Results 1 to 6 of 6
  1. #1
    New Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Laredo, TX
    Posts
    1

    Missing Hiker Last Seen In Montana Backcountry

    My brother Noah Pippin is a former Marine who served three tours in Iraq as an infantryman. He's currently in the California National Guard and he disappeared last summer. He left my parents' house in late-August 2010 headed back to California in a rental car but he didn't show up for National Guard duty later in September 2010. The first we knew that anything was amiss was when the National Guard folks called us asking where he was. The Michigan State Police were very slow to move forward with the case which prevented us from making much progress for a fair while last fall. We've only been very slowly getting more information as time drags on. We finally found out from Noah's credit card statements and phone records that he stayed in Hungry Horse, MT the night of August 31, 2010. We then contacted the authorities in Montana and they and the Forrest Service have been very helpful in trying to track Noah down. The areas Noah disappeared in are very remote and mountainous and were of course not accessible during the winter months. From what we've been told by the Forrest Service these areas will not be clear enough of snow to travel again until mid-July of this year. We know that he hiked into the Flathead National Forrest/Bob Marshall Wilderness along the Eastern route which begins in Martin City, MT 48.391057,-114.030147. That he traveled past the area of the Spotted Bear Ranger Station 47.928593,-113.526278 and through the Blue Lakes area 47.920814,-113.282154. We've recently learned that he encountered a group of hunters near My Lake 47.742036,-113.14064 on 09/14/2010 which is in the back-country of the Bob Marshall Wilderness/Flathead National Forrest/Lewis and Clark National Forrest. He told them that he was headed to the White River Pass 47.7427,-113.12047 which is many miles South of My Lake. Later he encountered a family hiking near the Chinese Wall and Salt Mountain 47.688388,-113.145103 and indicated to them that he intended to go off trail at the point 47.651166,-113.120384 on the Chinese Wall where the trail detours East to go around the perimeter of some terrain. He indicated to them that he hoped to save some time by going due South along the Chinese Wall which is a more direct route as the crow-flies.

    We're interested in finding people who have hiked these areas in the past or are planning on hiking them this year to ask them if they may have seen Noah last fall or if they're going to be in these areas if they could keep an eye out for any sign of him. If you can, please help us by letting other hikers know about Noah and where he was last seen. Please let me know if there's any more information that would be helpful to you or if you have any suggestions for communicating with hikers who use those areas.

    Below is a picture of Noah Pippin (Black shirt) sitting with my dad in Michigan in August 2010 not long before he departed.



    Thanks for your help.

    -Caleb Pippin
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Sylvan Lake, AB
    Hammock
    HH DeepJungle XL
    Tarp
    OldManWinter,HHex
    Insulation
    Incubator+Bag
    Suspension
    Whoopies
    Posts
    93
    Best of luck in your search. I really hope you have some good news shortly.
    Learning how to tie a couple knots never killed nobody. First ones I ever learned were pretty hard but they've kept my shoes on me for the better part of 45 years.
    -MrClean417

  3. #3
    Senior Member te-wa's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    arizona
    Hammock
    BB
    Tarp
    zpacks cuben
    Insulation
    te-wa Freeze
    Suspension
    whoOpie slings
    Posts
    1,332
    Images
    129
    have you posted this info on www.Backpackinglight.com ?
    many long distance and Montana area hikers there.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Pipsissewa's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Yancey Co., NC - Home of Mt. Mitchell
    Hammock
    Too many to list
    Tarp
    Cuben with doors
    Insulation
    FlThrwr UQ+DIY TQ
    Suspension
    Whoopies + straps
    Posts
    1,741
    Images
    7
    Bump ...

    You might want to post your description on Hiking Forums too:

    http://www.hikingforums.net/

    Your brother is in my thoughts and prayers.
    "Pips"
    Mountains have a dreamy way
    Of folding up a noisy day
    In quiet covers, cool and gray.

    ---Leigh Buckner Hanes

    Surely, God could have made a better way to sleep.

    Surely, God never did.

  5. #5
    Senior Member ShadowAlpha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    USA
    Hammock
    WBBB SL Lefty /Traveler
    Tarp
    Superfly/HG Cuben
    Insulation
    Yeti,0*Phnx,Burrow
    Suspension
    Stuff from Dutch!
    Posts
    2,172
    Images
    31
    roberto - do you have a facebook page with this info?

  6. #6
    Senior Member ShadowAlpha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    USA
    Hammock
    WBBB SL Lefty /Traveler
    Tarp
    Superfly/HG Cuben
    Insulation
    Yeti,0*Phnx,Burrow
    Suspension
    Stuff from Dutch!
    Posts
    2,172
    Images
    31
    never mind - found it by searching "Noah Pippin"

  • + New Posts
  • Similar Threads

    1. Missing AT Thru-hiker
      By Demeter in forum General Hammock Talk
      Replies: 2
      Last Post: 08-02-2013, 21:19
    2. *** ALERT *** Missing Hiker on the AT
      By Bug-Bait in forum General Hammock Talk
      Replies: 10
      Last Post: 05-04-2009, 12:39

    Tags for this Thread

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •