WEBVTT 1 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:13.679 Thousands of people have mysteriously vanished in America's wilderness. Join 2 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.199 us as we dive into the deep end of the 3 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:19.800 unexplainable world and try to piece together what happened. And 4 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:22.879 you are listening to Locations Unknown. 5 00:00:54.759 --> 00:00:57.520 What's up, everybody, and welcome back to another episode of 6 00:00:57.560 --> 00:00:58.880 Locations Unknown. 7 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:00.200 I'm your co host, Joe. 8 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:01.920 You' roddling with me as always is a guy who 9 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:06.239 never uses AI for anything at all, ever, Mike Vanderboguard. 10 00:01:06.439 --> 00:01:09.079 Oh, thank you, Joe, and thank you to all of 11 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:10.680 our amazing listeners for tuning in. 12 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:13.519 My voice is back. Can we get a little round 13 00:01:13.560 --> 00:01:14.079 of applause? 14 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:24.640 Oh, let's see, I'm finding it. Nope, nope, there you go. 15 00:01:26.359 --> 00:01:28.439 Oh so it feels good to be back. So that 16 00:01:28.599 --> 00:01:29.840 was a rough stretch there. 17 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:33.120 I actually didn't remember what you sounded like. Oh well, 18 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:35.319 go back and listen to the last two episodes. I 19 00:01:35.799 --> 00:01:38.280 mean your normal voice. Oh yeah, I've been heard you 20 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:38.799 talk normal. 21 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:42.680 I spent so much time editing those two episodes, adding 22 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:47.000 out all the coughs and the soroat clearing everyone listening. 23 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:49.640 You can thank me because it was rough to listen 24 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:49.799 to that. 25 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:51.280 I didn't even want to be friends with you, anyone. 26 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:53.879 Yeah, it was brutal, all right, everybody, let's gear up 27 00:01:53.920 --> 00:02:15.879 and get out to explore locations unknown. July twenty eighth, 28 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:20.840 twenty eleven, experienced Australian hiker begins a ten days solo 29 00:02:20.919 --> 00:02:25.280 trek across Utah's remote you Into Highline trail. Along the way, 30 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:29.319 he encounters dangerous snowfields, leaves the established route more than once, 31 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:31.879 and is last seen by a boy scout group deep 32 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:35.199 in the back country. Days later, he fails to appear 33 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:39.120 at the Western trailhead. Search teams on foot, horseback and 34 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:42.680 by helicopters scour vast stretches of rugged alpine terrain, but 35 00:02:42.840 --> 00:02:45.800 find no clear trace of where he went. Join us 36 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:50.120 this week as we investigate the disappearance of Eric Robertson 37 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:56.680 Robinson Robinson, I'm doing too much stuff. I'm trying to 38 00:02:56.680 --> 00:02:58.960 find buttons and do things right. When I told you 39 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:00.639 I had it all figured out, he threw in all 40 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:03.599 this extra theme music and stuff. So I figure I'm 41 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:05.960 doing pretty good. Actually, yeah, given all that. 42 00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:07.879 So so. 43 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:11.639 The name of the location is the Uinta Highland Trail 44 00:03:12.039 --> 00:03:15.919 in the Uintu's Wilderness in U Into Mountains in Utah. 45 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:21.120 It's a lot of you into Utah. Some of the 46 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:23.759 we don't have much information about the area. We'll go 47 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:26.680 right into the climate. The area where Eric went missing 48 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:30.400 is a high elevation continental mountain climate, which is short, 49 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:34.400 cool summers, long, very snowy winters, and frequent fast moving 50 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:38.439 storms even in midsummer. Eric's hike in disappearance was late 51 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:41.560 July to early August. Fell in the core high country season, 52 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:44.240 which generally runs from late June to mid September. In 53 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:49.319 the Uinta's at elevation above about ten thousand feet. This 54 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:52.680 is the Anderson Pass dead Horse Pass in Alsup Saddle. 