Story Updated: Oct 4, 2010 at 2:52 PM PDT

Grangeville – A Lucile man, Todd Hofflander, 40, was still missing Saturday, after he went on a hike between Windy Saddle and McCaffee Cabin Tuesday and did not arrive by noon Tuesday as anticipated.

Some of the party he was with hiked a few miles up the trail, but were unsuccessful in finding him.

Back Country Medics out of Orofino have been assisting in the search. A helicopter and pilot from Hillcrest Aircraft Co. returned to the rugged area southwest of Riggins Friday to assist the Idaho County Sheriff's Department by shuttling searchers and doing grid searches for Hofflander.

Back Country flew grid searches of Bernard Creek, Bills Creek, Lightning Creek, the east and west branches of Sheep Creek, McCaffee Basin and Bear Basin.

An Incident Command post was set up at Heavens Gate Lookout and is being manned by personnel from the sheriff's departments of Idaho and Clearwater counties. A meeting was scheduled to discuss plans for Saturday’s operations. Back Country Medics will be returning to the area Saturday as requested.

In addition to other ground searchers from throughout the region, dog teams from both Idaho and Clearwater counties' Search and Rescue teams have been working to find Hofflander.

Officials say the search is challenging due to the very rough, steep terrain with elevations that vary from 8,000 to 1,500 feet above sea level in short distances. The area is between Riggins and Snake River's Hells Canyon.


http://mapper.acme.com/
STARTING: N45.349509 W116.512113
GOAL: N45.40083 W116.61279

The terrain bodes ill will for Hofflander. If he takes one wrong fork, he is caught in a gravity trap that flows out Sheep Creek. That is one nasty survival hike. A week has passed. He must focus on water and one step at a time. If he is forced nown Sheep Creek, his odds are poor.

What do you mean by gravity trap, Cliff?

Gravity lulls you to sleep by the ease of your hike. After many miles in the bottom of a canyon, you eventually run into a vertical drop. Too tired to reverse and go back up, over you go.

A week already? Man, I sure hope he's found alive and in one peice but that's quite awhile. Even pretty well equipped a week in that type of terrain would be challenging. Does anyone know if he was carrying camping gear or anything?

Here's another link to the story of the ongoing efforts. He was on a 4 day trip and had a backpack, so presumably he had some gear. The family say he's an experienced outdoorsman- hopefully that translates into having the gear & skills to make it. His dog is with him (wearing a red doggie pack) and it hasn't been found, either. That might be a good sign.

Of course, there's this:

Hofflander says her husband set out on a four-day hike with friends in the rugged area of Seven Devils. But on the fourth day, Sept. 27, the group split up, and Hofflander hasn't been seen since.

"Monday morning they split up because my husband's knee was bothering them and they were supposed to meet down at the river and my husband never showed up down at the river," she said.

Hofflander says the group thought her husband was capable of making it on his own, otherwise they wouldn't have left him. She now thinks her husband started to make his way toward the meeting place, but possibly turned around because of the injury.

That's some great thinking there! Hmmm...I'm injured...hey, I know guys! Let's split up!

That dog will stay with him to the end and beyond.

Just said a prayer for both of them, their family and the search and rescue teams.

Isn't that grizzly and wolf country?

Neither in this area.

A total drop of over 6000' with a bunch of up and down over 10 miles. That doesn't bode well for a bad knee. If he goes down the wrong fork, his mind and knee will not let him back up.

All the experience in the world doesn't mean a thing if you aren't smart enough to STOP MOVING!

Meanwhile, here in Washington State, they're still looking for a 71-yo man who fell 300' off a cliff.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/lo...rmid=obinsource

And the authorities have given up the search for a 65-yo woman who disappeared in the Cascades after she became separated from friends. The news report says they think she "is no longer on the mountain". So she walked home? Kidnapped by space aliens?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013074262_apwasaukmountainsearch2ndldwritethru.html

I guess not all the nincompoops are young...

Sue

Here is a link to the story that includes a video showing some of the terrain. Wow.

