HikeArizona.COM

NPS press release on the Hiker deceased on the Tanner:

http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2011-0 ... -hiker.htm

Not sure why people hike the Tanner in summer.

On a recent river trip I hiked up Hermit to above the campground, to the historical site and back around the loop and back down to the river again. It was pretty hot, but I wore a long-sleeved cotton shirt, and I kept it very wet by getting in the creek a lot. Took a couple of swims at the two waterfalls' swimming holes. I kept cool that way, plus I drank water and ate salty snacks and wore a hat and sunscreen. I also shaded-up when I felt like it.

Tanner doesn't have a creek like that. It has almost no shade. It has no water until the river. I would have thought it's common knowledge amongst hikers that hiking Tanner in summer is generally not wise. There are a few hikers out there who are well-adjusted to very hot conditions. Most of us are not, though.

This guy had a permit and he was soloing, so he must have gotten the "scary letter" from the Park that warns against hiking solo. Or, he had a permit for more than one person, and didn't get the scary letter.

I am not sure how the busy BCO can do a better job of screening people out. Or if they should, as has been debated on here before.

Canyonram wrote:NPS press release on the Hiker deceased on the Tanner:

It sounds like he was already on borrowed time when he rejected what probably would have been life-saving advice.

Yes. I wonder if there will be a follow-up press release, with name, age, hometown, comments from family, etc.

big_load wrote:

Canyonram wrote:NPS press release on the Hiker deceased on the Tanner:

It sounds like he was already on borrowed time when he rejected what probably would have been life-saving advice.

Dehydration impairs judgement without the victim even recognizing it. Arizona Highways posted an article on "Tragedy serves as a reminder to be safe when hiking" and used one of my photos as the illustration. http://arizonahighways.wordpress.com/20 ... en-hiking/

Al_HikesAZ - and used one of my photos as the illustration.

and we hope they paid you for the use of your photo....

Al_HikesAZ wrote:Dehydration impairs judgement without the victim even recognizing it.

It sure does. The same is true of hypothermia. I once had to get downright mean with Mrs. big_load when she was neither eating nor drinking enough to stay warm on the trail. I've had the same experience with others. If I encounter somebody who seems to be in trouble, especially to the point of abandoning his pack, I will go to great lengths to make my case. It must feel awful to have a life-saving opportunity through your fingers.

It's hard for the inexperienced to appreciate how downright "mean" you sometimes have to be to convince someone suffering from dehydration of anything. Especially a stranger.
Makes you wonder what you would have done in such a situation.

I know a guy doing PSAR (on the Bright Angel trail in midsummer) who threatened to punch a guy who wouldn't turn around. This PSAR guy got in the other guy's face and screamed at him, grabbed him, shook him, until the other guy got the message.