55 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:56.520 Daytime summer highs are commonly in sixties and seventies fahrenheit, 56 00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:00.000 seldom exceeding about eighties, so it's like great hiking weather. Yeah, 57 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:03.080 nighttime lows and the summer typically dropped into the thirties, 58 00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:07.159 with freezing temperatures possible even in July and August. In 59 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:10.280 a typical year, trails at lower elevation become usable by 60 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:13.520 mid June, but the high country passes and basins where 61 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:17.079 Eric was often doesn't melt out enough to hike until July. 62 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:21.759 So something about the snow and precipitation. The Uinas receive 63 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:24.560 about forty inches of precipitation per year, with most of 64 00:04:24.600 --> 00:04:28.560 that falling as snow. Winter snow accumulates deeply and often 65 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:31.560 persists in a summer on shaded slopes and high passes. 66 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:34.879 Snow can still occur at high elevations even in July. 67 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:38.560 Observers had documented six inches of new snow on July 68 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:41.560 twenty second near Mire Lake, about ten thousand fifty feet, 69 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:45.079 illustrating how a passing summer storm can briefly turn conditions 70 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:49.480 wintry in years with heavy snowfall and cool springs like 71 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:52.920 the twenty ten to twenty eleven season. Describing the investigative work, 72 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:56.560 campgrounds along Mirror Lake Highway sometimes don't fully open until 73 00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:01.399 late June and early July storms, wind and rapid weather changes. 74 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.560 So summer and the UINTAS is characterized by regular afternoon 75 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:06.879 thunderstorms and quick weather shifts. 76 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:11.199 Did we ever have the unitas? Is that in another 77 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:12.920 place or has it always been us? 78 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:15.639 I think we may have done an episode years ago 79 00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:17.480 in this area and we just said it wrong the 80 00:05:17.480 --> 00:05:17.920 whole time. 81 00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:20.879 So I'm like, I'm like, there's something close to this. 82 00:05:20.920 --> 00:05:22.959 When I think that the United. We just said it 83 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:26.439 expelling in this one, because I knew my urge was 84 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:27.720 to say unitas. 85 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:30.720 See you know, it's funny. I don't recall ever being corrected. 86 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:31.839 I'm sure we were. 87 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:35.240 I'm sure we just missed it. Yes, we'll actually cover 88 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:37.439 that in the Patron episode. And we read when we 89 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:40.600 read the comment comments thoughts that's fantastic. 90 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:41.480 Yes. 91 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:44.480 So moist air masses can produce short lived but intense 92 00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:47.959 thunderstorm cells, bringing heavy rain, hail, lightning, and sometimes snow 93 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:52.240 at the highest elevations. Forecast data for the eastern Juenta's 94 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:55.959 Mountains show that even on generally sunny days, afternoon chances 95 00:05:55.959 --> 00:05:59.639 of showers and thunderstorms are common, with gusty winds accompanying 96 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:03.279 front passages. Winds at high elevations are typically in the 97 00:06:03.319 --> 00:06:05.759 ten to fifteen million hour range, but gusts can reach 98 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:08.759 twenty to twenty five miles per hour or more in storms. 99 00:06:09.639 --> 00:06:13.360 So snowpack and timing during the twenty eleven conditions. When 100 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:16.480 heavy winter snow is followed by cool spring, high country 101 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:20.600 snowdrifts persist longer, meaning passes like Anderson Pass and Dead 102 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:23.519 Horse can remain partly snowbound well until July and early 103 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:27.079 August in twenty eleven. That meant portions of the Highline 104 00:06:27.079 --> 00:06:30.480 Trail Neil, Anderson, dead Horse and Rocky Sea Passes were 105 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:33.120 still covered by high angle snowdrifts. 106 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:35.319 When Eric traveled through a. 107 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:38.120 Little more about the terrain, Eric disappeared in a very 108 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:43.000 specific kind of high mountain train steep alpine passes, loose talus, cliffmans, 109 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:47.600 and remote basin where there is no no maintained trail 110 00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:50.519 on the side he tried to descend. The key areas 111 00:06:50.600 --> 00:06:55.439 are Anderson Pass, Yellowstone Basin, dead Horse Lake Pass, and 112 00:06:55.480 --> 00:06:59.720 the unnamed saddle above Allsop Lake. That's what we referred 113 00:06:59.720 --> 00:07:04.160 to as the Allsop Saddle. The Uinta Mountains are an 114 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:08.079 east west oriented range with many miles of subalpine and 115 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:11.040 alpine terrain above the