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KAT54
Nomad
Posts: 263
Registered: 3-7-2006
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Who is out there looking for Mike?
Has anyone left yet?
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SoloSports
Newbie
Posts: 14
Registered: 11-19-2010
Location: Punta San Carlos
Member Is Offline
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Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote: | Originally posted by SoloSports
I know of several teams of motorcycle riders who have not been able to make it from the San Carlos Mesa over to the Caterina mesa.
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It would seem, at this point, that motorcycles would be the best and quickest way in to assess the problem. |
No way to get motorcycles to Mike's location except via boat. Like in my post above i know of several failed attempts from both Punta San Carlos and
Catarina. Panga to the arroyo and then via foot seems the only way without a helicopter.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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Quote: | Originally posted by SoloSports
No way to get motorcycles to Mike's location except via boat. Like in my post above i know of several failed attempts from both Punta San Carlos and
Catarina. Panga to the arroyo and then via foot seems the only way without a helicopter. |
Gawwwdammmm....What did he get himself into??
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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Quote: | Originally posted by woody with a view
i've seen packs of coyotes "out there" running 6-8 strong. way more than enough to take his DonKay down.= |
Woody, I have heard that coyotes will not attack large animals, only seeking those prey the same size of the coyotes or smaller.
Bob H
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Quote: | Originally posted by KAT54
Who is out there looking for Mike?
Has anyone left yet? |
You should read the thread from the start... BajaGringo's, BajaCactus' and Solosport's.
I just posted the info on what's happening on Fred Metcalf's board... just in case somebody who doesn't read Nomad sees it there.
Wild Bill is in Baja for the 1000, and he has the vehicle and knowledge of all of Baja to possibly add something to this effort. Wild Bill is a
moderator on Fred's board. Also, Ralph at Rancho Santa Ynez communicates with Ellen (Elena La Loca) daily on HAM radio. Ellen is Wild Bill's lady and
either of them may spot this news on Fred's board before here.
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13196
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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satellite communicator would be sooooooooooo welcome right now. what a way to get your name out and really well known - thru BajaNomads and a
situation like this one.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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i asked the local panqueros the same thing. they said 2-3 coyotes could take a human. why do you think the ranchers shoot every coyote they see? don't
they raise cattle? it seems out of place in our futuristic lifestyle, but "out there" nature rules.
BTW, i'm not an expert on coyote behavior, but i did stay at a holiday inn express last night!
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Brian L
Nomad
Posts: 250
Registered: 6-21-2010
Location: Alpine, CA
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Mood: No Bad Days
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I don' think it is as serious as you think. He has two options on his SPOT device, one for "I need some help, I'm in a tight spot", the other
"Gawwwwdammm I am hurt!!!".
Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote: | Originally posted by SoloSports
No way to get motorcycles to Mike's location except via boat. Like in my post above i know of several failed attempts from both Punta San Carlos and
Catarina. Panga to the arroyo and then via foot seems the only way without a helicopter. |
Gawwwdammmm....What did he get himself into?? |
Brian
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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Quote: | Originally posted by Bob H
Quote: | Originally posted by woody with a view
i've seen packs of coyotes "out there" running 6-8 strong. way more than enough to take his DonKay down.= |
Woody, I have heard that coyotes will not attack large animals, only seeking those prey the same size of the coyotes or smaller.
Bob H |
Oh, I take that back.... it is quite a different story regarding "packs" of coyotes.... wow
Diet and hunting
Coyote on elk carcass in winter in Lamar ValleyCoyotes are opportunistic, versatile carnivores with a 90% mammalian diet, depending on the season.
They primarily eat small mammals, such as voles, prairie dogs, eastern cottontails, ground squirrels, and mice, though they will eat birds, snakes,
lizards, deer, javelina, and livestock, as well as large insects and other large invertebrates. Any species of birds that nests on the ground are
targeted by coyotes. Though they will consume large amounts of carrion, they tend to prefer fresh meat. Fruits and vegetables are a significant part
of the coyote's diet in the autumn and winter months. Part of the coyote's success as a species is its dietary adaptability. As such, coyotes have
been known to eat human rubbish and domestic pets. They catch cats and dogs when they come too close to the pack. Urban populations of coyotes have
been known to actively hunt cats, and to leap shorter fences to take small dogs. In particularly bold urban packs, coyotes have also been reported to
shadow human joggers or larger dogs, and even to take small dogs while the dog is still on a leash. However, this behavior is often reported when
normal urban prey, such as rabbits, have become scarce.
Coyotes shift their hunting techniques in accordance with their prey. When hunting small animals such as mice, they slowly stalk through the grass,
and use their acute sense of smell to track down the prey. When the prey is located, the coyotes stiffen and pounce on the prey in a cat-like manner.
Coyotes will commonly work in teams when hunting large ungulates such as deer. Coyotes may take turns in baiting and pursuing the deer to exhaustion,
or they may drive it towards a hidden member of the pack. When attacking large prey, coyotes attack from the rear and the flanks of their prey.
