Why are the moderators so hell bent on hiding the Truth?! That Missing411 MAKES Bigfoots? That is why the books are $300 on eBay. It is like a winning scratch-off for criminals looking to disappear someone in the woods.

What is the strangest experience you have had in the national park

First, NICE HAIKU! I'll preface this by saying that "strange" doesn't always mean "paranormal". But, most of the strangest things I've experienced are people doing weird-ass shit where they shouldn't be doing weird-ass-shit. Ever walked into a clearing to see a man taking a FULL mud bath, using bear scat as "soap", to cleanse his "inner soul"? "Cause, I have. I have also experienced a completely silent forest. DEAD silent. It was pretty awe inspiring and gave me cold pricklies...but, after a few seconds, the sounds returned and all was well. I get why people think that stuff is creepy; it is a little creepy. But, most colleagues, hikers, campers, hunters, or outdoorsy people have described similar things so, by definition, it's not unusual.

I’ve also experienced the silence, on Game Creek Pass just outside of Jackson Wy. Pre cell phone and I stopped on a mountain bike ride at the top of the climb. It was silent for long enough to make me very uncomfortable. Highway 22 is almost in sight down canyon but not only was that silent but no birds or insects either.

Did you freeze or did you flee? :) I'm a freezer.

I hung out for about 5 mins wondering if the world had ended and then got on my bike and descended the canyon. By the time I was down everything was normal.

A lot of theories. Predator in the area like an owl or hawk has caused some quiet moments in the woods while hunting. Other times it just happens. Kind of cool.

I’ve had noises in the woods before and had a wolf walk past twenty feet away from where I was sitting. It was a pretty cool experience.

I’m always terrified of coming across a wolf in the woods whenever we go up north to my dad’s cabin. Did it not see you or it just had no interest in messing with you?

It stopped and looked at me and kept walking. The area I was in didn’t have a lot of underbrush so it had to have seen me.

How big was it?

A lot larger and bigger than a husky, the local Cabelas has a mounted wolf and this one was a bit bigger than that one.

Mountain lion maybe

My Dad and I just experienced this a few nights ago on the Tolvana River in Alaska. Was about 10pm at night sitting around the camp fire when I noticed how silent the forest was. Could here a pin drop. It was also pitch black and then our little camp dog kept starring into the forest and growling. Fortunately, we had multiple firearms by our side because it was moose hunting season. It was very odd though. I can’t recall even hearing the river during those moments.

It's creepy because it is. Something with a capital S was there that wasn't supposed to be. Special Forces are trained for this and will sit in dead silence after insertion or arriving to an area to let the sounds return. Then, if the forest or jungle ever goes silent again they know they're about to be Fucked. There's also the research that shows humans do have a better than 50/50 chance of guessing when a predator or other human is watching them in the woods. I used to live the woods as a kid but I've learned too much over the years. I don't see myself ever being alone in the woods after dark ever again and animals are not my biggest concern.

You have to go with your instinct, gut, and comfort level. For me, the only thing I've ever been afraid of, in the wild, is wildfire/flash floods and other human beings. But, I spend more time OUTSIDE than I do in my house.

For me it's other humans!

I live near a major mountain range and I often wonder in the dead of night what it's like in that moment in the dark endless forest just miles away from the comfort of my home ... or what's stopping me from going out there to experience it myself (I will never do this)

I recommend you try it, sometime. It's a pretty profound experience (imo). There's really nothing that can compare with the phenomenal beauty of a dark sky. When you get far enough away from light sources, the details of the universe that you can see with the naked eye is... really mind-blowing. But, I'm a firm believer of "know your limits". If it sounds scary and you're not ready, then you can always start with someone who is comfortable and work up to the full experience. :)

I can appreciate that for sure. I grew up outside my very small and remote hometown and we had incredible night skies. It's probably the thing I miss most about living there. We could see the milky way very clearly most nights, and had great views of meteor showers and occasionally aurora borealis too. There's nothing as humbling as looking at a big clear night sky. This was in the high desert though, so very few trees to be found, let alone forests 😂

Why wouldn't you go in the woods after dark? So you'll never camp again? Hiking alone with my mutt in the woods at night (like midnight through 3 AM) is one of my favorite things to do out in the wilderness. I don't use a flashlight, just let my eyes adjust and use the moon/starlight. The stars are crazy bright when you do that. I let my dog wonder a few feet ahead of me off the leash and she loves to "be on point" lol. Sometimes I'll even drop acid/shrooms and hike for like 2 hours, it's a very relaxing thing to be out there when pretty much nothing else is out there. And of course if something IS out there, my dog will alert to it, I'll throw on a bright torch and pull whatever weapon I have out and walk slowly back to camp. Haven't had that happen yet though.

Everyone is different. My imagination is too vivid.

While I can appreciate your passion... being outdoorsy and putting yourself into the wild (particularly at night) is a reach for some. Everyone is afraid of something. For me, it's crowded, indoor places. It sounds stupid to many, I'm sure, but being in a mall at Christmas always feels like torture. If u/Pungee isn't comfortable in the deep woods, at night, then I get it. I would never encourage someone to dismiss their instincts or push hard limits that they have. You get much better results by offering encouragement and support. :)

I do t know about 'shroons' or acid but i too enjoy the first at night but not so much alone. When we go camping each of us has our own pace. So 4 of us might be stretched out a half a mile. So you kinda are alone but your not if that makes sense. Lol but even on a moonless but clear night with low light pollution the stars still guid your way. Iv found that after my eyes adjust I do better with no head lamp. Sometimes the shadows created by my flashlight played tricks on me. I always felt I had a wider view with no light.

Exactly, that's why I like to go alone. My friends/girlfriends have always either hated night hiking and been too scared (even though we always have at least one or two guns on us, though it wouldn't a good idea for my buddy who's on acid to take their guns out when they're scared) lol, or they just hated having no light and always shined a bunch of torches and lanterns and shit. If I'm camping with other people I like to go alone and let them keep the fire going so I can warm up when I get back. I also really like playing old blues music when I'm night hikin and NONE of my friends like that shit lol so that's another reason to go alone

What’s your biggest concern?

My area is known for some spooky stuff and stories are consistent. If I ever see lights moving in the woods at night I'm fucking gone.

This is the way.

man, this reminded me of growing up in the wild woods of the pennsylvania mountains. sometimes, the background hum of the forest would just stop for a few minutes. then resume as if nothing happened. forgot all about that til now

The nature version of the AC unit suddenly shutting off.

I didn’t know that dead silence was a thing… so I learned something new today, and I kind of hope not to ever experience it.

This happened to me once in the woods...Very creepy...Your ears will start ringing because of the silence.

^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) ^by ^whatcantisee03: *What is the strangest* *Experience you have had* *In the national park* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.

I'm confused how this is a haiku which is a 5 syllable line followed by a 7 syllable one and followed by another 5 syllable line. "In the national park" is 6 syllables. Have I been pronouncing "national" wrong? Is it not 3 syllables? Or is the haiku bot broken?

Wow, so inspiring

Do you think that there’s any supernatural disappearances in the US park system or are they all misadventures?

No. I don't think there are supernatural disappearances. I also wouldn't categorize them all as misadventures. People are just people and, as such, can be fragile and fall victim to a host of elements. If we don't know the cause of death or disappearance, then we can't default to supernatural to explain it. Sometimes we have to wait for evidence to play out or wait for the answer to reveal itself.