tree line. The high Line Trail 116 00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:15.160 runs along the southern crest, crossing multiple passes above eleven 117 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:19.399 and twelve thousand feet. This environment combines very short summer 118 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:23.959 season with lingering snow fields on north facing slopes, frequent lightning, 119 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:27.600 and fast changing mountain weather. Broad open basins where trails 120 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:31.480 are faint and easily obscured by livestock or snow. Long 121 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:35.600 distances between trailheads, making rescue difficult. So a little bit 122 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:37.399 about the Anderson Pass. It's the highest point in the 123 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:40.160 high line and sits near King's Peak on a rocky 124 00:07:40.199 --> 00:07:43.959 headwall where the official trail traverses steep slopes below cliffs. 125 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:47.959 The pass itself is almost entirely rock, no smooth dirt path. 126 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:51.279 In twenty eleven, steep, high angled snow covered parts of 127 00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:54.720 the traverse created a situation where slipping couldsen a hiker 128 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:59.079 down into cliff bands and loose talus. Experienced mountaineers who 129 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:02.360 cross about a week after Eric reported higel snow and 130 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:04.879 chose to go above it on a knife edge ridge 131 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:07.759 rather than traverse across it, emphasizing how risky it was. 132 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:09.600 It's a little foreshadowing. 133 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:14.319 Yes, Eric, lacking technical snow gear, bailed below the snowfield, 134 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:16.879 scrambling down through those cliff bands and loose rock. Once 135 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:20.000 below the pass, he entered Yellowstone Basin, a broad drainage, 136 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:21.759 so he didn't try going through it, which is a 137 00:08:21.800 --> 00:08:22.360 smart move. 138 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:22.959 Yeah. 139 00:08:23.160 --> 00:08:25.879 The trail runs perpendicular to the Highline trail leading down 140 00:08:25.959 --> 00:08:29.759 canyon instead of along the crest. Livestock and grazing use 141 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:32.879 have created multiple faint paths and signboards that can be 142 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:36.200 hard to read or follow. The Yellowstone Creek and Junction 143 00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:39.960 sign indicate you're leaving the Highline corridor, but a hiker 144 00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:43.320 must be paying close attention to interpret them. The dead 145 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:45.679 Horse Lake and dead Horse Pass so dead Horse Lake 146 00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:49.240 is an alpine basin in the West Fork Black Black's 147 00:08:49.320 --> 00:08:52.960 Fork drainage. The lake sits in a rocky bowl beneath 148 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:55.759 dead Horse Pass, which is widely regarded as the most 149 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:59.039 difficult pass on the entire high Line. The pass is 150 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:02.200 a steep north facing slope with loose talus and narrow 151 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:05.440 trail and heavy snow years snowdrifts can cover the trail 152 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:08.919 well into August. I'm getting it's really snowy here, snowy 153 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:12.960 and rocky and just slippery. The talas rocks are slippery enough. 154 00:09:12.919 --> 00:09:15.639 When you're just on them, let alone when they're wet 155 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:16.679 or snowy. Yes. 156 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:19.639 The trail switchbacks up a tallis slope, then crosses a 157 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:22.440 high angle snow slope above cliffs, a location where a 158 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:26.799 slip could Sunday hiker overexposed drop offs the unnamed saddle 159 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:30.639 above Alsop Lake instead of climbing down climbing dead Horse Pass, 160 00:09:30.759 --> 00:09:33.399 eric turned west towards an unnamed saddle between dead Horse 161 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:36.679 Lake Basin and Allsop Lake Basin in the East Fork 162 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:38.559 Bear River. So for anyone who doesn't know what a 163 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:41.480 saddle is, it's if you can imagine like a saddle 164 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:42.960 on a horse, it kind of dips down where you 165 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:45.519 sit on it. Pretend there's two mountains, and the in 166 00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:48.200 between those two mountains is the quote unquote saddle. 167 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:50.600 It's like a little baby valley exactly. 168 00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:53.279 It doesn't go all the way down, but it like 169 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:55.399 connects two ridges, two peaks. 