That terrain is both beautiful and frightening at the same time. It reminds me of something John Long wrote about the tension a climber feels when he looks at a massive wall: 'strung taught between fear and desire'.

One thing that caught my ear near the end of that video: the man was wearing jeans when last seen. Why would an experienced outdoorsman wear heavy cotton jeans in 'no BS' terrain?

From one of the other links: "Hofflander says the group thought her husband was capable of making it on his own, otherwise they wouldn't have left him". So why leave him at all then? Why not just slow the pace?

While I haven't thought much in the past about "gravity traps", at least not enough to give it a cool name, I can certainly say I've experienced the effect. I love canyon hiking, and a couple of times have found myself at a very dangerous precipice after spending quite a bit of time bushwhacking down brush and boulder-filled canyons "for fun". It is a hypnotic phenomenon, fueled by your own ego and over-whelming sense that, most likely, nothing will go wrong, and you can deal with whatever obstacle you encounter, including deep, precipitous drop-offs. You feel this way right up until the moment that your a_s is in a sling cuz you've overestimated your abilities and have fallen, broken something, or whatever.

I have to say that, as I've gotten older (and slower), I at least am able to anticipate this predicament, and realize that even snail's-pace traveling will eventually get me back up to a safer spot, which is how I now tend to hike anyway. You miss a lot less that way.

Oh, and I rarely hike DOWN canyons anymore. It's a lot safer (IMHO) to hike UP them.

The last time he was seen he was at 5400' at Cow Camp. His GOOD choices are back up a very steep side hill and a long hike to 7600' and the trail start. Or, down to 1500' in less than 4 horizontal miles. There are a couple of other choices that are much worse. Heavy rain in the area is a bad for the cotton clothes. The rain may supply the water he needs to stay alive until found.

That's gorgeous but steep and tough terrain to be lost in. My late uncle had a ranch there and I went on a pack trip with him in the early 70's. Definitely not a place to be lost in.

UPDATE FROM VINTAGERED -
While my husband and I were hiking up there last weekend, we also ran into a guy who said he was a friend of Todd and his family. He said that Todd and the friend had separated because Todd's knee was hurting him and he felt like he was slowing his friend down. So, he headed out from their campsite and the friend was supposed to head out in the same direction an hour or so later - the plan was that he would catch up with Todd, eventually. But, he never came across him before getting to Sheep Creek. That was the story, anyway - and that's what was on the flyers tacked up all over the area.

GUESS BY PONDER -
These are the details that need to get out. If they were in McGaffee Cow camp and left going north in section 23, eventually the hiker needs to take a hard left fork over the edge in the top of section 24. If he misses this fork, it is a GRAVITY TRAP to Log Creek. You are at the bottom and confused with a bad leg. Evedrything is up and you have no idea which trail to take, Meanwhile your buddy takes the left down to Sheep Creek and you miss each other. The good news is you have water. Stay at the intersection of LOG CR & SHEEP CR (N45.40508 W116.52366).

Best of Luck Todd - you will be found.

Thanks for the updates Cliff; much appreciated. Please keep 'em coming.

INSIGHT FROM MUDLY -

Its tough country down there, I lived at the Sheep Creek Cabin for 5 years from '87-'92. I thought I could make the hike from that cabin to McGaffee Cow Camp on a side canyon divide flat, down to their Bernard Creek Creek cabin on the River as a "Day Hike". I knew the terrain somewhat and had white tailed dogs to find the trail when I was lost in the dark. It took 2-1/2 days to make that loop.

It looks really short on a map, and much of the trail is invisible when flying directly overhead. I was able to find shelter and build warming fires in rock-shelters / overhangs. It's not that hard to be comfortable there, but...

My fear is that Todd may have taken a spill. A spill would limit ability to travel. Shock is a valuable survival response, avoiding pain from traumatic injury so to have other survival instincts or help, until it kills you. I know of several places to "hole-up" in the terrain he might be waiting. I only hope he was able to crawl across them as I found them.