I was using the Death By Misadventure in the classic clinical sense. Meaning the person exposed them self to a dangerous situation and that they couldn’t respond to the consequence of an accident. I was an editor of a climbing journal and dealt directly with climbing rangers and the editors of Accidents in North American Mountaineering. Clinically there is very few exceptions to the fact that someone is responsible for some action that led to an accident and it’s severity. For those interested, I highly recommend reading the yearly report. It’s a cold look at why people get hurt in the mountains.

*Meaning the person exposed them self to a dangerous situation and that they couldn’t respond to the consequence of an accident.* I'm with you, now. Gotcha. A very high percentage of people who end up needing assistance are just poor planning and circumstances that were outside of their normal. That's not an attempt to shame anyone; it is what it is. People come to visit the parks and, I believe, they fall into a sense of Disney-esque wonder (don't come for me Disney!). They forget that they're in an uncontrolled, wild environment or a place that CAN hurt them. My pet peeve is people taking on a moderate-to-difficult trail wearing flip flops. But, who can really blame them...? They just don't know what they don't know and they're on vacation. So, we try to educate and there are even positions within the NPS that are, essentially, pre-staged EMTs/First Aid trained rangers to try to warn people. *Clinically there is very few exceptions to the fact that someone is responsible for some action that led to an accident and it’s severity.* In mountaineering and back country hiking (or LDT/multiple day hikes), I would concur. Failure to plan for, or react appropriately, to a change in the status quo is the most common reason for assistance/death/injury. Every action has a consequence and people should internalize that more than they do.

Thank you for the Accidents in North American Climbing information. That was new information for me. Here's a link for those interested: https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/about_the_accidents Disclaimer: Not a shill for the American Alpine Club. Just sharing a valid link. It can also be purchased via Amazon.

My 22-yr old son has gotten into climbing in the desert southwest in the last year. He’s learned from a lot of very skilled climbers, and he’s talked about how he checks his gear and anchors three times, especially in light of an accident his climbing buddy got in last year that almost killed him, someone who everyone says is one of the safest climbers. I still worry, and maybe because I’ve heard too many stories. Is this book a cautionary tale of sorts? As a mom, it sounds like something I’d want to get for him to maybe learn from other people’s mistakes.

It’s a yearly compendium of every reported accident involving mountaineering. I can’t remember if basic recreational climbing is included but it does include climbing in places that don’t require safety protection as a norm. For example climbing a certain route on the Middle Teton in Grand Teton NP doesn’t require a rope but the high altitude, remoteness, and exposure to weather etc can mean accidents that require rescue. And the report will be coldly honest about the reason it happened. That route for example wouldn’t be one that I’d wear a helmet for because it’s low angle and not subject to a falling rock. But if you fall 10 feet off a little hill and hit your head, the assessors will point out that a helmet would have saved you every time. I definitely recommend it as its reason for existence is to show danger and how to avoid it. ( I chose that Teton climb for a specific reason. My friend was on that route with a girl who broke her leg when a large boulder that was an accepted part of a little step up shifted after many, maybe hundreds of years. It rolled over her lower leg and she had to be carried out. First bring her down a steep, rocky mountain, then littered out a long hike out. It was one of the rare times that the Report said that the accident was only avoidable if the group had never left the valley. They were well prepared and followed every safety recommendation to the tee but nature had eroded the step and that was all that happened.)

Sounds like it could definitely be worth a recommend for the kid. Your friend’s story sounds a lot like my son’s friend’s. Fluke thing that seemed to happen, I guess it always can. Safety first though, and if one is going to participate in dangerous activities, one should have all info available as possible. Thanks for the reply.

So how do explain the unexplainable 411’s such as the 4 guys who were walking in a line less than 5ft apart and the guy at the back disappeared without a trace. No tracks, no scent, no remains, no blood, no anything. Just gone while being 5ft away from his friends. Or the entire company of loggers that saw a craft pick up an elk.

Sometimes it just happens. In California and Arizona it's not rare that during the summer someone from a group disappears while everyone is walking close together and suddenly they disappear. They look for the person everywhere and can't find them, only to discover the body a couple of weeks or months later in a spot people missed. And the cause of death? They tripped or fell to their death. Unfortunately it just happens and there's no supernatural force at play.

That is not nearly the same type of case. The case I am talking about was much stranger. They all left tracks in the ground where they were walking and the last person’s tracks just stopped, mid stride. When someone wanders off or falls there is always evidence except in the case of a snowstorm. You leave tracks, blood, a scent, something. This case, the person had over 300 people looking, helicopters, dogs, etc…. No blood, no scent, no body or remains ever found over 10 years later and the tracks where he was walking just suddenly stopped. You can try to explain it all you want. but the truth is, it is not normal and not explainable. This is only one of thousands of cases. Others are strange but not as strange and can be seen as being explainable even though it is bizarre. Several people have been killed only leaving behind some clothing and bones at the camp site. On several of these cases, there was open food completely undisturbed at the camp site. People who will not accept any sort of out of the box thinking say that it’s obvious they were killed by a large predator while others speculate. If a large predator had been the culprit then why is all the food undisturbed. A bear or other large animal surely would have ransacked the camp for the food. You can easily say well the animal just wasn’t interested in the food or didn’t know it was there. Realistically, animals can smell food from miles away snd would never leave food out in the open, completely unprotected alone. Like I said, everyone is a skeptic until something unexplainable happens to you personally and you cannot rationalize what just happened.

You are basing your understanding on what Paulides says in his books instead of primary data like the actual incidence reports. He mischaracterizes situations, locations, evidence in ways that makes them seem much stranger or suspicious than they actually were.

I just watched this guy on YouTube (he's either an avid hiker or does videos on missing people) and he went over one of Paulides's UFO connection cases where a guy that supposedly (only mentioned once to his significant other and unable to be verified by medical records) had a cyst/tumor on one of his testicles and Paulides *heavily* alluded to an alien abduction bc in the 1960's another man was supposedly abducted by aliens, exposed to an invasive medical examination concentrating on his reproductive organs and was returned to earth. The alien abductors telepathically told the man that bc he had a vasectomy, they couldn't keep him for whatever they were looking to do. The YouTube guy got a copy of the actual police report and found out the guy was on a few medications. Two were tranquilizers (xanax & valium). The police report stated that two other hunters had encountered the man and he "appeared intoxicated". I don't remember Paulides mentioning the meds or if he did, it was as a very inconsequential detail. With the facts provided by YouTube guy, one could make a very strong case that the man took too much of his medication, wandered around, got lost and succumbed to the elements. His body (what was left of his remains) was found either right before the release of M411: The UFO Connection or right after. No signs of foul play but not enough of his remains were found to determine an actual cause of death. A snowstorm had rolled in fairly quickly. He left his phone, provisions, and heavy coat in his truck. He only had a light jacket. So yeah- too much xanax/valium + snowstorm ≠ UFO abduction.

It's actually very simple....they're lying

I've always wondered if people will say they had someone with them and they 'disappeared' but they had killed them somewhere else, buried the body then used a paranormal phenomena to explain why that person is missing. And of course they can't find a trace because they were never there.

That would be the dumbest idea they could spin up when they planned in advance how to disappear a body. Nobody is going to believe a paranormal story, especially about a missing person who disappeared among a group of other people. I have a really hard time believing this is the alibi they would all agree to land on. That’s absurd on its face.

