Marilyn Koolstra

Within the time frame that he was walking, I woke up in the middle of the night here with an awful sense of being alone. I don't usually feel alone. I can be alone, but I don't feel alone and lonely. And I dismissed it because I needed to have a bit more sleep so that I could function well in the day.

Within the time frame that he was walking, I woke up in the middle of the night here with an awful sense of being alone. I don't usually feel alone. I can be alone, but I don't feel alone and lonely. And I dismissed it because I needed to have a bit more sleep so that I could function well in the day.

And it was not until Eric was missing that I felt I made a bit of a connection with this, linking it to my life. aloneness in the middle of the night. So whilst you're saying I went over to join the search, but I also went with a big empty suitcase because I thought, I felt I was not bringing him back alive. I just felt that he was gone. I didn't feel that I was bringing my warm-handed Eric back.

And it was not until Eric was missing that I felt I made a bit of a connection with this, linking it to my life. aloneness in the middle of the night. So whilst you're saying I went over to join the search, but I also went with a big empty suitcase because I thought, I felt I was not bringing him back alive. I just felt that he was gone. I didn't feel that I was bringing my warm-handed Eric back.

Eric Robinson loved to read. He spent his mornings in his garden with a cup of tea and a book, the Alaskan adventure fiction of Jack London, the mountaineering tales of John Krakauer, and the musings of naturalist John Muir.

Eric Robinson loved to read. He spent his mornings in his garden with a cup of tea and a book, the Alaskan adventure fiction of Jack London, the mountaineering tales of John Krakauer, and the musings of naturalist John Muir.

John Muir was a Scotsman who established trails and parks and part of the wilderness conservation in America.

John Muir was a Scotsman who established trails and parks and part of the wilderness conservation in America.

That's Eric's wife, Marilyn. She previously told us about a time when Eric disappeared while hiking alone in New Zealand.

That's Eric's wife, Marilyn. She previously told us about a time when Eric disappeared while hiking alone in New Zealand.

The outdoors in New Zealand can be unforgiving.

The outdoors in New Zealand can be unforgiving.

I'll remind you, Eric's friend Alan Beck was supposed to meet him at the end of that trek.

I'll remind you, Eric's friend Alan Beck was supposed to meet him at the end of that trek.

One night I got a phone call from Alan and he said he hasn't come in. We haven't met up yet.

One night I got a phone call from Alan and he said he hasn't come in. We haven't met up yet.

We'll get back to what happened in New Zealand soon. But first, I think it's helpful for you to know a bit more about Eric's friendship with Alan. In particular, we need to talk about an experience they shared before the New Zealand trip. They walked the John Muir Trail. The John Muir Trail, or JMT, is one of the world's top hiking destinations.

We'll get back to what happened in New Zealand soon. But first, I think it's helpful for you to know a bit more about Eric's friendship with Alan. In particular, we need to talk about an experience they shared before the New Zealand trip. They walked the John Muir Trail. The John Muir Trail, or JMT, is one of the world's top hiking destinations.

Trekkers on the JMT follow Muir's footsteps through the Sierra Nevada Range in the U.S. state of California, passing through three national parks, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. Hiking that entire stretch takes time.

Trekkers on the JMT follow Muir's footsteps through the Sierra Nevada Range in the U.S. state of California, passing through three national parks, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. Hiking that entire stretch takes time.