Update: This report suggests Curry county authorities feel they’ve covered that county well and I’m hoping the quote in the CNET story just means they are focusing on the east rather than west side of the mountains rahter than assuming they took 42. It’s possible but I think 42 is the wrong approach, rather they should comb the logging spurs off of the Merlin to Gold Beach route. On the East side of the mountains this would be mostly Josephine and Douglas county land.
This in from CNET suggests that Curry County authorities may stop searching the Bear Camp Route for the Kim Family. I don’t understand the logic here but I’m not privy to special info. The fact they were spotted in Roseburg suggests to me that the Bear Camp route is *very likely*, appearing on many maps and many online services as the shortest route to the TuTuTun lodge, the final destination of the Kims. Why would he have passed by Highway 38 and then taken 42? Also, 42 is much more travelled than Bear Camp and is not easy to get lost on.
I sure hope they search the Bear Camp area very thoroughly before giving up on that angle.
Earlier this year a family appeared to take that same route and wound up near Glendale via logging roads. They were stranded for 2 weeks under snow in an RV but survived thanks to provisions on board the RV.
Joe Duck 
Hey there,
I stumbled onto your blog via Google while considering the Kim family’s possible routes and searching for info on the Stivers family (in the motorhome).
I’ve been having the same thought that they quite likely saw the route from Merlin on a map and decided to head that way.
Taking into account that the family was already running behind from their last known stop in Roseburg and at a glance, Bear Camp looks more direct than 42/42S, I’m a little disappointed that the search is possibly being called off in this area.
I have to wonder if the route from the I-5 Wolf Creek exit has been checked at all (Lower Wolf Creek to Lower Grave Creek, finally crossing the river and meeting up with Galice Rd.)
-K
Kam I agree with you completely, but just got word that the search is not focusing on that area, rather on 42. I’m actually heading over to Merlin area tomorrow to help.
I am in complete agreement with you regarding the Merlin-Galice Rd. It would be a likely choice especially if you were running late and thinking it would save a lot of driving. It would also be very very easy to take a wrong turn at Y in the road, especially with poor visibilty and even just a little snow on the ground to cloud judgement relating to which road is the most manicured. Logging roads are built for big trucks, sometimes well grated, and often confused with intended routes (signage is also not well maintained!).
This sounds similar to the story about the Stiver’s. Authorities thought there was no way that the RV could have gotten that lost on logging roads (particularly in a northerly direction)and ultimately stopped looking 5 miles short of where they were waiting patiently to be rescued. Missing the turn off on BLM 34-8-36 from the Merlin-Galice Rd would be an obvios first mistake. The split or junction for NF-23 seems an even greater possibility. Both mistakes would quickly put you far from your intended destination as well as more confused. A small amount of snow can make back-tracking equally as problematic.
I also think the best way to cover such a massive area is with helicopters and I sure hope they don’t lose the motivation to keep flying in these extensive areas! Driving these roads will also be useful, but there are an unbelievable amount of choices out there and it will be neccesary to cover ground very slowly to watch for any signs of a car having gone off the road.
James Kim is a Tech savy guy, so I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that they considered a short-cut off of 42 down through Powers via the Powers Highway. They could have mistakenly gone that way and then asked someone for a short-cut. There appear to be many routes to the coast from Powers, but I am unfamiliar with the area and not sure which of those routes are well travelled or reccomended by locals. When seeking directions from Powers on mapquest and google to places like Sixes on the coast, many different routes come up. I think it would be unlikely that they would make a choice to travel country roads like these especially late at night in bad weather with kids in the car. The Merlin Galice Road would be a more likely choice to make when looking at maps prior to travel.
I have found it almost impossible to guage the level of intensity of the search in the Merli-Galice area, but hope they are covering it with a microscope. Again, I feel the best thing anyone can do is to put the pressure on authorities to keep those helicopters flying. Maybe someone could contact Detective Brent Jensen in Ashland and see if he can help keep the right people motivated due to his experience with the case of the missing RV?
I wish authorities would give some more detailed information to the public. It would be nice to know what they consider an exhaustive search. It would also be useful for others trying to help so as not to cover the same area twice since there is no time to waste in this initial search!
Thanks Chaos, I agree with you but I think that the search is not at all focusing in the Merlin/Agness area which is clearly the most likely unless people have info we don’t have. [[ updated thinking: The shortest route from Roseburg, where they ate, appears to be 42 to Powers to Agness to TuTuTun Lodge on North Bank Road, Gold Beach. ]] I was not familiar with Powers route and I may be underestimating it]]
That said I still don’t think 42 or Powers scenarios are likely. Locals would not likely have advised them to go off of 42 to Powers to Agness in the night, and there are few places to ask directions along 42 anyway.
I don’t have special info though and have only reached the Josephine Co. Search and Rescue answering machine. Resources are really limited for these expensive searches so I think things do not always flow in the logical ways, as you note with the Stiver’s case.
I know they had some choppers, I think including a BlackHawk, around the Agness area but I cannot determine if they flew the (more likely) problem area at that junction you describe above where you turn left to head to Agness. There are hundreds of miles of log roads winding near there to get lost on.