(Those old rock shelters were habitation sites 11,000 YO and well hidden today.)

http://thecurrentnews.wordpress.com

From the Idaho County Sheriff’s department:

October 7, 2010

The search for missing hiker Todd Hofflander continues. The Idaho County Sheriff’s Posse has continued the search by ground for the past 4 days. Canine teams from High Country Search Dogs will begin arriving today and multiple teams will be deployed to multiple locations throughout the next few days. High Country Search Dogs is a regional organization that is sending canine teams from Montana, Wyoming, Washington and Utah.

Hofflander was reported missing on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 after he and his black Labrador Ruby failed to rendezvous with his hiking partner on Monday. The pair were hiking in the Windy Saddle area of the Seven Devils southwest of Riggins, ID. The Idaho County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of multiple agencies and community members, has been conducting the search by ground and air and have been unsuccessful in finding any sign of Hofflander or Ruby.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office at
208-983-1100

LETS SHARE WHAT WE KNOW!

MAP MASHUP - http://mapper.acme.com/ - Use Topo page to see USGS maps and trails. Switch to Terrain or Satellite for other more details

KNOWN: Weiber & Hofflander left McGaffey Cow Camp (Waypoint A) at first light on their way to Sheep Creek Cabin. They expected to meet at noon!? (Something is wrong with this plan if you look at the map – maybe noon the second day)

ASSUMPTIONS: The normal trail would be TRAIL #58 heading N-NE along the ridge.

TRAIL: At Waypoint B, Trail 58 heads N-NE from McGaffey Cow Camp. At one mile it dives east and down a steep grade heading to the West Fork of Sheep Creek. At Waypoint C the hiker must take a sharp left and dive straight down hill to go down stream on TRL 53. If you do not take this hard left at Waypoint C, you are heading down hill to West Fork of Sheep Creek, but you are heading south and up stream! In a half of a mile, you are at Waypoint D. You have come to the West Fork of Sheep Creek but both trails head up! Neither choice allows you to go down stream to the Cabin. You are lost. This is the best place to hole up for a month. You have water. You are starting with some food and can get more. The meat of the dog will get you thru a month.

WAYPOINTS: Input these points into http://mapper.acme.com/

A. McGaffey Cow Camp - N45.40571 W116.55649
B. Intersection of TRL 58 & TRL 140 - N45.40398 W116.55151
C. Intersection of TRL 58 & TRL 53 - N45.41177 W116.52357
D. Intersection of TRL 53 and Sheep Creek - N45.40508 W116.52366
E. GOAL – Sheep Creek Cabin - N45.46877 W116.55383

It was also established that Todd had a large pistol, unknown caliber, with 5 bullets in, one out and an additional handful. He also had a Bic lighter, 2 packs Lipton red beans and rice, three jugs of water, 2 cans of chicken, chewy bars and pots, a 15 degree bright red sleeping bag. It is estimated that his pack weighed 50 pounds. The two had no communication; they had no radios. They hadn’t planned to split up. They left the radios in the vehicle. Todd is with his dog Ruby, who also has a red/orange dog pack carrying her own food.

SEARCH CALLED OFF - LOST 14 DAYS!

IDAHO COUNTY -- The search for a hiker missing for the past two weeks in the Idaho wilderness has been suspended.

The Idaho County Sheriff's Office has been searching for 39-year-old Todd Hofflander since he was reported missing by his hiking partner on Sept. 28. Hofflander was last seen in the rugged Seven Devils area southwest of Riggins.

Authorities conducted a massive search on the ground and in the air, that included thermal imaging, but failed to turn up any signs of the experienced hiker.

Hofflander was on a four-day hike with friends but the group split up on Sept. 27, and Hofflander hasn't been seen since.

The family's dog, Ruby was with Hofflander. The three-year-old black lab was wearing a red doggie backpack.

Hofflander was last seen wearing jeans, a green T-shirt, blue baseball hat and a camouflage backpack.

Numerous state and federal agencies assisted in the search effort.

In a statement, the sheriff thanked all the personnel and agencies involved in the search.

