Well, he doesn't have Magic Paddler in camp with him.  See:   (You need to Login or Register

I guess the cliffs on the south side of Louisa were just too much for Magic.  Frankly, I trust that his discretion is very much the better part of valor in this case.  As I've said, Magic is VERY experienced.  After sizing up his options (probably wet, slippery ones at that), I'm sure he has made a wise decision to "move on" & will have a great time wherever he is heading.

ST, I got the same deal from Vicki... just that first message.  Talk about experience & woods savvy, though - geez - she's near the top of the list!  I think it more likely that the SPOT fell to the bottom of a lake than IC running into trouble that she couldn't deal with!

I'll continue to keep folks posted as feedback comes in.

I suspect the Uncle Moose trek to be the one that proves best.   You got to take what the terrain gives you....

Jimbo   8-)