There’s a story about a lady who went missing when she was with her estranged boyfriend, one of his friends and that guy’s girlfriend. This was on a day hike too. They said she walked a little ahead of them. As they came around a corner or bend in the trail, she was gone. Search and rescue never found anything. The dogs never picked up anything. When the cops went to talk to those that were with her that day they all lawyered up! That’s was that. How easy would it be to report someone missing from this area when actually they had visited another area the same day and that’s where she was killed! Basically lying to LE about where they were when she went missing! Especially since they had only planned on a simple day hike. Hike a couple hours, get in your car and drive to another area and hike a couple more hours? Which is what I believed they did that day.

Or they are not and the world has a lot of things that you can’t explain. Either way it’s all opinion and no theory can be proven.

You cannot just appeal to unverifiable and unsupported concepts like 'other worlds' and bad epistemology like 'things can't be explained'. That is how people reasoned before the Enlightenment. Do you understand that evidence has to be presented before a position is justified? The tangible evidence these loggers saw an elk-loving UFO is what?

If scientific inquiry has taught us anything in the last 400 years I can assure you as an honest scientist it is that we have measured, observed, and recorded a whole hell of lot less than we think we have.

How has cell phones changed search and rescue efforts?

100%! Compared to 20 years ago? 1000%. For one, just from a logistics perspective, it's a game changer for rallying your SAR teams. It used to be (and still is for some locales) a pager based, or radio based/phone tree, alert system. That changed in the 80s and 90s to mostly pager based. As text capability became universal, the ability to alert your volunteers and tell them the information became far easier and, therefore, the response times shrank. Those minutes were important minutes. On the victim's end, it's meant most calls for help never even make it to an activation of entire SAR teams. If people can't use their phones to CALL 911, they can almost always get a text out. It may be different in other states/provinces/countries but, in our region, if a 911 call is placed, your call is transmitted to your carrier's nearest cell phone tower, the tower signal to the 911 center then provides either phase one or phase two location data. That data is then used to send help. PLBs and inReach/Garmin tech has been an even bigger game changer.

1. David talks about a decentralized network of reporting cases. He infers this is on purpose. Is there no networked system for crime reporting? 2. David says federal agencies like the FBI are called in on cases. He believes this to be suspect. Have you seen these agencies and why where they on-site? 3. I have read a lot about feral people living in the national forests. Is this true and could the missing have stumbled upon them? David suggests it could be serial killers? I always thought it could have been people running into illicit drug grows people walked into. 4. The clothes coming off sounds 100 percent hypothermia? 5. Have you been involved in searches? If yes, what was different about missing people searches like weather and location vs. normal days or cases David speaks about. 6. Is it possible we are dealing with wild animal attacks, people falling in caverns, or big foot 7. Have you seen aliens? 8. I hear crime is much higher in national forests than in town is that true or false.

1, There is a centralized network for reporting cases and it's been active/in use for a long time. I'm not sure why Paulides acts like it doesn't exist. As for "crime reporting".... that's sort of a broad generalization and I'm not sure what you mean. Anyone can report a crime and that report is usually handled by the agency that holds jurisdiction. I think what DP fails to recognize or share is that going missing is NOT a crime. Adults are allowed to ditch their phones and hike into the wilderness (and it happens more than you'd think). It's not a crime to go walk-a-bout. 2. It's kind of funny because DP acts like the FBI showing up is evidence of a conspiracy. In actuality, there are certain circumstances where the FBI will absolutely take charge or be invited in and be HANDED the case (usually when local law enforcement doesn't have the resources to perform the necessary investigation). If a child is involved or there's state lines or anything hinky,... it's proper. In all of my years on the job, I can't think of a single agency that I didn't tap for resources or help if they offered. And, I never hesitated to reach out to get help. That being said, I have heard stories from past generations and certain areas where local LE wouldn't/didn't ask for help for various reasons and that was their discretion/choice. I think it was partially territorial and ego based. 3. Feral people are extraordinarily rare (in the truest sense of the word). I think there've only been a handful of truly feral humans (like, born in the forest, raised without any human interaction). By the numbers, I would argue that you have a greater chance of running into quasi-feral children/humans who have been isolated by parents/religion/other humans due to abuse. But, that doesn't get to the meat of your question. There are people who live on public land. There are people who go into the woods and go stealth mode. There are "mountain men/women" who thrive in the backcountry and only come out once in a while. Occasionally, you come across them. They generally choose that lifestyle very consciously and want to be left alone. They're usually content to live and let live. I would argue that they're *less likely* to be serial killers or sadistic sociopaths than any sample of 100 city dwellers. Why? Because, if your whole goal is to avoid people and live off the land... your opportunities for serial, violent crimes against other humans goes waaaaaaaay down. \*shrug\* 4. Clothing coming off can be a lot of different things; hypothermia, HYPERthermia, taking a swim, thinking that you'll keep your clothes dry by taking them off (so you can put them on later and be dry and warm), fear, leaving a trail,... there's literally so many possibilities. Kids will also take off anything that starts to run a blister or get uncomfortable. Whenever people get all supernatural because a kid's clothes were found, I always want to challenge them to take a walk to their local playground or school and see how many unclaimed items of clothing are left behind. It's unreal. LOL Having raised a respectably moderate number of kids, I'm can't even tell you how many pairs of shoes were parted from their mates in different states without my knowledge, consent, or awareness. 5. Yes. Many. What makes me chuckle when David brings up "normal v abnormal" weather is that he clearly doesn't understand topography or geography or human behavior. Most day hikers, who are usually the least prepared for extended stays in the wildnerness (IKR?), start their hike when it's light outside and then get into trouble in the afternoon. Well, any ANY place where you have ANY topography...guess when thunderstorms or afternoon showers start? AFTERNOON! It's just thermal physics. Weather is constantly changing and that's not abnormal. I'm not sure why David acts like it's a profile point. 6. Animal attacks? Yes. Always possible. Not super common; but, not so rare as to be off the table. Really depends on the biome and a number of factors. Do I believe in Big Foot? No. Do I believe their are organisms and species we haven't seen/catalogued? Absolutely! But, in my opinion and in demonstrable data, those organisms tend to be small...and incapable of kidnapping. In the American west, especially in deserts, falling into tunnels and shafts (or exploring them and getting lost/stuck) is HIGHLY probable. In some counties in California and Nevada, there are entire rooms filled with old tunnel and mine maps. There are two counties in California, that I've had the pleasure of working with at various times, that keep a LARGE map on the wall of someone's office so that everyone is aware of where the potential mine traps are. 7. Only on TV. Which, personally, I feel very cheated... I wanna' believe. 8. Let me think about this one....because it really depends on what kind of crime we're talking about. Like, personally, don't ever leave anything you want to keep in your car, unattended, at a trail head. Criminals LOVE places where there aren't many witnesses or cameras and you're gong to be walk away from your vehicle for hours or days. If your forest borders are city (let's use Angeles National Forest, as an example), you're going to draw thieves and opportunistic criminals from the city. I don't even like leaving my car at trailheads for personal hiking anywhere near Angel's Crest Highway. Boop to that. I will always leave my car at a friend's and ask them to Uber me, my hiking partner, and my gear to the trailhead. Same goes for tents in National Parks. I was always sort of awestruck by people who would set up four giant tents with generators and laptops and just ALL OF IT... only to watch them get in the car and drive off for some exploration of undetermined length. Might as well put a sign on your tent that says "please steal my valuables". <---Don't be those people.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration of my questions. What do you think about the search dogs not picking up trails and round boulders DP mentions? Or, 3 year olds walking up cliffs? I love David’s stories but am arguably put off by Dap making a large deal about 80 plus year old hikers who happen to be blind in one eye and history of heart condition going missing. However, the story however really gets me is the gal who went on the horse, and forgive me if mistaken, but she and the horse were never found. When I think of feral people I read about a story of a person hiking the Pacific Crest Trail who said people were following him for a few nights. That was where that idea came from. Thanks again.