One would think that if he was alive, he could have started a signal fire sometime in two weeks, and the thermal imaging would have picked up on that, at least. I think he's taken a fall, or he's in a cave somewhere with a broken leg or something. If they're there, why wouldn't the thermal imaging at least pick up on the dog? Strange...

Sue

Thermal imaging search was a topic in my AO the last couple of times this summer when hikers went missing here on 2 different occasions. In short, thermal imaging is difficult at best and can be greatly hampered by tree cover, deep valleys, gorges, canyons etc.

There are a couple of ex and active SAR on this forum and I am sure they can go into more detail on thermal imaging search techniques.

It's always sad when a search has to be called off.

I hope he defies the odds, but ...

This survival story should highlight the value of a PLB when going into a very difficult terrain of huge proportions. Almost nothing else works when you have 7000' elevation gains, canyons, ledges and over 100 square miles of remote wilderness to search.

and maybe rethink using a camo backpack.
hope he's found.

HOPEFULLY IT AIN'T OVER -

The Idaho County Sheriff's office has confirmed that the three-year-old black Lab, Ruby, owned by missing hiker Todd Hofflander, has been found. Authorities had no more details, but said they would issue a press release later Saturday or early Sunday. Hofflander, 39, of Lucile, went missing in September in the Hells Canyon area. The official search for him was suspended this week. Hofflander was hiking with a friend in the Windy Saddle area on Sept. 27 when the pair split up. They planned to meet at an area cabin that afternoon. When Hofflander did not arrive by the next day, his friend went looking for him and later called Idaho County dispatch. Hofflander is described as an experienced woodsman. Officials say he was prepared for an overnight outing with food, water and a sleeping bag.

http://www.lmtribune.com/breaking-news/1492/

Breaking News

Missing hiker's dog found

October 16, 2010, 2:28 pm

Hunters found the black Labrador retriever owned by missing hiker Todd Hofflander on Friday night, and searchers are combing the area today, Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddings said.

Searchers are trying to get the dog, Ruby, to lead them to Lucile resident Todd Hofflander, Giddings said. The hunting party found the dog near mile post 15 on Seven Devils Road south of Riggins.

Hofflander, 39, was last seen scouting mule deer bucks Sept. 27 between the mountains and the Snake River gorge.

Most dogs and pack stock, turned loose and left to their own volition, will backtrack the exact path that they came in on. Ruby, if she got lost, or gave up on Todd, will walk back to the exact place she started from. In another few days, once on the road, she would be back home. It is to bad that she did not have a written message or a gps coordinate taped to her collar.

Before the tale is told, imagine the whole situation as if you were Todd.

Can you imagine the frustration if you fell and broke your leg and had nothing to write on/with to attach a note to the dog's collar?

At least they have an idea of what area he's in now.

Sue

I'll admit I considered taking the mini pencil and Rite-In-The-Rain paper out of my PSP, thinking it to be of marginal value. I'm certainly not going to do it now!

That is why I always carry bright yellow surveyors tape and a red Sharpie. Both the tape and Sharpie ink is water proof.

In this particular case, a piece of tape with some info written on it then wrapped/woven around the dog's collar or neck may of been of some help in locating the missing person.

I think you have to seriously consider a scenario in which our missing individual never had the opportunity to signal, write, or attach anything to the dog's collar. Perhaps a fall with no ability to function afterward.

Surely this person would be signaling in some manner if he could do that.

Bummer.

Point taken, however you also have to think that if this person did have the materials to write and attach a message to the dog's collar does not imply he would have other ways/materials to signal with. I can think of many easily plausible injury scenarios where the person would not have the ability to signal even if he had the materials...which we may never know what the person was carrying in terms of a PSK.

He evidently did have he means to start a fire. Fires are pretty effective in calling attention to yourself in a search situation. No work on whether he carried a signal mirror, which would have been the perfect tool to employ during an aerial search, but a fire is nearly as good.

I try to not second guess myself let alone folks who make a living in the field of survival. When I first saw pencil and paper in a survival kit I was like ?Huh? then started trying to think of why I would need pencil and paper . . . for self rescue. However, rather than dumping the pencil & paper from DR's PSP, I just slipped an intact and never even been opened PSP into a pocket and forgot about it -- still there.

