▁as ▁his ▁gang ren ous ▁feet ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁too ▁much ▁pain ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁pull ▁them ▁over ▁his ▁body ▁himself . ▁ ▁Theory ▁ ▁Even ▁knowing ▁that ▁four ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁men ▁had ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁Sierra , ▁investig ators ▁still ▁could ▁not ▁completely ▁explain ▁what ▁had ▁led ▁to ▁those ▁death s . ▁They ▁still ▁had ▁found ▁no ▁explanation ▁for ▁why ▁the ▁men ▁were ▁there , ▁although ▁they ▁learned ▁that ▁Math ias ▁had ▁friends ▁in ▁the ▁small ▁town ▁of ▁For best own , ▁and ▁police ▁believed ▁it ▁was ▁possible ▁that , ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁visit ▁them ▁on ▁the ▁way ▁back ▁home , ▁the ▁men ▁may ▁have ▁taken ▁a ▁wrong ▁turn ▁near ▁O ro ville ▁that ▁put ▁them ▁on ▁the ▁mountain ▁road . ▁For ▁whatever ▁reason ▁the ▁men ▁had ▁left ▁the ▁Monte go ; ▁they ▁had , ▁instead ▁of ▁going ▁back ▁down ▁the ▁road ▁( where ▁they ▁had ▁passed ▁the ▁l odge ▁that ▁Sch ons ▁later ▁returned ▁to ), ▁continued ▁along ▁the ▁road ▁in ▁the ▁direction ▁they ▁were ▁originally ▁going . ▁Pur pose ful ▁motion ▁like ▁that ▁is ▁not ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁circular ▁patterns ▁tra ve led ▁by ▁those ▁who ▁genu in ely ▁believe ▁themselves ▁lost . ▁ ▁The ▁day ▁before ▁the ▁men ▁went ▁missing , ▁a ▁Forest ▁Service ▁Snow cat ▁had ▁gone ▁along ▁the ▁road ▁in ▁that ▁direction ▁to ▁clear ▁snow ▁off ▁the ▁tra iler ▁roof ▁so ▁it ▁would ▁not ▁collapse . ▁It ▁was ▁possible , ▁police ▁believed , ▁that ▁the ▁group ▁had ▁decided ▁to ▁follow ▁the ▁tracks ▁it ▁left