CA - Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, daughter, 1 & dog, suspicious death hiking area, Aug 2021 #5

[sfinkz]

I do know where the vehicle was parked and

Perhaps because of the confusion regarding the naming of the features in this area,(Hite/Hites/Cove/Road/Trail/OHV..regardless, for simplicity sake, label them A-J on our maps if it helps, but it does not change their topography or distance from one another) I am not certain where the vehicle was parked.
This has nagged me to the point that when I last passed through the area I intended to climb the ridge top in an air conditioned vehicle to see with my own eyes but couldn’t bring myself to it.
AIU, Hites Cove Rd dead ends at S/L TH. About one-third of a mile (?) west is the Hites Cove OHV TH. Both trailheads have small parking pullouts and are behind locked gates (?). Both trails, now closed for five weeks, had been closed for three summers and autumns (fire restoration), reopening 9-10 months previous. OHV prohibited on HC trail in fire season.
I believe the vehicle was parked at the HCOHV TH. But I may be wrong?

 

[ChatteringBirds]

OK..we MAY never know on accidental poisoning

You really think there's a significant chance that would be missed in the toxicology testing?

 

[RedHaus]

Nevertheless they are two separate trails and there is no evidence yet to support that they actually did it.

RSBM
OK, I have dissected the roads and trails related to "Hite(s) Cove" and have several thoughts, IMO. Please see graphic below that I created to illustrate and cite sources.

1. There appears to be no single website that depicts all these trails and roads well - many maps published by MSM re: this case are incorrectly labeled.
2. There is a well documented trail loop off of route 140 that includes Hite Cove Trail, Hites Cove Trail and Hites Mine Trail (see larger blue circle)
3. Hites Cove OHV Trail is a turn off of Hites Cove Road (where truck parked), later meanders along South Fork Merced River and terminates at Hite Cove Trail
4. Savage-Lundy Trail starts at the end of Hites Cove Road and terminates at the South Fork Merced River
5. Technically there is no published loop between the Hites Cove OHV Trail and the Savage-Lundy Trail - but one could make a loop by cutting along a river trail.
6. If the JG/EC family had been aware they were in trouble when they reached the South Fork Merced River, presuming they went down Hites Cove OHV Trail, they could have continued down Hites Cove OHV Trail until the Hites Cove Trail, which would have dumped them out at 140 near the Yosemite Cedar Lodge.

I can see how anyone could get confused with these trail names if not careful.

If JG was in fact researching Hite Cove Trail or Hites Cove Trail the day before, as has been reported, he and his family did NOT appear to go on those trails 8/15. So perhaps he was actually researching Hites Cove OHV Trail and they had initially planned to take the truck down the trail, not hike it, as an OP opined recently.

 

[NSamuelle]

You really think there's a significant chance that would be missed in the toxicology testing?

I don’t know what OP intended, but some drugs dissipate quickly enough to be virtually undetectable unless you know exactly what you’re looking for. Even with fentanyl, you can get a binary yes/no result for the metabolites or however they test for it, but it’s very difficult to correlate the post and ante-mortem levels and calculate likely dosage.

IMO, I don’t think potassium was used here, but that’s just one example of a deadly chemical that is very hard to detect because bodies are naturally hyperkalemic post-mortem.

 

[RedHaus]

Perhaps because of the confusion regarding the naming of the features in this area,(Hite/Hites/Cove/Road/Trail/OHV..regardless, for simplicity sake, label them A-J on our maps if it helps, but it does not change their topography or distance from one another) I am not certain where the vehicle was parked.
This has nagged me to the point that when I last passed through the area I intended to climb the ridge top in an air conditioned vehicle to see with my own eyes but couldn’t bring myself to it.
AIU, Hites Cove Rd dead ends at S/L TH. About one-third of a mile (?) west is the Hites Cove OHV TH. Both trailheads have small parking pullouts and are behind locked gates (?). Both trails, now closed for five weeks, had been closed for three summers and autumns (fire restoration), reopening 9-10 months previous. OHV prohibited on HC trail in fire season.
I believe the vehicle was parked at the HCOHV TH. But I may be wrong?

Here is the graphic I just posted, @sfinkz, with the Truck Parked Here notation added in for quick reference.

 

[SophieRose]

I have tried to upload a pic of Google earth showing the trail from the highway but the file is too big. If you look at Hite Cove on Google earth then click on the street view icon you will see dots highlighting areas on the trail towards the main road. Granted the trail is narrow but it looks a better option than the ravaged and very steep SL imo
It leads to central Yosemite highway 140.

So you are talking about the road that goes across the river, not up or down. That is Hite Mine Road, another OHV road. Here's a couple that hiked it from the other way.