Another PSP was disassembled and added to a personal FAK that is meant for use as needed. Pencil and paper stayed in it because there was/is room.

Hiking these days I'll have a mapping GPS, a PLB, whistle (duped in PSP), signal mirror (duped in PSP), fire making capability (duped in PSP). Most of the hiking I do is rather spur of the moment and unplanned. Stuff happens. . .

Need to start taking a dog for company . . . I'd love to know Ruby's story.

Due to the dog being found, looks like the search has been resumed.

LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) - Officials in northern Idaho have resumed the search for a hiker missing since last month after hunters found the man's dog.

Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddings says Todd Hofflander's black Labrador retriever named Ruby was found Friday night on the eastern slopes of the Seven Devils mountain range.

Unfortunately, the dogs location provides little help in the search. The dog will backtrack to where the vehicle was parked when the trip started. After wandering around for a while, it will get its bearings and head home. Left alone, Ruby was on the correct road to Riggins.

Stepping outside my training/experience here but; won't most dogs stay with their owners if still alive and conscious?

Yes, unless a dog was spooked or chased off. Without knowing the flight or fight level the dog had it's hard to tell as well as how the dog tolerates sound. For instance a dog with sound sensitivity could have spooked from gun shots from a hunter. My take is a little different in that I would have put fresh trained dog teams in where the dog was found as that poor dog had to be both physically and mentally exhausted.

22nd DAY UPDATE

But after Ruby was found, a new search party that included Hofflander's friends and family tried unsuccessfully Saturday to get her to lead them to where Hofflander might be.

Unfortunately, Todd was last seen 4 miles north, 2 miles west and thousands of feet up and down from wence they started. If Todd got to water he could be at 4000' altitude or lower. There is little chance he would have tried to climb up with a bad knee.

WAYPOINTS: Input these points into http://mapper.acme.com/

A. McGaffey Cow Camp - N45.40571 W116.55649
B. Intersection of TRL 58 & TRL 140 - N45.40398 W116.55151
C. Intersection of TRL 58 & TRL 53 - N45.41177 W116.52357
D. Intersection of TRL 53 and Sheep Creek - N45.40508 W116.52366
E. GOAL – Sheep Creek Cabin - N45.46877 W116.55383
F. RUBY FOUND - On 10/15/10 - N45.34699 W116.49237

I don't know an awful lot about dog searching, but could a search dog be commanded to backtrack the Lab? But it might be a specialized skill...

That brings to mind another idea for people with a dog and children. I have a very smart dog (herding breed, it comes naturally) that I taught a game called FIND IT! as a puppy. The object was to find hidden food, and she soon excelled at it.

I also taught her to chase a tennis ball, which she loved, and that wording was PLAY BALL.

One day, I threw the ball but she was looking at the neighbor's dog and she didn't see where it went. So I wondered if she could put the two commands together, and I told her to FIND BALL. She looked at me for a few seconds, and then I saw the light go on, and she started casting through the tall grass for the ball and found it. LOTS of praise.

People with small children especially might consider teaching their own dog to find their kids. It might prove useful.

