In July 2014, Sylvia Apps, an amazing woman and highly experienced hiker, set out on a 5 day solo backpacking trip in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. She did not return when expected and searches were initiated… but what searchers do find leaves them with more questions than answers. Twelve years later, many remain mystified as to what happened to Sylvia.

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Of Particular Interest:

Remembering Don and Sylvia Apps 

Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue 

Sources:

News Articles:

Search for Missing Hiker Sylvia Apps Baffles Searchers in Stratchona Park | CBC News 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/search-for-missing-hiker-sylvia-apps-baffles-searchers-in-strathcona-park-1.2714401

Search for Sylvia Apps Formally Stood Down | My Comox Valley Now 

https://www.mycomoxvalleynow.com/1035/news/search-for-sylvia-apps-formally-stood-down/

Search and Rescue Crews Looking for Comox Valley Hiker Missing Since July 8 | Global News

https://globalnews.ca/news/1454256/search-and-rescue-crews-looking-for-comox-valley-hiker-missing-since-july-8/

Hiker’s iPhone and Other Items Recovered | Campbell River Mirror 

https://campbellrivermirror.com/2014/07/18/hikers-iphone-other-items-recovered/

Other:

The baffling disappearance of Sylvia Apps from Strathcona Provincial Park | Strange Outdoors Blog 

https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/2017/11/28/sylvia-apps

Remembering Don and Sylvia Apps | Submitted by William Wright to My Comox Valley Record 

https://comoxvalleyrecord.com/2015/06/13/remembering-don-sylvia-apps/

Castlecrag Mountain on AllTrails

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/castlecrag-mountain-2?sh=vacxm3&utm_medium=trail_share&utm_source=alltrails_virality

Mt Apps | Summit Post

https://www.summitpost.org/mt-apps/920823 

Strathcona Provincial Park | Wikipedia 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strathcona_Provincial_Park 

Geology of Strathcona Provincial Park | British Columbia Geological Survey 

https://cmscontent.nrs.gov.bc.ca/geoscience/publicationcatalogue/InformationCircular/BCGS_IC1995-07.pdf

Karmutsen Formation | Wikipedia 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karmutsen_Formation

Youtube videos: 

Missing Hiker Strathcona Park, Backpack, Gear, Phone, Found in All different Areas of the Park.| Bryan’s Mysteries and Adventures on Trail 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFwIT8L6iKg&list=TLPQMTExMjIwMjQuxGbU9vtlEg&index=5&pp=gAQBiAQB

National Park Rangers Find This On A Hiking Trail But Then Discover That Something Went Wrong | Unexplained Mysteries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYR6MetqKwY&list=TLPQMTcxMjIwMjQg1LwtLdZyrg&index=7

Missing 411 - The Strathcona Park Disappearances, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada | Canam Missing Project 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTtKSRHSJjM&t=1s  (last part of video - 22:55)