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

[mickey2942]

DBM

 

[sfinkz]

They also did not take Miju or Oski to BM or the Gobi Desert.

In the hospitality industry, the oft-cited Burning Man and Gobi desert experiences are classified as ‘Pay ‘n Play’. Pay a fee and handlers will cater to your whims. Devils Gulch is devoid of a ‘pay ‘n play’.

 

[Pumphouse363]

In the hospitality industry, the oft-cited Burning Man and Gobi desert experiences are classified as ‘Pay ‘n Play’. Pay a fee and handlers will cater to your whims. Devils Gulch is devoid of a ‘pay ‘n play’.

So we cannot really use their experiences of BM and the Gobi Desert as examples of their behaviours in relation to their daughter. Imo

 

[Pumphouse363]

I wonder if they had really had time to go hiking at all with their child. She was less than a year old. They had recently moved.

And, they had a nanny. I think that this is important. Spending time with your baby gives you experience on how he or she acts. Not saying that having a full time nanny is a bad thing, but truthfully, you are spending less time with your child when you have a nanny or your child is in daycare.

Both, first time parents, and with their travels, it did not look like they spent a lot of time with children, until they had one.

I honestly think that they considered Miju a tiny person, who would be fine in the backpack, I don't think that they knew how quickly heat can affect a baby.[/




I don’t think we can speculate on their relationship with Miju. People on here do not know Jon and Ellen or their habits or for how long they employed a nanny. And why should we assume they have less knowledge than many people on here seem to have about the various difficulties they could encounter? First-time parents are more likely to be over-protective as many parents will attest. We can’t speculate on how much time they spent with children prior to having one of their own. I have a cousin with four children whose social media consists of photographs of her dogs. Most people think I spend my time on holiday enjoying myself based on the pics I put on social media - obviously it’s not true. Our social media is illusion not our reality. MOO

 

[Pumphouse363]

If they hiked most weekends, according to friends, who looked after Miju and Oski? And there are photos of Oski out hiking, on and off leash.

I didn’t say they didn’t go hiking with them - I said they didn’t take them to BM or the Gobi desert.

 

[Pumphouse363]

The baby wasn't born yet, and International travel with a pet can be complicated and expensive, IMO.

Yes that’s true - so why are people using those experiences in comparison to what’s happened? It’s irrelevant imo

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Yes that’s true - so why are people using those experiences in comparison to what’s happened? It’s irrelevant imo

Because from those and other hot weather desert travels we know they enjoyed those types of conditions.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

- so why are people using those experiences in comparison to what’s happened? It’s irrelevant imo

Absolutely relevant, imo. Those somewhat extreme adventures tell us, even in a small way, who these people were. From my experience, it's hard to give up a lifestyle you enjoy when first child comes along. Until you learn you must!

 

[lotus777]

AllTrails has sent me to the wrong place 80% of the time.

There's a local hiking "challenge" where I live and the organization that set it up used AllTrails for the maps. It's been nothing but trouble.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

More than ever I hope a good journalist tells this story when the tox results are in. Like Mr Gafni of the Chronicle. I so believe it could be a cautionary tale that would deeply affect young families, hikers, and outdoors lovers. It's already affected me.

Last Sunday I walked to get coffee with my husband 2.5 mi. Started in overcast, then sun came out. Quickly temp went to upper 80s. I was dragging when I got home. I felt those effects for several days. Couldn't drink enough water, no energy, headache etc. (I also have had a head injury in the last two years.) If I didn't know this GC story, I wouldn't have taken good care of myself afterward. I would have blamed my body, not the heat.

 

[SophieRose]

Absolutely relevant, imo. Those somewhat extreme adventures tell us, even in a small way, who these people were. From my experience, it's hard to give up a lifestyle you enjoy when first child comes along. Until you learn you must!

I thought the trip was a two month once in a lifetime adventure. Not something they did every year. How many times did they do BM?

 

[Lexiintoronto]

I didn’t say they didn’t go hiking with them - I said they didn’t take them to BM or the Gobi desert.

I know.

 

[HannahJJJ]

If they hiked most weekends, according to friends, who looked after Miju and Oski? And there are photos of Oski out hiking, on and off leash.