Sue

My husband and I were the ones who found Ruby on Friday. We stopped for lunch at a parking area for hunters about mile 15. We DID see where she came from. She came downhill and sat near the fence and cattle guard growling at us, whining and pacing (we had our mini dachsund with us), she was obviously scared. My husband was concerned it could be a wild dog or even ill, but I persisted that it was probably Todd's dog. If, not, she was close to a dead ringer for the dog. (We later asked several hunters we saw in the area to confirm we weren't taking someone else's dog.) We tried unsuccessfully to get her to come to us, most likely because our dog was barking. My cell phone had coverage, but a low battery. I called the manager at the Best Western because the number was in my phone, and asked her the name of Todd's dog. I had seen the posters, but didn't remember her name. Another truck pulled in about that time and the people in it were taking pictures. When I called to Ruby, their dog jumped out of their truck and frightened her. We got to talking with them and we all agreed it could be Ruby. They had dog food, water and dishes and when we put them down and called her again, she came bounding, tail between her legs, but happy. We petted her and asked her "Where's Todd?" She became very excited and danced all around, jumping up to my shoulders and licking my face. It was rather emotional. We called out many times for Todd, and later my husband and I explored the area a bit more, but to no avail. We were not equipped for a detailed search. Since we were on ATVs, the other couple offered to take her down to Riggins. I called back to the hotel and they got the sheriff to meet them when they arrived. We left our names and information when we arrived, but the deputy never came to speak to us. I have videos when we first saw her and I took pictures to show where we found her also. Granted, it was just on the road, but my husband did see her coming down near the fence, so she may have been up the hill a ways. He has bad knees and although he said his first instinct would be to go down to a river where someone would find him, he said with bad knees, going up hurts less. I later inquired if there was an emergency phone at the lookout, but no one seemed to know. We found her just a few miles southeast of the lookout, but that is steep country around it. I have a bad knee also and didn't have the energy to climb to it that day. We used to have a dog who would hunt 4 to 5 miles out from us and always return, so we are/were hopeful for Todd. In searching on Google Earth, it appeared there is a small pond just up from where we found the dog. That makes sense since she didn't seem dehydrated, just hungry although she drank too. We have just been praying for a good outcome for this search and will continue to do so. I am also trying to find out how to get the pictures and video to his wife and brother if they want them.

NewBoots - Please post or email the coordinates off Google Earth of the pond or where you found the dog.

Thanks,

I am no expert at this. This is the approximate spot where we found her. 45°20'49.19"N 116°29'32.49"W It would be just north of that about. I show 45°21'07.63"N 116°29'41.62"W

It looked like it could be a small pond, but could possibly be rocks, trees, shadows from clouds, etc. Very hard to tell. I just have fun with Google Earth, but this helped me to kind of get a better feel of where we found her.

It has still been emotional for me because I wish we could have done more.

We were happy to have given them some hope though...

You are welcome! I didn't know where else to turn to share. This kind of helps me feel better.

We too were hopeful that Todd had slipped off her red pack and was able to feed her for quite some time. She may have been heavy to begin with, but she was not emaciated when we found her. We could feel her ribs, but she is a small lab so that was not unusual either.

Others have survived longer times, we were just kind of dumbfounded by her location and no signs of him on either side of the mountain, even through thermal vision, etc. But, then, they did not see her either. Hopefully, he is holed up in a cave, recovering from whatever and the renewed search will locate him!

Eternally optimistic!

For those who do not have Google Earth, here are screenshots of the terrain and the coordinates that Newboots gave. The elevation at location 2 is 7500 feet.




Close up of Location 2 (45°21'07.63"N 116°29'41.62"W).

You hit them exactly Teslinhiker! It looks so steep in your pics. I hadn't rolled it that way to see the terrain, but I know first hand it was when we were up there.

Do you think that is a pond also?

According to several posters, they state that the dog most likely would have been following the road back. That's entirely possible, I am sure. She may have detoured to find a drink.

It still is a bit remarkeable that she looked so good too. She was quite nervous until she knew that we knew her name. Such a change in her demeanor.

It still is a bit surreal for us.

That could be a pond. The shape of it in Google Earth certainly suggests so.

One thing I did notice that looking at the terrain from the below screenshot, from the road to the "pond" there is a very possible and distinct appearance of a track/path up to it (follow left of the yellow line and pay attention to where north is this time...see in top right corner) Being so close to the road, it somewhat makes senses, however it is hard to tell as the resolution is not that great so people can draw their own conclusions...

Link to a larger screenshot

Well, standing down below and looking up, there is a distinct trail, albeit mostly likely an animal trail. People may use it occasionally. I was ready to start up it, with a hint of motherly instinct, but had been huffing and puffing from my brief climb at the lookout, so my hubby insisted that I NOT do it!

