Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch

Amateur hiker Gary Hinge begins a planned route from Ruth to a cabin he had visited before, in the remote Great Basin Desert of Nevada, July 2017. He is expected to return within a certain timeframe but is two days overdue and then missing for more than a week. His housemate Simon Rodgers alerts his sister Beverly Hinge, who in turn informs local authorities.

Local and state police, park rangers, and volunteers join the search, using the last recorded GPS location from Gary's cell phone. The operation focuses on the desert landscape around Ruth and the Great Basin. The timeline is uncertain as no trace is found.

A breakthrough occurs when Gary's truck is discovered 55 miles from Ruth, at the end of a dirt road and at the base of a small hill. This unexpected find redirects the search toward the broader desert area. For investigators, the vehicle becomes the primary crime-scene anchor.

Search parties deploy on-foot teams, helicopters, and drones to comb the surrounding terrain around the truck and along likely routes Gary might have taken. Despite these efforts, no trace of Gary is found. The harsh summer conditions and vast landscape complicate the search.

With time passing, authorities declare that finding Gary alive is unlikely due to the desert environment, Gary's habit of traveling with minimal supplies, and the dangers of the terrain. Wildlife and abandoned pits add to the risk. The official search winds down as media interest wanes.

Beverly Hinge decides to hire private investigator William "Bill" Salerno to push the case forward. Concurrently, local reporter Gal Roberts urges continued media coverage to prevent the case from becoming a cold mystery. The private investigation begins to pivot the focus toward new leads.

Forensic analysis of the abandoned truck uncovers unidentified fingerprints on the steering wheel and a trail of barefoot footprints that do not match Gary. The discrepancy leaves investigators without solid footwear-based leads. The truck is treated as a crime scene rather than a simple missing-person case.

Salerno investigates Gary's online footprint and discovers his video blog under the pseudonym "Scorpion Sam" with around 50,000 followers. He learns that Gary documented hiking and survival adventures, including a recent unsettling episode. This online trail provides new context for his disappearance.

One of Gary's later videos describes a three-day hike in an unfamiliar area, where he smelled smoke and found a seemingly abandoned cabin with an active chimney. He camps at a distance and later notices footprints following him, provoking skepticism from his online audience. The entry hints at a looming danger he could not escape.

In a final emotional video, Gary explains he won't reveal the cabin's exact location to prevent inexperienced hikers from entering perilous terrain. He vows to return with extra equipment, including a video camera and a firearm for protection. The post leaves viewers unsettled and speculating about what lies ahead.

Weeks after the truck's discovery, hikers at a White Pine County campsite find Gary's backpack containing his severed hand clutching the video camera. Forensic analysis dates the severing to occurring while Gary was alive, within five weeks. This discovery represents a grim turning point in the case.

The memory card from Gary's camera reveals footage of his final night at the cabin, fueling conspiracy theories linking the disappearance to government projects, atomic testing, Indigenous rituals, satanic cults, and aliens. The clip underscores unresolved questions and keeps public interest alive as investigators search for answers.