Why Did Hiker Mike Turner Change His Route?

TL;DR

Mike Turner changed his carefully documented solo hiking route to protect his dog Andy, whose paws had become raw from walking on jagged ice. Although Turner was an experienced navigator with extra supplies, the unreported detour placed him beyond the route known to his family, and his pursuit of Andy across a remote boulder field introduced another serious risk.

Transcript

every now and again I'll find a story that is just really upsetting to me now obviously a lot of the stories that I cover are all you know quite distressing but today's story which is about a missing hiker named Mike Turner uh it just really upset me it actually made it really hard to film this episode um not making that up it's just I was too emot... Read More

Key Insights

• Mike Turner was a 48-year-old, 6-foot-6 reverend from Idaho who had served his Christian church for ten years. He was also an experienced hiker, backpacker, survivalist, and map-and-compass navigator who regularly sought solitude and spiritual connection in nature.
• The Fitzpatrick Wilderness is a remote Wyoming landscape containing snow-covered peaks reaching roughly 13,000 feet, glaciers, green fields, streams, and lakes. Its rugged terrain and difficult access meant that experienced outdoorspeople were among the relatively few visitors capable of traveling through it.
• Turner's expedition was planned as a nine-day, 60-mile solo journey through the Fitzpatrick Wilderness. He had spent more than a year mapping an off-trail route, recording expected daily locations, and preparing his wife to meet him at a specific endpoint.
• A detailed itinerary was Turner's primary safeguard against the risks of solo travel. He gave Diane a map containing his route and coordinates, then arranged to meet his family at noon on the ninth day at the start of the Big Sandy Trail.
• The route change was motivated by Andy's injured paws rather than by Turner's own discomfort. After walking at elevations around 13,000 feet, the black Lab mix was whimpering and struggling because jagged ice had made his paws raw.
• Turner's alternate route avoided additional ice and still led toward the planned pickup location, but it required more time. He expected to arrive on the tenth day or later and carried extra supplies for an extended journey, yet his family could not know about the change.
• Communication limitations made the detour especially dangerous because Turner had no practical way to update his family from the wilderness. Once he departed from the documented route, only Turner knew his actual direction, reducing the usefulness of the detailed map he had left behind.
• Andy's sudden run toward a lake created an immediate navigation and terrain hazard. Turner followed the dog through trees and encountered a sloping clearing covered with boulders as large as small cars, forcing him to jump from rock to rock while trying to catch Andy.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did Mike Turner change his planned hiking route?

Mike Turner changed his route to protect his family dog, Andy, whose paws had become raw after walking across jagged ice at elevations around 13,000 feet. Andy was whimpering and struggling to keep pace, so Turner decided to skirt the icy mountains. The alternate course was longer but still headed toward the same pickup location, and Turner had packed extra supplies for possible delays.

Q: How did Mike Turner prepare for his solo wilderness hike?

Mike Turner spent more than a year planning a nine-day, 60-mile off-trail journey through the Fitzpatrick Wilderness. He drew his expected route on a map, included coordinates and anticipated locations for each day, and gave the information to his wife, Diane. He also specified that the family should meet him at noon on the ninth day at the Big Sandy Trail and carried extra supplies.

Q: Why was Mike Turner's unreported detour dangerous?

The detour was dangerous because Turner's family only knew the original route recorded on the map he had left with Diane. Turner had no practical way to communicate the change from the wilderness because cell phones were very primitive at the time. If he encountered trouble, anyone relying on his detailed itinerary would expect to find him somewhere along a route he was no longer following.

Q: Was Mike Turner experienced enough to hike off trail?

Mike Turner was described as a skilled hiker, backpacker, survivalist, and navigator who could travel using a map and compass. Off-trail hiking in a remote area was relatively routine for him, and he had planned this particular route for more than a year. His experience reduced some risks, but it did not eliminate the hazards of traveling alone, changing course, or crossing unstable terrain.

Q: What made the Fitzpatrick Wilderness difficult to navigate?

The Fitzpatrick Wilderness contained extremely rugged and remote terrain, including snow-covered mountains around 13,000 feet high, glaciers, icy areas, fields, streams, lakes, and unmarked backcountry. Reaching and surviving in the area required substantial outdoor knowledge. Turner was also traveling off trail, so he needed to determine his location by relating map information and compass directions to natural terrain features.

Q: What happened after Andy ran away from Mike Turner?

Andy suddenly stopped drinking, raised his head as if he had sensed something, and ran into the trees before Turner could stop him. Turner followed and emerged above a lake beside a sloping clearing filled with boulders the size of small cars. Andy continued toward the water, so Turner climbed onto the rocks and began jumping from boulder to boulder in pursuit.

Q: Why was Mike Turner hiking through the wilderness?

Hiking was Mike Turner's way of coping with the work, responsibility, and stress associated with serving as a reverend. Although he loved his congregation and his family was actively involved in the church, he felt especially close to God while outdoors. He viewed the natural world as a grand gift from God, making the striking Fitzpatrick Wilderness personally and spiritually meaningful to him.

Q: When and where was Mike Turner's family supposed to meet him?

Diane, the couple's three children, and family friends expected to meet Mike Turner at noon on the ninth day of his journey. The designated location was the start of Wyoming's Big Sandy Trail, at the end of his planned 60-mile route. They arrived there on the afternoon of August 9, one week after Turner had paused on the mountain and pursued Andy.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In August 1998, 48-year-old reverend Mike Turner began a planned nine-day, 60-mile solo hike through Wyoming's remote Fitzpatrick Wilderness. Turner was an experienced outdoorsman who enjoyed hiking as relief from the responsibilities and stress of church leadership, and he felt especially close to God while surrounded by nature.

• Turner gave his wife Diane a detailed map showing his planned route, daily coordinates, and designated pickup point. He expected to meet his family at noon on the ninth day at the Big Sandy Trail. This preparation provided a clear itinerary, but it became less useful after Turner changed his course without communication.

• On the fourth day, Turner detoured around icy mountains because the jagged surface had injured Andy's paws. Andy later ran through trees toward a lake, leading Turner to a sloping clearing covered with car-sized boulders. Unable to call the dog back, Turner began jumping between rocks to pursue him.