I've seen a couple of styled photos of Oski with them in the great outdoors, but a photo is just a moment in time. In this case, it doesn't reveal a whole lot. Moo.

These friends should know at least some of the trails they hiked in the last six months...were they arduous ones, how many times did they take Miju and/or Oski with them and on which trails? I'd like to know. Moo.

 

[lotus777]

I thought the trip was a two month once in a lifetime adventure. Not something they did every year. How many times did they do BM?

Back when Ellen's Instagram was public, it looked like they went to Burning Man at least three times (could have been more too). I don't recall if they were consecutive years.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

I thought the trip was a two month once in a lifetime adventure. Not something they did every year. How many times did they do BM?

Just from a brief look at her IG, EC went to BM at least 3 times, including 2 times with JG.

 

[SophieRose]

Back when Ellen's Instagram was public, it looked like they went to Burning Man at least three times (could have been more too). I don't recall if they were consecutive years.

Didn't Jon play his music at BM?

 

[HannahJJJ]

Finally, I read the link above about what it's like to die from HS. The convulsions/seizures/vomiting all makes me think of JG found deceased in a seated position. Would this position make sense with how HS affects the body?

Even if he were found legs Indian style but his upper body slumped forward or to the side--which I'm assuming is what LE meant by "found sitting", I'm with you...I would expect a person who had died from HS to be found in a different position. Moo.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

I've seen a couple of styled photos of Oski with them in the great outdoors, but a photo is just a moment in time. In this case, it doesn't reveal a whole lot. Moo.

These friends should know at least some of the trails they hiked in the last six months...were they arduous ones, how many times did they take Miju and/or Oski with them and on which trails? I'd like to know. Moo.

Just one example is a photo of Oski and the Tennessee trailhead. Apparently if you go off the trail there’s a two mile difficult hike to the beach (one reviewer said they needed poles, it was steep and the rocks were slippery ) Oski was at the top of the hill by the beach. “Phew, finally at the top” is the caption.

There are other photos, but I don’t think we can link them anymore because it has been set to private.

Not condemning them, just pointing out I think Oski was part of their hiking ventures.

Link to reviews: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/tennessee-valley-trail?u=m

 

[SophieRose]

https://2zwmzkbocl625qdrf2qqqfok-wp...web1_copy_210903-SFE-CALIFHIKERS-Resize_1.jpg

According to their local Mariposa Gazette, this picture was taken in the Jerseydale area. (I actually saw the picture in the newspaper when it was online that week, could not read entire article, but read what I could in picture of actual newspaper.) According to another NYT article, picture was provided by friend SJ. Not sure if they necessarily are on a hike, may just be showing the baby snow (Jerseydale is slightly higher than Darrah, may get more snow. They were living in Darren at that time, did not buy house in Jerseydale until late July 2021.). Shows they had familiarity with Jerseydale area prior to buying house.

The mystery continues | Mariposa Gazette

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I think the Gobi and BM are relevant in the sense that they show JG/EC to not be strongly avoidant of heat situations.

But neither of those experiences IMO require constant exertion like a several mile hike with no nearby shade does.

I mean, certainly people can seriously exert themselves at BM because transportation is mostly via bicycle, and if someone wants to spend all day riding around I'm sure they can. But -- that is not the point or focus of that experience, so to me it equates more to an experience of camping in a hot location, or perhaps attending a festival in a hot environment. But in both of those situations a person can decide, if they aren't feeling up to it, to be sedentary instead, and being sedentary at BM does not leave a person out cooking in the elements -- there are tents, RVs, ice available, and most importantly, a staffed medical tent with the ability to treat someone onsite or take them out to hospital if necessary.

I don't know the details of their Gobi experience but if it was a guided trip as some have mentioned then the above is probably true also -- a person in trouble could get help from the infrastructure of the event. That's the key element missing from their fatal hike when trying to compare it to these other experiences.

Bottom line: people can and do take all sorts of risks, and (made up statistic to make a point) 99% of the time they return home safely where there is always the opportunity for the bullet dodged to be minimized or not recognized, or forgotten over time.

Then when something does happen where the risk turns out badly, it seems incomprehensible because all earlier risks turned out okay. I'm sure we can all see the fallacy in that logic, and yet we've all probably experienced that as well.

All MOO