The most popular, most mysterious stories from StrangeOutdoors.com in 2020

Here is the list on January 1, 2021, of the most popular stories in terms of reader views through 2020 on StrangeOutdoots.com.

The disturbing deaths of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon on their La Pianista Hike in Panama

The Dutch women, Kris Kremers, 21, and Lisanne Froon, 22, went on a hike near the Continental Divide of Panama , near Boquete, on April 1st, 2014. Their remains were found several months later in mysterious circumstances.

The disturbing death of the unknown hiker, Mostly Harmless, in Cypress National Preserve

On July 23, 2018, at 8.27 pm, hikers, Nichalaus Horton and Logan Buehl, found a male body in a yellow Brooke-Range 2-person tent. It was located at a campsite called Noble’s Camp in Big Cypress National Preserve (Collier County, Florida). Horton said that “His body was kind of twisted. His eyes were wide open and he was looking right at me.” The hikers quickly called 911.

The haunting case of the Mathias Group (Yuba County Five)

The disappearance and death of five men from Yuba City on February 24th, 1978 in Oroville, Plumas National Forest, California has been called the "American Dyatlov Pass". The remains of four of the group were found, but one of them, Gary Mathias vanished. It appears that Ted Weiher, had lived 8-13 weeks after his disappearance based on the length of his beard and around 100 pound weight loss, yet his body was found with months of food in cans nearby.

The terrifying case of the National Forest Serial Killer - Gary Michael Hilton

As well as the risk of blisters, exposure, getting lost on the trail, injury, attacks by wild animals, altitude sickness and so on when venturing into the great outdoors, there is the remote chance you could be one of the unlucky ones who bumps into a serial killer.  Gary Michael Hilton, 71, the so called "National Forest Serial Killer", is notorious for committing a series of murders in wilderness areas, some involving hikers, between 2007 and 2008.

The disturbing disappearance and death of the German Tourists in Death Valley

The story of how Egbert Rimkus, Georg Weber, Cornelia Meyer, and Max Meyer disappeared on July 23rd, 1996 in the Death Valley National Park is a sad tale of misadventure in the harshest desert conditions in the United States.  With high temperatures of 107˚F (42˚C) and the low around 79˚F (26˚C) at that time of the year, seeking help without adequate water would have been a death sentence. In 2009, Tom Mahood, after considerable effort, found the remains of the family, toward the boundary of the China Lake Naval Weapons Station.

The real Wolf Creek - The Backpacker Murders in the Australian Outback

Between December 1989 and April 1992 seven young backpackers went missing while hitchhiking between Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. At the time the cases caused plenty of fear amongst tourists in Australia but were quickly forgotten when the murderer was caught. For the teenagers, it was a case of wrong place at the wrong time. The bodies of the hitchhikers were all discovered in the Belanglo State Forest,  south-west of Sydney and 80 miles west of the New South Wales city of Wollongong in Australia.

The search for Anna Schmidt at Munra Point in Oregon

Sometimes things just go wrong when venturing into the outdoors. Search and rescue teams try their best, but often need to give up within a few days, because of weather or resources. It can be up to amateur volunteers to help track down these missing people or bring the bodies home for grieving relatives. Like the story of the discovery in 2009 of the remains of the German Tourists in Death Valley by Tom Mahood after months of searching in the desert in his own time. The family originally went missing in 1996. TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE LOG IN OR BECOME A MEMBER

The Strange disappearance and death of Paul Miller in Joshua Tree National Park

Paul Miller, 51, and his wife, Stephanie, from Ontario in Canada, were on vacation in California and Nevada, and were planning to head to Las Vegas to celebrate their 26th wedding anniversary. From there they headed to Joshua Tree National Park, where Paul went for a solo-hike on July 13, 2018, where he vanished. His body was eventually found in November 2018 after a huge search failed to find him.

The mysterious disappearance and death of Barbara Thomas in the Mojave

Bob Thomas and his 69-year-old wife, Barbara Thomas, went on a casual 2-mile hike in the Mojave Desert on Friday, July 12, 2019, a few miles off of Kelbaker Road, just north of Interstate 40 in California. The couple, from Bullhead City, frequently explored the area and according to Bob, this was not a strenuous activity. Bob said that he stopped to take a photograph and she went ahead on to their vehicle. He claimed that is the last he saw of her. He got to the RV and saw that it was still locked and Barbara was nowhere to be found. After searching the area and calling for her, he called 911. Barbara’s body was eventually found in November 2020.

