3 National Park Disappearances that SCARE the HELL out of Park Rangers…

[@RKCALGARY]

Almost every single missing hiker in a group goes missing when separated from the group. This tells me that the groups should stick together no matter what.

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

Yes you’d think that if you thought logically, but some do not

[@teaspoonsofpeanutbutter6425]

​@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934 right? People have been shouting for years to STICK TOGETHER and yet, nope!

[@barbarapaine8054]

Even if one person says “no, you go on, I’ll just rest here, or I’ll be ok”. Don’t leave them!

[@Mark-qv4bn]

Everyone should be carrying a radio and protection now. Everyone. Case closed. ☹️

[@1n5tant_Ar50n]

Yep, I wouldn't go anywhere alone in the backcountry. Not even to go to the bathroom. I'd definitely want someone standing a few feet away just in case.

[@kayingthao5072]

After watching this I’ve decided to only hike vicariously through Kyle on KZbin. My only risk will be choking on a tortilla chip.

[@deed5811]

We will just hear about you on chubbyemu instead of Kyle's channel. C planned on a night of watching KyleHatesHiking. "I'll be safe hearing stories about lost hikers while eating these tortilla chips, C thought"

[@annhans3535]

me too.🤣

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

Say I like that as I’m disabled and YT is great for vicarious traveling ✴️

[@TheQueensWish]

Hiking is made out to sound super fun 🥾, walking along in the fresh air, eating granola, etc …. but it’s actually best described as just a very bad walk (by those of us who know!).

[@StamfordBridge]

@@TheQueensWishI must have been doing it wrong then, because it was super fun for me.

[@joysoul4089]

My husband is an experienced hiker, but even he got temporarily lost on a well traveled trail, when he stepped off to find privacy to relieve himself. When he turned back toward what he thought was the direction of the trail, all he could see were trees. He became nervous, but tried not to panic, slowly making his way down the hill… when eventually he spotted some other hikers on the trail. To this day, he still says this is the scariest experience he’s ever had. I always make sure that he has a working Garmin InReach (being sure it’s currently activated), even though he only hikes popular trails….and plenty of water (he has been caught out twice with not enough water, and got quite thirsty).

[@jillanderson1316]

Yes j think that's what happens to so many people when they step off the trail and then are surrounded by trees , there are no points of reference and sooooo easy for the human brain to get confused , no matter how experienced this can happen so easily , I always think two brains are a necessity !!

[@cherfromtn8225]

I have heard some people use rope if they plan on going off trail in wooded areas. Kind of like cavers. I have also heard it suggested you look BEHIND you as you go on a trail so as to have some landmarks to keep track of. Probably not helpful if all you are surrounded by is trees!

[@martinep6293]

Same here. Easy walking trail, flat. You look for privacy and suddenly it all looks the same in ALL directions. I always carry a compass and a paper map even inTexas in a State Park😂. A police whistle is great for each in a group.

[@lawka2699]

Ask exploratory spelunkers and missing persons specialists... they'll often tell you hikers missing without any trace probably fell down a hole. Not a big hole, but a terrifying human shaped hole angled in such a way on an incline that you can't see it until you're 2 or 3 feet away AND actively looking for it. It's incredibly unlucky, and notoriously difficult for search parties to find or even succumb to themselves. A boulder fall in some areas could have even covered the hole or opened up another. And don't even get me started on illegal mineshafts which aren't marked on maps.

[@missemily3264]

Good point. I hadn't thought of this, but such occurrence probably account for many disappearances. Especially the vanished without a trace ones.

[@dananorth895]

I've often thought that to be the case as well. Sinkholes, crevices, especially in boulder areas. And of course the infamous mine shaft or collapsed lava tubes. I've noticed some people have no common sense when it comes to caves, tunnels and especially cliff edges. Or even fast moving water and wet slimey rocks.

[@MageSkeleton]

i feel like this comment should be pinned.

[@bobbiingram4258]

Yikes! Thanks for adding to my phobia list! 😱

[@debalden2926]

That's just because they are spelunkers. 😄 Although in Colorado and those other mining states I could see that happening. I think a lot of the experienced hikers may get cocky out there and do something stupid. A lot of people don't take emergency water, supplies or communications. Others just get lost. They go by themselves. They think they know what they are doing, but really don't. Hell drowning, falls, wild animas, bigfoot who knows? The wilderness is huge and all sorts of things can go wrong.

[@M.M.D.]

I will never hike alone without a Garmin InReach or other device to call for help. I can't imagine the feeling of being disoriented, lost, injured, thirsty, hungry, freezing or burning up with no help in sight. I can't imagine these poor families not having closure.

[@ohokcool]

Great move, iPhones may be awesome for the outdoors but they overheat and break and run out of batteries and should NEVER be your only line of defense or navigation method

[@tanikokishimoto1604]

​@@ohokcoolCell phones also go outside of cell range. Especially in the wilderness.

[@StamfordBridge]

Not to mention the feeling of falling down a hole or crevasse, and realizing no one is going to come looking for you there.

[@halfdome4158]

@@tanikokishimoto1604 Satellite phones have been around for a long time. They are great to have at home too in the case of a disaster.....earthquake, etc. I see cell phones as a consumer convenience. I have one, but also have a land line as well and a satellite phone.

[@rjensen2586]

I've been hiking and backpacking solo for years and I finally got one. So much more peace of mind!

[@Mila808g]

MICHAEL FISHER IDEA : I've looked into this case a little bit and my thoughts are that he took off his pack, set all of his supplies and gear on the snow line... And walked into the woods to take a dump before continuing onto a steeper part of the trail where there would be less opportunities for a bathroom break. At some point during his bathroom break he fell into a small crevasse, never to be seen again.

[@abc-wv4in]

That could be.

[@KarenThaler-x8v]

Good one.

[@juliemanarin4127]

Possibility

[@rt66vintage16]

In 1967, my dad and I were hiking the John Muir trail for two weeks. I was 14 years old. The worst thing that happened was my dad was too cheap to buy me hiking boots, so I was using my stepmother's boots, which were at least a size too large. I was afflicted with blisters on both feet. A cool guy at a campground treated my feet; I'll never forget his name. Thanks, Randall. ❤

[@Lee-tt2yb]

Sorry I'm laughing. Yeah, that's the way kids were treated in the 60s. Comfort was entirely unnecessary, just don't get snakebit.

[@corinnekelley8133]

I am so sorry your dad did that too you. That sounds negligent and terrible.

[@worldbfree7576]

​@@corinnekelley8133give me a freakin break

[@allanfifield8256]

I only hike with a MG 43 and a buddy to assist as loader/feeder. I found this to be very effective in much of Russia.

[@Heavyisthecrown]

@@corinnekelley8133negligent? Really? Over blisters on a fun bonding trip? 😂 life’s going to be hard for you my friend 😂😂Lol

[@augustingarnier4625]

While on a solo hike in Big Bear, CA, I decided to traverse over a hill that I had walked around hiking-in because I was running late and surmised that I could get phone reception from the hill. I felt it prudent to call my wife and let her know that I was running late but was safe. I also figured it should save me a few miles with 20-minutes of hiking up and over. two thirds of the way up I sat down to take water break. Looking to my left and right it became perfectly clear that I was sitting on a cougar trail. I knew instantly to stand up and make myself look bigger...and to get out of there.

[@TheCaptnHammer]

…as a park ranger, these aren’t the things that scare us. It’s people on drugs or on the run, or maybe a domestic dispute in the park, or running out of toilet paper in the backcountry. 😂

[@Sarah-xw2ff]

I love it! In all seriousness though, I think sometimes older people who meet a sad ending have experienced either heart failure or a leg injury or something. I come from a family where heart failure is hereditary. We never know when or where it will happen but we better be near enough the hospital to get treated fairly promptly. Some heart failures can go on for weeks before it gets progressively worse. It sometimes starts as exhaustion/breathlessness and goes from there.

