What happened to this California family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was one of the murder suicide posters. Now I’m thinking heat stroke and stupidity if it’s true they really tried to hike 8 miles and started after 8 am. So sad. I am pretty outdoorsy and have three kids and I never would take them on a hike that long.

If they were killed by toxic fumes or some other unusual natural occurrence, will you still think the hike was a stupid idea?

Remember, the baby was at the best age for a hike, short or long. Old enough to look around but no old enough to be trouble. It only gets harder as the baby gets older and with more children.

Yes. Still stupid. I also have a one year old and a hiking carrier. She likes it but not for hours and hours. 90 min with a break in the middle is her limit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was one of the murder suicide posters. Now I’m thinking heat stroke and stupidity if it’s true they really tried to hike 8 miles and started after 8 am. So sad. I am pretty outdoorsy and have three kids and I never would take them on a hike that long.

If they were killed by toxic fumes or some other unusual natural occurrence, will you still think the hike was a stupid idea?

Remember, the baby was at the best age for a hike, short or long. Old enough to look around but no old enough to be trouble. It only gets harder as the baby gets older and with more children.

Yes. Still stupid. I also have a one year old and a hiking carrier. She likes it but not for hours and hours. 90 min with a break in the middle is her limit.

You have three kids and haven't learned that different kids are different yet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was one of the murder suicide posters. Now I’m thinking heat stroke and stupidity if it’s true they really tried to hike 8 miles and started after 8 am. So sad. I am pretty outdoorsy and have three kids and I never would take them on a hike that long.

If they were killed by toxic fumes or some other unusual natural occurrence, will you still think the hike was a stupid idea?

Remember, the baby was at the best age for a hike, short or long. Old enough to look around but no old enough to be trouble. It only gets harder as the baby gets older and with more children.

Yes. Still stupid. I also have a one year old and a hiking carrier. She likes it but not for hours and hours. 90 min with a break in the middle is her limit.

So all babies are like yours?

You know that they planned to be out for hours and hours?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

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

Back in my younger years, I was a lifeguard in that area and on days like that I would drink a gallon of cool water while sitting in the shade. It literally hurts your skin if you stand in the sun when it gets above 105. When it's that hot, you either stay in the shade or wear a hat and long sleeves and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate (and eat salty snacks to avoid hyponatremia).

Speaking of which ... no one has mentioned hyponatremia ...

That's the one thing I assume they'd know about if they've hiked much, but making the choice to do this hike on this day with baby and dog shows a lack of judgment on their part. I'd bet they didn't have enough water for the conditions. The papers mentioned a camelback. I'd assume mom and dad each had one and that was likely not enough water for this day and hike.

So the Dad had a camelback and was carrying the kid on his back? Seems unlikely.

Frame hiking carriers hold the kids off the back a bit. It's feasible.

[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?

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.

This is what I assumed too when I read they were only 1.5 mi from the car and has left at 7:45 am. I figured it was maybe a 90 min. hike they planned to finish by ~9:30 am. And I didn’t realize the terrain was so rough. The more I read, the more heat exhaustion seems plausible. What an awful way for them all to go.

I’m not a super outdoorsy person, but do occasionally go hike/kayak etc. and this thread has really opened my eyes to the danger of high heat. I didn’t appreciate how quickly people can become disoriented and weakened. But some of the other news stories shared are really shocking. I definitely have redox too for the high heat of the day now.

[Anonymous]

I can’t imagine anyone taking a baby and dog out for a hike in dangerous heat. It’s so risky given what everyone knows about babies and animals not being able to regulate their body temperature that I do wonder if they were dragged there under duress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine anyone taking a baby and dog out for a hike in dangerous heat. It’s so risky given what everyone knows about babies and animals not being able to regulate their body temperature that I do wonder if they were dragged there under duress.

More insane posting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine anyone taking a baby and dog out for a hike in dangerous heat. It’s so risky given what everyone knows about babies and animals not being able to regulate their body temperature that I do wonder if they were dragged there under duress.

That hike doesn’t look fun on any level. The terrain is dead and brown. What was the point ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was one of the murder suicide posters. Now I’m thinking heat stroke and stupidity if it’s true they really tried to hike 8 miles and started after 8 am. So sad. I am pretty outdoorsy and have three kids and I never would take them on a hike that long.

If they were killed by toxic fumes or some other unusual natural occurrence, will you still think the hike was a stupid idea?

