had this woman never heard of FIRE. No excuse to not build a fire and keep it burning 24/7. She lived for a month and didn't have a fire???? This goes for all the other lost hikers too. FIRE The searchers will always see the smoke. SO SIMPLE.
When she was supposedly "preparing for months" before the hike. Wouldn't it extremely prudent to learn how to get REALLY good with map & compass PLUS basic understanding of how to figure out time of day AND bearing without a compass? A one day class and anyone can become very proficient
Tears volunteer to evac from my eye-holes behind this. 😢
Please if you are going to step off the trail for ANY reason , even if you have a GPS device, PLEASE tie the end of a ball of bright colored yarn to a branch next to the trail and carry it with you to TCB. Then follow the yarn back to the trail, winding it up as you go, untie from the branch , and it's ready for your next off trail stop. HAPPY TRAILS TO YALL
Rest in peace Geraldine I pray for you and your family. To lose your life over such a simple call of nature. I know you are experienced and I know you've done everything in your power to make it to your husband and I know that you probably survived a long time because of your a lot of people said I would have walked around until I found safety well the park rangers recommend that you stay put they said you have the best chance of being found if you don't move around and Geraldine would have known that. Unfortunately for her they didn't find her in time and partly she made a mistake by putting the tent under trees that could not be located by an airplane then. It's just so senseless it's heart-wrenching it should have never happened. Rest in peace beautiful soul.
Unfortunately, she probably had too much confidence on the GPS. Mirror, whistle and waterproof matches take little room in backpack.
And she lost it anyway... 🤷😢😢
i recall r reading a book called “The Tracker”, about a man who was Native American and had been trained in the indian way to track animals and people. Most SAR persons do not have that level of training,intuition or NA heritage. I wonder if a Tracker would have made a difference in the search. it is just mind boggling that so many searchers for so long could not find her.
If you go of the path you can get lost look behind you to see a tree you remember or a rock😮 very sad for her husband and daughter😢
I'm in Maine and can confirm how easy it is to disorient. Maine is a dangerous state.
When I participated in treasure hunts, I invested in a satellite phone as well as the usual location devices. Well worth the money if you’re going to be in remote locations.