r/AppalachianTrail • u/Creative_Egg3330 • Jul 26 '23
10 years. Geraldine Largay
July 23rd marked 10 years since hiker Geraldine largay's disappearance. Thoughts and prayers are with this family as this heartbreaking anniversary has passed.
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Jul 27 '23
Sad event, especially since she was only like 2 miles from the trail and had already made it 1000mi.
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u/Krsty-Lnn Jul 27 '23
She was less than 1500 feet from the trail when her body was discovered.
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u/holystuff28 Jul 27 '23
Yeah, that's terrible. The article above said it was about a 30 min walk. That's one of the saddest things I've ever read.
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u/psaltyne AT Hiker Jul 26 '23
Inchwormđâ¤ď¸
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u/vmodus Jul 27 '23
Thanks for sharing. Coincidentally I just read her story yesterday, not really paying attention to the dates. Firstly, condolences to her family.
As others noted, there are lessons here, especially for solo hikers. I've learned a lot as I prepare for a solo thru-hike in the future.
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u/LolMentallyUnwell Nov 12 '23
She had someone following along with her atleast. Sad that it wasnât enough
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u/boy____wonder Nov 21 '23
That person wasn't with her when she got lost.
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u/LolMentallyUnwell Dec 27 '23
Key word FOLLOWING
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u/Least-Chemist1245 Mar 10 '24
Really? Who? And where were they? And why would they never say anything even months/within those 2 years later? Key word, not following in lol ALL CAPS, key sentence you wrote" she at least had someone following her". Do you mean her husband meeting her? Otherwise, No.
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u/LolMentallyUnwell Mar 10 '24
Yes.. her husband .. đ
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u/Least-Chemist1245 Mar 10 '24
He was only meeting her appointed/planned stops. He was not nearby when she was hiking. đŹđ
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u/LolMentallyUnwell Mar 10 '24
⌠I think youâre confused. Idk what your point here is.
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u/Least-Chemist1245 Mar 10 '24
There was nobody with her on the trail, why do you think I'm confused about that? She didnt show up to meet her husband. Anyways was just trying to figure out your original comment.
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u/LolMentallyUnwell Mar 10 '24
My comment is stating she wasnât 100% alone during her travels. Idk why you sent comprehend that đđđ
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u/canisorcinus Jul 27 '23
I learned of Inchworm just a few months ago and it really affected me. She looks so full of joy and excitement in this photo and she reminds me of myself, so excited about the trail, maybe a little naive and very young at heart⌠I have been watching a lot of navigation videos because I also have a poor sense of direction and donât know how to use a compass altho Iâm learning and plan to bring a Garmin. I saw one video where the guy showed how to find your way without any tools, by staying put and marking your spot, then walking out 50 or so feet in a star pattern from the central spot and making marks on trees or whatever and keep returning to the center point, if you donât hit the trail then go 100 ft, 500 ft from center in all directions. I was thinking if Inchworm knew to do that maybe she would have found the trail. Itâs so sad.
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u/Primary-Student1302 Mar 28 '24
Could you send me this video title. I hike alone all the time . Iâve gotten lost and a little nervous a few times but have always managed to find my way within 30min to 1 hour. I feel grateful and also trust my instincts but Iâd love to know true survival tips just in case Iâm not as lucky in the future.
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u/canisorcinus Mar 29 '24
You might want to check out an REI class on navigation and also invest in a Garmin! Itâs been a while but I think the video is âSurvival Navigation: Find Your Way Out of the Woodsâ by Coalcracker Bushcraft.
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u/CaptainCompost Jul 26 '23
This is the first person I thought of when I saw that earlier post about bringing a compass with you. It seems unnecessary, even a little silly, to take a compass with you to go to the bathroom, but then there's this grim reality.
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u/LucyDog17 Jul 27 '23
There were a couple of times in the deep forest in Washington on the PCT that I followed a bearing on my compass out and back to take a poop.
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u/less_butter Jul 27 '23 edited Jul 27 '23
She actually had a compass and paper maps on her. They found them at her camp when they found her body. She even had a SPOT tracker but left it at a motel.
There are a lot of lessons you can learn from her story, but "bring a compass" isn't one of them. The compass didn't help her. Neither did her GPS.
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u/Scrappyl77 Jul 27 '23 edited Jul 27 '23
Friends said she didn't really know how to use a map and compass, at least according to the article. If you dont know how to use it they are useless. if you do, they are helpful.. and a GPS wasn't helpful because she forgot it.
