CA - Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, daughter, 1 & dog, suspicious death hiking area, Aug 2021 #3

[Coquette]

.....and at least they all died together. It's the only nice thing I can think of out of this whole sad episode.

My thoughts exactly. Bittersweet.

 

[rahod1]

I would not regard this level as "experienced" in hiking, but rather, a moderate level of athletic fitness.

"Hikes can last for half a day and have elevation gains of a few thousand feet. At this stage, a moderate hiker has also started venturing out into hikes with different weather conditions that require more planning."

This why I included this level as the minimum required for the hike they took . It's more than fitness.

 

[sfinkz]

Great find. There's actually more than one video there.
Totally the wrong trail to be on in summer. Not at all a trail for beginners. Catastrophic for an unleashed dog (they'd head straight down one of those steeps to the river).

Wrong trail. The family did not hike this trail on that fateful day. Though this is an easy hike from main highway following mouth of South Fork with little elevation gain popular for Spring wildflowers, to do this hike in its entirety would have added 6.5 miles to their route. Some of the pre-2018 fire images give an idea of the 12-15% grade up the ~2.5 miles of the southern canyon, however, as well as the beauty of the river.

 

[HawthorneJuniper]

I read that early on in this thread. Someone (presumably a local) remarked that the day in question was unusually humid for the area, quite apart from the extreme heat and bad air quality from the raging fires elsewhere in the region...

No, this summer is the driest ever. CA is in an extreme drought. The state is a tinderbox. No fire had ever burned from one side of the Sierra to the other. In 2021 two did and both are still burning. So, no it wasn’t humid that day.

 

[RickshawFan]

"Hikes can last for half a day and have elevation gains of a few thousand feet. At this stage, a moderate hiker has also started venturing out into hikes with different weather conditions that require more planning."

This why I included this level as the minimum required for the hike they took . It's more than fitness.

Gotcha
IMO that hike would take substantially more skill than that. The specs for this would be like planning a run where a thunderstorm is on the horizon, e.g. fitness, a plan to run 5 miles, and being okay with rain.
So much more goes into being a capable hiker, including the things I mentioned. Most of these are organized around attitude and humility. You can plan all kinds of things that you don't have the wherewithal or mindset to execute. That's a beginner thing to learn. IMO that's where we are with this case.
Top attitude priority: not putting others (like SAR) at risk. Anyone hiking that canyon in those conditions was creating a SAR risk for injury, incapacity, or death, because of the heat, the strenuous trail, and the exposure. This also is a beginner thing to learn. IMO

 

[rahod1]

Top attitude priority: not putting others (like SAR) at risk. Anyone hiking that canyon in those conditions was creating a SAR risk for injury, incapacity, or death, because of the heat, the strenuous trail, and the exposure. This also is a beginner thing to learn. IMO

BINGO. But those at risk in this instance were those most vulnerable in the undertaking>>> Infant and pet<< SAR at risk as a CONSEQUENCE of this failure. MOO

 

[janewall]

Wrong trail. The family did not hike this trail on that fateful day. Though this is an easy hike from main highway following mouth of South Fork with little elevation gain popular for Spring wildflowers, to do this hike in its entirety would have added 6.5 miles to their route. Some of the pre-2018 fire images give an idea of the 12-15% grade up the ~2.5 miles of the southern canyon, however, as well as the beauty of the river.

Whether this is the correct trail or not, if these conditions are similar to the trail the family was on I would not feel secure hiking it with a baby on my back. This type of footing, particularly the narrowing of the path, unevenness/rockiness, and awkward angles and slopes, all scream "unsafe" at me. If I deem two walking sticks necessary for a trail – and this hiker appeared to be putting them to frequent use for stabilizing his steps, not merely carrying them along 'in case' – that means I have no hands free to even try to break a fall or cushion my precious cargo if I should stumble in spite of those tools in hand. MOO. (Full disclosure: I'm a klutz, and I know it!)