Not that Todd would be there, because we were withing yelling distance and we did yell repeatedly for him then, but I just had that inside urging to go there. He is the same age as my oldest son. My son used to hike the same area.

This was when we were on our return trip and stopped to look around a little more.

How do I post my pictures?

Thanks NewBoots. You found her about a mile east of Windy Saddle where they had started the hike 22 days earlier.

Thank you to all who know more about this stuff than I do. As many have stated, then she must have been on her way back. Hopefully Todd is/was too and is nearby.

Great question Susan. While any breed can track, training is essential. Most dogs really love tracking and the training that goes with it. Perhaps we should start a separate thread on tracking with our dogs. You've hit the nail on the head that they need a command and to know what is expected of the command. I do competition tracking with my two dogs and when I say search their noses hit the ground looking for the scent.

DAY #22 UPDATE

"I'm still hopeful. As my friend says, until there's other evidence, we have to remain hopeful," Hofflander said. She said her husband's friends and brother plan to take the dog back to the place Todd Hofflander was last seen, hoping she might be able to lead them in the right direction.

PONDERS COMMENT -

Now they are on a possibly good plan. When Todd left McGaffey Cow Camp, he was on his way down to Sheep Creek. His path should be from A-B-C-D. Keep giving Ruby scent and encouragement at every fork in the trail. She is probably the best shot Todd has.


WAYPOINTS: Input these points into http://mapper.acme.com/

A. McGaffey Cow Camp - N45.40571 W116.55649
B. Intersection of TRL 58 & TRL 140 - N45.40398 W116.55151
C. Intersection of TRL 58 & TRL 53 - N45.41177 W116.52357
D. Intersection of TRL 53 and Sheep Creek - N45.40508 W116.52366
E. GOAL – Sheep Creek Cabin - N45.46877 W116.55383
F. RUBY FOUND - On 10/15/10 - N45.34699 W116.49237
G. WINDY SADDLE - THE START OF THE HIKE - N45.349509 W116.512113

Ponder -- I dropped those points into the mapping software that came with my Garmin and from there viewed it in GoogleEarth -- wow, pretty steep & rugged between McGaffey Cow Camp and where they found Ruby, yet Ruby was less than a mile from Windy Saddle.

Being they found her near where the hike started, predicting where Todd Hofflander could be based on finding Ruby will still be challenging.

According to this news report, the search that was resumed after the dog was found has once again been suspended.

I was reading somewhere that there are tracking dogs that are trained to find lost pets. I wonder if there would be some value in hiring one of them?

This is one based in Seattle: http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/
Don't know a thing about them.

Sue

DAY 55 AND STORY GETTING COLD AS THE WEATHER

The search has long ended for a number of reasons.

1. Todd didn't help by carrying a PLB or any other method of signaling.

2. The search area is too rugged and remote without air support and it related costs.

3. Search & Rescue, law enforcement and the media did little to keep the search in the publics face.

The lesson for the backcountry traveler is clear. Eliminate the need for SEARCH and be prepared to survive until the RESCUE occurs.

And perhaps, #4 - At this point, there is only a very small probability that he will be alive.

A lot of searches get terminated at this point, even when fully publicized. Informal efforts can continue for years.....

why were tax $ even CONSIDERED for spending to find a lost dog?

It is law enforcement and SAR's responsibility and focus to find people...not act as a publicist for the lost person and the search when there is nothing new to publicize.

This person disappeared in a fairly remote and rugged area that unfortunately like too many searches came up empty handed despite all the time and SAR resources devoted to the search.

You cannot blame the media either. It is their responsibility to report on the information provided and if that information is no longer forthcoming, then there is nothing to keep in the "publics face."

Had the family and friends of the missing person wanted to keep the search going and attempt to keep it in the public eye, there are other alternatives including hiring private searchers, pilots and a publicist...which has been done more then once when people go missing whether it be like in this case or similar.

When the dog was found sadly I thought that was a pretty ominous sign. Unless spooked off most dogs wouldn’t leave their owner. As far as the dog having her pack off, I didn’t read anything into that as I have a young female that would get her pack off within 20 minutes if I wasn’t watching her. Most any dog would have a pack off within a few days at the most.