Remember, the baby was at the best age for a hike, short or long. Old enough to look around but no old enough to be trouble. It only gets harder as the baby gets older and with more children.

umm… respectfully, I don’t think you know much about hiking in extreme conditions. this was a strenous, LONG hike in 100+ heat. Not a shady stroll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine anyone taking a baby and dog out for a hike in dangerous heat. It’s so risky given what everyone knows about babies and animals not being able to regulate their body temperature that I do wonder if they were dragged there under duress.

That hike doesn’t look fun on any level. The terrain is dead and brown. What was the point ?

To go see the toxic river, I guess.

Actually, I wouldn't say that a hike through a post-fire area is unfun or uninteresting. I've been to parks and forests after a wildfire and it's very interesting, seeing the devastation as well as the continuation of life afterward.

[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?

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.

This is what I assumed too when I read they were only 1.5 mi from the car and has left at 7:45 am. I figured it was maybe a 90 min. hike they planned to finish by ~9:30 am. And I didn’t realize the terrain was so rough. The more I read, the more heat exhaustion seems plausible. What an awful way for them all to go.

I’m not a super outdoorsy person, but do occasionally go hike/kayak etc. and this thread has really opened my eyes to the danger of high heat. I didn’t appreciate how quickly people can become disoriented and weakened. But some of the other news stories shared are really shocking. I definitely have redox too for the high heat of the day now.

kind of a tangent but with global warming this is only going to increase. I kept up running this summer but took it very easily at first until I was sure I could handle it - short runs, kept an eye on my heart rate. heat is no joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine anyone taking a baby and dog out for a hike in dangerous heat. It’s so risky given what everyone knows about babies and animals not being able to regulate their body temperature that I do wonder if they were dragged there under duress.

That hike doesn’t look fun on any level. The terrain is dead and brown. What was the point ?

To go see the toxic river, I guess.

Actually, I wouldn't say that a hike through a post-fire area is unfun or uninteresting. I've been to parks and forests after a wildfire and it's very interesting, seeing the devastation as well as the continuation of life afterward.

I don’t know….but zero shade? After 8 AM? I could maybe see doing it early morning or in the winter but not in the summer sun with all that crunchy dead terrain around them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine anyone taking a baby and dog out for a hike in dangerous heat. It’s so risky given what everyone knows about babies and animals not being able to regulate their body temperature that I do wonder if they were dragged there under duress.

That hike doesn’t look fun on any level. The terrain is dead and brown. What was the point ?

To go see the toxic river, I guess.

Actually, I wouldn't say that a hike through a post-fire area is unfun or uninteresting. I've been to parks and forests after a wildfire and it's very interesting, seeing the devastation as well as the continuation of life afterward.

yeah, that hike might have been a fun challenge any other day that was 20 degrees cooler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine anyone taking a baby and dog out for a hike in dangerous heat. It’s so risky given what everyone knows about babies and animals not being able to regulate their body temperature that I do wonder if they were dragged there under duress.

That hike doesn’t look fun on any level. The terrain is dead and brown. What was the point ?

The mom and dad were adventurer types who seemed into strong self-reliance. I’m going by the mom’s IG. To them perhaps this was a great hike to do. After all they had crossed a famed desert before for fun.

[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?

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.

This is what I assumed too when I read they were only 1.5 mi from the car and has left at 7:45 am. I figured it was maybe a 90 min. hike they planned to finish by ~9:30 am. And I didn’t realize the terrain was so rough. The more I read, the more heat exhaustion seems plausible. What an awful way for them all to go.

I’m not a super outdoorsy person, but do occasionally go hike/kayak etc. and this thread has really opened my eyes to the danger of high heat. I didn’t appreciate how quickly people can become disoriented and weakened. But some of the other news stories shared are really shocking. I definitely have redox too for the high heat of the day now.

+1 to the PP. I’m also from an area where this heat is typical for a summer day. People often do outdoorsy things early and I’m also pretty familiar with the early signs of heat stroke — so initially I was skeptical that a short morning hike would cause death, particularly in the dog. But after seeing what type of hike this was, and how late they left (yes, 8 am is late in the desert), heat stroke or a related condition seems most likely. And I can’t believe they dragged a dog out in these conditions—I’m sure he wanted to just dig himself a cool hole in the dirt and rest until after dark, like a sensible mammal.