Dear Summit Post users(particularly those climbing in the Fishers and/or Mystery Towers),


Sometime between Labor Day weekend, 2014, and January 16, 2015 a large stash of climbing and camping gear was stolen from what (we thought) was a well hidden location in the area between the Titan and the Mystery Towers. This was not near any of the known bivy spots in this area. The gear included a full desert iron aid rack, a double set of cams, double set of aliens, over 20+ draws and screamers, ropes, and camping gear. This gear had been painstakingly hiked out to this location over months in preparation for a trip in the area. Needless to say, when the gear was gone, we were disheartened and disappointed. Neither the BLM nor the Sheriff's office removed the gear.


This leads us to suspect that either ne'er-do-wells (ie, meth-heads, scavengers, hippies) stole the gear, or climbers did. Given that the gear stashed included a cast-iron skillet and a cast-iron dutch oven, we suspect it was the former as no climber would hike that stuff back out from where it was stashed. This gear was well off any trails that any casual hikers would be on, and in a location where only a small select group of climbers would ever venture. If, for some reason climbers moved the gear, or took it assuming it was abandoned, I can assure you it was not. I would like to believe that it was an honest mistake. If this is the case, please pm me with the current location of the stash, and all will be forgiven.


However, if this gear has been intentionally taken by climbers and it is not returned, I will do everything in my power to determine who took the gear. A lot of blood, sweat, and time went into getting the gear out to where it was, and the trip we had planned was ruined and had to be postponed. Even worse, this had been a trip that I had been looking forward to after two deployments overseas. We have pictures that will allow us to identify all of the gear that was stashed. Any information leading to the identification of any individuals who removed the gear will be graciously rewarded.

Please pm me with any information. This was also posted on Supertopo.

Stay safe,

Jeremy Aslaksen

If it was left for that long (5+ months), it definitely might have considered to be abandoned. Have you talked to the BLM?

Scott,

Due to multiple deployments we were not able to make it back out there.

Our ropes were not touched.

J

Holy sh%t, that is such a bummer J. WTF?? How does that even happen??

I would still try contacting the BLM (by email or phone). If someone suspected the gear to be abandoned, they might have turned it into the BLM.

BLM and Grant County Sheriff were contacted about this.

They know nothing.

J

I was curious about what the rules are if Federal authorities find personal property on Federal land so did some Googling. I may be misreading this document but it looks like the GSA rules are that if the authorities find property that might be abandoned on Federal land, and nobody comes forward to claim it within 30 days, the government can claim title to the property (download the document "Disposition of Seized, Forfeited, Voluntarily Abandoned, and Unclaimed Personal Property" and see section 102-41.120 on Unclaimed Property):

http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/102735

I'm not hypothesizing that the BLM did find the stashed gear in this case or that they'd be right to consider it abandoned if they did, but just noting that if you leave gear on Federal land and a Federal employee finds it (or someone turns it in to a Federal representative) and nobody claims it in the next 30 days, the government may claim it.