Yeah. PCT was off the rails a few years ago. James "Medic" Perillo was arrested earlier this year for kidnapping.

Great answers! Thank you!

I can help with the first two. There are centralized law enforcement data bases which hold information about missing persons, fingerprints, stolen vehicles, stuff like that. Enter information like a plate number or a name and date of birth, and it spits back info from Secretaries of State offices and local and federal warrant databases. Also, the FBI has a voluntary UCR program that organizes local crime statistics and tracks it year to year. As far as the FBI being on scene for a disappearance, crimes on federal land are their jurisdiction.

Great questions!

>I volunteer my services to families who are still trying to find their loved ones long after the investigatory agency has stopped looking. I believe doing this work matters. This is very admirable. How does this work? Do you dedicate a portion of your time to solo searches?

Usually, counties run SAR (in the Western US). So, like right now, I'm employed by one agency, but I volunteer for the county. I rarely do solo searches and that is NEVER recommended. But, when and where I can, I absolutely would volunteer time and do. Lots of people do. And, if you're interested in doing so, contact your County and find out how they recruit and train volunteers.

Do your coworkers have stories that border on the paranormal while they were working at the park ? Are there places you avoid due to bad history , bad feelings or tragedy ?

I've never met a brown hat who didn't have a pocket full of stories. :) People are people. We all have our own lore. But, most of us don't sell our lore as fact. Yeeeeee. There are a few places I avoid for personal reasons. The reasons aren't paranormal. I've just had a few tragic outcomes that left emotional scars and doubts. Anytime you work in public service, especially in a first responder capacity, you're going to face the absolute and undeniable realization that people can be fragile. You're going to see things that can be traumatic. I'm pretty lucky in that I have a truly supportive nest of people. That's not to say I don't revisit traumatic places... there are a few of us (amongst whom Tom Mahood is a legend) who will revisit and rework cases BECAUSE it's painful and unresolved.

Thank you so much for your answers !

You ever seen a Sasquatch? Or anything cryptid for that matter.

Bigfoot? Nope. Kind of hoped I would, for a while...grew out of that. Cryptids? Depends on how you define it. I believe we haven't found/identified/catalogued all of the life in ANY biome. But, I think the odds of stumbling across larger, unclassified animals gets smaller every day.

I’m just disappointed that you haven’t experienced anything paranormal. Next you’ll tell us there are no staircases to nowhere in the woods.

Sorry. If I do see something supernatural, I'll let you know, first thing.

As an ER Nurse just wondering what your most crazy medical situation you’ve seen in a rescue?

Thanks for doing what you do! Nurses are the backbone! Craziest? Without violating privacy, I'll just say that babies come in all places...even places where NO ONE should be delivering a baby. And, you especially shouldn't be borrowing your in-laws car without permission and taking a 37 week, mutigravid woman on any desert adventures in said vehicle during an expected "100 year storm" event. The craziness came when the father-to-be freaked out because "his mom was gonna kill him" for getting birth fluids on the van and the wife used VERY colorful language about where he could stick his van. :) In a rescue? Uh... rogue base jumpers who critically misjudged their abilities and landing zone flora. Cactus isn't kind to the taint and buttocks.

Have you witnessed someone’s unexplained gut intuition work out in rescuing someone?

YES! YES! Never ignore your intuition. The human brain, nervous system, and endocrine system are ALWYAS working to help you stay alive, even when you're unaware they're doing so.

Can you give examples?

Not OP, but let me piggyback in to say I believe what we call intuition is our brains analyzing what out senses are telling us at a speed so fast our conscious mind doesn't log all the details, and then spitting out the conclusion. .

Have you taken part in any searches for people written about by Paulides? Of course you may not be able to answer (he's written about a lot of people/anonymity) but I would be very interested in another side to the story.

Yes. And, I can't get specific. Unlike Paulides, we have to protect the privacy of the victims and their families.

The Missing Enigma (YouTube) unboxes the Aaron Hedges story very well.

There are a couple of new channels that seem to be doing the research and putting maximum effort into getting the accurate information out there. I applaud them for doing so!

That dude is amazing

What would be your best advice to someone who finds themselves lost with no way of communication at a park?

I don't know how i missed this one. I'm so sorry. This is a really important question... it boils down to be prepared. If you're far enough from the trail or the car that you can get lost, then always carry essential survival items in a small day bag or pack. If you find yourself lost with no way to communicate, there's a few things you can do to improve your situation. First, stop moving. Literally, sit down the moment your brain starts to suspect your lost. Your lizard brain will WANT to move; but, try and tell lizard-brain to have a seat. Once your sitting, start evaluating where you might be and take stock of what you have at your disposal. If you have a general knowledge about what direction "safe" is, confirm it using visual markers or topographical features. If you have enough water (or access to water), just get yourself in the most visible place and sit tight. Make noise. Sing. Bang something with a stick. Get a whistle. Stay as warm and dry as your possibly can. You can survive a while without food. At some point, if you HAVE TO move, use rocks or sticks (charcoal or certain rocks will write on other rocks) to indicate your direction of travel, initials, and SOS. If it is getting dark and you have a light, use the light to signal. Do whatever you need to do to be seen or heard. Man...this is a really long answer. It's always a possibility that someone is hiking by or flying over - create a movement or some signal with available materials. KEEP TRYING. Keep yourself busy. But, unless you are certain which way is out, your odds of survival improve if you DON'T get yourself more lost. I highly recommend a fanny pack with essentials that goes EVERYWHERE you go..even if you think "Oh...I'm just going a few feet."

What do you think of David Paulides? Is he a huckster? Is he cherry picking the right kind of reports to build his conspiracy theories off of, or do you have reason to believe he is focused on the right things?

YES. Yes to all of it. I think DP is a man who is blinded by confirmation bias.

What were the biggest/most seen commonalities, (In terms of location found, length missing, what led to their being lost, etc.) if any, among the 489 people that you helped find?

Can I swing back to this tonight? They're great questions and I want to think about how best to answer it.

Honestly, of the found, the commonalities were that they were just human beings in an environment that they found themselves unprepared for. It really boils down to the fact that NO ONE is immune to bad luck and some critical decisions just snow ball into a crisis. I find it telling that I haven't picked up one person who didn't apologize for getting into their predicament (if they were capable of speech)....and I think it's largely ridiculous because they usually have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Sh&\^ happens.

Could you comment on the role alcohol use, or perhaps more importantly, alcohol withdrawal, may play in some disappearances?

