Colorado Springs family remembers loved ones who died living off the grid, warns others against it
For many, the Colorado mountains are a symbol of beauty and adventure, but for one Colorado Springs family, it is now a tragic reminder of the dangers of living off the grid.
"Nobody, nothing would've gotten in my way if I could find them," said Trevala Jara.
Tears streamed from Jara's face on Thursday speaking with CBS Colorado about the regret and anger she still cannot seem to shake.
"They really did not just want to be found. at all. It pisses me off," she said.
It was on July 11 when Jara learned a hiker found the bodies of her two stepsisters, Rebecca and Christine Vance, and teenage nephew in the Gunnison County National Forest.
"People don't realize how hard it is to live off the grid," said Jara.
Jara says Christine was a lively and outgoing sister who did anything for the ones she loved. Her sister Becky was more reserved and protective of her son.
"Becky, she was fearful of the way the world was going. She wasn't paranoid, nothing to do with conspiracies," said Jara.
RELATED: Decomposed bodies found at remote campsite in Gunnison County identified as adult sisters, teen boy
This fear, set Becky's wheels in motion to get away. It was in early August 2022 that Becky went out to live off the grid with her son and Christine.
"Me and my husband, we offered our property up in the mountains," said Jara. "It's pretty much off the grid. There's no cell phone connection, no water, no electricity. We had an RV up there with a generator. And we begged them to just use our property."
The sisters didn't take Jara's lifeline.
According to the Gunnison County Coroner, their bodies appeared malnourished, and they may have died from starvation, freezing temperatures, or carbon monoxide poisoning trying to make a fire. The official cause of death has not been released pending the results of the toxicology report.
"It was hard, it was so hard. I was so hoping we could convince them [not to go]," said Jara."I want to make sure that everybody knew that they were not crazy. that they had a good head on their shoulders."
Now, Jara is hoping her family's story can, instead, convince others to think twice or better prepare before choosing a life off the grid.
"That you put yourself out to where you can experience some of that hardship but have that lifeline. Because if you have no experience, you need that lifeline, you need it," said Jara. "Watching it, and actually doing it is totally different."
