What happened to this California family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People keep calling them young and healthy. Dad was 45-46 I believe, which is not young.

Just ten years from elderly.

Agree on this. He was not "young". We like to think that 46 is young but it really isn't. It's right around the around age when previously healthy and currently fit people start having age-related problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don't think 107 degrees dry heat is that hot for young, fit, outdoorsy, experienced desert hikers. Baby and dog definitely would have had a problem with that level of heat. But all four? Also, wouldn't heat stroke show up in an autopsy?

If they were hiking in high heat that would have showed really poor consideration for the baby and the dog. For that reason my guess is they were hiking in the cool morning weather--plus they were seen at ~7:30am. What - they'd go on an hours-long hike with nothing more than one camelback of water? No granola bars for energy, no extra water for the dog, no juice boxes for the baby? Doesn't make sense. These were experienced hikers.

Something other than high heat killed all four. My guess still stands at a freak natural incident of some variety, such as a toxic gas cloud.

I continue to weep for the logic skills of America.

You honestly think a “freak natural incident” is more likely than heat stroke? smh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don't think 107 degrees dry heat is that hot for young, fit, outdoorsy, experienced desert hikers. Baby and dog definitely would have had a problem with that level of heat. But all four? Also, wouldn't heat stroke show up in an autopsy?

Is this a troll post? In what world is 107 degrees not "that" hot... even if it's a DRY HEAT.

DP. Having grown up with this kind of weather: 107 dry heat feels better than 94 with 80% humidity that we get in DC. But, and 8.5 mile hike in 100+ dry heat carrying a 1 year old that includes 5 miles of steep, exposed terrain is a death trap. If they indeed did that whole hike, it’s almost certainly heat stroke. When I first heard this story I just assumed they did a short 1-3 mile hike early in the morning, because the notion of doing a difficult 4-5 hr hike at 100+ degrees with a baby just seemed beyond stupid. But: people can be very stupid. And sometimes it kills them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don't think 107 degrees dry heat is that hot for young, fit, outdoorsy, experienced desert hikers. Baby and dog definitely would have had a problem with that level of heat. But all four? Also, wouldn't heat stroke show up in an autopsy?

If they were hiking in high heat that would have showed really poor consideration for the baby and the dog. For that reason my guess is they were hiking in the cool morning weather--plus they were seen at ~7:30am. What - they'd go on an hours-long hike with nothing more than one camelback of water? No granola bars for energy, no extra water for the dog, no juice boxes for the baby? Doesn't make sense. These were experienced hikers.

Something other than high heat killed all four. My guess still stands at a freak natural incident of some variety, such as a toxic gas cloud.

I continue to weep for the logic skills of America.

You honestly think a “freak natural incident” is more likely than heat stroke? smh.

DP. Yes, given the way that the authorities are treating this. They saw the scene, the bodies. They don't seem to think the deaths were heat related, or not primarily heat related. Hence the speculation. Hence this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don't think 107 degrees dry heat is that hot for young, fit, outdoorsy, experienced desert hikers. Baby and dog definitely would have had a problem with that level of heat. But all four? Also, wouldn't heat stroke show up in an autopsy?

Is this a troll post? In what world is 107 degrees not "that" hot... even if it's a DRY HEAT.

Yes I remember being in Las Vegas and walking a few blocks in heat like that. Even that was almost too much for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don't think 107 degrees dry heat is that hot for young, fit, outdoorsy, experienced desert hikers. Baby and dog definitely would have had a problem with that level of heat. But all four? Also, wouldn't heat stroke show up in an autopsy?

If they were hiking in high heat that would have showed really poor consideration for the baby and the dog. For that reason my guess is they were hiking in the cool morning weather--plus they were seen at ~7:30am. What - they'd go on an hours-long hike with nothing more than one camelback of water? No granola bars for energy, no extra water for the dog, no juice boxes for the baby? Doesn't make sense. These were experienced hikers.

Something other than high heat killed all four. My guess still stands at a freak natural incident of some variety, such as a toxic gas cloud.

I continue to weep for the logic skills of America.

You honestly think a “freak natural incident” is more likely than heat stroke? smh.

DP. Yes, given the way that the authorities are treating this. They saw the scene, the bodies. They don't seem to think the deaths were heat related, or not primarily heat related. Hence the speculation. Hence this thread.

yes, I’m sure Mariposa Country sherrifs have great logical reasoning skills too …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is who the hell brings a baby along for this nightmare hike from hell? Their judgment seems so off as to be indicative of a plan. That’s a long time without a proper nap, cooling off, etc.

Stupid parents.

It's their first kid, and they like to do these "adventures", so they might not realize the accommodations they need to make for a baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The temperature was not hot. It was beyond hot. The trail they were on was difficult. They were not prepared for what they were attempting.

