Klass Kids volunteers to search for Sierra La Mar Sunday 4/1/12

Well either way if I end up going with you and you stay in Contra Costa, I'll give you gas money.

 

Well the last run on Tuesday was through two rush hours and rain, 1 1/4 hours to get down 1 1/2 hours to get home, It's about 150 miles round trip, plus driving around when you get there, I used over a half tank on Tuesday, $35-$40 bucks worth, plus the time is a killer, your truck carries less weight than mine, I'll get about 16 to the gallon.

 

I'm busy Saturday but should be able to make it Sunday.

 

Bring good walking/hiking shoes, backpack with snacks/water/rain gear (maybe), if you have a hiking pole bring that. Expect the actual searching part to last around three hours with a debriefing back at the command center. Bring your hard copy DL too (must have), the address is 85 Tilton Ave, morgan hill, it the Burnett Elementary School, start time is 8 am but it's takes awhile to get the volunteers orginized, it's probably ok to show up later say 8:30 9.

 

Overnight bag is loaded, rain gear is in order, couple of spare ponchos for anyone that needs em, rain doesn't bother me, I work with water, don't care if it comes out of the ground or out of the sky. Plan to spend both days down there. Few hours of sleep then head out about 0630. Possible evidence that was found was in an area that was already searched, strange.
Can't imagine how the parents feel.

 

Chris, I'm working Sun. Off on Wed if they are still doing it.

 

I was very impressed with there operations. Very well organized and well supplied. I was there with my cousin for one of the morning search teams. When we came back they were looking for volunteers to search for a missing search team that was out of cell phone range and hadn't checked in. We were asked if we can help scour the mountains in the various search grids up in the mountain roads. Luckily after about 30 minutes into our planning with search&rescue one of the fire engines found them. I was about to leave when I found out my afternoon cleared up so I joined another search team. Each search took about 3 hours each. I met with Mark Klaas and Michael Le, both determined and thoughtful individuals. Hoping for Sierra's safe return.

Chris - If we get done with my cousins moving today, I will be out there again tomorrow. PM inbound with my cell number. I'll hit up Eric and Lucas for your number if I don't hear from you.

 

The search is going to continue sunday, the orginizers are meeting tonite to figure out how and when to extend the search. I'm hunting for cheap lodging for the night so I don't have to do a 150 mile round trip. My good boots are soaked as I slipped crossing a creek in a remote area

EDIT: I'm down at the Motel 6 in Gilroy, same amount as if I drove home and back, got a line on a good Mexican restaurant, back at it early tomorrow.

 

Rough terrain, yes that is my cracked windshield



Some of the locals talking to us, check out the doe, seems the locals rescued it when it was young, raised it, they don't feed it but the doe loves hanging out in the area, she'll just walk right up to you, I asked "is that your pet deer? Its got a collar!" they said "no, but they put the collar on it hoping no one will shoot it"



End of the road, before we even turned the trucks around, the local guy comes out, food in his long grey beard (cue banjo music), asking us what we were doing there, seems he don't get a lot of visitors this far up yonder hollow.

 

While we were out on this little remote road, some Bible Thumpers pull up in an Expedition and hand me this flyer, I have to be blunt, I don't know how I feel about Jesus right about fucking now considering what brought me out here in the first place, it's cold, wet, windy, a local family is in agony because some dirtbag took their baby from them. Doesn't tend to give me a great deal of faith in anything right about now, see picture below.



I think all of the people I worked with the last couple of days are parents. The two guys riding with me this morning both have two daughters each, we talked fondly of our children in a most endearing manner. We didn't talk about the La Mar family, didn't have to, we all felt the same way, it's what brought us here. I'll bet both of these guys went home tonight and held their girls tightly and told them they love them. If my son was here I would do the same thing.
It's been two weeks and though no one is outright saying it, we are looking for her body. The fact that there are three organizations here looking for this kid is a testament to the sad fact that this has happened a number of times in this region over the last 30 years. Sometimes the result is good, most of the time it is not. I couldn't fathom what this family is going through, it would be too painful to even contemplate, my prayers go out to the La Mar family.

 

I slipped into a creek and my left leg went in up to my knee, my boots were soaked, when I changed boots I wrung creek water out of my socks. I figured i would be in a motel with one of those heat/ac dealies that are under the window. Figured I would put the boots on there and dry them out. This room has a weird set up, but the TV is high up and close to the vent so I stacked the boots on top and if I blast the heat all night, they might be dry for the morning.

 

Another day of searching. See you at search HQ, Chris.

 

Thoughts and prayers with all of you...Stay SAFE.

 

Tough day of hiking, we were bushwhacking down this ravine and back up again. Our radius is out to twenty miles. The next search day is next Saturday. I'm exhausted and bummed we haven't found anything or any more clues. The last Bay Area girl that went missing like this took four months to find. Honestly, I don't know what I would feel if I was the one who found her, i try not to think about such things, just keep moving and do the best job I can for the family.
Thanks Alvi for coming down today

 

Next Saturday? A whole week?

I'm off in the middle of the week, if you hear they will continue then, let me know.

 

I will Baby

 

I might be able to make this Saturday. I'll let you know.

 

I saw that on the news last night, there must be hundreds of those jettas in that county, hopefully only one with a black hood