The shocking events on Mt Baldy in December 2019 - the Sree Mokkapati and Tim Staples deaths

Sreenivas "Sree" Mokkapati, 52, and his three friends went for a day hike from the Village at Bear Flats to the Mt. Baldy Summit in California on Sunday, December 8, 2019. At some point during the day, Sree separated from the rest of the group and vanished. The terrible death of a search and rescue volunteer in an ice chute a week later meant the search was called off early. Sree’s body was eventually found on June 19, 2020, on the northwest side of Mount Baldy, near the top of Fish Fork at 7,800 feet elevation.

The Strange disappearance of Connie Johnson from Big Fog Mountain

In early October 2018, Connie Marie Johnson, 76, was working as a camp cook for Richie Outfitters (based in Salmon, Idaho) in the area around Big Fog Mountain, near Big Rock and Grangeville in Idaho. The area was very remote, with no roads and it was only accessible by horse or on foot. Connie was an experienced outdoors person and she had previously worked as a U.S. Forest Service wilderness ranger at the Moose Creek Ranger Station. She was last seen on October 2nd, 2018, when the hunters left the camp. After that she vanished.

The unexplained disappearance and death of Mitchell Dale Stehling in Mesa Verde National Park

51-year-old Mitchell Dale Stehling, known by the name Dale, went to the Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado on June 9, 2013, with his wife, Denean, and his parents. He said he was going for a hike to the Spruce Tree House ruin and left at 4.30 pm. The trail is less than a quarter of a mile long and connects to the Petroglyph Point Trail, a 2½-mile loop with cliff exposure that takes off from the Spruce Tree Trail. Witnesses saw him on that trail and spoke to him. However, he failed to return to his family. Seven years later, on September 17, 2020, his remains were finally discovered by a hiker.

The disturbing death of 3 year old Jaryd Atadero on the Big South Trail

On October 2nd, 1999, 3-year-old Jaryd Atadero, his 6-year-old sister Jocelyn, and 11 other adults were hiking The Big South Trail near Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. While hiking, Jaryd ran ahead, no more than 100 feet and stopped to talk with some fisherman. Following this, Jaryd continued down the trail ahead of the group. This would be the last time anyone saw Jaryd. In the following days, a massive Search and Rescue operation failed to turn up any evidence of Jaryd

The mysterious disappearance of Carl Landers from Mount Shasta

Carl Landers disappeared on California's Mount Shasta in May 1999. On his way from 50/50 plateau to Lake Helen he vanished without a trace. The area has no trees, crevices, vegetation and it is obvious from the snow in the area if someone walks off-trail. Pictures from 50/50 and Lake Helen show how desolate it is and surprising that FLIR equipped helicopters were unable to pick up a heat signature from Carl or his body, despite an extensive search. TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE LOG IN OR BECOME A MEMBERThe mysterious disappearance of Carl Landers from Mount Shasta

The death of Dr. Jim McGrogan near Vail, Colorado

Dr. James "Jim" McGrogan disappeared on March 14th, 2014, from a trail to the Eiseman Hut near Vail in Colorado. His body was found many miles away near Booth Falls on April 3rd, 2014, an impossibly difficult route, through deep snow. He was missing his boots and failed to use his functional GPS and cellphone which were found with the body.

The "Melting Man" Charles McCullar in Crater Lake National Park

Charles McCullar disappeared in January 1975 and his body was found on October 13th, 1976 in Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. His skeletal remains were bizarre as well as his isolated location deep in snow, many miles from the trailhead. There were foot bones in the socks, but Charles’s jeans were empty except for the broken-off ends of his shin-bones sticking up. The jeans were unbuttoned and the belt left undone. And the rest of him was gone as if melted away. Nothing else was found including his shirt, coat and boots. Just an empty pair of pants sitting on a log, with socks and foot-bones inside! Also, his camera equipment was nowhere to be seen as well and no money in the pack or on the remains.

The strange disappearance of Stacey Arras in Yosemite

On 25th July 1981, 14 year old, Stacey Arras, from Saratoga, went on a horse riding trip with her father, George, and seven others in the Sunrise Meadows area of Yosemite National Park in California. After deciding to stretch her legs and take some photos she accompanied an elderly gentleman called Gerald Stuart to a nearby lake. Gerald decided to turn back and Stacey said she'd be right behind him. Stacey failed to show at camp and the only thing that searchers ever found was her camera lens cap. No body, no trace.