[@lanxy2398]

Is it actually true that you guys don’t keep a registry of missing persons on your parks at all times?

[@paulrettig1507]

I think some of these missing people, especially the ones who leave their group are looking to disappear and either live life in the wilderness or start a new life elsewhere.

[@tpliscon4662]

If you've never run out of butt wipe when out in the middle of nature then you just don't know. My brother and I had to cut the sleeves off one of our shirts to deal with THAT particular emergency. (It was in winter and very cold outside when we were on a fishing trip)

[@AJShiningThreads]

As a hiker I'm always amazed that more people don't go missing! I spent a few hours last weekend clambering over some boulders with my sister and 4 nephews and between the large boulders were gaps that anyone could slip in and get stuck and never be seen again. I also have hiked in Yosemite in the area where the 14 year old went missing. The trail by the lake is slippery, its easy to fall and the water is cold and swift enough if you slip and fall in the water as the rangers say its becomes a body rescue IF they can even find you.

[@kaoskronostyche9939]

I have to agree with you. As an avid hiker, rock climber, mountaineer and backcountry skier I would add that not only is terrain incredibly varied and discontinuous as you said, but so many people seem to escape all sorts of trouble despite being utterly incompetent. What is the saying? Fools step in where Angels fear to tread. So many fools; so much pure blind luck. Cheers!

[@satis7561]

@@kaoskronostyche9939 There is also a saying God looks after fools and babies.

[@Babesinthewood97]

Same!When I was 23 I hiked alone across a field of boulders, and up and down a mountain, to swim in a lake, then climbed back again the same day. I was wearing moccasins and I didn’t have a phone. I wouldn’t dare climbing a place like that ever again.

[@ruthd7274]

We don't have such boulder fields in the UK, but it's incredibly easy to lose ypur footing on a muddy slope.

[@rebecculousrk]

I find these stories fascinating and creepy. Story #1; Two gallons isn’t a lot of water, but he was expected to meet up with the rest of the group that evening, at the latest. I think one of the most common threads connecting these disappearances is that he separated from his friends. Never go into wilderness settings by yourself, if you can possibly avoid it. If being alone is your thing, carry a GPS positioning device. But I think the most common factor is being alone. Bring a buddy! Bring GPS positioning devices even with friends! ❤ Stay safe.

[@emh.1178]

Heat stroke is no joke. I live in AZ and it can sneak up on you really bad, and mess with your brain. Sometimes you won't even realize how bad you are feeling until you sit down in a cool place and get hydrated.

[@WinteryMix84]

I’ve done heat stress prevention training for farmworkers. You are right, heat exhaustion is no joke, but heat stroke can literally be deadly. Take frequent shaded rest breaks, drink small amounts of water every 15-20 minutes (drinking a gallon of water ahead of time will not keep you hydrated throughout a hot day. If you feel yourself fading from the heat, get to shade as quickly as possible (if possible). Remove your shoes and socks, get a wet cloth under your armpits and drink small amounts of water slowly. Get medical help asap.

[@barkerbikepirate4916]

So true! I've learned that a good rule of thumb is: if I feel thirsty, it's already too late. Thirst tells me, I'm done for the day. Stop, drink, and rest. I'm a nomad living on my bicycle and also a seasonal farm worker. Sometimes I put a dash of salt in my water bottle too.

[@bushcraftcreationsbykristi2590]

@@barkerbikepirate4916have you heard of this great tasting stuff called LMNT?!?

[@ursodermatt8809]

@@barkerbikepirate4916 i suppose that is how an alcoholic sees it.

[@dust-dog]

I used to like walking along old disused/abandoned railway lines in the country with my dogs. Although the disused rail corridors are still publically owned by the state and are quite wide, they mostly border farms or national parks/state forests. On my last trip along one of these rail corridors, I was shot at by a (senile?) old white farmer, who didn't like my dogs being 'close to' his land, which was across a public dirt road which ran parallel to the rail line. He'd rode up to me one a 4-wheeler and shouted this information, before riding off a distance and firing off some shots. Point is, it was a remote enough area that he could have shot my dogs and I dead, and by the time we were 'missed' our bodies could've easily been disposed of, incinerated, or devoured by animals. Lots of nut-jobs out there. I haven't walked the rails since.

[@NickyBlue99]

So you were the guy trespassing on my land...

[@AtomicExtremophile]

What does the farmer's skin colour to do with anything?

[@evelynwaugh4053]

I wouldn't let that dissuade you. My dogs have an excellent recall (I routinely train offleash when we hike and always carry treats). Just recall your dogs and let whoever you encounter know that the dogs don't bother livestock. I think it's more likely he fired off a round to scare the dogs than because he's homicidal. Ranchers lose stock due to loose dogs, so they're protective, and many people tresspass and don't close gates.

[@johnkidd1226]

In farming areas, loose dogs can be shot on your property. Untrained, unleashed dogs can do a great deal of carnage in a short time. Did the farmer first tell you to leash your dogs? If so, you omitted that little detail.

[@dust-dog]

@@johnkidd1226 I didm't omit any detail, bud. I was on punlic land, his property was on the other side of a dirt road running parallel to the rail corridor. To insinuate that my dogs are 'untrained', or that the farmer had any right to 'tell me to leash my dogs' is misguided and insulting.

[@rileybear836]

I love how you are unbiased and honestly say “yeah I don’t really think that’s suspicious”. You’re here to be real; not sell conspiracy theories

[@birdnird]

The heat has been so savage and so persistent here in Central Texas, that even my 5th grader has learned to recognize heat exhaustion on the school playground. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are going to be a problem for a larger geographic area, and for a larger part of the year, and for even mundane activities. Many, many, more hikers and outdoor enthusiasts will fall to it

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

I’m happy to hear your child knows to recognize heat exhaustion as apparently some people in charge can make the children do unbelievably deadly activities in said heat😱…

[@douggaudiosi14]

​@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934 what's an unbelievably deadly activity that children are doing

[@johnchedsey1306]

I live in Arizona and have been waiting for the summer heat to finally go away so I can do more walks without worrying about overheating. And we're till having record warm days in the 90s. The "cool" season is feeling like it'll be shorter.

[@michelekirby7907]

The savage Texas heat this year was scary enough that I don't want to live through it again next summer. This year I severely curtailed driving to avoid accidents, flat tires, or breakdowns that could leave me stranded in 110 degrees in the sun. Even though a lifelong Texan born & raised in Bosque county, I'm looking at higher elevations and drier locations in other states and hope to move by next May. Couple months of winter and couple feet of snow are far better than being trapped inside for 5 months of dangerous heat.

[@DAnna639]

It’s always sad to me that suspicion hangs over people who knew or who last saw a missing person, sometimes for years. We should be careful with the conspiracy theories we create surrounding such occurrences, because nature is so often to blame.

[@ursodermatt8809]

as well as many people here are spouting theories of what they think happened. i mean we just don't know.

[@consciousobserver629]

It's normal to ask questions and to wonder. Usually, the simplest, most likely theory is the correct one. A person's speculations don't hurt anyone.

[@lovesafrica111]

Sadly, it's usually those closest to the victim that's to blame especially if murdered.

[@klhaldane]

I've heard that last story before... I always feel so sorry for the old family friend who set out with her and then sat down to rest. I can't imagine how he felt afterwards.

[@ohnonotagain8935]

Odd are he murdered her and got away with it

[@saulcontreras313]

If you hear the vanishing stories even semi regular, chances are high to have hear it numerous times.

[@biazacha]

@@ohnonotagain8935 yeah he was in his 70s but still probably way more experienced in that kinda of terrain than her. Everytime we see a “man and young woman went, just him returned having no idea what happened to her” I ask myself if he ended the girl. lol

[@StamfordBridge]

@@biazachaHe managed to dispose of her body pretty amazingly then, especially for a 77-year-old. And then, what, he bribed the other witness who said he saw the girl continue hiking beyond the old man?