Occasionally they also grab the neck and head, pulling the animal down to the ground. Coyotes are persistent hunters, with successful attacks
sometimes lasting as much as 21 hours; even unsuccessful ones can continue more than 8 hours before the coyotes give up. Depth of snow can affect the
likelihood of a successful kill. Packs of coyotes can bring down prey as large as adult elk, which usually weigh over 250 kg (550 lbs).
The average distance covered in a night's hunting is 4 km (2˝ mi).
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote: | Originally posted by SoloSports
No way to get motorcycles to Mike's location except via boat. Like in my post above i know of several failed attempts from both Punta San Carlos and
Catarina. Panga to the arroyo and then via foot seems the only way without a helicopter. |
Gawwwdammmm....What did he get himself into?? |
On foot, and on hoof it is possible to go where no wheeled vehicle can go.
Perhaps the super rains of last January created gullys far too deep or steep to cross near the coast, so they were detouring around?
They are much closer to Santa Catarina Landing and the small fish camp just north (Punta Blu) than to San Carlos... but it may be a case of being
stuck between a rock and a hard place literally.
[Edited on 11-20-2010 by David K]
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Quote: | Originally posted by blane
I don' think it is as serious as you think. |
Hope and pray you're right. Thanks.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Quote: | Originally posted by David K
On foot, and on hoof it is possible to go where no wheeled vehicle can go.
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I should have been paying closer attention, but how far is he from civilization on the reverse side, David?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote: | Originally posted by David K
On foot, and on hoof it is possible to go where no wheeled vehicle can go.
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I should have been paying closer attention, but how far is he from civilization on the reverse side, David? |
As the crow flies, he is 3.5 miles from Punta Blu fish camp and road... and about 5 miles from Santa Catarina camp.
Here is my road log from Hwy. 1 to the coast there...
0.0 (0.0) Take the signed right turnoff to 'Santa Catarina (32 km)' 46.9 miles from El Rosario's Pemex. The road is between Km. 132 and 133. Just
ahead (on Hwy. 1) is the road left to Guayaquil.
This is a good, fast graded road for the first 30 or so miles and it is fun to drive through beautiful cactus gardens.
7.2 (7.2) Road in from left to San Agustin along the old route from El Marmol... where onyx blocks were trucked to the Pacific at Santa Catarina
Landing to be shipped north.
19.2 (12.0) pass through tree shaded Rancho Santa Catarina.
21.1 (1.9) Fork, left to Punta Canoas and right for Santa Catarina Landing... we go right. The road climbs to the the top of a ridge and then drops
down to the coastal plain. The original road used to haul onyx over can be seen to the north.
36.3 (15.2) Fork, we first take right fork and it goes 3.4 miles to fish camp 'Punta Blu'... dead end, so back to this fork and take left branch.
37.3 (1.0) Road left is the route south... ahead goes 1.0 mile to Santa
Catarina fish camp, on the beach.
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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Quote: | Originally posted by David K
... but it may be a case of being stuck between a rock and a hard place literally.
[Edited on 11-20-2010 by David K] |
David, reminds me of this story a while back... I think it was in 1996
Hiker John Ey spent eight days trapped in a narrow crevasse, large crack in the upper surface of a glacier, formed by tension acting upon the brittle
ice. Transverse crevasses occur where the grade of the glacier bed becomes suddenly steeper; longitudinal crevasses, where the glacier in southern
Utah, living on only a swallow of water a day after he ate the last bites of his last sandwich.
The 44-year-old printer and photographer from Tucson, Ariz., was rescued Wednesday after he heard the tinkle tin·kle
The dog had tracked his scent to the 75-foot-deep crevasse near Brimstone brimstone: see sulfur. Canyon in the new Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument: see National Parks and Monuments (table). , about 200 miles south of Salt Lake City.
"It was hard, horrible," he said by telephone yesterday from a hospital bed in Page, Ariz., where he was being treated for dehydration. "I wouldn't
wish it on a murderer or a rapist. . . . I'm eternally thankful for a second chance at life."
Ey (pronounced EYE) had been camping alone in the area for several days and started what he intended to be a day trek the morning of Oct. 8. He packed
three quarts of water, two sandwiches and two candy bars, expecting to return to his truck by nightfall.
The area is fractured with slot canyons, some hundreds of feet deep and only 2 or 3 feet wide. Ey went into one and was unable to hike out.
He searched for another exit in the sandstone maze, descending again and again, sometimes in canyons so narrow that he was forced to squeeze through
on his side.
After a day of exhausting dead-ends, Ey found himself all but wedged into a narrow crevasse with no more room to maneuver.
"I made a mistake," he said. "And by the time I realized it, I was too tired to climb out." By sundown, Ey had only three bites of a sandwich and 5
ounces of water left.