The baby and dog should never have been there.

From their social media it appears they were very outdoorsy and we assume they were knowledgeable about the risks. Maybe they weren't.

Posting pics of one’s self hiking on IG is all about appearing outdoorsy, not being outdoorsy.

Their AllTrails accounts show lots of hikes. They were experienced hikers.

You can be an experienced hiker and still miscalculate or make a foolish mistake. Experienced hikers, skiiers, etc die every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don't think 107 degrees dry heat is that hot for young, fit, outdoorsy, experienced desert hikers. Baby and dog definitely would have had a problem with that level of heat. But all four? Also, wouldn't heat stroke show up in an autopsy?

If they were hiking in high heat that would have showed really poor consideration for the baby and the dog. For that reason my guess is they were hiking in the cool morning weather--plus they were seen at ~7:30am. What - they'd go on an hours-long hike with nothing more than one camelback of water? No granola bars for energy, no extra water for the dog, no juice boxes for the baby? Doesn't make sense. These were experienced hikers.

Something other than high heat killed all four. My guess still stands at a freak natural incident of some variety, such as a toxic gas cloud.

I continue to weep for the logic skills of America.

You honestly think a “freak natural incident” is more likely than heat stroke? smh.

DP. Yes, given the way that the authorities are treating this. They saw the scene, the bodies. They don't seem to think the deaths were heat related, or not primarily heat related. Hence the speculation. Hence this thread.

yes, I’m sure Mariposa Country sherrifs have great logical reasoning skills too …

I feel like some are posting here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The temperature was not hot. It was beyond hot. The trail they were on was difficult. They were not prepared for what they were attempting.

The baby and dog should never have been there.

From their social media it appears they were very outdoorsy and we assume they were knowledgeable about the risks. Maybe they weren't.

Posting pics of one’s self hiking on IG is all about appearing outdoorsy, not being outdoorsy.

Their AllTrails accounts show lots of hikes. They were experienced hikers.

You can be an experienced hiker and still miscalculate or make a foolish mistake. Experienced hikers, skiiers, etc die every year.

Yes, they do. But this was in response to a post saying they were just fake hikers.

[Anonymous]

Did dog have feet protectors on? If it was that hot, dog might have burned paws which could explain the dog being the first to falter. Dog autopsy would show that.

[Anonymous]

Weren't they hiking during the cooler part of the day?

[Anonymous]

I'm a pp who thought this was probably intended as a short morning hike (like an hour or two and then back home in time for lunch and nap), but 1 of the 4 suffered illness or injury mid-hike and they made the unfortunate decision to stick together which may have made sense in the moment but ultimately killed them all. But now hearing that they may have deliberately set out for a grueling 8+ mile hike, in August, with an infant, makes me think maybe they were just plain stupid. The adults were experienced hikers, but the baby was only one, so they were new to hiking with a baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don't think 107 degrees dry heat is that hot for young, fit, outdoorsy, experienced desert hikers. Baby and dog definitely would have had a problem with that level of heat. But all four? Also, wouldn't heat stroke show up in an autopsy?

If they were hiking in high heat that would have showed really poor consideration for the baby and the dog. For that reason my guess is they were hiking in the cool morning weather--plus they were seen at ~7:30am. What - they'd go on an hours-long hike with nothing more than one camelback of water? No granola bars for energy, no extra water for the dog, no juice boxes for the baby? Doesn't make sense. These were experienced hikers.

Something other than high heat killed all four. My guess still stands at a freak natural incident of some variety, such as a toxic gas cloud.

I continue to weep for the logic skills of America.

You honestly think a “freak natural incident” is more likely than heat stroke? smh.

It's about as likely as 4 beings simultaneously dying of heat stroke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a pp who thought this was probably intended as a short morning hike (like an hour or two and then back home in time for lunch and nap), but 1 of the 4 suffered illness or injury mid-hike and they made the unfortunate decision to stick together which may have made sense in the moment but ultimately killed them all. But now hearing that they may have deliberately set out for a grueling 8+ mile hike, in August, with an infant, makes me think maybe they were just plain stupid. The adults were experienced hikers, but the baby was only one, so they were new to hiking with a baby.

Agree with this.
I think they just underestimated their mortality.

People never think they're going to be the ones to die. It's human nature. People with bad cancer are sure they'll be in the 5% who will respond to treatment. People in the ICU think they'll pull through (I'm an ICU nurse). Heck, most of America is sure that Covid could never harm them personally (even as they watch friends and family members die).
I'm sure this family never thought: "If we go out there in the heat, we could die". I don't have half their level of fitness and my gut reaction is "Oh, I'd be okay, I'll just turn around if I feel bad". I would never think "I may die on the trail, I better not go".