[@ND-or5so]

@klhakane: I've known about that story way before this video. I don't know why he left her. It makes no sense!

[@ZarpSterr]

So, there were 4 hikers, walking along a ridge. ( I forget where. Someplace in the USA.) They're walking in a line, about 30 yards apart. It's bare of vegetation on either side. You can see for miles. 3rd guy looks behind him and 4th guy is gone. Guys 1-3 regroup. How was it possible ? 3 Guys trek back to a camp. One guy decides to go back and search again. 2 at the camp wait. Taking too long. Another guy decides to go and look. Doesn't come back. Final guy stays at camp. Waits for Search and Rescue. He meets them and they search together. Guys 1-3 are never seen again. == Moral of the Story ? NEVER Hike or Search Alone....when you're out there.

[@Klapauzius-369]

Thank you. First in line, last in line...

[@dananorth895]

Last in line is the one who usually disappears first.

[@bobbiingram4258]

10 little Indians…famous rhyme and Agatha Christie story!

[@Lee-tt2yb]

Devil take the hindmost.

[@raybod1775]

And a very fat mountain lion walked away.

[@kristymoore7052]

I live near Hetch Hetchy and it’s HOT there so I avoid. A few years ago, early spring no snow, I decided what the heck and backpacked out of there. A serious or comedy of errors or circumstances made my trip challenging. It is odd to hike around a huge body of water with no access to it and water was one of my issues due to dry creeks. Long story short, I felt that I was “allowed” to survive and spend a miserable night and told the sky or whatever was there that I would not return and thank you for letting me out. Something is wrong there. Maybe because of what they did to it by flooding that valley for San Francisco water or IDK. Something… the air? is angry and the formidable feeling is real. I was solo.

[@allanfifield8256]

True . . . so much water in sight and dry canteens . . . it is an odd place.

[@2ndhandSue]

It's very good hearing that you walked out of there and are here to tell the tale. You feel that "something" is amiss in that area. There are other areas in the country where people also feel that strange feeling - knowing that something is not as it should be, but being unable to put their finger on exactly what it is. I used to hike and cross country ski alone in the Rocky Mountains in Canada near where I live, but one day skied around a corner, right into the middle of a horrific scene. There was a massive amount of blood spread over a huge distance on and around the ski trail, and many big clumps of hair spread around the scene. It was easy to tell that there had been a ferocious fight as the snow was all kicked up. Hundreds of paw prints indicated a pack of wolves had been there and obviously killed something very large - most likely a moose. In my years of skiing alone I had never come across a scene like this, nor had I ever seen any animal on or near the trails. But this one incident shook me awake and made me ask myself "What am I doing out here alone?" I have never skied or hiked alone again since that day 15 years ago. All of these people who hiked alone and disappeared without a trace might be alive today if they hadn't been alone. Hiking is not a solo activity.

[@mariawestman9026]

I wished you brought your camera. Good to hear you didn’t get hurt and never hikes alone again 👍 🌟take care🌟

[@sherryfaba1187]

When I was young we used to hike a lot and that was our primary rule never like alone.

[@mariawestman9026]

@@sherryfaba1187 great rule 👍😁

[@onerider808]

I notice pretty much no one in these episodes has an InReach/emergency beacon, or at least a waterproof map and compass. None seems to have a first aid kit, tourniquet, or water filter. Few have proper clothing, equipment, or athletic ability. Seemingly none are strapped. IME, it’s those little basics which make the difference.

[@fumanpoo4725]

I prefer to hike in leather pants.

[@unropednope4644]

How do you know they didn't have any of that equipment? Just because it wasn't mentioned doesn't mean they didn't have literally any of those things. It's also ignorant to say they weren't healthy and didn't have proper clothing based on just this video. The first and second guy definitely were in shape and pretty experienced. Finally, guns weren't legal in national parks in the first case timeframe and the other two guys maybe weren't gun nuts who felt they needed a gun?

[@laurieb3703]

​@@unropednope4644I would have had a gun on me no matter what. I don't care if it's illegal or not. If somebody comes up to attack me or whatever, that's illegal too but they're still going to do it. Better them than me

[@Xxxxxx19-p1c]

@@fumanpoo4725😂

[@Xxxxxx19-p1c]

@@laurieb3703amen!

[@Jeff_11B]

I did months of "hiking" while serving as an US infantryman in Kosovo during the year of 2001. Absolutely gorgeous views.

[@hardver8855]

Yeah, Kosovo and Albania have great mountains, beautiful, like smaller Alps.

[@tomjones2348]

I've done the Grand Canyon 9 times....twice down the river. It's rather hypnotic being down there in the canyon. You can get a false sense of security, especially if you've got good guides taking care of you. It's a wonderful place to visit, but you've got to keep your situational awareness fine tuned. Young men especially. I think it's 85% of dead and missing your men under the age of 25.

[@IanP1963]

Why?

[@DD-fj2ut]

@@IanP1963 young, feel fit, don’t bring enough water.

[@Stephaniepasqualino-de6qy]

Young men are the most likely demo to feel overconfident and not prepare properly would be my guess.

[@readdeeply9278]

Complacency, it is my belief, is largely the reason experienced hikers go missing.

[@dimpled_skeptic93]

Great video, Kyle! I do urge you to do some research on better help and vet them a little further. They may not be a company you wanna be associated with...

[@miettekealey6822]

Just commented about this as well, hopefully he sees these comments

[@jesseh.5223]

AH THANK GOODNESS SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING EUGH

[@addaptinginthedark]

Agreed. Therapist here and they are an infamous company in mental health circles. The people they employ aren't bad, but the company itself is very shady. I'm glad to see more people are speaking up about it.

[@Faustian_Bargain_Bin]

I’m glad Kyle is able to pull in ad money with B.H. but they are scammy. I used them for a couple months when I was having an exacerbation of my mental illness right before my medical boards. First it’s like $80 per session. Their “scholarship” is only 15% off. I think a session is 30 mins. So it’s as expensive as a higher end therapist that doesn’t take insurance. The thing is, if you have insurance, they cover a lot of therapy. Just not BH. My therapist was bizarre. It was nice to have someone to talk to but I never understood what the heck she was talking about. I’m not sure if she was really listening to me and instead sort of went off on her own lectures that felt only vaguely related to what I’d said. It is very convenient but it’s worth it to get a real therapist for that amount of money.

[@i3desiderata]

I’ve had great experiences with therapy in person. One time I decided to try betterhelp because of work stress. I matter of factly told the guy the list of what was on my mind and he basically goes ‘yeah the world is crazy, I’ll be out of town for the next week’. Then I realized meditation is often better than therapy.

[@jamest2401]

With all of these wilderness and National Parks disappearances, I’m curious as to why, amongst all the attendant speculations, they always seem to prominently include the “intentional separation to start a new life” scenario. Having this one continually showing up in the conversation perplexes me, and frankly even kind of cracks me up. If you want to disassociate yourself from your family and everyone you know, to start anew elsewhere, you don’t have to go out into the middle of nowhere to do it. You can accomplish that same feat from the small town setting, to the suburbs, to even the big city. In fact, you have an exceedingly greater chance of success, embarking from such environments, as opposed to traipsing off into the harsh and unforgiving wilderness, with little to no provisions, lack of proper gear, and completely inadequate clothing. I understand the cases of people wanting to go off and fake their own deaths, for the sake of some scam or fraud, but in cases of just desiring a fresh start, there’s simply no need for it. It’s not illegal to disappear.

[@wendycrawford1792]

@jamest2401. Good to hear from someone with actual common sense! I’ve always thought that the concept of people walking into the never ending wilderness in an effort to ‘start a new life’ is absolutely preposterous! It’s hard to believe that people even consider the possibility!

[@heide-raquelfuss5580]

Some people want to be left alone. Not seeing humans again and live desolate. Humans are notorious to fuck up eachother and the one after another. Where people live, fuckery and nastyness is close. Some want nothing to do anymore with humans and want to protect themselves. Well... It ends often times badly, but sometimes not.