 

[RedHaus]

I would not regard this level as "experienced" in hiking, but rather, a moderate level of athletic fitness.

"Experienced", in my book, involves a whole long menu list of skills and history, including the following. I've labeled with B those skills that a beginner should work at acquiring. M would be expected of a "moderate" hiker. A=Advanced
Note: a lot of these skills are about attitude. Being in awe of nature, respecting others, making sure you don't create a catastrophe that might endanger someone else (e.g. SAR)
-keeping in mind you could be seriously compromised even 1/4 mile up the trail (it happens all the time, and woe betide you aren't prepared) (B)
-significant trail miles with "old timers" who know the ropes; you learn mistakes and protocols from them; you learn what might possibly happen, versus what your limited knowledge projects might happen. Note: "old timers" doesn't mean twenty-somethings. Try 40+; go with your local hiking club, national club, meetup, an organized group with a leader, so you learn whys and wherefores (this does NOT mean a guide on Kilimanjaro) from the leader and other hikers (B)
-knowing, carrying, and using the "10 essentials" (B)
-wearing a pack that has supplies and spare items (e.g. extra socks and raingear) that are appropriate for most hikes so you can address unanticipated changes in conditions
-the demonstrated ability—in the field—to use paper map and manual compass. (M)
-knowing how to filter water (you can practice in the sink at home) (M)
-knowing one's limits, in terms of mileage and time; managing your time, so you are back at the trailhead before dark (B)
-observing Ranger notices and following through (these are frequently safety-oriented, but may be fire banning, or limit to party size, etc.) (B)
-having appropriate gear, especially hiking boots with lugged soles (some National Parks even require these to go on Ranger hikes), and understanding why they are needed (B)
-carrying enough food for the trip, plus an extra sandwich or energy bar; this acknowledges conditions might keep you later than planned (B)
-planning your water supply (B)
-getting the forecast and integrating it into your plan (B)
-observing "leave no trace" practices TO THE LETTER; to get this right, you have to understand and abide by (from every ounce of your being) the notion that everyone and everything deserves a pristine trail. "Experienced" folks will often carry out other people's trash, even if it's micro-trash, just because the trail and its surroundings are for everyone, creatures and people. This takes commitment and selflessness. (B)
-the Red Cross certificate in wilderness first aid is a good idea (I used mine the first hike after I got it). (A)
-and yes, to be "experienced" you would have had to manage some obstacles or "surprises" in your history (M)
-above all, having respect for nature; hubris is the very opposite of "experience". (B)

-I almost forgot. How to poop in the wilderness is an art and a skill. It keeps everyone and everything as safe as possible, nature unmarred by your presence. How to pee, an art and a skill for women. Especially without taking your pack off. (B, M, A!)

It takes miles of hiking in steep, less steep, rugged, and basic, to get this kind of experience, but just because you walked a bunch of miles doesn't make you "experienced". That's merely "fit".



IME most backcountry folks who are "experienced" (as in, VERY advanced) don't actually refer to themselves that way. This is why I rarely go along with a friend or relative labeling a missing hiker "experienced".

Very well stated @RickshawFan!

 

[rahod1]

Just want to say...what a tragedy .......boggles my mind. I know we all speculate and want answers, but it's so damn sad.

 

[RickshawFan]

Whether this is the correct trail or not, if these conditions are similar to the trail the family was on I would not feel secure hiking it with a baby on my back. This type of footing, particularly the narrowing of the path, unevenness/rockiness, and awkward angles and slopes, all scream "unsafe" at me. If I deem two walking sticks necessary for a trail – and this hiker appeared to be putting them to frequent use for stabilizing his steps, not merely carrying them along 'in case' – that means I have no hands free to even try to break a fall or cushion my precious cargo if I should stumble in spite of those tools in hand. MOO. (Full disclosure: I'm a klutz, and I know it!)