170 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:55.639 Whatever it would be. 171 00:09:55.799 --> 00:09:58.600 Yeah, and it's easier to you take the saddle and 172 00:09:58.639 --> 00:09:59.960 don't go all the way down and go back up. 173 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:00.360 Yes. 174 00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:04.639 Usually a faint unofficial trail climbs from the vicinity of 175 00:10:04.679 --> 00:10:08.279 dead Horse Lake up to the saddle. This path is 176 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:10.879 not is not a maintained high line route. It exists 177 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:14.080 mainly as a social trail used by few adventurous parties. 178 00:10:14.600 --> 00:10:17.000 From the saddle, a hiker can see Allsop Lake below, 179 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:19.559 giving the impression of a potential shortcut to the East 180 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:23.080 Fork trail system. On the Allsop side, which is the 181 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:25.759 west side, the train drops away from the saddle in 182 00:10:25.799 --> 00:10:29.240 two stack cliff bands down into a steep boulder field. 183 00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:33.080 Investigators described two sets of cliffs, an upper band roughly 184 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:35.559 forty or fifty feet tall, and a lower band another 185 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:38.639 sixty or seventy feet, with a combined slope averaging about 186 00:10:38.679 --> 00:10:42.200 a fifty two percent grade below the cliffs. The slope 187 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:45.440 is a field of broken rock, large boulders coarse talus, 188 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:49.440 where movement is unstable and footing is poor. There is 189 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:54.360 no maintained trail descending the allsop side. Only risky options 190 00:10:54.440 --> 00:10:57.399 exist a steep gully or traversing above cliffs to reach 191 00:10:57.559 --> 00:10:59.759 screen slope. That's the one thing I've run into a 192 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:02.919 couple times. You look down at lakes from like mountains, Yeah, 193 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:05.120 a lot of times it looks like it's just a hill, 194 00:11:06.039 --> 00:11:09.399 and then when you actually look at terrain maps there 195 00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:12.039 can be like huge drop offs but you can't see them. 196 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:14.559 So you can end up getting in really bad spots 197 00:11:14.600 --> 00:11:16.639 by thinking like, oh, I can just go down that way, 198 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:18.440 and then you all of a sudden can't get back up. 199 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:21.559 Yeah, it's advisable to really stay on trail as best 200 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:22.279 as possible. 201 00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:25.879 Yeah, So overall hazards in the area if you haven't 202 00:11:25.879 --> 00:11:28.639 already figured that one out. Elevation and exposure are a 203 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:31.600 huge high exposed alpine terrain with steep slopes and cliff 204 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:34.840 bands where small navigation footing airs quickly become life threatening. 205 00:11:35.320 --> 00:11:38.480 The no maintained descent routes, so from all Stop Saddle 206 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:41.080 there's no official trail down to Allsop Lake, only steep 207 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:44.399 gullies or traverses above cliffs on loose rock routes that 208 00:11:44.440 --> 00:11:48.399 demand strong route finding judgment and comfort with risk rock 209 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:51.440 fall and snow effects over five years, Rocks break off 210 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:55.000 cliffs and roll down down slope. Snow and avalanches can 211 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:58.000 move bones and gears, scattering remains and adding to the 212 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:02.399 difficulty of interpreting the exact fall line. Isolation, Allsop Blake 213 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:06.480 is lightly visited compared to other u into spasins weather 214 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:10.720 and visibility alpine weather, cloud build up storms, low visibility 215 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:13.519 compounds the risk of trying to pick a descent line 216 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:16.480 in unstable talis and cliff terrain. So, Mike, why don't 217 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:18.440 you tell us a little bit about Eric Robinson? 218 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:20.600 Sure, and before we get go in, I will just 219 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:23.720 note to all of those listening you may from time 220 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:27.159 to time hear some weird sounds in the background. So 221 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:29.600 our new studio is on a third floor overlooking a 222 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:32.960 very busy intersection, and being Milwaukee, there's lots of motorcycles 223 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:33.440 out right. 224 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:34.879 Now and just weird sounds. 225 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:38.320 And they love blaring music. So I was listening to 226 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:40.679 one of our older episodes and I heard ambulance sirens. 227 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:42.759 There's also a huge hospital right near us. You might 228 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:46.639 hear some sounds, but that's just the all the excitement 229 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:47.720 going on outside the studio. 