Last week, a DC area hiking club reported that a member of their group had become separated from the party on the Lower Hawksbill Trail. The missing man had just joined the hiking club for the first time that morning, so the person who called had limited helpful information. Moreover, no one actually saw him with the group once they started on the trail. The parking area they started from serves numerous trails that go off in virtually every direction.
With no information to work with, only hasty searches of the extensive trail system could be conducted on the following day. Those searches did provide one lead, a possible witness who reported seeing someone on the Appalachian Trail above Timber Hollow with the one identifying feature of the missing hiker – he hiked with an ice axe, something not normally seen in Shenandoah in August. The man was also described as being very disoriented and frustrated.
This piece of information led to a more focused search of the area around the possible point last seen, though no clues were discovered during the second full day of searching. The investigation however, led to a better understanding of potential problems this hiker may have been experiencing. He was described as an alcohol user who had a history of seizures that would leave him mobile but disoriented for hours at a time.
On the third day of search teams were sent down into Timber Hollow, below the AT, where it seemed likely he may have stumbled or otherwise entered – terrain described as some of the worst in Shenandoah. Almost immediately one team found clues believed to be associated with the missing person, including an empty bottle of vodka.
Shortly before noon on the third day the man was found at the bottom of Timber Hollow, lying in Hawksbill Creek. He was suffering from hypothermia with a body temp of 94 degrees and had a significantly altered mental state. He was littered to the boundary and then taken to a hospital.
The man ultimately spent four days in the hospital, being treated for significant chemical imbalances among other things. Once he regained his mental alertness he was able to provide some details of his experience. He had started with the group on the trail but was the last in line. He then experienced a seizure shortly into the hike. When he came to he began to search for his party, but was still somewhat disoriented. The weather had deteriorated, with thick fog and heavy rains. He remembered meeting the man who had provided searchers with information on the point where he was last seen. After talking with him, he stumbled off the trail and tumbled down the steep slopes, ending up well below the trail. Although injured from the fall, he was still able to move. He did not want to climb back up to the trail, so he walked across the slope, hoping the trail would come down to him. He ultimately found the drainage and decided to follow it down. He then spent the first night near the bottom of the hollow, and on the following morning, continued to look for a way out but started having difficulty with his legs going out. He ultimately just stopped and sat down. He had no memory of what happened on much of the second day. He spent about another 48 hours in stormy weather until the search team found him.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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