The trekking poles are standard for hiking. They lower strain on the legs, and you can go much faster than without. One of the reasons so many are able to complete a thru-hike may well have to do with using trekking poles.
You can go much faster because you are not having to adjust your balance every step: all your energy goes forward. Try them sometime in an outdoor store: you might be surprised at the effect.
I don’t ever hike without trekking poles. The rocky spots the woman in the video goes over are much easier with poles. You just move right over them, light on your feet hoppety boppety bop.. .
Still, as you say, that hike was totally inappropriate for the family in any conditions, let alone in the conditions they were in.

 

[woods]

This website describes the layout of the trail and the area that was most impacted by the Ferguson Fire: Hite's Cove Trail

 

[janewall]

The trekking poles are standard for hiking. They lower strain on the legs, and you can go much faster than without. One of the reasons so many are able to complete a thru-hike may well have to do with using trekking poles.
You can go much faster because you are not having to adjust your balance every step: all your energy goes forward. Try them sometime in an outdoor store: you might be surprised at the effect.
I don’t ever hike without trekking poles. The rocky spots the woman in the video goes over are much easier with poles. You just move right over them, light on your feet hoppety boppety bop.. .
Still, as you say, that hike was totally inappropriate for the family in any conditions, let alone in the conditions they were in.

Thanks for sharing your significant expertise again, RickshawFan. I may check the proper poles out next time I have a chance to spend some time at REI, although it's been easily half a decade since I've done more than a nature walk.

Since safe outdoor recreation is something you are well versed in, in your opinion would it ever be appropriate to hike with poles while also carrying a small child? I can't wrap my head around that, given my own experiences and the safety precautions I'm aware of. (And to be fair, I don't think we know whether either JG or EC was using poles during this hike.) I'm just particularly leery of tread/footing issues when I see them, and I noticed in a link in a post upthread that according to hikers on one of the hiking boards – possibly AllTrails – some sections of the Savage-Lundy trail were in need of repairs earlier this year. In my mind that's further evidence that while JG may have skimmed over information about the trail before deciding on it, there was not a great deal of advance planning put into this family outing.

 

[Speculaytor]

Has anyone seen or mentioned this yet???? They just closed the Savage Lundy Trail until September 26th. This sentence directly from the article on September 1:

"There exists the possibility that a hazard was identified near, but not on, the trail that posed a risk to the family."

A hazard NEAR but NOT ON the trail???? What could this be???????
'Unknown hazards' found by trail where Calif. family found dead

Apologies if this is already posted, I just read through the last few posts and didn't see discussion.

 

[Deleted member 292879]

Has anyone seen or mentioned this yet???? They just closed the Savage Lundy Trail until September 26th. This sentence directly from the article on September 1:

"There exists the possibility that a hazard was identified near, but not on, the trail that posed a risk to the family."

A hazard NEAR but NOT ON the trail???? What could this be???????
'Unknown hazards' found by trail where Calif. family found dead

Apologies if this is already posted, I just read through the last few posts and didn't see discussion.

I think this is referring to water sources. It could be mines too (here is a pic of the three mines I found on the trail, which I sent to LE on 8/26) but it sounds like mines have been ruled out as a possible issue (and were ruled out before this closure was announced). So I'm going with water? MOO.

ETA: Source for the mines for anyone who cares (I think my original post was back in thread #2): Mines in the Western United States

 

[RickshawFan]

Thanks for sharing your significant expertise again, RickshawFan. I may check the proper poles out next time I have a chance to spend some time at REI, although it's been easily half a decade since I've done more than a nature walk.

Since safe outdoor recreation is something you are well versed in, in your opinion would it ever be appropriate to hike with poles while also carrying a small child? I can't wrap my head around that, given my own experiences and the safety precautions I'm aware of. (And to be fair, I don't think we know whether either JG or EC was using poles during this hike.) I'm just particularly leery of tread/footing issues when I see them, and I noticed in a link in a post upthread that according to hikers on one of the hiking boards – possibly AllTrails – some sections of the Savage-Lundy trail were in need of repairs earlier this year. In my mind that's further evidence that while JG may have skimmed over information about the trail before deciding on it, there was not a great deal of advance planning put into this family outing.