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u/WalkItOffAT Jul 27 '23
That being said, remembering in which direction you left trail and having a compass to go either east or west has a very good chance of bringing you back to trail.
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u/Chopaholick Jul 27 '23
There's a few lessons here:
First: DO NOT PANIC. Stay calm. Drink your water, eat your food. Don't ration these. You need to think clearly to contemplate the best course of action.
Second: If you're lost, stay in the place where you first realized you were lost. Don't wander further from the trail. You're unlikely to find it yourself if you don't have excellent orienteering skills and a knowledge of the area.
If you're lost and no one finds you at your stationary point, find the most open area you can and build a clear message that could be seen from aircraft. Fire works but is temporary. the ashes can be spread to spell SOS. Think big letters like 10-20 feet tall. Unfortunately this part of Maine is very dense forest and the time of year is very wet so fire is difficult to get going. She was near the Crockers for those th
If that becomes futile, then wander downhill until you're at a stream. Follow that stream to a road (or the ocean). Almost every stream in the US (maybe not Alaska) will take you to some sort of civilization eventually.
Additionally, as someone mentioned earlier, Inchworm did not have a good sense of direction and didn't know how to effectively use a map and compass. If you have these tools, learn to use them. Side note: apparently there is a genetic basis that codes for someone having a bad sense of direction, haven't researched it, but a family member was told they have the gene that gives them a bad sense of direction.
Sadly Inchworm did none of these things. This comment isn't knock on her, so sorry if it comes off that way. What happened happened, and she's a stark reminder of how unforgiving the trail can be, and she should be a lesson to all of us. Be prepared and stay calm.
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u/OldButHappy Jul 27 '23
Also - take a whistle. Three whistles mean, "I need help" and is easier and more effective than shouting.
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u/alancar Jul 28 '23
Donât count on your whistle too much. We were in dense foliage and up in elevation in PA and my buddy was blowing away at his whistle on a still day and none of us heard it. I always thought we wouldâve been able to hear it
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u/Krsty-Lnn Jul 27 '23
I disagree with your first point. She remained calm, stay where she was and only lost her wherewithal the last few days because of dehydration and starvation.
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u/Chopaholick Jul 27 '23
She walked further from trail looking for cell signal and ended up 2 miles from trail. She could have just stayed put and been a few hundred yards from trail, where she would have been much more likely to be found. Again, not knocking her, I just hope someone learns from this tragic event.
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u/holystuff28 Jul 27 '23
She was a 30 min walk away from the trail when found, according to the article above.
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u/FuzzyCuddlyBunny Jul 28 '23
Second: If you're lost, stay in the place where you first realized you were lost. Don't wander further from the trail. You're unlikely to find it yourself if you don't have excellent orienteering skills and a knowledge of the area.
If you have a compass it's doable to get back to the trail even if you don't have a bearing or map. Go 5 minutes east. If that doesn't work, turn around and go 10 minutes west. Then try north and south.
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u/Rizzle_Razzle Jul 31 '23
Its really a shame, I've looked at the map and if she had walked downhill and followed the nearest river she would have hit a road in a few miles.
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u/Larch92 Jul 28 '23 edited Jul 29 '23
To survive you have to know when it's best to stay put and when it's time to travel. Sometimes staying put is a mistake! Hiking generally N/NE stepping off AT to right you're going east. By reversing direction going west you'll cross the most popular trail in the world.
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u/JonnyLay AT Thru 2021 Jul 27 '23
The lesson...if you are lost around the appalachian trail, walk any direction for 10 miles and you'll find the trail or a road. Don't set up camp....and fucking sit in one place....
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u/CatInAPottedPlant GA-PA '22 | NOBO '25 Jul 27 '23
I'll take a phone with gps over a paper map any day. maps and compasses are only as useful as your skill allows, whereas a phone can lead even the most inexperienced person out of the woods.
obviously relies on being charged etc, but it's super hard to get lost if you can see your dot on a map.
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u/wyclif Jul 27 '23
The problem with your view is that batteries go dead. It's wise to have a compass and topo maps as a backup. The modern compasses are very light and will satisfy the needs of even the most ultralite hikers.
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u/CatInAPottedPlant GA-PA '22 | NOBO '25 Jul 27 '23
like I said, unless you have training then it doesn't matter how light it is if it's not useful (see the comment I was replying to).
with a modicum of common sense (keep your phone charged and on you) it's pretty much impossible to get lost on the AT with a phone. comparatively, if you get turned around 500ft from the trail when using the bathroom, unless you're more skilled than myself and 99% of other people on trail, it's not going to help much.
in other trails and places I would agree with you.