Hites Mine Road (El Portal, CA)
Map
https://rvseniormoments.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/hitemineroad01-map-1.jpg

Looks like a 1200' climb from Hite Cove to the peak and then downhill.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

The HCT can take off road vehicles, and a short section of the SLT nearest the locked gate is road. I don't believe the SLT where the bodies were is passable to vehicles. MOO

Having looked at photos of S-L, agree. Right now the fire risk warning posted is very high, makes sense why they would close the HC trail to vehicles

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Here is the graphic I just posted, @sfinkz, with the Truck Parked Here notation added in for quick reference.

View attachment 316016

This graphic is very helpful. The truck is parked right between the trailheads of the trail LE has stated they believed they hiked down and the one where they were found, coming back up out of Devil's Gulch.

 

[Pumphouse363]

So you are talking about the road that goes across the river, not up or down. That is Hite Mine Road, another OHV road. Here's a couple that hiked it from the other way.

Hites Mine Road (El Portal, CA)
Map
https://rvseniormoments.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/hitemineroad01-map-1.jpg

Looks like a 1200' climb from Hite Cove to the peak and then downhill.

No I mean along the south fork of the Merced river from HITE COVE. So instead of going back towards SL they go in the opposite direction towards the 140 following the river not up the incline.

 

[Lex Parsimoniae]

I haven't studied the maps enough to state much of an opinion on this but you make a good point in that following the river downstream may have been the best (only?) option for them that day. It's not lost on me though that we've now had dozens of members here discussing this case over the last 6 or 7 weeks, pouring over maps and AllTrails data, and hashing and rehashing details around it - and it's taken this long for the idea to have come up in conversation.
I don't think it would cast any sort of negative light on the family here if we acknowledge though that the idea of walking downriver may not have occurred to them very quickly either. And even if it had, maybe they had reasons to believe it wasn't their best option - ones that we may not agree with now that we have the benefit of hindsight. I could see them having concerns if they were worried about feeding or getting care for the baby or dog if either were in distress. If so, they may have opted for what they believed to be the quicker route up the trail to their car to safety help. Obviously all very much MOO.

Regardless, this seems like a good possible escape plan that may have led them out of trouble. Thanks for sharing it. I'm curious what thoughts anyone else familiar with the area or with how the proposed route appears on AllTrails (or similar sites) might have to share. It obviously is too late to help here in this case but, if it's a viable option, maybe it could be worth somehow making this route known to other hikers somehow as an emergency exit route or something.

Worth considering. If they started from the bottom of the Savage Lundy Trail, it would be some distance to hwy 140 and they would need more water to make it. If they ruled out drinking the "toxic" water as I have theorized, it would not be doable. Though being beside the river, they would have the option of changing their minds when they got desperate. I think I would opt to stay put and not exert myself in that heat, just keep the family cool and wait for the trail to cool down. 2000' in 3 miles would not be easy, but for fit people that age they could do it in a couple of hours given normal hiking temperatures, and enough water.

 

[sfinkz]

Here is the graphic I just posted, @sfinkz, with the Truck Parked Here notation added in for quick reference.

View attachment 316016

Thank you, Hites Cove TH it is. With two near-adjoining trailheads, standard practice would normally dictate the vehicle be parked at the exiting TH by one of the adults whilst the other adult readies the family at the entry TH.

The fact this vehicle was parked at HC leads me to believe one of two things; 1) they did not intend to hike on the S-L trail, or 2) In what I believe was described as ‘love’ by LexP or perhaps a strong interdependence, this family—in the familiar territory of their neighborhood, in pleasant early morning conditions, presumably refreshed from a comfortable sleep in their new home and fueled and hydrated with a hearty pre-hike breakfast—could not imagine being apart for five minutes.

 

[rahod1]

Post deleted

 

[rahod1]

Here is the graphic I just posted, @sfinkz, with the Truck Parked Here notation added in for quick reference.

View attachment 316016

I posted this in error to another post. It was intended to answer THIS one. Just want to give credit where credit is due. Here is a copy of my reply:

"Great synopsis of the entire area posted by @RedHaus KUDOS! This should clarify the confusion that many have. I have posted similar maps, but this *collage* hits the nail on the head. They hiked down HC Trail past marble point to the river. Then hiked South along the river to SL Trail. At least that was LE take according to SF article interview with them."

 

[Shamrock1]

What about some kind of mold that grew in their water containers?

 

[Pumphouse363]

So you are talking about the road that goes across the river, not up or down. That is Hite Mine Road, another OHV road. Here's a couple that hiked it from the other way.

Hites Mine Road (El Portal, CA)
Map
https://rvseniormoments.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/hitemineroad01-map-1.jpg

Looks like a 1200' climb from Hite Cove to the peak and then downhill.