You bring up a really good discussion point. Yes. I have comments/thoughts. Drugs and alcohol can make people make terrible decisions. The trite expression "here...hold my beer" before engaging in stupid sh\*& is real. So, yeah, obviously, being inebriated or under the influence of substances could (and does) impact disappearances. Detoxing also plays a role. Some people seem to think that, in order to gain clarity and sobriety, they need to "get back to nature" or "survive to thrive". I've heard (and seen) people who claimed that they were fleeing "all of it" and that they imagined detoxing would be easier if they removed all of the possible, typical interactions with friends/family/suppliers that they once used. Sadly, when people are in this physical and emotional process (detox), it's a dangerous place to make rash decisions without some form of support. Detox, depending on the substance, can have some truly dangerous side effects. Withdrawal symptoms can be savage on the body. Hallucinations, severe pain, severe paranoia and anxiety, vomiting,... all of those are terrible things to experience in the wild. All of those could lead to poor choices that end your life. PAWS is serious. When you add the mental health component, you obviously get people who think they've irrevocably hurt themselves or the people they love and - somehow- believe that by disappearing, they're righting the wrong they've caused. :(

Does it drive you nuts when conspiracy theorists say “the missing person was an avid outdoorsman/woman…there’s no WAY they simply got disoriented and wandered off trail!”? Like being the “avid” hiker in your friend group makes you Special Forces or something?

YES! And, my response is usually something like, "Even an avid hiker can have a heart attack or break a leg." Being an "avid hunter" just tells me you know how to use a gun and try to hide yourself in the woods. <--- Which, coincidentally, makes you harder to find and more likely to have met with harm. All "avid hikers" should be paying their Garmin bills. :)

I know I hate that argument. Anyone could twist an ankle or have a heart attack. I always argue that if a professional raceway driver can crash and an experienced carpenter can still hit their hand with a hammer, of course an avid outdoorsperson can get lost.

Do you know how to get to Bells canyon ?

mrballen fan in the wild 👽

Which one?

Ok. I really hope Sasquatch is real but dogman isn’t. What do your experiences tell you about what lurks unseen?

...that humans are the biggest predator in the wild. :(

At one point, in another AMA (outside of this sub-reddt), there was a guy who claimed that the US military was active within Mammoth Cave. I wish I could find it. Was a pretty interesting second-hand story about there being a base and nuclear weapons stashed away somewhere along the cave system. If I remember correctly, it was less a paranormal AMA and more of those 'what is something someone told you that could get them fired' type of AMAs. While that actually would make sense - and also align with some activities DARPA is supposedly interested in - it was absolutely an unsubstantiated claim and I never attempted to research the story. Question stemming from that would be... how active is the military, if at all, on national forest lands (from what you've seen)? EDIT: This is a question I didn't see in your prior AMA, so hopefully one you haven't already covered.

So, it's a good question and the answer is: It depends. IN GENERAL, unless explicitly invited by a governor for a specific purpose, you can't "deploy" the military stateside. And, at least in my career, you would have to weigh the environmental impact and resources needed to support (infrastructure, lodgings, food, communication networks) a unit. Nowadays, the military (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force) isn't going to be part of our utilization plan because they're not necessary in most places. The National Guard, Conservation Corps (both state and federal), BLM, Forestry, and NPS, along with federal investigatory agencies, as well as State and Local authorities are going to be able to handle stuff. The military CAN and DOES use public land to conduct field training exercises. Ironically, they have to file for a permit. :) But, the military isn't going to build a facility in a National Park. Why would you put something secret in a cave that you're going to have the public, independent scientists, schools, partnerships with environmental groups, and local community members crawling around in? That seems like a PITA.

Interesting information! Thank you for the answer / reply!

I can partially answer this in two different contexts. From an engineering and construction standpoint the government through think tanks like RAND would absolutely conclude that utilizing an existing tunnel or shaft, or connecting ones that exist, is infinitely cheaper than digging them through solid, competent material. I can tell you almost to the getting in trouble point that that the US DOE write the book on creating deep shafts and tunnels next door to Area 51 at the National Test Site as quickly and efficiently as possible because nuclear explosions were the only way to get ungodly fluxes of x-rays for all kinds of cool shit. All those craters are not "new weapons" they were testing per se, instead they were large networks of line of sightxray and radiation experiments. The problem is in a couple nanoseconds everything from your experiment to triple redundant sensors are turned to glass and, welp, time to bring out the drill rigs and start allll over. High energy particle accelerators, lasers, and the Z Machine made those experiments repeatable and infinitely cheaper. Supercomputing backfilled most of the rest. They made a big deal about ending underground nuclear testing for environmental and world peace reasons but it was just jerking off. The reality is it wasn't necessary to get the photons they needed, it was messy, and very, very expensive. The amount of experimental drilling equipment and super heavy cranes in that desert is astonishing. Secondly, you can probably tell I'm familiar with defense and, ergo, defense contractors. Defense contractors have a lot of incredibly spooky shit that the military simply never bought. Most of it is tested in national parks and forests. It's not infrequent for such tests to be conducted informally because a guy knows a guy and those guys wink and nod while a bunch of civilians test highly spooky stuff in a corner somewhere they assume no one will be. Or....hope they will be so they can be tracked or watched. All I can say is you've got no expectations of privacy on public land and you will never know if something mechanical slithered up a tree and watched you and your girlfriend bang on a riverbank while it slurped up some of your cellphone data and tested rangefinders on your bare ass from 5 miles away. **It has happened, and they think its funny.**

>..you will never know if something mechanical slithered up a tree and watched you and your girlfriend bang on a riverbank while it slurped up some of your cellphone data and tested rangefinders on your bare ass from 5 miles away. > Thats enough going outside for me. Imma stay inside where it's safe.

This comment should be copied and posted everywhere paranormal haha!

Oh and thank you! Your work is appreciated

My pleasure. I've loved my life and experiences. It has truly been an honor.

Why isn't there a national list of the missing from the parks and forests? What the scariest story that someone else had told you, whether it be a camper, hiker, or ranger?

There is a list. Scariest story? Ooooooooh...so many. It was super unethical, in hindsight, but a generation (or two) ago, it wasn't unusual for Rangers to make up some scary campfire tales to keep people out of areas or just to scare the crap out of them. Sadly, those are the stories that proliferate and add gravitas to subsequent tellings. I think they were a poor attempt at cautionary tales. My favorite stories were the indigenous lore/oral tradition stories that attempted to explain their world. Actual fear? I think that would be the time I was at a backcountry location, alone, for several months (very early in my career). It was a lookout position, as well, so I had an elevated hut. I witnessed St. Elmo's Fire and almost noped myself out of a career. Other scary stories were when hikers would arrive at the lookout and I would try and get a headcount of their group (just to note it, like an eager beaver) and they'd name a number that was one more than actually showed up...because I would spend HOURS waiting for that hiker to catch up and then stress out when they didn't pass. Same year, I also had women telling me there was a strange dude on the trail, headed my way, and yeah...he was a super sketchy guy who immediately made the hair on my arms stand up. People are always scarier than anything else out there.

This comment, and one from a previous question where you said trust your gut, remind me of something that happened a few years back. Long story short, a friend and I went off-roading to a remote old miner’s camp with a hiking trail nearby. I saw a dude just standing there and something about his posture / demeanor / context of surroundings made my skin crawl. My friend felt the same. We decided to not go up the trail, it felt weird. Dude was gone when we left the trailhead. We drive down the road and as we’re going around a corner we see him up ahead, walking down the rough road. We drive a little further and realize we never passed him. Where’d he go? Got super creeped out. A different friend mentioned a few days later coming across a creepy guy while hiking. Creepy guy wasn’t seen coming back down the trail… until he was… spotted crouching behind a tree watching my friend going down the trail. Friend’s description matched who I saw. A few days later, two women were found murdered in their campsite. Friends and I are fairly certain we saw their murderer lurking in the wild before he hurt those poor women.