"He'd gotten himself in a real pickle pickle, general term for fruits or vegetables preserved in vinegar or brine, usually with spices or sugar or
both. Vegetables commonly pickled include the beet, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, olive, onion, pepper, and tomato. , that's certain," said Garfield
County
Sheriff's Deputy Monte Luker. "He can't go up or sideways, and he's wedged in there at the bottom of this crack."
His food was gone after the first day, and he rationed his water - one sip a day. But his real enemy was time.
"I can't even begin to tell you all the things I thought about," he said. "Friends, family, religion. Literally the gamut."
"The days were interminable in·ter·mi·na·ble, but at least they were warm," he said. "But nights were agony," shivering from the cold and believing
hours had passed when his watch would tell him only 15 or 20 minutes had slipped by.
"People stand in a line at a grocery store and get mad after five minutes," he said. "Never me. Never again."
A worried friend called the sheriff on Tuesday, and on Wednesday Ey's truck was spotted from a search plane. Four dogs from Salt Lake-based Rocky
Mountain Search Dogs and a helicopter joined the search.
On Wednesday afternoon, a golden retrievergolden retriever, breed of large sporting dog developed primarily in Scotland in the mid-19th cent. It
stands about 23 in. (58.4 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 60 to 75 lb
[Edited on 11-20-2010 by Bob H]
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LancairDriver
Super Nomad
Posts: 1593
Registered: 2-22-2008
Location: On the Road
Member Is Offline
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The SPOT tracker has simple one push buttons for 911 or simply calling for needing help. It is possible a button could have been depressed
accidentally and set off the message. I would hope this is the situation, but given the terrain he is in anything is possible. I will post the
coordinates on the Baja Bush Pilots web site that DK had given earlier and maybe someone going north or south could fly over the area and take a look.
They couldn't do much other that report if seeing him and verify if it looks like he needs help or not.
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SoloSports
Newbie
Posts: 14
Registered: 11-19-2010
Location: Punta San Carlos
Member Is Offline
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Not getting a reply from my camp host Neil makes me think he went with the fisherman to go find Mike.
After reading an article posted here it sounds like Mike has two dogs. Anyone know if this is the case? Also here is a quote from the same article
regarding Mike.
"He has taken classes at REI in GPS and compass and topographic map reading. He has Search and Rescue and extraction insurance and a SPOT satellite
GPS messenger so friends and family will always know where he is. He spent eight months “bonding” with Don-Kay."
The part about the SAR insurance definitely eases the mind and makes me think it IS NOT AN EMERGENCY and it seems sending in a panga to find him is
the right thing to do. If we get the signal from his SPOT that he is actually hurt and in an emergency situation then I suggest those on his responder
list call his SAR insurance company or Celia Diaz at 619-425-5080 to organize a medi-vac.
From what we know at the moment there is no reason to overreact or jump to conclusions and set a ball in motion that could put others in harms way or
a bad situation for no reason. From what I understand Mike is prepared, did his homework and accepted the risk and responsibility of his adventure and
if he is truly in an emergency situation he would use his SPOT accordingly.
Let's see what Neil comes back to us with and we'll have more information to make a decision on the best next step.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I hope to get a fresh SPOT with the normal I am okay type of message...
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Quote: | Originally posted by SoloSports
Not getting a reply from my camp host Neil makes me think he went with the fisherman to go find Mike.
After reading an article posted here it sounds like Mike has two dogs. Anyone know if this is the case? Also here is a quote from the same article
regarding Mike.
"He has taken classes at REI in GPS and compass and topographic map reading. He has Search and Rescue and extraction insurance and a SPOT satellite
GPS messenger so friends and family will always know where he is. He spent eight months “bonding” with Don-Kay."
The part about the SAR insurance definitely eases the mind and makes me think it IS NOT AN EMERGENCY and it seems sending in a panga to find him is
the right thing to do. If we get the signal from his SPOT that he is actually hurt and in an emergency situation then I suggest those on his responder
list call his SAR insurance company or Celia Diaz at 619-425-5080 to organize a medi-vac.
From what we know at the moment there is no reason to overreact or jump to conclusions and set a ball in motion that could put others in harms way or
a bad situation for no reason. From what I understand Mike is prepared, did his homework and accepted the risk and responsibility of his adventure and
if he is truly in an emergency situation he would use his SPOT accordingly.
Let's see what Neil comes back to us with and we'll have more information to make a decision on the best next step. |
He gave his two U.S. dogs to Graham to take back last month, when he was between Valle Trinidad and Hwy. 1... as he had aquired the new dog 'Solo'
during the walk. He has one dog with him now.
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solosancarlos
Junior Nomad
Posts: 64
Registered: 11-11-2010
Member Is Offline
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MIKE IS SAFE AND HAS BEEN FOUND !!!!!!!!!!!
HE AND ALL ARE OK
REPORT TO FOLLOW SOON
NEIL
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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GREAT !!!
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