The tragic missteps that killed a young California family on a hike

Nearly eighty pages of investigative reports obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle lay out the tragic missteps that led to the death of the young family and hold important lessons about the dangers of hiking in a grueling climate.

Grueling mid-day temperatures and a lack of shade had moved locals in recent years to avoid the hike during the summer. But the family was new to the area: they had moved to Mariposa, in the Sierra foothills, during the pandemic and purchased numerous properties. Chung was a yoga instructor and graduate student and Gerrish was a Snapchat engineer.

For Wesley Trimble, a communications and creative director with the American Hiking Society, the tragic incident serves as a reminder to be prepared when going hiking, by planning before leaving the house.