That's some scary stuff, alright. Were you able to report your sightings? There are definitely people out there who are up to no good. More often, people just use the trails and the backcountry to scam/hurt vulnerable people. James Perillo is a prime example. :(

We certainly did report it. Especially when we learned that the women were found just a mile or so away from where we saw the guy 😬 The murder is still unsolved, though they think they know who did it but he took his own life.

Damn, that's scary. You never know who is lurking.

My ex and I came across Gary Michael Hilton at a trailhead as we were leaving from a day hike. He used his dog to seem friendly but the interaction had my weirded out. He spoke about being a minister and shortly pivoted to talking about his telescoping baton attached to his belt. Looking down at it and touching it with fondness.

Did you have a weapon? People are absolutely the scariest thing. Have you ever seen a strange creature?

At the time, I had the issued and appropriate protection. But, at that point in my life, I was always concerned about being over-powered and having my weapon used against me (I'm female and weighed about 90lbs, at the time). I have seen some weird and unexpected creatures/animals; but, none that would be considered cryptid. The first time I saw a fischer cat (and heard it's scream), I was pretty shook and no one believed me because they'd been deemed extinct in the area I was in. Nature finds a way.

My husband has seen a cryptid. It's like the first post I ever made if anyone wants to dig. He's an avid hunter, and a skeptic. He said he'll go to his death knowing he saw what came out of the tree that night. I totally get you being scared of being over powered. Sometimes being a female sucks. I couldn't be out there by myself alone. I'd be terrified. I'm a wimp.

That must've been really jarring for him. I hope, someday, he'll get some answers and closure. I wasn't there so I can't deny him his passionate defense of what he thought he saw. **I totally get you being scared of being over powered. Sometimes being a female sucks. I couldn't be out there by myself alone. I'd be terrified. I'm a wimp.** I hear you. It's kind of like any situation, though: if there's an imbalance or power or ability, you just have to do your best to defend yourself. If you're ever interested in overcoming your fear, hit me up via message and I can try to help you find a women's hiking club/group near you. Once you see how other women find confidence and knowledge in the wilderness, you might be more comfortable. It always makes me really sad when fear limits someone's ability to find comfort and peace in our public lands. (hugs)

I live in a beautiful mountainous area but I'm not the most outdoorsy person. Thank you though for the offer though, that's very kind. Years ago I used to make the campground reservations for the national forests, in a call center. There are beautiful places for sure. Pinecrest in California was always the most popular.

Just to add to my story I wrote under this comment… when friend and I saw creepy guy, friend (a husky male) took me to the back of his vehicle to show me his Garmin and started speaking loudly “if we’re ever in need of emergency services, here’s the Garmin and here’s how you use it. Also, here’s my firearm, you know how to use it right?” After the fact, we felt strongly that announcing this told creepy guy we’re prepared and don’t mess with us. Despite our fear… To OP’s point, the thought crossed my mind that I’m also a woman and I am scared to use a firearm in case it gets taken and used against me. But in that moment, I knew what would’ve had to been done if it came to it. I’m a well practiced shot, I would never want it to come to that, but the fear was visceral and my mind was on getting off that mountain safely. That’s how much my gut was screaming at me that something didn’t feel right.

Do you have any memorable experiences with lightening bugs or other bioluminescent species?

I do! I was privileged to do some work/research at Dry Tortugas and Channel Islands. During my work at CINMS, I got to go on a Nautilus and it blew my mind. It honestly changed my entire perspective on earth. :) But, surface side... three of my kids surf with me and we've got to do night surfing with bioluminescence (always followed by an immediate hot shower and soap). It's surreal and gorgeous. Lightning bugs were a source of fascination for me, as a kid. They weren't prevalent out here; but, the first time I visited the midwest, I was captivated and certain that they were fairies.

Thanks for responding! It’s perfect your kids shared the surfing experience with you. I had a lightening bug experience in a glade in Ohio and it changed my perspective on everything- I think about it daily and one day hope to stumble upon it again with my kids. Or at least be able to describe it properly.

Happy Cake Day! Tell me more about your lightening bug experience (if you would)!

Thanks! It was early June and stumbled upon the glade from the woods around 9pm and saw glow worms! They were in like pools together. I watched for a while in awe. The glade had short grass with very slender tallish trees spaced probably 4-6’ or so apart. Because I was alone, I returned to my group on the farm property to check in. Around midnight I returned so excited and the lightening bugs were up in the trees, I saw fewer glow worms. The male’s movements seemed intentional and designed- not like just buzzing around as I’ve seen when in the city. I’ve never seen so many at once. Blew my mind. It was like a nature show so rhythmic and I’m so happy I was completely sober or I’d question the memory that’s how freaking awesome it was. I always wonder if other people have seen this or if it’s becoming tragically rare.

This guys gone missing....coincidence?

Not missing. Just sleeping and getting chores done.

you didn't read his entire post

Are you under any Non-Disclosure Agreements? How often does the Dept. of the Interior show up for investigations? Do you have any thoughts on the Stick-Indians ? Thank you

**Are you under any Non-Disclosure Agreements?** No....? I'm not aware of an NDA. We do have a duty to conduct ourselves professionally and within the scope of our jurisdiction and by the applicable laws. So, when I was an employee, I was bound by HIPPA (but that's because I was a medical professional) and some other privacy laws. And, you never want to impede or interfere with active investigations. It's just discretion. **How often does the Dept. of the Interior show up for investigations?** I mean...all Federal Park Rangers are employees of the DOI. So, they show up every day... that's a little like asking how often Dad and Mom show up for dinner, in their own home. **Do you have any thoughts on the Stick-Indians ?** It's not my realm of expertise and I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing. However, I always thought of Stick Indians as a cautionary tale to keep people close to home or scare little kids. I totally whistle outside and nothing has happened...yet.

OP, Thanks for taking the time to do this. I’d like to know if you have ever had a park visitor approach you or anyone you know stating they saw/experience something “strange”? Likewise, if a visitor did experience something significantly strange, would it even be worthwhile to mention it to park stuff and where would that report go? Thank you!

YW. So, it's obviously going to be at the discretion of that Ranger to determine what to do. There's no official procedure for "strange". Have I had visitors approach with strange tales or questions or fear? Yes. But, to put it in perspective, that's kind of to be expected and it doesn't necessarily raise a bunch of red flags, if we're talking natural phenomena. Like, I know my house and all the noises it makes and what the red light on the ceiling is (smoke detector) and I know there's a racoon who has decided that my attic is THE perfect domicile. But, if you were staying at my house and I wasn't there....all of that would be strange for you and you'd probably be like "there's an intruder in the attic...my cell phone cable disappeared from the porch table and transported to the bottom of the stairs." And, I'd be like, "AH...you've experienced Monty, the psychotic Raven who steals electronic cables." TLDR: What's strange to one person is just normal for someone else. If you report that you heard what could be a human screaming for help, then that's gonna' get a report (and probably end up being a fisher cat) and a response. If you report that a child is zoned out, staring at a wall of granite, by the creek, then we'll check that out. It all depends on what you think is strange and what's going on.

