Walks with Moss: Looking for Carol Ferguson part II

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Looking for Carol Ferguson part II

Hood Canal is green again

Went back with my robotic camera to have another look at the red object I spotted with it last fall. Could not find it this time. I had not anticipated the trees all leafing out and blocking the view.

We went right up a creek bed rather than walking the road. Going up the creek bed would put us on the other side of the washout and keep us from a brushy and dry road walk. The creek was running here and there and that was a good thing since it was very hot. Ticks are so bad this year that I'm really scared to go in the brush.

Sage stopped and drank and soaked her paws wherever the creek was flowing. Going up the creek bed was challenging, but not bad. We have gone up worse ones and going up the creek bed made the hike much shorter. Getting up to the road from the creek took some planning, but we found a pretty good way to do it.

The last time we went up to this spot we saw a climber coming down the creek bed when we were on the trail. I looked it up and saw this was the route up Mount Bretherton. The climbers route goes up the creek to avoid the big washout.

Once on the road I manged to find a tiny spot to launch my remote camera. I flew it all around the area and I spotted the log where the red thing had been. I could not see anything on the scene or when I got home to review my footage. I have no real reason to believe that Carol ever went up the road, just a nagging urge to double check it.

Based on the ribbons that SAR left behind the search for Carol was extensive. My best guesses as to her where abouts are either she fell into Boulder Creek even though the trail never goes near the creek, or she wandered even further off trail than SAR searched. Poor carol.

If I go missing on a trail at the age of 83, don't grieve for me. Know that I died doing what I loved. I hope that Carol was not suffer too much. I hope that she is found someday. I know that there are rumors that she was getting senile and pehaps she wanted to avoid becoming senile and opted to die in the woods.

I will upload raw video footage for folks to look at. Also all of my photos of the area we explored are here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskA5Kb7c . Some photos were over exposed on purpose to try to bring out the shadows.

There were no ticks on this hike inspite of all the brush we brushed up against. I'm thinking ticks are more prevalent from Staircase and south of staircase. I had a horrible experience with lots of ticks in Shelton on a power line last week. I did not get bit but I flicked one off myself and lost count of how many I flicked off of Sage. One bit Sage. This was on the power line above Lake Isabella. I hope those horses are protected.

2 miles with 1,000 feet elevation gain

Phil locked his keys in the ignition and used the tools he had on hand to get his
car door open. I knew there was no way he was going to call a locksmith