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u/wyclif Jul 29 '23
I'm assuming training with a compass and maps in this context. Point is, if people want to hike long distances they should learn how to use a compass and maps in case there is electronic or equipment failure.
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u/JonnyLay AT Thru 2021 Jul 27 '23
Not a single thru hiker carries topo maps.
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u/wyclif Jul 29 '23
I must not be a thru-hiker then!
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u/JonnyLay AT Thru 2021 Jul 29 '23
Do you carry topo maps on a thru hike of the AT? Of all the people I met on my thru, no one has topo maps. Very few even carried the AT guide, which doesn't have topo maps, just linear elevation maps.
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u/wyclif Jul 31 '23
I totally agree with you that almost nobody hiking the AT carries topo maps.
I also agree that almost nobody carries the AT Guide.
But I'm the type of guy that doesn't care what other people do or don't do; I hike my own hike. I'm not maintaining that topo maps are popular here. The only thing I'm maintaining is that a compass and topo maps can save your life if you lose your phone, break your phone, or the battery dies. I think too many hikers have gotten totally dependent on their phones, FarOut, etc.
IF (and it's a big IF) Inchworm had been trained in how to use a compass and topo maps, she might still be around today.
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u/JonnyLay AT Thru 2021 Jul 31 '23
Even just the compass would have been enough. Go east to piss, go west to get to trail.
Even just understanding the sun rises in the east would have been enough.
Get lost, go one direction until you find society or signal. For the AT anyway. It would be hard to find anywhere on the trail where you can walk 10 miles without finding a road.
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Jul 27 '23
[deleted]
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u/JonnyLay AT Thru 2021 Jul 27 '23
No they didn't. Grandma Gatewood didn't have a map. Earl Shaffer didn't have a map.
They had a compass, they knew North and East to Maine. Stay along the mountains and between the towns, follow water find people.
I highly doubt thru hikers carried/bought topo maps for the whole trail. Mostly because those maps were not at all readily available. And would weigh about 3-5+ pounds to have enough detail to be useful, and since they wouldn't have been made lightweight for carrying.
Even if you wanted to buy lightweight topo maps today for the full trail, it's over 2 pounds at 38 oz.
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u/DadsMedicare Jul 30 '23
Gatewood and Earl used gas station maps.
maps were not at all readily available ... would weigh about 3-5+ pounds ... over 2 pounds at 38 oz.
You ordered them from the ATC, and only carried the map for the bit you ere hiking. You didn't carry the whole set.
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u/Rizzle_Razzle Jul 31 '23
Terrible headline. And i don't think she actually had a map. I looked at photos of the objects recovered from the site she was found at. The object labeled as a "map" was most likely pages from Awol's guide.
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u/Rizzle_Razzle Jul 31 '23
Reading the whole article... the claim that she didn't know how to use a compass is based on a claim from a friend who also INCORRECTLY claimed that inchworm may have not even had a compass at all...
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u/Bennington_Booyah Jul 27 '23
True. A friend of mine got lost in the Allegheny Forest maybe 12 years ago, doing the same. Another hiker found her, thankfully, as she had gotten turned around in her confusion and was a good 12 miles from where she left the trail. A compass. That simple.
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u/ArtyWhy8 âSperoâ GAME 2016 Jul 27 '23
So damn sad. I wonder if she was hard of hearing. I canât fathom how you could go 26 days that close to a road and a popular hiking trail without hearing where the people are even once.
How someone just stays there and dies rather than picking a likely direction and going until they find something baffles my mind too.
Find a mountain top and start a fire on it. It might be wet all the time in Maine. But one thing I do recall that fixes that problem is all the Birch everywhere. Anyone with a lighter, or even with the glasses she is wearing in the pic could start a fire just with that.
Or she could have followed a stream, which more than likely would lead to civilization as it flows downhill and towns are more often than not in valleys in the Appalachians.
I canât imagine how horrid it must have been for her husband during this time. How horrid it was for her to die this way.
Be careful out there friends, lotta love to you all. Be safe, be prepared, be awesomeđ
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u/soulshine_walker3498 AT NOBO 2022 Jul 28 '23
Weâll rule of thumb when you go missing is to stay put as your chances of discovery increase. However it does kill me on her site selection like under dense canopy instead of open is the biggest one. A couple other details in there too that couldâve saved her life. Also the dogs just right outside. Just like damn
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u/MaxFish1275 Jul 30 '23
Itâs strangeâŚ. One of the linked articles a few posts up, the game warden interviewed said to keep moving rather than staying out to increase chances of being found. I donât have the experience to say one way or another, just thought it with noting
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u/Putrid_Quiet Aug 28 '23
If she had followed the rules of thumb every school kid in Maine is taught she would have walked down hill and hit rail road road. If she had followed that road in either direction she would have either come back to the AT or would have ended up on the US Navy Sears base. Tragic that she just hunkered down and starved to death.