[@lewismartinez5130]

My recollection is the Death in Yosemite book actually included one or two people who were thought to have disappeared while hiking and found later living a new life.

[@derekpmoore]

People doing that are typically schizotypal

[@Glulail]

I think it's mostly hope. Even if unlikely it means they're out alive somewhere.

[@jeffreycarman2185]

5:15 splitting up a group that is intending to be in the same place at the same time is also a bad idea. I’m sure that there are loads of instances where it turns out fine (but of course we never hear about these) but so, so many tragic stories from the backcountry start this way.

[@thecatatemyhomework]

Point of separation (David Paulides).

[@mandelbrot2232]

I am European but visited the Gran Canyon and I think the reason for these Missing 411 cases is that US national parks are HUGE and it is easy to loose your way

[@Billy-bd2oe]

Those are the regular missing persons... the 411 cases are completely different, trust me, read the books.

[@halfdome4158]

@@Billy-bd2oe The 411 nonsense is just that He is a liar and huckster. Making up nonsense to get viewers and sell books. Paranormal!😃He also lies in saying that no one cares. The cases are listed at national and state parks, their investigative service, local sheriffs, state police and some with the FBI.

[@joanmavima5423]

That’s true. It is amazing to non-Americans how huge this country is. In a documentary about the film The Last of the Mohicans, Daniel Day Lewis stated that he was astounded at the size of the forest cover in the US. The East is covered with forests and the Appalachian mountains, as is the West with the Rocky Mtns, the Sierras and the Cascades. It us a huge country.

[@lauramcclain8651]

Lose !!! Not loose !!!!!!

[@gggthsb]

I mean,yes and no. Usually it's known where they went missing so no matter the size of the park itself the search area is still somewhat compact. You can get lost just as easily in the Alps.

[@Cindyscrossstitch]

I can't imagine how the families feel having no closure. You always treat each situation with compassion and respect 👣🌻

[@ScaryBoomBoomGun]

It's encouraging and unsettling at the same time that Pruitt's missing poster is still posted at the Rocky Mountain National Park (as of 2023).

[@DSToNe19and83]

I remember my bud talking about him and his two buddies deciding they could defeat Mt. Rainer when I was visiting my family. He said he will never do it again and thought they were lucky to be alive after all the crevasses they had to go through. He is a great hiker with tons of energy but said never again! 🍻

[@StamfordBridge]

Can’t help but think the Hetch Hetchy missing hiker took off his pack and gear and went missing at the snow line - in early Spring. I’m no expert, but I’ve seen how treacherous glaciers can be in the Sierra. For one thing, deep, narrow crevasses can open up. My inkling - just a guess, really - is that the man took off his gear to hike up a patch of snow/glacier. Then he fell suddenly into a crevasse, where he was unlikely to be found by any searchers.

[@ursodermatt8809]

there are glaciers there?

[@steppo99]

I wouldn't assume his backpack, water bottle and map were abandoned. I would suggest he might have set them down to take a break (going to the bathroom maybe?), and something happened- like an animal attack or a fall off a slope- that led to his demise.

[@superyamagucci]

I worked with some raft guides from the canyon, had some strange stories. Even one of their crew went up a stream from camp one day and was never found - no way out except through the camp, totally unexplained. To the best of my knowledge still hasn't been found. Who knows about the guy from NASA, people for some reason seem to think if you work there and are good at X, then you are immediately an expert in Y and Z. If this were the case, I'd have a yard full of rockets.

[@monicacarolina6480]

We have a very old saying in Holland (sounds terrible in English) but it's "Together out, together home". Meaning, you always stay with eachther if you go out till you're home. I don't get it that people who plan the hike together take different routes or leave eachother behind. Ofcourse it's frustrating not to be aable doing what you wanted to do, because os somebodies conditons. But sticking together is key. Poor dad, he must have felt terrible quilty, not joining her for the small hike. On a campground with mostly men I would NEVER let my daughters go alone or with a stranger. (they are around that age) This is foul play for sure and how terrible for the poor girl and dad.

[@scorbunny7737]

​@frontenac5083 I really don't think she needs *YOU to be telling *HER the words that *SHE is looking for. Sounds like she chose her own words perfectly fine.

[@ontheroad684]

I have been a hiking leader for a long time and I send notifications to everyone in advance that they have to stick with the slowest person at all times and if they don’t want to this is not the hike for them. I make a point of never being out of sight. On other hikes I’ve gone on led by others, everyone is hiking in small groups or even leaving people alone. It speaks to pure stupidity. No point in a group hike if you’re in a huge rush to climb to the top, go with a racing group or alone.

[@ontheroad684]

I have been a hiking leader for a long time and I send notifications to everyone in advance that they have to stick with the slowest person at all times and if they don’t want to this is not the hike for them. I make a point of never being out of sight. On other hikes I’ve gone on led by others, everyone is hiking in small groups or even leaving people alone. It speaks to pure stupidity. No point in a group hike if you’re in a huge rush to climb to the top, go with a racing group or alone.

[@ultrarnr4454]

There are more details to Stacy then mentioned. She was only about 100 yards away from the main group and from where she was there was no way out other then coming back on the trail by where the older gentlemen was waiting.

[@godizself1]

Still unclear

[@ParaditeRs]

A persons profession and Perceived intelligence based on said profession, in my experience, is never a good indicator as to how absolutely mind numbingly stupid some people can be in the outdoors.

[@joncrane7661]

Or in general.

[@jesseh.5223]

Book smart street stupid!

[@lee.valley]

one thing that stands out in so many of these disappearance stories is.... bad decisions are made quite often, either splitting up, lack of experience, or lack of correct clothing/equipment.

[@readdeeply9278]

I've yet to hear a story of a novice gone missing lol It's invariably "Mr X, an experienced hiker" every time lol

[@DannyD-lr5yg]

I’m disappointed that you’ve accepted a sponsorship from BetterHelp specifically. However, I can’t be too upset, as BH has a long and sordid history of silencing any dissent/critical videos and reviews via inappropriate copyright takedowns and cease & desist letters. I hope you investigate a bit more and choose not to work with them in the future.

[@mrs.c5471]

Yikes, these comments made me get goose bumps! In 1993, just married- went to Colorado for honeymoon and visit brother in law who lived in Golden and had hiked many if not all the 14er’s. 2nd day there we join his work group and hike Mt. Princeton. We were in 2 groups, I was with my husband and brother in law. We were way above the tree line and almost to the summit when I crashed. So, and this is where the goosebumps pop up, I can’t make it, so I decide to rest and wait on a large boulder field right next to the trail and let the guys go on to the summit. We could literally see people from this spot. So I settle in and rest/wait. Some people passed me going up, and we shared greetings, until this one guy, who had really dark energy. Didn’t think to much of it, then people started descending and that’s when I started getting nervous. Started asking if anyone saw my husband and brother in law. Then the “weird” guy came back down, I watched him walk down the trail until it appeared he was veering off the trail to visit a mountain lake below the boulder field. I nervously waited thinking I was going to have to hike down this mountain alone. Finally the guys showed up and my husband couldn’t understand why I was so upset, he asked, “wasn’t Lila waiting here with you”? I said no, she had gone down along time ago. He described the person he thought was Lila, and it hit me like a ton of bricks, it was the WEIRD guy! He had veered off the trail and was circling up the boulder field and coming over to sneak up on me where I was waiting. My husband watched him do it! I had gotten up and was walking around out in the open, and think maybe I wasn’t the “easy” target he thought I was originally.

[@rjensen2586]

Humans have always made me far more nervous than animals.

[@freidafree810]

...dear Lord...so thankful you are ok. That just creeped me out. Why hike a mountain? You just come back down, go home and eat. What you saw was like a really bad movie...what we DON'T know is the stuff of nightmares. No thank you! Don't do that again!!

