Friday, December 31, 2010

Friday Big Horn


Gary and Tom on the way to town come across five big horn. Twenty years ago there were an estimated 300 big horn in the entire state of Utah. Tom is now aware of at least 5 on the east side of Hurrah Pass, 15 in Jackson Hole, and 10 around the Wind Caves and or Dripping Springs.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

What a Difference a Day Makes



Tuesday evening and Wednesday evening.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

The Mine Two





The Mine






Tom spends the day hiking to a uranium mine, he's seen from below but never visited.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Jackson Butte






Jackson Hole has a large butte in the middle circled by the trail. Across the trail from Jacobs Ladder stands Jackson Butte. In the middle of Jackson Butte is a large crater. Tom spends Friday exploring the crater.

Hmmmm?

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Monday, December 13, 2010

Game Day...Saturday

Linster has a game at Timpanogos Indoor Soccer, black shirt, long red socks, then at Ogden Indoor Soccer, light blue shirt, long red socks.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Back in San Diego Sitting in the Sun

Big Horn

Cat Man (Tori) and Tom spend the bulk of the day crashing through the willow and tamarisk searching for any signs of a person coming on shore this side of the river. Beaver slides were everywhere and they had devastated the willow in some spots building their dam. No prints other than SWAT, well, and these guys/gals.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Still Looking



Today law enforcement brought Tom pictures of the bad guy's boot print. Unfortunately very similar to the SWAT team boot prints, which are now all over this side of the river. Tom hiked most of the high ground the last few days with binoculars looking for anything that appeared out of place or prints larger than the deer and large herd of big horn that have returned, and found nothing. At the river, he detected a smell, slight, but still there, that has not been there in the past. Thursday Tom and Catman will trudge through all the thick tamarisk along the Base Camp side of the river, looking for a bad guy, who hopefully, is no more.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Timpanogos Indoor Soccer

Saturday afternoon Linny plays at Timpanogos Indoor Soccer. Black shirt, pony tail.

Ogden Indoor Soccer

Linny plays at Ogden Indoor Soccer Saturday morning. Black shirt, pony tail.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Saturday Night


All day Tom has seen vehicles on top of Hurrah Pass, spend a few minutes, then turn around and go back to town. Everybody still a little nervous apparently.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Road's Open


Disc golfers showed up today to play a round and Tom slightly changed his speech. "Don't need to carry water for holes One through Four as they just go around the lodge. Large male big horn hanging out by the basket on Five, be careful. After you tee off on Seven I won't see you again until the basket on Fourteen. Had a massive rock fall on the trail between Fourteen and Fifteen and you have to slide between two very large boulders now. Take this walkie talkie with you and if you can't find a tee or a basket give me a call. Oh yea, if you see a dead guy out there, let me know."

History


On May 29, 1998 three suspects killed a police officer, wounded others and eventually holed up in San Juan County. One suspect (dead) was found in the brush and rock canyons similar to here. Seventeen months later a second suspect (dead) was found by 11 Navajo men deer hunting. On June 10th, 2007 a Blanding cowboy pulled material out of the ground that turned out to be a bullet proof vest with bones inside and nine years later closure came to the manhunt. It's of course possible this one slipped away but so many people were here so fast and combed the area so quickly, Tom's guess is Rodney will be hiking around his property (Caveman Ranch) or Tom and Kobae will be out on one of their strolls around Base Camp and this manhunt will come to a similar close as the last. Here's hoping.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving Day Seven


Choke points are still manned and there are roving patrols. Normally for a four day weekend Tom would be able to hear ATV's and jeeps in the distance and on this day, there is nothing. Scheduled Base Camp guests were unable to get to the lodge. Even the deer and big horn vacated from all the activity. When Tom walked the perimeter of the property this morning there were no footprints, not even wildlife. Tom checks the boat ramp to make sure the canoe and Last Hurrah kayaks remain.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Day Six





One boat in the river, a few low flying planes, people posted at choke points, still no getting in or out of or to Base Camp. Five days without food, wounded, no tracks. Last night sixty mile an hour winds, 20 degrees, and wake up this morning to snow. Tonight's temperature will be five degrees. The search has been changed to roving patrols and blocking of escape routes. http://www.grandcountysheriff.org/ Perhaps Kobae and Tom will find him out hiking next spring. Meanwhile back in San Diego.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Day Five



It's quiet, only one helicopter so far. Can see people at choke points including Hurrah Pass. They still think he's here.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Day Four



Day four is much like the others. Start to cook breakfast, SWAT team shows up and needs info on trails out of the valley. Put breakfast back in the freezer, off with SWAT. Two or three hours later come back, take breakfast out of the freezer, fire up a burner, more people show up and need to know river crossing options, tamarisk hideouts, and caves. Back in the freezer. Mid afternoon, everyone is called back to headquarters. No explanation. For the first time in four days, it's quiet. Typing with one hand, pistol in the other.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Salute

There are over 200 law enforcement people out here today and these are the conditions they continue the hunt in. A salute to them. As darkness falls on day three, bad guy is still out there.

Comes the Dawn




It's a beautiful morning, except for one thing, there's a bad guy still out here. Night and day here, there is very little difference. Get the bad guy.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Comes The Dark


Early afternoon a backpack and rifle are found. A bloody tshirt a few hours later. With darkness all about, Tom can see flashlights on the ledges, hear voices along the river, and watch helicopters above. There is a bad guy out here still.

The Hunt Is On

SWAT team members clear all structures and outbuildings around Base Camp and entry points from the river using the lodge, jeep, truck, and ATVs.

Bad Guy

At 8:40pm, Friday night at Poison Spider and Pot Ash, a Park Ranger checked out a vehicle and was hit by three bullets. Despite three wounds he returned fire and the shooter is wounded. His vehicle is found two miles from Base Camp. By 10pm helicopters are circling Base Camp and vehicle lights are flooding the area. When morning comes, vehicles, boats, helicopters and law enforcement on foot are everywhere.