Deadly hike----Haz-Mat the cause?

[HMG]

It’ll be either a murder/suicide or a suicide pact. The dog will be collateral - either a tool of spite if the former or unwittingly part of the pact if the latter.

Occam’s razor at play.

I would have to agree. Or an act of violence by outsiders where law enforcement is keeping quiet to aid an investigation. As to aliens, they used to visit this planet looking for intelligent life. Not having found any, they've given up the search.

[reddesert]

If they were struck by lightning, some of the electronics they were carrying would likely be fried, or at least damaged in a way that would be easy for investigators to find.

On a steep climb up an exposed hillside in >100 degree weather, there is a minimal explanation that unfortunately happens to several hikers a year in the southwest. But the internet likes mysteries.

[Tin Can]

I prefer this

If they were struck by lightning, some of the electronics they were carrying would likely be fried, or at least damaged in a way that would be easy for investigators to find.

On a steep climb up an exposed hillside in >100 degree weather, there is a minimal explanation that unfortunately happens to several hikers a year in the southwest. But the internet likes mysteries.

[domaz]

If they were struck by lightning, some of the electronics they were carrying would likely be fried, or at least damaged in a way that would be easy for investigators to find.

On a steep climb up an exposed hillside in >100 degree weather, there is a minimal explanation that unfortunately happens to several hikers a year in the southwest. But the internet likes mysteries.

What was the weather that day? We know it was hot, but in mountain valleys there can be basically heat surges caused by air going downslope (as air sinks it warms by compression). I wonder if it's possible that a sudden change in air flow caused the local weather in that area to vastly exceed 100 degrees just at the time the group was hiking. Hiking in 100F is hot enough but if was 120F that becomes an event that is hard to survive.

[Drew Wiley]

HMG - or law enforcement itself having something to hide. Like I already posted earlier, I don't know the current situation; but it was just a little further back than two decades ago that the top tier of the Sherriff's Dept in that country was itself the drug cartel; and everybody knew to keep their mouth shut if they saw or heard something.

[Drew Wiley]

domaz - probably not above 105, 110 at the most. When I was young, I hiked far steeper canyons at 110, being accustomed to that kind of heat, once 18 miles. But since I've lived my entire adult life here on the coast where a "hot day" is anything above the 70's, I'd probably croak after 50 yards in that kind of heat now. The afternoon summer temperatures in the foothills do tend to be somewhat higher than the Central Valley, since hot low elevation air RISES up through the canyons siphoning it. That's what leads to thunderheads once all that rising hot air encounters the wall of the main range, typically in August.

But having checked web sensor monitoring of familiar spots all around there this past summer, anything approaching 120 would be impossible. Only at the extreme northern end of the Central Valley around Redding are those kinds of temperatures found, and then it would be a record. Our really high Calif temps, including world record ones, are in the low desert, especially Death Valley. There aren't sudden temp changes in the mountains either, at least upwards, only downwards. Things gradually warm up and generally peak in late afternoon, unless there is an afternoon thunder and hail storm - certainly welcome up in high country canyons on warm afternoon hikes, but nonexistent in these lower elevations in summer.

[John Kasaian]

What the authorities have ruled out---
https://kmph.com/news/local/mariposa...ifornia-family

[John Kasaian]

The cause of death officially announced caused by hyperthermia. I wasn't able to link the official news release, however I'm certain we'll see it online soon.
Here's a notice--- https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/10/...riposa-county/
One empty water bladder was found with the family. Temperatures were over 109 degrees and there was no shade on the trail due to a previous fire.
What a tragedy.

[Drew Wiley]

Oh my! That must have been miserable. They were at least six miles back in where they were found, perhaps attempting a 15 mile loop trip. The death of a local jogger was also finally officially pronounced a heat death, but that was suspected all along - he had gone out on a 113F day with no water at all for what he told his family would just be a one hour trail jog. Apparently he got disoriented by the heat. That could have been the case with the Mariposa family too.

I was just about to drive up the River past El Portal on a last chance hope to get over Tioga Pass, which did reopen Tuesday; but with all these incoming storms, I wonder if that will be it for the entire season. Raining like crazy here on the coast, way earlier than normal. We need it. But I got out for a few hours today for some nice shots before the next round of the "Pinapple Express" started arriving. It's predicted to be pretty intense this weekend.

Hope you keep recouping well, John. It won't be long till you're out again. But play it safe in the meantime!

[John Kasaian]

Oh my! That must have been miserable. They were at least six miles back in where they were found, perhaps attempting a 15 mile loop trip. The death of a local jogger was also finally officially pronounced a heat death, but that was suspected all along - he had gone out on a 113F day with no water at all for what he told his family would just be a one hour trail jog. Apparently he got disoriented by the heat. That could have been the case with the Mariposa family too.

I was just about to drive up the River past El Portal on a last chance hope to get over Tioga Pass, which did reopen Tuesday; but with all these incoming storms, I wonder if that will be it for the entire season. Raining like crazy here on the coast, way earlier than normal. We need it. But I got out for a few hours today for some nice shots before the next round of the "Pinapple Express" started arriving. It's predicted to be pretty intense this weekend.

Hope you keep recouping well, John. It won't be long till you're out again. But play it safe in the meantime!

Thanks, Drew!