CA - Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, daughter, 1 & dog, suspicious death hiking area, Aug 2021 #2

[Deleted member 292879]

I tried to piece it together in a previous post, but I think my estimate was off (I thought 5 hours. Now I think the loop is maybe 3 to 4 hours—amateur speculation).

These are the same images I posted that might give you an idea of the length, time needed to hike the trail and Jonathon’s usual speed.

View attachment 310495
https://www.alltrails.com/members/jonathan-gerrish/completed


Map from the SFC article with suspected route:'Not one clue': The mystery is only deepening around the family found dead on a Sierra trail

Thanks for this. At the risk of sending us round in circles, I think the fact that he had already completed Hites Cove strongly suggests that hiking Hites Cove Rd was not done by mistake.

 

[RickshawFan]

Thanks for this. At the risk of sending us round in circles, I think the fact that he had already completed Hites Cove strongly suggests that hiking Hites Cove Rd was not done by mistake.

We don’t know that they ever went on Hites Cove Rd trail that is for ATV’s, though. They could have just been on the gulch trail. In fact, they might have just turned around when catastrophe struck.

The map in the Chronicle is the creation of a journalist. It is confusing many posters IMO who are treating it as though it’s evidence. IMO we have to wait for LE to determine definitively.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

I'm now agreeing with you both that it was probably dad first. My earlier thinking of dog and baby first has too many problems with it (they would have removed Miju from the carrier to tend her, pour water on her, fan her, etc).

I guess we aren't certain about the dog being leashed or not, as the news articles have vague or unclear language on that, but if the dog fell ill to the point of not being able to keep up, they would have tried to carry him, at least as long as they thought he was alive or had a chance of being resuscitated. If the dog was leashed then that's a sign he was still mobile at the time dad sat down.

This is all so sad.

I think the exposed trail with the high heat and sun beating down may have become too hot for the dog to walk on or he may have burned his paws. He was 8, so older, and had a double coat as an Akita mix.

 

[RickshawFan]

If they had just started out, why did they only have “a small amount” of water in the pack?

They could have been at their turnaround spot. Perhaps they turned around because they realized they didn’t bring enough water? That would be the experienced thing to do.
I am trying to figure out how to make this outing, with the resources they had, compatible with their experience and parental responsibilities.
I’d really like to know what they were packing out and what they had left uneaten/unused in their pack.

 

[fred&edna]

We don’t know that, do we? That only dad had a phone?

True, we don't actually know that info. But, if she had been found with a phone (or it was very close to her), I think LE would have mentioned it (same as they mentioned JG having a phone).

As @GatorFL stated in a previous post... the tox results can't come soon enough! We are just chewing on what little we know. *This isn't directed at you RickshawFan, just making a general statement

BTW... have there been any reports of family members speaking about JG/EG? Maybe just too much shock and grief at this time for anyone to talk.

jmo

 

[StarryStarryNight]

My guess is they planned on going much earlier in the day, but we all know things happen, especially with babies in the house, that slow and disrupt plans. So maybe it was much later than they planned before they were ready to hit the trail and instead of calling it off they went anyway. We can all agree that was a bad decision.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Well, that's plausible.
I'm just not sure there was a report of S&R team finding another hiking bladder in that area.

So far only one bladder has been noted by LE. The largest CB is 3L.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

True, we don't actually know that info. But, if she had been found with a phone (or it was very close to her), I think LE would have mentioned it (same as they mentioned JG having a phone).

As @GatorFL stated in a previous post... the tox results can't come soon enough! We are just chewing on what little we know.

BTW... have there been any reports of family members speaking about JG/EG? Maybe just too much shock and grief at this time for anyone to talk.

jmo

Jonathan’s father in the UK has given an interview. Also, a reporter said they saw Ellen’s brother, but he was too upset to talk.

A friend has been making some statements as well. They all are just anxiously awaiting answers.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

My AllTrails discusses the routes, rates the routes, easy, moderate, hard...and talks about elevation, whether it is shady or not.

Did these folks just pick the wrong route?

AllTrails does not appear to include the Savage-Lundy trail. The Hites Cove trail is listed but the switchbacks above it, where they were found, do not seem to be covered.

 

[Msskeptic]

I'm guessing they expected to be able to go hiking every weekend. That was probably the main reason they relocated to this area. Well, you can't hike in this part of California in the summer, because you have to be back inside after 9am. I'm imagining they just couldn't accept that they wouldn't be able to do the activity they loved (hiking), at least locally, for several months out of the year.