[@mrs.c5471]

No worries, I learned my lesson well that day.@@freidafree810

[@blackwidor]

I feel belly sick for you. I hope he didn't get any other ladies. Predators omg xxx

[@WolfRoss]

Personally I have to wet my head down in extreme heat. I sip on water, wetting my head down is more important. I personally only hike in the Grand Canyon during the Spring and Fall months. My husband worked there for 10 years.

[@leviantuna8553]

I live near RMNP. People constantly makes social trails in the snow in the winter. I got lost once, and only found my way because I’m very familiar with the way the surrounding mountains should look based on where I’m at. Can be highly dangerous. I got lucky looking back at the experience.

[@sarahmiller213]

This third one from 2019 was wild to watch. I was living in Estes Park at the time, and actually snowshoed from that trailhead the day after that big snowstorm. I remember seeing a car with a foot of snow on it and a bunch of park rangers. Must have been the start of their search for him. That was one of the biggest snowstorms we had any of the 3 winters I lived there, and the weather leading up to it had been pretty mild.

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

A very fit trail runner named Chad Pallansch went missing on September 28th of this year in RMNP. As you know the terrain is rugged and the weather can be unforgiving. As of the writing no sign of him has been found. Very sad.

[@sarahmiller213]

@dtaylor10chuckufarle Yeah the search helicopters have been flying over, and there have been a lot of posts in the local groups about it. Nothing so far. So sad.

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

Agreed... very sad.@@sarahmiller213

[@kurtloptien185]

I lived close by RMNP down in Ft. C. Many many times over the years I made trips to the park for hiking, skiing, work and fun. Almost always with a group large or small, but a lot of the work trips were solo. At those times I tried to be hyper aware and cautious, but I still managed to have falls or unexpected injuries. Fortunately I was always able to walk out bruised up and sore, but home for dinner. For what it's worth Estes is pronounced like es•tus or es•tess.

[@eh3477]

Basic safety includes a detailed weather check and ~ 3+ day check for possible storms coming in. And paper USGS-equivalent map and compass. Sad.

[@Icewing10]

Okay, I always hike alone, but now I'm second guessing myself. Gonna buy a satellite phone asap.

[@raerae6422]

Did you buy one yet?

[@tnecniv1952]

Obviously a genius

[@Icewing10]

@@raerae6422 nope if I hike a big park then yes, but I'm trying not to hike alone. I only hike city parks

[@robthompson3915]

You may think I'm crazy! But them there hills are alive. When on the Mountains, it would be good to leave something behind as a gift like a biscuit. A handful of rice a bit of bread just to give thanks to the gods. Happy trails.

[@journeysalkebulan]

😂🙄 There is only 1 God!

[@paulas2218]

I’ve been to Estes Park and that Safeway on a hiking trip we took there. I’ve also been to Yosemite. Both are vast expanses of trees and rocks and would be so hard to search. I don’t know how anyone is ever found, to be honest. That last one with the young girl made the hair on my neck stand up. Something bad had to happen to her. I feel like she was taken. All of these stories are sad. Well done Kyle.

[@danielevans3932]

Been to the emmigrant wilderness not even 15 miles from hetch hetche. Its fairly easy to get spotted by air in that country. Its pretty open and sparcely forested. But you can fall inbetween boulders and never be found. Ive found remains of aboandoned camps in the area that made no sense other than maybe they were rescued.

[@wandawilloughby6052]

Garmin really needs to sponsor you because it could have saved some lives

[@Pooreditz]

I remember one story like these where was one where the person actually did get found, although much too late unfortunately. Basically there was a crack in the ground that, from the outside, looked like a small stair step/dent in the dirt, but it actually went down and to the left. A super steep slide that just drops 30/40 ft into the earth. The crack was only about 2 feet long and 16 inches wide. It was also covered in brush and dirt and nearly impossible to see. But yeah.. makes me think there is a possibility in these stories they may have just fallen into the earth through the smallest of holes.. or gotten stuck somewhere where in a place where visibility is blocked without a wall hack. 😱

[@whoopsydaisy6389]

This is what I also suspect for most of these.

[@artchic528]

I’m thinking there are two possible scenarios. The hikers may have slipped down a hole (either a cave of some sort or an old abandoned mineshaft) big enough for a person to fall down but narrow and long enough enough to keep them down there unnoticed, by people on the surface. Or they could have been snatched up by a large predator of some sort. The older gentleman who’s backpack and other belongings were discovered near the snow line makes me think he was snatched by a desperately hungry cougar. Cougars usually drag their prey to an area they feel protected in from other cougars where they will feed until full. Then they’ll bury what they don’t eat to save for later.

[@maverick4462]

I worked at the south rim in my 20s. Hiked to the bottom a few times, the hike up is not for the faint of heart. Depending where you are it can be easy to get turned around but for the most part you can see the Colorado river an orient yourself.

[@jus10lewissr]

The amount of people that go missing in national parks every year is incredibly mind-boggling. And, though these parks are typically humongous, it's still crazy to me that a huge majority of the people who go missing are never found. Just poof, gone without a trace.

[@pennycarlson1943]

Yet more people go missing and/or are killed by humans in pretty much any major city.

[@skierprincessakify]

My dad is 77 and he could easily kill me….he’s in awesome shape. Not sure why he didn’t kill me as a teen because I was a monster hormonal ADHD kid but he’s an amazing dad and continues to be the best dad.

[@TXMEDRGR]

I agree that many people stay vigorous into their seventies and eighties. My father is 94 and still lives alone and loves driving his tractor.

[@CQ-369]

Y'all are luckier than you realize. Be greatful for what you have.

[@ItsMe-ic7on]

​@@TXMEDRGRmy grandma was like that. She live alone and the people at her church were really concerned about her because she was probably in her nineties and they didn't want her driving to church every every week so she says okay she comes to church the following week and ask her how she got there she wrote her riding mower! I thought I was going to die laughing

[@shrimpflea]

What he failed to mention was that the 77 year old man who sat down was in view of the others the whole time.

[@abc-wv4in]

Right. The facts of this case make it extremely unlikely the 77 year old man had anything to do with her disappearance. One of the group saw her in the distance after she continued on alone. @@shrimpflea

[@Melanie-Shea]

My greatest fear in Rocky Mountain national park, is the Rangers noticing my car overnight. No sir I’m not sleeping in the parking lot, I’m just warming up in my sleeping bag for a minute. It’s either that or I am theoretically getting some R.E.M. where I may be not supposed to, or getting back to the car very late. Having a search launched when you’re not in need of it would be such an awkward situation. Someone once called in an accident / in need of a rescue to the fire department for me climbing at a park. I think they heard my partner and I talking about a momentarily “stuck” piece of gear and somehow thought that we were stuck or trapped. I don’t know. it’s not like we were more than 150 feet to the ground, they could’ve just talked to us. That was very very awkward, thank God we had filled out our yearly climbing permit with the city. 😂

[@Melanie-Shea]

That’s actually insane that Pruitt hasn’t been found, glacier gorge is crawling with people all year around, in the valley really funnels most people into the same small area unless they have a very specific objective off to the side which hikers just aren’t going to. And most hikers are almost definitely not going farther back or higher than the black lake either so the likely search area is quite small and even beyond that likely search area it’s still not that big of a area that a hiker could easily get themselves in the traffic in the larger area from skiers and Climber is still very high. He just straight up, stepped into the void I guess.

[@fluffytrout7721]

I hiked up to black lake in spring this year and almost fell into a couple tree wells that would've been a good bit off the main trail. It could've been possible that if he got up that far he could've fallen into one off trail or on the opposite side of the creek from the trail and just hasn't been found. But I guess I'll keep an eye out next time I'm up there.

[@Melanie-Shea]

@@fluffytrout7721 yea same, just surprised he hasn’t been found in the summer months

[@MeOutside]

Heat stroke ain’t no joke. I got that schibb back at Ozzfest 06. I was rocking out to SOD and woke up in the “cooling tent” with an IV and an ice pack. I was with friends when I went down and they took care of me until staff scooped me up. A+ to the staff at Starlake!!! It was hot as ballz plus the 24 oz beers and eight ball contributed. Stay hydrated kids; drugs are bad mmkay; drink LMNT!