Worth considering. If they started from the bottom of the Savage Lundy Trail, it would be some distance to hwy 140 and they would need more water to make it. If they ruled out drinking the "toxic" water as I have theorized, it would not be doable. Though being beside the river, they would have the option of changing their minds when they got desperate. I think I would opt to stay put and not exert myself in that heat, just keep the family cool and wait for the trail to cool down. 2000' in 3 miles would not be easy, but for fit people that age they could do it in a couple of hours given normal hiking temperatures, and enough water.

Great synopsis of the entire area posted by @RedHaus KUDOS! This should clarify the confusion that many have. I have posted similar maps, but this *collage* hits the nail on the head. They hiked down HC Trail past marble point to the river. Then hiked South along the river to SL Trail. At least that was LE take according to SF article interview with them.

Exactly! But I’m asking why, instead of hiking south along the river to SL, they didn’t follow the river in the opposite direction for about the same distance and they would arrive at HW140. I can’t upload graphics on here for some reason. From there they could have used there cell phone to ring for assistance and/or a ride to collect their vehicle from where they’d left it.

 

[gitana1]

Any new news?

 

[Pumphouse363]

RSBM
OK, I have dissected the roads and trails related to "Hite(s) Cove" and have several thoughts, IMO. Please see graphic below that I created to illustrate and cite sources.

1. There appears to be no single website that depicts all these trails and roads well - many maps published by MSM re: this case are incorrectly labeled.
2. There is a well documented trail loop off of route 140 that includes Hite Cove Trail, Hites Cove Trail and Hites Mine Trail (see larger blue circle)
3. Hites Cove OHV Trail is a turn off of Hites Cove Road (where truck parked), later meanders along South Fork Merced River and terminates at Hite Cove Trail
4. Savage-Lundy Trail starts at the end of Hites Cove Road and terminates at the South Fork Merced River
5. Technically there is no published loop between the Hites Cove OHV Trail and the Savage-Lundy Trail - but one could make a loop by cutting along a river trail.
6. If the JG/EC family had been aware they were in trouble when they reached the South Fork Merced River, presuming they went down Hites Cove OHV Trail, they could have continued down Hites Cove OHV Trail until the Hites Cove Trail, which would have dumped them out at 140 near the Yosemite Cedar Lodge.

I can see how anyone could get confused with these trail names if not careful.

If JG was in fact researching Hite Cove Trail or Hites Cove Trail the day before, as has been reported, he and his family did NOT appear to go on those trails 8/15. So perhaps he was actually researching Hites Cove OHV Trail and they had initially planned to take the truck down the trail, not hike it, as an OP opined recently.

View attachment 316015

Great information regarding these trails but I am wondering why they didn’t consider following the river towards HW140 which is not showing on your map of the area. If I was in trouble once I reached HITE COVE I wouldn’t go back towards SL because I know it is going to be an uphill hike, I would go in the opposite direction. There is a trail on Google maps (with photographs of people on it) heading towards the main highway. Somebody must know what I mean as it’s not any of those you’re depicting here.

 

[RedHaus]

No I mean along the south fork of the Merced river from HITE COVE. So instead of going back towards SL they go in the opposite direction towards the 140 following the river not up the incline.

Yes, @Pumphouse363, per my maps and notes ^^^ you are speaking about the Hites Cove OHV Trail. If the family did a loop of sorts, they would have turned off of the Hites Cove OHV Trail to head South/West along the South Fork Merced River and then up the Savage-Lundy Trail. But instead, one could continue North/East along the Hites Cove OHV Trail and end up at the Hites Cove Trail, which turns into Hites Mine Trail (as @SophieRose cited) and goes to Route 140 at the Yosemite Cedar Lodge.

 

[Pumphouse363]

Yes, @Pumphouse363, per my maps and notes ^^^ you are speaking about the Hites Cove OHV Trail. If the family did a loop of sorts, they would have turned off of the Hites Cove OHV Trail to head West along the South Fork Merced River and then up the Savage-Lundy Trail. But instead, one could continue East along the Hites Cove OHV Trail and end up at the Hites Cove Trail, which turns into Hites Mine Trail (as @SophieRose cited) and goes down to Route 140 at the Yosemite Cedar Lodge.

No I don’t mean that - sorry - I’ve got it now - finally

 

[Officer Dibble]

Biggest news since a week ago is this update from the Mariposa Sheriff's Office... we've been picking at our data analysis since this update... no real big findings.
Update Mariposa Sheriff’s Office – Gerrish / Chung Investigation | Sierra News Online

Thank you RedHaus. For some reason WS isn't letting me link your name but hopefully you will see this.