"why were tax $ even CONSIDERED for spending to find a lost dog?"

I think they were only looking for the dog as a way to find the man.

Sue

Rumor Mill Needs Attention

Are there any relatives or other people close to the Todd Hofflander INVESTIGATION that can address the rumor mill?

Ponder: What is the latest news/rumors? A Google search for the last month did not turn up any new info.

I just went backpacking in this area for the first time this past weekend. Saw the signs in the area. Very sad. Wish there could be some resolution. we camped out in a burn area about 100ft below Dry Diggins LO with a view down to trail 58 that cuts to the river.

Impressive information in this thread esp. Ponder who lived at the Sheep Creek Cabin for 5 years.

That said I have seen throughout this, multiple and conflicting reports about what was the destination for the day. There is the Sheep Creek Cabin and there is the McGaffee Cabin down just a ways from McGaffee Cow Camp. McGaffee Cabin seems like a much, much more plausible route for the day, but, perhaps I am wrong and they planned to do the monster miles. Seeing such conflicting information about which cabin is highly disconcerting--would think that can be nailed down with accuracy.

The mention that Todd was possibly going to use a short cut is interesting-I don't immediately see a short cut by going off trail for either destination. The topography doesn't speak to it one bit. The only 'short cut' I could see going from McGaffee Cow Camp to Sheep Creek Cabin would possibly to go down to McGaffee Cabin and then high north along the river (though I do not personally know the quality of the along the river trail..maybe that is not a viable option) but it would seem more straight forward than the jaunt with elevation gain and loss and traversing that is the alternative of getting on trails to Sheep Creek Cabin.

Hope some information is found before another winter comes.

Has the remote possibility that this could have been a planned disappearance been ruled out?

Local law enforcement has ruled out nothing.
Investigators privately lean towards foul play.

Rumor mill questions -

1. Excellent condition of dog.
2. Contents of dog fecal matter.
3. Past history of two hunters.
4. Alias of people involved.
5. Relationships of people involved.
6. Activity involved besides hunting.

Ponder,

Interesting point. Still curious to nail down which cabin they were headed to. Sorry Ponder I see you passed on information from someone who lived in Sheep Ck Cabin. Would love to hear that persons experiences.

I was certainly surprised when I read the first description about the tattoo THUG LIFE across the abdomen. Anyone know any of the other affiliations or connotations of the last three tattoos? "THUG LIFE" is somewhat self-explanatory. But the KING and the circle between right thumb and index finger--is that a gang thing? I am just going to make a guess that at the least this individual has been in the penal system at one point, most likely for a drug charge. (total stab in the dark and rumor on my part, yes).

"Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Hofflander has a mustache, a goatee and four scars in his left ear from previous piercings. He has had back surgery and cranial surgery, with resulting scars on his groin, along his backbone and on his forehead at the hairline. Hofflander has the following tattoos: the head of Jesus and word "SAVES" on the right side of his chest, a buffalo skull on the left side of his chest, the cartoon character Wyle E Coyote on his right bicep, an eagle on his left bicep, the words "THUG LIFE" across his abdomen, the word "KING" across his shoulder blades, and a small circle between his right thumb and index finger."

1) lost little or no weight? that would be difficult to maintain unless solid collusion on item #5
2) normal stools? dog food as opposed to natural found stuff? (berries, animal hair, plant matter, etc?)
3) see above speculation, re: thug life
4) ...? people referred to but not interviewed by LEO?
5) Family or relational conflict? business dealings? sordid personal situation?
6) drinking? drug use?

all that said, from the surface these things don't pop up really. I would imagine the hardest thing would be to deal with involved parties maintaining their stories and keeping their mouths shut. you read about a cases a lot where, someone somewhere lets something slip or mentions to a friend, be in a week or 50 years after the fact, about something this did, and that tiny bit of information comes back to get'm.

this is a morbid thought but as an avid outdoors person and climber, I have been cognizant of the fact that a simple push in a lot of locations means an exceedingly high probability of death.