[@MastaSquidge]

Ozzfest 2006 gang.

[@AustinCS]

Hetch Hetchy: Wonder if it's possible that he slipped and fell in one of the pools while desperately trying to get water. The pools can make the rocks super slippery. Could have fallen and hit his head and fell in the water somewhere remote.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

as a person who lives near the edge of a desert, and occasionally has spent time hiking in those conditions... I can tell you that 2 gallons of water (whilst a lot) is basically nothing if it's in a heatwave... one can still die of dehydration before the sun is down!!! with no water, there are places where the air is so dry you will die in under half an hour.... and like 200 meters away where the trail is, it is possibly a gully with green plants and normal hot conditions (equaling tens of hours life expectancy), but you cannot tell where! Just experience here....

[@99PercentOffFreeHugs]

Subscribed but better health is a terrible company. Not only for all the reasons everyone knows by now because it's all over youtube, but I paid them for their service to get hooked up with people who never once sat down to counsel me. The most I got was one guy tried to do a session with me while he was stuck in traffic in his car. It went from therapist to therapist trying to get this scam company to work but finally had to quit. Then they made it a pain to cancel.

[@billrener4897]

In the early 1970s, a friend finally found a neurologist who was able to diagnose her problem (narcolepsy). Way back, he and his son went hiking in Yosemite. The doctor went off by himself to do a little solo hike. Disappeared, apparently for good!

[@brooks8792]

Weather can change quickly in rocky mountain national park, caught once myself above treeline on an overnight. Luckily I had a good tent, sleeping bag and space blanket. Next day was great.

[@Baseballnfj]

I don't think most people realize how quickly weather can kill you. If you're lost 50 degrees and light rain can kill you quickly

[@reycraig7276]

If you hike in a national park or any wilderness area you need to have an accurate map and a good compass and know how to accurately use both. Bringing an emergency GPS locator device is also a good idea. Carrying one or more self defense weapons (bear spray, a legal gun, etc.) is a necessity. Most important of all, if you go hiking alone in a wilderness area you are taking a huge risk! Remember, there is safety in numbers. If you get hurt while hiking in a group at least there is someone else that can help you. If you hike alone and get hurt, you are at a much greater disadvantage. Also, hiking alone makes you an easier target for drug addicts or other criminal types that may be hiding out in the area. I'm an Army veteran, an experienced security professional, and a current law enforcement officer. I'm not ashamed to admit that I never go hiking into wilderness areas unless I have at least two other people with me. That way we can watch out for each other. Its also more fun to share hiking adventures with good friends and family members.

[@JonnyMack33]

The hundreds of disappearances throughtout the years are more often than not INCREDIBLY odd! Considering that sniffer dogs often get no scent when they're brought to the scene. Here's to a million subs! ✊️🤜🤛

[@dawnhoughton4533]

Got sucked up into UFO's

[@nomadpurple6154]

Sniffer dogs do well in a controlled (laboratory) setting but aren't at all reliable in real world situations. False detections are common as they try to please their handlers. There's nothing odd about walking into areas where there are predators, treacherous terrain and disappearing

[@KrystalessR]

I'm sure others have said it but it is said Ess-Tess Park. The Shining was filmed at a hotel there!

[@canterburytail2294]

Best friend and I had to be rescued from a hike that had started out at Hetch Hetchy, over 80 miles out towards our destination of Tuolumne Meadows and it turned to shit. Helicopter picked us up.

[@laurieb3703]

Thank God you were both safe 😢❤

[@kristymoore7052]

Been out there. Something’s just not right out there. Tuolumne Meadows fine, Hetch Hetchy, not fine.

[@breezy-duz-it]

I’m glad you’re safe! Can you elaborate a bit what you mean - how did it turn bad?

[@tiffanyblack9704]

Ppl lost and then found are very reluctant to talk about what happened.

[@typerexc]

Famous last words in the wilderness: "Let's split up."

[@peterdisbury6346]

I was in RMNP working in ESTES PARK, for 6 months from end of 2016-2017. Had many a snow shoe hike into some very remote areas and there are a lot of death holes out there with soft snow. Age 70, in the cold, coming from Tennessee not acclimated to the 8k elevation will take a toll on the body. Even the younger folk who go there in peak season when the weather is cherry in the upper 70s are gasping for air. These scenarios can easily be avoided and if this person went out there without a Permit was just another case of carelessness. It seems to be rampant across the country. And life goes on……

[@bihlygoat]

Thanks for doing this series Kyle. I have NEVER had a good experience in the outdoors by splitting up a group. I have had TOO MANY bad experiences from splitting up. Please never split up as a group unless it’s absolutely necessary, and you communicate well each groups plans. (So why do I keep splitting up? I’m not a very good learner I guess 😅).

[@Baseballnfj]

It's a terrible idea... especially since in most cases the group is relying on one or two experienced people to get them through

[@never2yield20]

That last story is very sad. There are mountain lions all over those Sierra Nevada mountains. And they will often cache what they have killed. I used to live not far from Yosemite. Now I live in Arizona, and just this year a mountain lion was spotted near a deer kill right near a hiking trail I have often used. Yikes. I have seen the deer run through the area before as well. And this is not complete wilderness, just wild enough.

[@eh3477]

There have been only 20 mountain lion attacks recorded in all of CA in the last 100 years. Only 3 were fatal. The majority of the attacks weren't in wilderness but closer to populated areas. Any mountain lions in tbe sierra have huge territories, and they're not densely populated. The only recorded Sierra attack in 20 years was a jogger on a trail near Auburn, CA. Sadly this one was fatal. There are a decent amount of joggers, hikers, and cyclists on these suburbia-adjacent trails, year round.

[@jeffreycarman2185]

So tragic. Any trip into the backcountry has the potential to end badly.

[@janefreeman995]

...and a trip to the store.... I traveled to a town just 30 minutes away today on a winding hilly two lane hwy in the mist, and a place where some drivers take chances.... The risks weren't far from my awareness.

[@EKG3D]

I’ve seen 75 yr old men keeping up with 35 yr old men Landscaping & fix cars 💪 They got a burst of strength. Old men got tricks up the sleeves fr. Don’t underestimate a ole man

[@edgelivin1911]

Welcome to the Hoka crew Bob! My first pair of Hoka’s i wore on my thru hike lasted 704miles ! Yep! Absolutely love them. They have great support , definitely helped with my knees and the tread was perfect for the roots & rocks on the AT. KEEP STEPPING! Don’t let your injury stop your momentum, your body will adjust accordingly, just take it slow and the miles will Come. Edge AT 21 😎✌🏼

[@bahamajim1998]

This is the stuff to listen to when your ten miles out 😂

[@daniellejarvis157]

No idea why Kyle only has 325k subscribers and not a mil or more. What unique stories, a bit of 'true crime', a bit of inspiration and motivation and education. Wishing you well, Kyle. I hope you make a million subs in 2024!

[@spruce238]

In terms of the Vissery disappearence, I usually take my backpack off at an area where I want to camp and wander around looking for a spot to put my tent. He may have wandered around too far and fell or got lost.

[@MarceloVolcato]

I've never left my backpack behind. One never knows what they'll need and when they'll need it.

[@spacecoyote6646]

Plus, you have to go back and get it

[@ActualRacerX]

These videos are actually very interesting. Can you attach some actual scene footage/photos on the investigations when you post? No complaints! New subscriber here!

[@Jeff_11B]

Getting hooked on these hiker mystery/tragedy videos. You narrate quite well, very Ballen-esque. Keep churning out those videos, brother, you can make it to 1M.

[@anniestumpy9918]

Please don't get more like mr. ballen, he makes up so much to fill his stories, up to the point where it gets ridiculous!