 

[Figuring]

They were found only 1.7 miles from their car. They could have started , not ended up at their location. If there was some kind of suicide pact, often they don’t want to leave others behind. MO

Yes thank you, that’s exactly what I’m trying understand. I made a comment earlier that I didn’t see murder/suicide as viable if they walked hours & hours first (essentially around most of the trail to where they were found). Then someone told me “we don’t know how long they were walking when they died, it could have been an hour in,” which is kind of cryptic & leads me to believe perhaps there was a suggestion they went down the Lundy route directly. I had previously discounted murder/suicide but if they went the SL route & it took under an hour, than that theory seems *slightly* more plausible to me.

However, we do have the direct quote that LE “believes they hiked most of the route” (the loop) so that belief must be based on some evidence of footprints or something. So I’m still with heatstroke.

 

[whirrledpeas]

Is there a source anywhere that confirms the type of water bladder they have? i.e. sleeve insert vs. collapsible vs. others? I've seen a lot of statements about 3L being the max for inserts, but I have an 8L collapsible that I take with me on hikes. Might have missed a sure on this being posted though. TIA!

 

[NSamuelle]

BBM

Her TBI was apparently ten or so years ago, when she was barely or not even 20, so presumably all her instagram hikes were well after that. MOO

That's great news to have heard back from the LE. I hope they check out where you suggested, just in case.

The TBI was in 2008, but in 2018 Ellen said on her IG that she was diagnosed with a “debilitating health condition,” left her job, and said she may never work for a company again. It’s unclear whether the issue was physical or psychological but she definitely appeared to be very physically fit and went on hiking adventures around the world after that, including a 4-day backpacking trek through the Himalayas.

 

[Figuring]

Is there a source anywhere that confirms the type of water bladder they have? i.e. sleeve insert vs. collapsible vs. others? I've seen a lot of statements about 3L being the max for inserts, but I have an 8L collapsible that I take with me on hikes. Might have missed a sure on this being posted though. TIA!

The brand had been mentioned & according to some folks here the largest size that company makes is 3L. I don’t remember the brand unfortunately but one of the outdoorsy people will probably know!

 

[Deleted member 292879]

I'm guessing they expected to be able to go hiking every weekend. That was probably the main reason they relocated to this area. Well, you can't hike in this part of California in the summer, because you have to be back inside after 9am. I'm imagining they just couldn't accept that they wouldn't be able to do the activity they loved (hiking), at least locally, for several months out of the year.

Very good point. I don’t want to read too much into his AllTrails (lol, we’re way past that point now), but noticed no activity on there since May. Also, there were many days over 100 degrees in June/July/August according to NOAA and WU, and many of those fell on weekends. I’m thinking they went on several hot hikes this summer, and did fine, just didn’t log them on AT. But we can all agree August is the most treacherous for a hike as a whole family. It really is baffling.

 

[annpats]

....you can't hike in this part of California in the summer, because you have to be back inside after 9am. I'm imagining they just couldn't accept that they wouldn't be able to do the activity they loved for several months out of the year.

Good point.

They either couldn't accept it, and went hiking anyway

or

They didn't really know how dangerous it can be, and went anyway.

 

[MsWarrior55]

I don't see how this can't be heat stroke.

 

[Msskeptic]

This is a really tough one for all of us who love hiking. How could such a wholesome activity get your entire family killed? Heat. The answer is heat. You have to be back inside by 9am when temperatures are this high, as they will be throughout the summer in many places. They are not the first to make this most tragic of all mistakes, but let us hope they are the last.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Is there a source anywhere that confirms the type of water bladder they have? i.e. sleeve insert vs. collapsible vs. others? I've seen a lot of statements about 3L being the max for inserts, but I have an 8L collapsible that I take with me on hikes. Might have missed a sure on this being posted though. TIA!

Like this one? Collapsible Oversized Water Bottles : 8L Water Bottle (trendhunter.com)
Looks pretty cool. Whatever amount they were carrying LE said there was only a small amount left, so they may have been rationing.

 

[Figuring]

Like I’ve said in a previous post, when I had heat stroke my muscles became useless, it was like I was paralyzed. I couldn’t even talk because I could not move my facial muscles. If this was heatstroke I could see not being able to hold on to the baby.

I had heatstroke from the heat dome this summer, I was slurring my words, I fell in some way odd I still don’t understand (I do think I lost consciousness) & hurt myself badly, & after a few days of it I left to escape it & forgot my luggage. And I was in a town, with resources! I cannot imagine their suffering. It’s really heartbreaking.