230 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:50.639 Everyone's excited that it's warm out. Yeah, it doesn't do this, 231 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:53.120 and so they decide to ride their Harley's around. 232 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:58.039 Oh yeah, that's the South Park episode. 233 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:00.840 Oh yeah, that's like the best. 234 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:02.960 You mayo we're talking about. Yes, so all right, back 235 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:03.559 to the episode. 236 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:04.320 Yes, all right. 237 00:13:04.360 --> 00:13:07.960 The name of the character in this case is Eric Robinson. 238 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:13.519 Date of birth March nineteenth, nineteen forty seven. He went missing, 239 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:16.559 so he's reported overdue on August seventh of twenty eleven, 240 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:20.440 after failing to arrive at the Highline trailhead at the 241 00:13:20.600 --> 00:13:23.200 end of a planned ten day hike in the area. 242 00:13:23.879 --> 00:13:27.320 He was male, age sixty three. Body description. 243 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:30.960 He was described by his wife and search officials as 244 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:33.000 about five foot seven to five foot eight. 245 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:36.279 He was He had a slender build, fit build. 246 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:39.279 He's bald headed with some gray hair around the sides 247 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:42.799 of his head. He as an avid, capable hiker who 248 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:46.039 had thoroughly walked nearly every trail in his homeland of 249 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:50.639 Australia and in multiple overseas mountainous regions. 250 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:52.919 He had blue eyes. 251 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:57.360 He was characterized as very social, friendly and outgoing, with 252 00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:02.639 a delightful Australian and Scottish accent, and he was known 253 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.519 to strike up conversations with anyone he came across in 254 00:14:05.559 --> 00:14:07.840 the woods. So he sounds like a pretty cool guy 255 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:11.399 to come across. If you're hiking and Australian Scottish accent, 256 00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:13.600 that's gotta be awesome. That's got to be a very 257 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:20.960 interesting mix of very interesting dialects. Absolutely so clothing and 258 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:24.159 Garia's last scene and so. During the twenty eleven search, 259 00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:27.519 his wife and officials described him as typically wearing a 260 00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:30.840 flea shirt and shorts while hiking, and he'd be equipped 261 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:33.120 for any type of weather he might encounter. He was 262 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:35.559 believed to be carrying a red backpack full of supplies, 263 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:40.320 an emergency locator beacon, and a bear resistant food canister 264 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.720 on which he had placed an Australian flagsticker so people 265 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:48.360 would know it if they found it. Personality, Like I 266 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:51.639 said before, he was very keen on hiking and absolutely 267 00:14:51.720 --> 00:14:54.879 passionate about the mountains. We had a long history of 268 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:58.480 exploring the wild trails in Australia, New Zealands, Scotland and 269 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:02.519 parts of California and Utah, and he was seen as 270 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:06.639 meticulous and very safety oriented. Like I said, he added 271 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:10.840 the flagsticker to his canister. He carried an emergency beacon, 272 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:13.320 which not a lot of people we cover on these 273 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:17.320 cases have that. But he also embraced the solitude of 274 00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:22.159 long solo treks. Friends and family noted very social friendly 275 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:26.519 and liked to talk with other hikers, but also like 276 00:15:26.679 --> 00:15:29.600 the fact that he was going out on his own 277 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:31.720 for a stretch of time, especially in a place like 278 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:35.679 this that after the location profile, sounds one of the 279 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:37.799 more remote places you could probably go in the lower 280 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:38.279 forty eight. 281 00:15:38.519 --> 00:15:40.120 Yeah. I say that about other. 