[@Mark-qv4bn]

How strange that no one ever disappeared in our Boy Scout troop, but that was 55 years ago. Something is different now. 50-mile canoe trip down the Colorado River, 100's of miles of hiking remote mountain wilderness. Nobody disappeared, ever.

[@Mark-qv4bn]

It happened around 2002 in Barstow, California. People fell down mine shafts far enough to cripple them or die. It got up to 117° F in the summer. They're all over Calico to this day.

[@shrimpflea]

People dissapeared back then. The chances of it happening to your group is very small but it happened to others.

[@PiggyFarmz]

Call yourself lucky the national forest is game we are just that they pick in choose who to take

[@LawnMower-hu9pw]

I have had heat stroke it is no joke

[@williebeamish5879]

Same. Agree.

[@wht-rabt-obj]

It is understandable how someone could go missing, it's VERY suspicious when they don't find ANYTHING. No gear, clothes, shoe, nothing. That doesn't make sense.

[@taleandclawrock2606]

Thankyou for discussing these unsolved missing people with compassion and respect.❤

[@dougdaniels]

In the first story, it sounds to me that Roberts was planning to disappear. The street clothes would be perfect to blend back in and not be remembered as a hiker. Splitting off from his long time friend and taking the easy route as an experienced hiker doesn't make sense either.

[@georgemartin1498]

Good point. To confirm this avenue of thinking it would be important to know what he wore in previous similar hikes.

[@kevinoreilly4362]

@@georgemartin1498agreed

[@chriseidam7319]

He didn't look very experienced to me. Hiking in cotton jeans, a cotton shirt and sneakers, and carrying two gallons of water - does that sound like an experienced hiker to you? That stated, this video had/has me wondering how many of these people committed suicide, how many were eaten by predators, and how many were murdered by serial killers. I did my last solo trip in mid-April in the White Mountains trying to get to Owl's Head Mountain. Within a few minutes of resuming my hike I saw bear claw marks all over a tree trunk. I didn't see them the evening before when I arrived at my campsite. That bear was warning this human that I was in that bear's territory. Around 15 minutes later, I found a massive, fresh front bear footprint from that morning in wet mud that was about the size of a smaller dinner plate. I wondered if I was looking at the footprint of a 600 lb black bear - one that was emerging famished from hibernation. My heart skipped a beat. I moved my beer spray from my side pocket to my chest strap. It was the only time I have been afraid on a solo hike. Most of my trips are solo because I'll be damned if I can find a hiking partner near where I live. I never made it to Owl's Head. I ran into icy snow pack and had not brought my microspikes because I was not planning to do a solo trip that was so risky that I would need my microspikes. It was my first trip in a year and a half after suffering a serious dog attack injury that put me on the couch for a year. So I was not in great condition for anything to challenging. I was going to limit my risk, because safety never takes a holiday. Owl's Head is reputed to be a tough mountain to climb any time of year. On a side note, I was bitten by an animal through my tent not once but twice on Columbus Day weekend at the Mount Liberty Spring Campsite in the White mountains circa 1985. I was with an old high school classmate that I had not seen in many years, and I was having a hard time finding hiking partners so I asked him if he wanted to do the trip. The first bite came around 11:30 at night. It bit through my tent, my sleeping bag, my mitten and my glove. I could feel the four fangs on my skin. It was a test bite, so it wasn't trying to pierce my flesh. Yet. I was so fearful that I couldn't speak. I was afraid that if I spoke the animal would bite down harder because the bite lasted a little while. My schoolmate seem to be asleep and I start elbowing them in the ribs really hard to get him to wake up. By the time he awoke the animal had stopped biting. My schoolmate didn't believe me. The second bite occurred around 3:30 at night. It bit me through a net wall, an outer wall, a knit hat and a balaclava with the four fangs on the top of my skull. Again, it was a test bite. This time my schoolmate believed me because after I elbowed him awake we heard the animal brush up against the guy lines. Between that schoolmate's all night asthma attack and an animal biting me repeatedly in the night I didn't sleep very much. And then we both awoke at about 7:00 in the morning to a heavy snow storm with about a foot of snow on the ground. It was supposed to be a sunny and mild holiday weekend. We simply did not have microspikes, so it was unnerving. That snow was falling quickly. The schoolmate was not very experienced and he didn't realize the situation in which we're in. I had to crack the whip on him to get him down that mountain before we got in trouble. For years I had assumed it was a bobcat or a lynx that bit me. But after telling one of the locals my story roughly six years ago they told me that it was probably a fisher. They said that fishers like to do test bites on prey. A lot more weird and crazy stuff happened on that trip, but that's a longer story.

[@ritamae2474]

Oh my goodness!

[@dust-dog]

@@chriseidam7319 Interesting story, that's some really scary stuff! Can you please let me know what a 'fisher' is? Sorry, I'm in another country amd I've never heard of an animal with that name. Thanks.

[@carenmiller-lazarz229]

Something people need to be reminded of is DON'T WEAR COTTON when planning hiking, esp "nine days". Cotton is the worse for a myriad of reasons. Planning, planning. And, when you're done planning, plan for more planning.

[@Pammellam]

What would be better than cotton?? Sorry, I am not a hiker.

[@morning77light]

@@Pammellam nylon or polyester and make sure it's light in color, - white, tan, or khaki.

[@Pammellam]

@@morning77light Thank you.

[@nancybarton3657]

Cotton holds the moisture from your sweat. It can then freeze if the air temperature is below freezing, thus causing your body temperature to drop to a dangerously low level. I've heard this saying, " cotton kills".

[@davidbiagi2932]

I gotta stop watching these ones with no ending 🤣 It’s like watching the last episode of a show you really like that leaves you in suspense and then the show is cancelled and not renewed for another season so you never know what happens 😭

[@elisagrace3966]

I was actually a student of Mr. Floyd Roberts in middle school. I'm 24 now. He was an absolute gem of a person, always smiling, and had such a passion for teaching. We still miss him. One of his favorite music genres was electro swing, and he would have it playing in the background during class a lot. To this day, I listen to electro swing because of him introducing me to it.

[@lh3540]

Estes Park has a really aggressive elk population. Everytime someone goes missing in CO, I assume a moose or elk was the culprit. People overestimate our bears and lions, then go sneaking up on the elk.

[@joncrane7661]

Except animal predation leaves plenty of clues behind. Keep guessing

[@nomadpurple6154]

@@joncrane7661 They only found the body of the first cyclist the mountain lion killed when it weeks later attacked a second cyclist. So until people are looking in the right place for the clues, animal predation is still an option.

[@eh3477]

Strange how there are no statistics on elk and moose attacks. Are they dragging off their prey and munching on them?

[@sivanitaguvaag2183]

i wish all hikers and hunters would get a personal locator beacon

[@tinatison6527]

Makes me scared to go camping or hiking so much going on with people going missing

[@CS-pi5oc]

Do we really have a tally of missing ppl in parks? I’ve heard that missing ppl r mentioned in local papers then forgotten. I think the number of missing ppl is very high & it’s kept quiet.

[@Comedybrand]

Do you know how difficult it would be to carry 2 gallons of water?

[@satis7561]

Not very difficult 4 a healthy person.

[@chelsd7724]

When going hiking to the canyons regardless if in Arizona or Utah don’t go in the dead of summer because the amount of water you’ll need to carry with you is a lot. So many die because of the heat and getting lost. It’s so sad also take a beacon with you and ALWAYS tell people where you’re planning on going, when you’ll be expected back, and always check in with the forest service.