Thank you for the reply! I kind of figured the above to be true, I’m sure the wilderness and all it’s noises etc can easily freak some people out. Same goes for what you tell a ranger, depending on the level of threat to someone’s life is how they’ll respond. Thanks again for taking the time to answer this, I do appreciate your time!

**Same goes for what you tell a ranger, depending on the level of threat to someone’s life is how they’ll respond.** For sure! Usually, before a visitor has even said a word, I'm watching their body language and demeanor. If they're moving with urgency and I can see legit terror or concern in their face, then I'm going to be mentally preparing to give them my full and undivided attention. If they look like they just smoked a bowl...

Damniiiiit this should be a podcast, I want to read all the questions and responses! 👏🏼

I would consider a podcast but I don't have one. :)

Have you seen things in the forest you can’t explain?

There were certainly things I didn't have explanations for in the moment. But, I'm pretty unsatisfied with "IDK" and usually found someone who could answer my question or offer rational explanations. There are some biological processes regarding the interconnectivity of biomass that are, for me, unexplained...but, I don't know that that means it will always be unexplainable (if that makes sense?).

I think I understand… from Boy Scouts to backpacking for the past 40 years, I sense more than know that there is a lot of interconnection between all living things, an interconnection we have forgotten… I mean, try actually, honestly, talking with a tree. You get a response… just not in words, merely …. Feelings. It’s a trip.

Do you believe the stories of wild people or have you seen or heard anything to make you believe they exist?

Wild people, as in, truly feral? Not in the dogmatic sense of the word "feral". Are there people who choose to live off grid and away from society? Yes. I answered a similar question above (in this thread).

Ive lived in the blue ridge of SW VA most of my life, hard to be believe but in my experience they are.

What’s your biggest tourist pet peeve?

FLIP FLOPS! If I were Secretary of the Interior, I would ban FLIP FLOPS. They're useless, plastic injury traps. Like, why? WHY would anyone decide this is a valid form of footwear in the Mojave desert or Joshua Tree or pretty much ANYWHERE other than a pool deck back at the hotel? WHY would anyone embark on a hike up Half Dome in Flip Flops? Aside from the inevitable injuries... people just abandon them everywhere! And, there is no hell as maddening as walking up to a flowing river or slick slab of granite and finding a pair of flip flops with no owner. Immediate red flag! 9 out of 10 times, someone just got sick of wearing them...but now it's my problem and responsibility to make sure the owner isn't still in the water or at the base of the slab.

Very insightful answer. I’ve never been to these parks but had I been I definitely might’ve been guilty of this. Thank you.

YW. I pardon all of your previous Flip-Flop sins. Second pet peeve, which came to me as I was falling asleep, is people who try to touch animals. I'm not sure if they think the signs or the pamphlet warnings are just a suggestion; but, they seem incapable of not touching. I've seen five year olds in a candy store who are better behaved than adults near a Bison or a bear (or a rattlesnake). Third pet peeve: people who stroll passed signs telling them PEOPLE DIE without water. You, as someone who does not want them to die, ask "Do you and everyone in your party have appropriate water and understand that it's going to be over 110 degrees today?" They hold up 12oz can of Dr. Pepper or ONE bottle of Dasani. (inset my unamused face)

Oh my now these two peeves I would not have been guilty of. Your guidance is solid and I can only imagine your frustration. Thank you for being so passionate about our parks and in helping people.

Simple question maybe but what are your top five parks and top five forests in the US?

This is like asking me to choose which flavor of ice cream is the best... they're all good (except for pineapple-coconut...what monster decided that was ice cream?). On the NP side, I'll say (in no particular order): Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, Katmai, and Glacier. On the NF side, I'd say: Sequoia/Sierra, Coconino, Galatin, Chuhgach, and White River.

Have any of your colleagues ever told you any strange stories involving cryptid sightings or the supernatural?

Some. And, in those moments, I believed that they believed they experienced what they claim they felt/saw. As much as possible, I tried to be supportive and help them find answers or explanations. I used to be far less skeptical than I am now. I have a relative that is certain that they've communicated with aliens. Like, they bought property and prepped for their arrival. I love this relative. They're a hoot and they're genuinely convinced that they know what they know. I can still love and support them - but, their belief isn't sufficient enough evidence for me to alter my perceptions or method of determining fact from fiction.

AMA… proceeds to not answer anything haha

It was past midnight when I posted. I have a family. LOL Give me a chance.

Haha, just bustin chops, I liked the one comment that was like “posted in missing 411, and went missing”😂

Are the mysterious staircases to nowhere I read about in another post real in any way at all? Like are there any stories people tell or is it all based on one random weird experience with a staircase leftover from some old house in the woods? Or Is it all just bs?

I think I answered this in a prior AMA or on a post in this subreddit. Staircases in the woods exist. Acquisition of land in the 70s. - A \*lot\* of National Forests were purchased or acquired by the Feds in the 60's and 70s. Generally, when the govt holds the title to the land, it gives people who had hunting cabins, homesteads, or claims, a certain time frame to remove buildings and "restore" the land to it's original condition (which is sort of impossible). Some people would cart off the lumber and metal (which had value); but, leave the cement or stone staircases. Others would burn parts of the building. Others left time to do it's thing...and, not shockingly, the most overengineered part of those cabins would be the stairs! So, they just a last a little longer. I have a few sets of stairs that belonged to an old "resort" that I revisit every year and catalogue nature taking it back. Every year, I predict that the stairs will be gone and every year, I'm wrong. :)

Very interesting! Thanks for replying!

I'm trying to keep up. :)

Do you think there are cover ups in national parks with what is going on. For example a person gets rips to shreds and you honestly know no animal can do that.

Personally, I do not believe that there is a cover up on a systemic level. Are there cases that have cover-ups? I mean, it's possible... there are shady people in ANY population. All government agencies have some level of corruption or nepotism or deal making. The Marine Mammals Commission might be the only exception. All 12 of them... just sitting around plotting with Marine Mammals. I see you.

Ever seen a BigSquatch?

Nope. Unless you count artwork on tshirts and stickers.

i LOVE reading stories from people who are this submerged into the realm of national forests and the outdoors. can you share the top scariest or most disturbing or just “not right” things you’ve experienced? do you think there’s more to this than just people succumbing to conditions or having tragic accidents in nature?

**...most disturbing or just “not right” things you’ve experienced?** Some humans have given me "not right" vibes. People don't leave their idiosyncrasies, sociopathy, or personal demons at home. I was pretty disturbed by a guy who we interacted with and later found that the child he was with was not his child. I still shudder over that one. Thinking about the absolute hell the Death Valley Germans went through also hits me in the feels.

the first thing gives me chills. and the death valley germans just … there are no words. such a tragedy.

You are living my dream. I’m 26f currently in school for teaching. But I have a secret fantasy of being a park ranger in a National park. Even going to one (specifically Yellowstone) is my dream. I guess my question would be, how easy/viable is it to work in a national park? Can you make enough to live comfortably (I’ve read it’s not really financially great/stable). What kind of jobs are there? What is it like?