282 00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:43.080 Places, but I mean this, this is in the top five. 283 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:45.000 I would say, I'm sharing the screen right now. Yeah, 284 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:47.480 and when I zoom out here, this is all stop lake. 285 00:15:48.279 --> 00:15:51.519 I mean it's far away from any type of major road. Yeah, 286 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:55.480 it's it's in the middle of kind of knowing. And 287 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:57.679 the closest city is Salt Lake. 288 00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:01.519 Salt Lake City to the west, so. 289 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:03.960 Not that far from Salt Lake. But once you get 290 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:05.840 away from the city, you're just out in the middle 291 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:06.240 of nowhere. 292 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:08.480 Yeah, it's not like you get little towns like from 293 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:12.480 the dot of Salt Lake City as a crow flies, Yeah, 294 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:14.559 seventy miles, sixty miles. 295 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:18.639 And yeah it you know, just based on your description. 296 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:22.440 It like fifty miles. I was a little feather but 297 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:24.320 that's all Stop Lake. So he had to get there, 298 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:26.200 so he was hiking all in this and this is 299 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:27.240 pretty gnarly. 300 00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:31.120 Yeah. Try, that's really cool. It is cool. 301 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:34.759 You could go along this entire line. I'm sure this 302 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:36.720 is the highline trail on this entire thing. 303 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:37.799 Yeah. 304 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:41.399 So here's the saddle that they're talking about. For those 305 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:44.320 looking see how it looks like a nice little horse saddle. Yeah, 306 00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:46.279 and he said you could see all Stop Lake from there. 307 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:50.200 I'll see if we got any images for many people. Oh, 308 00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:52.360 there's a couple over here, not exactly where they. 309 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:54.519 Are, Yeah, I'll see what they look like. 310 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:59.879 Courtesy of Brendan Nicholson, September. Thank you Brendan twenty seventeen. 311 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:03.399 Yellos snow it is yeah, this is this is. It 312 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:05.440 could be end of September or lyat September, don't know, 313 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:07.839 but either way it it looks cold. 314 00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:10.400 It gives me that feeling I had kind of like 315 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:13.240 you're on Mars when we were hiking in Hawaii. 316 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:16.000 This is one of those wild too, Like if you're 317 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:19.640 anywhere in this, yeah, there's no cover. No, you're not 318 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:22.839 getting lost in the woods for sure. I mean, even 319 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:25.319 if you're down there, it's pretty sparse. 320 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:27.759 Your best cover is if you go back over looking 321 00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:30.720 towards the lake. You've got some trees you could try 322 00:17:30.759 --> 00:17:31.359 to hunker down in. 323 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:33.279 Yeah, but I'm guessing these are those cliffs lock it. 324 00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:34.920 This is where it's like, oh, you could just do 325 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:37.119 quick down there, and that's where you get That's exactly 326 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:39.079 where you get like, oh, it looks like you could 327 00:17:39.079 --> 00:17:41.920 go down this way, yeah, and written reality, that's like 328 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:44.720 eight hundred feet down. Yeah, it looks like like, oh, 329 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:45.720 just get my sled out. 330 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:46.480 Yeah. 331 00:17:46.920 --> 00:17:51.759 Yeah, that's I mean, that's why I really hope people 332 00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:54.759 get out and hike at you know, hike locations we've 333 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:56.880 talked about because we show a lot of pictures. 334 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:58.920 Yeah, that was Dead Horse Pass. They talked about that. 335 00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:00.799 That's where we just took that pic from. So you 336 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:02.759 look at when you look up, that's that cliff edge 337 00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:05.400 right there. Yeah, it looked like it went straight down. Nope, 338 00:18:05.400 --> 00:18:07.559 you're gonna fall off that one and ye not make it. 339 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:11.359 Yeah, because pictures are really deceiving there, they do not 340 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:14.160 show the true verticality. 