LEWISTON — George Largay and his family are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to the location of Largay’s wife, Geraldine, who was last seen hiking on the Appalachian Trail in Franklin County in July.

According to a press release from the Maine Warden Service, Largay started her hike on the AT on April 23 at Harpers Ferry, W.Va. Her destination was Baxter State Park.

Largay, who is from Tennessee, is an experienced hiker. Her husband kept track of her along her trip and made frequent predetermined stops to resupply her, according to wardens.

On the morning of July 21, Largay left her husband at the Route 4 AT crossing in Sandy River Plantation near the town of Rangeley. Later that day, she texted him to report she was on top of Saddleback Mountain, according to the Warden Service.

Her plan was to stay at the Poplar Ridge lean-to in Redington Township that evening.

Investigators confirmed, through hiker interviews, that Largay did stay there as intended. The following morning, she texted her husband and indicated she was again headed north, according to investigators. Her next stop would have been the Spaulding Mountain lean-to.

Largay’s plan had been to meet her husband on July 23 in Wyman Township at the Route 27 intersection with the AT, but she never arrived.

The Maine Warden Service was notified of her disappearance early the following day, and started a search and investigation.

The search, which included more than 100 people, tracking dogs, ground-search teams, a helicopter, a fixed-wing aircraft, all-terrain vehicles and horses, was scaled back after Aug. 4. Since then, wardens have conducted six more ground searches but have not found any clothing or backpacking equipment that belonged to Largay.

Largay is 66 years old. She is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 115 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Her trail name is “Inchworm,” and she was last seen wearing a reddish-colored pullover shirt, tan shorts, a blue hat and a black-and-green backpack.

Wardens intend to launch the next phase of the search after the leaves have dropped and visibility improves.

Wardens continue to seek any information from hikers or others who have specific information about Largay and her journey, especially information related to the dates between Sunday, July 21, and Tuesday July 23. Information will remain confidential.

Those with any information are asked to call the Maine Warden Service dispatch center at 207-624-7076 or post information at:

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/aboutus/auto_forms/contact_us.htm

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