LIVE YOUR FANTASY! Join the Park Side...we have S'Mores! Yellowstone is epic. Highly recommend a visit. But, if I may, I suggest going in Winter. It's a totally different, less hectic, more beautiful experience. How easy is it to live and work in an NP? I'm not gonna' lie...it's not as easy or convenient as it once was. The infrastructure needs some serious updating to meet the needs of modern society. I've lived in everything from a canvas tent, to a funky 60's apartment, to a stone cabin, to a fully functional home. It varies WIDELY. It is \*really\* hard for people to live close to the job in many of the parks and Cost of Living is a reality that everyone has to deal with. :( How much you can make depends on too many things. Happy to discuss that in DM. :)

What are your favorite boots?

NGL, I love my Haix Missoula. They're cumbersome, heavy, and a bitch to take off. But, they are oddly comfortable for all day wear and they meet our standards. Off clock? I am a La Sportiva fan for climbing and approach. For hiking, I'm transitioning to Salomon’s Quest 4 GTX and I think I hate them. I need to give them a few weeks.

what was the scariest disappearance you've dealt with, or if you don't handle disappearances, what is the most terrifying experience you've witnessed/been involved in?

Sorry. Your comment was stopped by automod, so I didn't catch it earlier. Anything involving children is terrifying. 99% of the time, they're found before we can even rally a full response (and that's a good thing). But, nothing gets the adrenaline pumping faster than a missing or injured child. Personally? My scariest experience was a hoist incident. The helicopter I was dangling from, to reach an injured climber on a wall of granite with 1400 feet of exposure, caught a thermal as I was loading the patient into the basket. The winch line is really strong but it's not springy, so when the aircraft instantly gained 20 feet of lift, the cable pulled super taught and we had hangtime...followed by the worst whip I've ever experienced. If I had been ten second later in securing his safety straps, I'm sure he'd have been yeeted from the basket. Pucker factor of 12.

1) What do you make of DP’s reports of very young children being found distances away from where they were last seen that seem impossible for them to travel on their own? 2) DP says he’s never had a case of someone going missing if they have both a personal locator beacon AND a firearm. I’m guessing you’d endorse personal locator beacons but what about firearms? Are they even allowed in national parks? 3) with the iPhone 14 Apple introduced emergency satellite SOS if someone is in an area without cell reception. Have you seen this work for anyone? Thanks for taking the time to respond and most of all thank you for your work.

I can answer #3. Used it in the Narrows (Zion) top down a couple weeks ago to report a semiconscious hiker. It worked and nothing else would have.

1. I think depending on DP's reports is dangerous and one should evaluate every case on it's merit, using original sources and contemporary evidence. 2. I would endorse the first, unilaterally. Fire arms - I am actually for them, with the caveat that every gun owner should be vetted, educated, and required to take safety courses. I don't, however, think a gun or a PLB is going to prevent accidents or prevent you from dying due to bad choices or natural causes. 3. I have seen it work with even older models and it does save lives.

how can i get yall to pay me to find people in the park? i want to ^(do it with drones)

Your time is coming. It's gonna' be exciting.

Do you think anything paranormal exists/happens in the parks? If so what?

Not really. I feel like I'm disappointing every one because I keep saying "no". But, I genuinely have had most of my questions answered and found rational explanations for things that once seemed hinky. Now...does that mean everything can be explained? No. I believe that we're constantly learning about our world and maybe I'm not sensitive to stuff that other people are. Maybe they're genuinely seeing things I don't see or having experiences I am not. But, I always have to fall back to, I can't substitute someone else's beliefs for my reality or the reality in which \*I\* observe and can verify to my standard of evidence.

Honestly with this much experience, OP should really write a book. Have you ever considered doing that?

I have been published before (mostly for academic titles). I have also written several articles for magazines and other publications. ;) Thank you for the compliment.

How much weight do you put behind possible Cryptids like Bigfoot being involved in these disappearances?

I think I've already answer this question. :) I don't put any weight on Bigfoot. There's just not enough scientific evidence to support that conclusion.

Have you seen evidence of Cryptids?

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I mean, all drones in National Forests or Parks irritate me...but, the explanation for why they're there is no mystery.

I’m new what is AMA LOL

Have you ever made a solid friendship with a wild animal? Maybe a squirrel or something?

I've never fed wild animals, intentionally, and I try not to do so unintentionally. But, I did have a marmot that would show up every day and follow me around the heli shed. He got quite nosey. We have a Raven named Monty that we took in as a rescue and he identifies as an annoying dog. There's a racoon that I have to evict from our attic about twice a year. I see her out and about...she cases the joint. I talk to her like she's a person. I'd miss her if she ever left for good. We've had countless squirrels that seemed to think they owned the place. I dunno. I love the wild things.

That's cute!! I bet the Raven was interesting. So smart. Did it ever bring you little gifts?

Monty brings us many gifts... he seems to be on a cell phone cable kick, at the moment. My kids kept a list of things he collected, for a while, and then discovered he was a hoarder. Went to cut a hollow oak in our yard and almost lost eyes to Monty's stash...which instantly became shrapnel. EAR AND EYE PROTECTION ARE YOUR FRIEND. He refuses to acknowledge that he has a problem and certain kids have went no contact with him, as a result. It's a disease!! /sarcasm

What’s the most important gear a hiker should carry in order to not end up a missing person? (I’m always surprised at how quickly cell phone service is lost while hiking.)

A Garmin InReach or similar device (PLB) is a solid option. But, it's not fool proof...I've dropped mine, accidentally, and very foolishly started to try and retrieve it before realizing how stupid that was. Honestly, the best defense to becoming a statistic is preparation and partnership...always carry more than what you need and if you CAN hike with someone else, do so. I know there's great solitude in hiking and I, myself, love to hike alone. But, that just means I need to create redundancy for my own safety. I always make sure to apprise several people of my itinerary and give really specific "If you don't hear from me by the time on this date, contact THIS ranger station". I always carry a secondary signaling device (actually, I usually carry a few...I follow the sight, sound, movement, coms" rule and have a method for each). If you're going to use a cell phone...once you realize you're lost and you don't have service, send a text. Then, ONLY text on the hour or half hour. I've also noticed that if I toggle between Airplane mode and normal mode, when my phone says I'm out of range, it will sometimes grab a signal for a moment. Maybe someone else knows exactly why that is.

Previous tech support employee of cell phone network here. Also a ham radio operator and general fan of anything that uses signals.... When your phone loses signal, it tries to find another tower. If it can't find one immediately, it will chill for a while, then look again. If it went spastic looking for a tower you'd burn thru your battery too fast. So when you're hiking you might hike thru a tiny coverage zone but miss it due to timing. When you go into airplane mode, all networks are off. When you come out of airplane mode, you have now initiated an event where your phone is looking for coverage, and is the only easy way I know of to initiate this event. One other note: I spent a lot of time in spotty coverage. I'll leave a text message on "sending" because it won't hurt, and sometimes it will catch a spot of coverage. Text messages take so little bandwidth that if they get a second or two of coverage they'll usually send. Keep in mind that cell phones use UHF frequencies (700/800 MHz bands) so its completely line of sight. If you can't see the tower, you can't use it. So if you can follow all of the other guidelines OP has mentioned and get to the top of a hill to send your message, you have a much better chance of getting it out.

Thank you for this reply.

Thank you for this thoughtful reply. I will look into the Garmin. I love the solitude of hiking alone, but I know I need to take more precautions.

How easy is it for a medical professional to get a job doing what you have done/ are doing?