TO CLOSE

The body of an Ohio woman was found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park late Tuesday afternoon, a week after her disappearance.
Angela Gosnell, Knoxville News Sentinel

Conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains where research was undertaken to find a missing hiker, found dead on October 2, include steep and steep terrain.(Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Wadley / Search and Rescue in the Hinterland)

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Missing hiker Mitzie Sue "Susan" Clements found in Great Smoky Mountains National Park After a week of mass research on such rugged and vegetated terrain, it took a helicopter to extract it.

While the official cause of death is still under investigation, Park spokeswoman Julena Campbell said no criminal acts are suspected. This highlights the many natural hazards that exist in the sprawling park of half a million acres in the mountains of North Carolina-Tennessee, for experienced and inexperienced hikers.

Clements, 53, from Cincinnati, was hiking with her 20-year-old daughter near Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Smokies. They were returning from Andrews Bald on the 1.8 km trail to Forney Ridge, considered a moderate route.

About a quarter mile from the mountain, the girl continued on her way and climbed the Clingmans Dome Tower. She was planning to find her mother in the parking lot, said Campbell, but Clements never appeared. She had last been seen around 5 pm September 25th.

Mitzie Sue "Susan" Clements, 53, has disappeared from the Great Smokies since September 25th. (Photo: courtesy photo)

Clements was considered an experienced trail hiker, Campbell said. The mother and daughter had spent a few days hiking in the Smokies, including longer and more tiring trails than Forney Ridge, including the Chimney Tops Trail, which ranges from 1,300 feet on distance of 3 km.

"The way they walked together, the girl wanted to do a little more miles, so they often walked together for part of the trip and ended up in the parking lot. It was pretty typical, "Campbell said.

Clements' search lasted a week and involved 175 skilled personnel from five states and about 50 organizations, helicopters, drones and K-9 units. His body ended when his body was found Tuesday evening in "incredibly dense" vegetation in Swain County, 3 km west of Clingmans Dome car park and three-quarters of a mile south of the footpath. Appalachians.

Campbell added that people were wondering how it was possible to get lost in a place as busy as the Clingmans Dome, known for its tower, the highest point of the park (6,643 feet), accessible by a paved path from the parking lot. It's also the starting point for many trails, including the Appalachian Trail.

"Most of us imagine the park via a trail, but most of us do not waste time and realize what the landscape really looks like," she said. "If you're not off the track, disoriented and lost in this dense vegetation and this steep, rocky hill, it's hard to imagine what it must be."

She added that it was common for people to get lost or go back to the top of Clingmans Dome, where there are many crossroads.

Approximately one-tenth of a mile from the car park, the Forney Ridge Trail is connected to the Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail, which then intersects the Appalachian Trail.

"That would have been easy enough, especially given the conditions in which she was walking – there was a lot of fog, it was raining and it was probably dark or dark – someone could miss an intersection or parking lot and borrow the wrong way, "Campbell told me.

Clements is the 11th death this year in the Smokies, Campbell said.

It is up from seven deaths in 2017, but not as much as the 16 deaths recorded in 2016. The most common cause of death in the Smokies is generally due to traffic accidents, Campbell said. most popular activity in the world. Park.

The Smokies is the most visited national park in the country. It had 11.3 million visitors in 2017.

Smokies hike safety tips

  • Inform someone responsible for your itinerary and return time. Ask them to call the park at 865-436-1230 if you do not return within a reasonable time.
  • Always hike with another person. Keep your group of hikers together and stay on the officially maintained trails. Always keep children within sight when hiking – do not allow children to get ahead of you or get left behind.
  • Do not rely on technology to save you. Cell phones do not work in most places in the backcountry and the GPS is sometimes unreliable.
  • Take a map of park trails with you and read it. Remember that the park trail map is a flat representation of the hilly, mountainous terrain of the park.
  • Pack a flashlight or a headlamp – even during a day hike. If you encounter difficulties on the trail, the darkness may fall before you can complete your hike.
  • Take a minimum of two liters of water per person per day. Three to four liters are recommended per person. All water from the hinterland must be treated by filtration or boiling.
  • Take a small first aid kit.
  • Check current weather forecasts and get ready for fast changing conditions.

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