Getting turned around in the woods can be almost as easy as breathing, especially in a forest as dense and deep and rugged as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where a woman out for a day hike had been missing for a week until her body was found late Tuesday afternoon.
A massive search and rescue effort ended when Mitzie Sue “Susan” Clements, 53, was found by search crews 2 miles west of the Clingmans Dome parking area and three-quarters of a mile south of the Appalachian Trail, according to a park news release.
Her cause of death is unclear at this time.
Experts advise anyone heading into the woods, whether for a quick walk or an overnight stay, to take safety seriously. Sharon Van Horn, an experienced hiker, and member of the Nantahala Hiking Club said getting lost in the woods can be easy, even for veteran hikers, like herself and her husband, Bill.
We were hiking the AT (Appalachian Trail) once, and stopped to talk to someone, and then kept marching straight ahead. We went about 45 minutes before we realized we were on the wrong trail,” Van Horn said. “It’s something as easy as stopping to talk to someone. When you come to a junction, you could easily take a wrong turn.”
Getting turned around in the woods can be almost as easy as breathing, especially in a forest as dense and deep and rugged as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where a woman out for a day hike had been missing for a week until her body was found late Tuesday afternoon.
A massive search and rescue effort ended when Mitzie Sue “Susan” Clements, 53, was found by search crews 2 miles west of the Clingmans Dome parking area and three-quarters of a mile south of the Appalachian Trail, according to a park news release.
Her cause of death is unclear at this time.
Experts advise anyone heading into the woods, whether for a quick walk or an overnight stay, to take safety seriously. Sharon Van Horn, an experienced hiker, and member of the Nantahala Hiking Club said getting lost in the woods can be easy, even for veteran hikers, like herself and her husband, Bill.
We were hiking the AT (Appalachian Trail) once, and stopped to talk to someone, and then kept marching straight ahead. We went about 45 minutes before we realized we were on the wrong trail,” Van Horn said. “It’s something as easy as stopping to talk to someone. When you come to a junction, you could easily take a wrong turn.”