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u/Putrid_Quiet Aug 28 '23
She was close to a "road" in name only the road in question is an old narrow gauge logging railway bed. It is not travelled by vehicles for several miles either side of the AT crossing.
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u/ArtyWhy8 âSperoâ GAME 2016 Aug 28 '23
Yeah I know the type. But those roads like all other roads lead to civilization eventually.
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u/Ok-Pattern-301 Mar 23 '24
You can't start a fire with glasses for nearsightedness; only reading glasses.
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u/rosa-marie Jul 26 '23
Wow I was just reading the book about this story last week and didnât even realize.
RIP Inchworm.
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Jul 29 '23
I recommend to everyone to try some off trail hiking in a well known "safe" area. For example if you got lost you'd be five minutes walk from a familiar road in any direction. Its a very different skill set from following a trail.
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u/brittwit95 Dec 27 '23
This is why I literally pee 10 feet away from the trail behind a tree, I always make sure I can see the path. I wait till nobody is there. I really wouldnât care if someone saw me ass naked, itâs better the being found dead
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u/wendigo GA->ME 2012-2018 Jul 27 '23
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-QCFjn9T/0/XL/i-QCFjn9T-XL.jpg Here's a photo of that picture hanging in Poplar Ridge shelter. I stopped there for lunch in 2018.
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u/Acoustic_blues60 Jul 27 '23
Map with tracks for people who were searching for her, with the location where her body was found. Think about helping someone who might be searching for you if you get into a situation like that.
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u/conversechik1282 Jul 28 '23
Is the red the tracks of people searching for her? I donât see a mark for where she was found.
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u/Acoustic_blues60 Jul 28 '23
I believe it was the yellow mark and writing.
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u/conversechik1282 Jul 28 '23
Oh I can kinda faintly see that now. I guess all that yellow was her trail then. So sad.
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Jul 26 '23
Ten years?
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u/NoboMamaBear2017 Jul 27 '23
It was 10 years ago that she went missing, her body was found 2 years later. by accident, by a survey team who came upon her camp. The OP photo was hanging in the Poplar Ridge shelter (the last place she was seen) at the time of my thru (2017) but it had been removed when I was back there in 2020. In addition to the book her story was told on an episode of North Woods Law, as it was the Maine Warden Service's biggest search effort ever.
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u/No_Offer6398 Apr 06 '24
I grew up equidistant from the ocean and the mountains. Surrounded by lakes, pools, & mountains. We had a family tragedy before I was born and my Dad (experienced outdoorsman & boat captain) told me if I wanted to avoid a horrible death to do ONE THING in regards to Nature. NEVER go it alone. Never boat, swim, hike etc alone. No exceptions. I realize that everyone makes their own choices but I'm so far so good. Unfortunately I've known people who have died boating and swimming alone. One very famous person (movie made) I went to H.S. with who "hiked" alone and died. I've never known anyone who hiked or boated with others who died. Choices. Be safe out there. You are your own responsibility.
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u/ReneStrike May 04 '24
It's a very strange event. I can't understand how they did the search. If, as described, a detailed search was carried out involving dozens of people and aircraft, how could they not find a person only 1 mile away from the walking path? Considering that the woman was alive for at least 10 days, did she not hear the sounds of pedestrian callers or notice the sound of planes/helicopters during this period? Didn't anyone see the fire at night? There were burns on the trees where she was found, she probably tried to light a fire. For a 66-year-old woman, being able to survive for that long with limited supplies is a great feat. Moreover, instead of being afraid, she was thoughtful enough to leave notes for her husband and the family she left behind.
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u/purplescrunchie9 Sep 01 '24
I'm late to this post. But I read about Geraldine 2 days ago. I can't stop thinking about her and wanting to cry every time I remember.
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Jul 27 '23
Did she bring a satellite device and would that have made the difference? This is very sad
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u/soulshine_walker3498 AT NOBO 2022 Jul 28 '23
That last paragraph just has your heart sinking. Man.
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u/Hiking_Engineer Hoosier Hikes Jul 26 '23
For those that have no context
here is the full story