When wearing a baby backpack (aka child carrier), it would be much safer to use poles, simply because your balance is so much better. You rarely need to use hands while hiking. When you do, you either hold both poles in one hand or stow them. On an easy flat area, I might hold both poles in one hand, and amble a bit without them.

In a super steep rocky area, I don’t use poles very often. I use old bicycle gloves to grab rocks, branches, etc.

One thing people don’t realize because it is obvious only in toddlers: you are making a balance correction every time you step. With poles, you don’t have to make a balance correction.

I tend to think you need high quality poles to really benefit (e.g. Leki, Black Diamond, or Komperdell, which makes a lot of the poles under store brand names like LLBean) because they are specially balanced, light weight, and swing easily. But even if you did a test with old ski poles, you would notice the difference in balance.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

This website describes the layout of the trail and the area that was most impacted by the Ferguson Fire: Hite's Cove Trail

As an Incident Commander said during an Incident Team meeting for fighting the Ferguson Fire in 2018, “You my know that some of the peaks and gulches in this area have “Devil” in their name. There is a reason for that; the terrain is incredibly rugged and steep.”

 

[Smokingun]

No, this summer is the driest ever. CA is in an extreme drought. The state is a tinderbox. No fire had ever burned from one side of the Sierra to the other. In 2021 two did and both are still burning. So, no it wasn’t humid that day.

While we certainly don’t have the humidity of other areas in the country, when you have a temperature of 105 and humidity of 20 or 25%, you feel it. Especially if you’re hiking. As posted previously, El Portal showed 20% that day, but in MOO the canyon would have likely been worse. I live in the Central Valley.

 

[sds71]

Family’s Death in Sierra National Forest Is Shrouded in Mystery


Sept. 3, 2021, 8:55 a.m. ET


The couple had backpacked in the Himalayas, ridden camels through the Gobi Desert and checked off Burning Man, even creating their own hashtag, an amalgamation of their first names: #jellonadventures.

So a day of hiking in the Sierra National Forest, even with the demanding switchbacks and triple-digit heat, would not have been unusual for Jonathan Gerrish and Ellen Chung…

But the trek would be the family’s last: Search teams found all three of their bodies on Aug. 17, one day after the family was reported missing not far from Yosemite National Park. The family’s dog, Oski, an Aussie-Akita mix, was also found dead.

More than two weeks later, investigators are still confounded by what caused their deaths. Teams in hazmat suits had already combed the area for clues. On Saturday, the U.S. Forest Service closed trails and recreation sites near where the bodies were found.

 

[Sunny Day]

Still no answers. From the New York Times today.
Family’s Death in Sierra National Forest Is Shrouded in Mystery

 

[sfinkz]

While we certainly don’t have the humidity of other areas in the country, when you have a temperature of 105 and humidity of 20 or 25%, you feel it. Especially if you’re hiking. As posted previously, El Portal showed 20% that day, but in MOO the canyon would have likely been worse. I live in the Central Valley.

Yes, temperature in cahoots with humidity (or dew point) are the factors in heat index (apparent temperature). In the semi-arid West, it’s a dry heat. 105F and 20% humidity roughly equates to
90F and 65% in a subtropical climate. Being acclimated to the West, as this family was, I’d prefer the 105/20.
With regards to the Mariposa weather on August 15th, the fateful Sunday hike did not occur at the onset of a heatwave, arriving suddenly but usually accurately predicted and widely disseminated by forecasters. Rather it was at the tail end of a weeklong heatwave, the coolest temperatures (incrementally) in 4-5 days with temps 20deg cooler three days later.