[@Heathcoatman]

As a former Ranger at a National Park, I can tell you that the vast majority of those who go missing are one of 2 categories. Either they succumbed to the elements (extreme cold or heat) or were victims of animal attacks. Often a person will get injured and then one of the two I mentioned above are the actual cause of death. I firmly believe that the 2nd and 3rd story fall into this category. I have heard several times from experienced hikers who were attacked by animals "I've done this hike 100 times and never seen a mountain lion before". Yeah, you never know which animal on which day you will run across, and when there is snow on the ground, just know that food for these predators is more scarce than when there isnt. All of these stories or conspiracies you hear about 'the government kidnapping hitchhikers for experiments" are funny, but not serious. Majority.....animals. These animals often drag their kill away to a safe spot, so not finding remains or clothing, not a shock. The first story, I would bet this guy walked away and is living under a different identity (I know, a conspiracy theory after I just laughed at them). Here's why. This is the Grand Canyon, it's sparsely vegetated, especially at the bottom. Someone who got injured or succumbed to elements, you are going to find evidence. The backpack, the body, it's there and not hidden. Even if an animal dragged the body off, you will see traces, it's not the forest. An experienced hiker wouldnt really split off from the group, especially for such a lame reason as given here. I firmly believe this guy split off purposely, waited until his friends got out of sight (probably changed his clothes or at least shirt to avoid "I saw a hiker in a red shirt going the other way') and went back the way he came and disappeared. By design. They would have found something in that open space and with a search so quickly started. The last story, most likely caused by humans.

[@eh3477]

What kind of ranger were you, and was this at a wilderness or urban park? Also, give us some stats on animal attacks in national parks.

[@Heathcoatman]

@@eh3477 Hmmm, sounds like I'm being vetted. Is there an 'urban national park'? I am not a stat machine, but I'm sure you could look it up for yourself. Here's the problem, when the body or evidence is never found, how would that death become part of the 'animal attack stats'? Pretty much exactly what I said above. It happens more than you think, and when they dont have the answer trust me when I say, they dont want to speculate 'animal attack', that's the last thing DOI wants people to think. Can you guess why?

[@Heathcoatman]

@@eh3477 Here is a list of the 63 National Parks in the US. Which ones do you consider urban? Acadia National Park Arches National Park Badlands National Park Big Bend National Park Biscayne National Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Bryce Canyon National Park Canyonlands National Park Capitol Reef National Park Carlsbad Caverns National Park Channel Islands National Park Congaree National Park Crater Lake National Park Cuyahoga Valley National Park Death Valley National Park Denali National Park Dry Tortugas National Park Everglades National Park Gates of the Arctic National Park Gateway Arch National Park Glacier Bay National Park Glacier National Park Grand Canyon National Park Grand Teton National Park Great Basin National Park Great Sand Dunes National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park Guadalupe Mountains National Park Haleakalā National Park Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Hot Springs National Park Indiana Dunes National Park Isle Royale National Park Joshua Tree National Park Katmai National Park Kenai Fjords National Park Kings Canyon National Park Kobuk Valley National Park Lake Clark National Park Lassen Volcanic National Park Mammoth Cave National Park Mesa Verde National Park Mount Rainier National Park National Park of American Samoa New River Gorge National Park and Preserve North Cascades National Park Olympic National Park Petrified Forest National Park Pinnacles National Park Redwood National Park Rocky Mountain National Park Saguaro National Park Sequoia National Park Shenandoah National Park Theodore Roosevelt National Park Virgin Islands National Park Voyageurs National Park White Sands National Park Wind Cave National Park Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Yellowstone National Park Yosemite National Park Zion National Park

[@eh3477]

There are over 400 National Park units, including many with the designation of National Historic Parks or Sites, some of which are close to urban/suburban areas. How about those statistics on wild animal attacks in National Parks? Just the 63 NP units would be fine.

[@Heathcoatman]

@@eh3477 There are 63 national parks in the United States of America. National Parks. 63. The end. Again, do your own research, stop being lazy. Does demanding things from strangers with no context actually work for you? Proving what I'm saying to you, just some random nobody, isnt a priority in my or anyone's life. Dont believe? Dont care. And since this is a story about people who went missing and their cause of death is undetermined, how would statistics validate or invalidate anything (sometimes you have to repeat things to people who only talk, never listen)? This is about your conspiracy beliefs. Just tell us which one you are unwilling to give up on because it makes your life seem more interesting. Please, instead of demanding people cater to you, tell us what this is really about so we can laugh and move on. Government kidnapping hikers for experiments? That's my favorite. That's it, right? We've had to toss some of them out of the park because they are so batstuff crazy. Dime a dozen, and the dime isnt worth much anymore.

[@carolined5923]

All hikers should by law carry gps tracking to at least make searching efficient and to give answers to family left behind. Rip to all who lost their lives

[@lindawilson4625]

Sad stories of people out there in nature's beauty doing what they love and...one slip, one miscalculation, etc. and we never see them again :-(

[@Ellie-rx3jt]

There *is* one incredibly depressing context where both inviting her dad and hiking off in flipflops to intentionally go missing makes sense. People on the verge of ending their lives will sometimes make a sort of last grasp at reaching out to a loved one as a lifeline. We've nowhere near enough information to say whether that's at all likely to be what happened though.

[@notquiteultralight1701]

Well done Kyle! The dedication of the SAR crews in all of these stories is unbelievable!

[@StamfordBridge]

I often think about these situations where the location is being guessed at because of scarce information, or where it seems extremely likely that the missing person cannot have survived, or where the terrain is particularly dangerous even for searchers, and then I try to guess as to what would be motivating these heroic SAR teams to keep going.

[@thebluehotel426]

Beyond mystifying how people get separated from their groups. Supernatural.

[@lkrnpk]

When I watch these videos I wonder how can you disappear when you're on a hike. But then I realize that not all hikes are on clearly defined trails and in Western Europe where it is rather hard to disappear as people live close by almost always and there is no extreme heat involved mostly or climbing of mountains. Some of the hikes mentioned in some other videos seem more like mountain climbing than what I would consider as a hike... And yeah for me a hike is more like walking on a very well defined trail with lots of people doing the same and in nice weather... and in places where people live right next to it. But for sure there are people who enjoy more difficulty and want to be far away from other people or at least to have less people around.

[@Saturn57]

Yeah the US is gigantic; literally half a continent. Some of their trails span over several states, aka small sized countries. My country is the size of Texas and you can cross it by car in 6 hours 😂

[@LittleOrla]

I'm a 78 yo woman from the mountains in Colorado. I've hiked alone since I was a child. I have another solo trip to Glacier planned for this summer. We all die. I think the mountains are the best place to do that. 😊

[@gggthsb]

I'd argue it depends on how 😅

[@eioinmclove]

Yes but unfortunately people have to come and look for you. Costs thousands and they risk their lives too 😢

[@candyphillips2642]

I'm 68. Have lived in Montana all my life & done plenty of camping & hiking. I would NEVER do it alone. Run into too many weird things. Like men walking into your camp at midnight shining a huge light. Good thing my husband had his rifle. They didn't stay long. Some BS about our campfire which was fine. You do not walk into other people's camps at midnight! My two young nephews were with us on there 1st backpacking trip. Thank God we had a pew pew

[@stinesfloy]

It is scary to think how people can so easily vanish and never be found in nature. More than twenty tears ago near where my father grew up, there was a guy that went missing. He drove off a mountain road with his car. It is pretty steep there that ends in a long drop straight into a rushing river. It did not take many hours before someone reported the broken railing. Since it was such a difficult place they first consentrated on the immidiate surroundings of the car and the path it had taken considering the difficult steep terrain and the thick brush. Then spread out searching the less likely and unlikely paths he could have taken. After weeks they speculated that he had slipped trying to get to the road and slid down. Perhaps even into the river. Ten years later he was found by a road securing team. Poor soul had tried to make his way back to the road and just a stone throw away from the path his car had taken. The searchteam would have walked straight by him but his clothing and the thick brush made him hard to spot. Until ten years later when a unsuspecting soul crawled righ over him. For my birthday that year I got the most unsightly neon yellow and orange cap and backpack cover by relatives.

[@jeanbonneau6711]

When you said that we should never underestimate the dangers of heat strokes while hiking. I was 100% sure your were about to talk about drink LMNT 😊