341 00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:16.599 Yes, if this looks like you could walk up it, 342 00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:19.359 I guarantee you'd be climbing on your hands and your face. 343 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:20.880 That would be like the escalator joke. 344 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:23.160 You would just be moving and not going anywhere because 345 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:25.079 as you're going up, you're pulling rock down and the 346 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:26.480 talus and the screen all that. 347 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:30.160 Yeah, it it is beautiful. It looks really cool. 348 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:33.119 Okay, awesome, I gotta get out more. 349 00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:34.160 So. 350 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:36.440 Yeah, this is eleven thousand feet from this shot. 351 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:41.240 Yeah from oh John lizzen By, Thank you, Jan, thank you, 352 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:42.519 beautiful shot. 353 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:44.680 Cool. All right, you can keep going, I'll keep on 354 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:45.440 all right. 355 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:50.680 So medical issues nothing major was identified during the search, 356 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:56.000 So throughout the entire search, you was Pertay portrayed as healthy, active, 357 00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:59.720 and fit for his age. No mention of chronic illnesses, 358 00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:03.799 ability limitations, or any acute medical problems that might have 359 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:10.200 contributed directly to his disappearance, just the basic risks that 360 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:13.960 someone his age could have in that high altitude environment. 361 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:15.640 Occupation and a hobby. 362 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:19.079 Robinson lived near Melbourne and was retired at the time 363 00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:22.319 of his twenty eleven truk. He had previously worked as 364 00:19:22.440 --> 00:19:26.279 a mechanical engineer and took part in off roading and 365 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:30.640 bushwalking with colleagues. Hiking and trekking were his dominant hobbies, 366 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:33.960 and he structured major portions of his life and travel 367 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:38.559 around multi week backpacking trips. And that sounds like an 368 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:41.599 amazing retirement. Yeah, I hope someday to be able to 369 00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:44.039 do that myself, if we ever get to retire. 370 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:46.839 So experience in the wilderness. 371 00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:51.240 He obviously had extensive experience, having thoroughly hiked nearly every 372 00:19:51.319 --> 00:19:54.839 trail in his homeland and also routes in like I said, 373 00:19:54.839 --> 00:19:58.720 New Zealand, Scotland, the high sierras of California, and other 374 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:02.440 mountainous environments over the decades. He learned to plan carefully, 375 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:06.119 carry adequate food and gear, and manage himself in remote areas, 376 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:11.799 which was why this disappearance was seen as especially perplexing 377 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:16.079 and concerning, just because of his experience level, how much 378 00:20:16.119 --> 00:20:18.559 hiking he had done, the gear that he had so 379 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:24.559 very interesting experience at this location. So Robinson had prior 380 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:29.839 experience hiking in parts of Utah, including segments of this 381 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:34.559 Winta region. Twenty eleven was his first document attempt at 382 00:20:34.599 --> 00:20:38.799 a full solo traverse of the high Line trail, and 383 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:41.759 he researched the high Line in advance and chose it 384 00:20:41.799 --> 00:20:44.480 as a major objective for his North American trip. But 385 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:49.680 the specific combination of unusually heavy lingering snow, complex terrain 386 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:52.720 that he had to go through, and the kind of 387 00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:59.400 fragmentation of the area with jurisdictional fragmentation made this route 388 00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:02.799 much more to allenging than many that he had previously done. 389 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:08.279 So really a tough, a tough hike by any stretch. 390 00:21:08.839 --> 00:21:10.279 I'm just looking something up quick. 391 00:21:10.839 --> 00:21:13.000 Yeah, I'm trying to find if there's any reports from 392 00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:15.160 twenty eleven's too little, too far back. 393 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:15.839 For all trails. 394 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:20.079 Yeah, so see where it was that well, if anyone's 395 00:21:20.119 --> 00:21:23.000 still watching the screen, you can see this is an 396 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:24.319 example of some of the markers. 397 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:26.039 Yeah, and this is a good karen. 398 00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:28.839 These If you see these on mountains and there's no 399 00:21:28.920 --> 00:21:32.000 markers like big power rocks, add one. It's a nice 400 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:33.400 little habit, just throwing on there. 401 00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:34.720