Hiker Richard Mulligan did a lot of things right when he set off for a hike in on August 13, but when he awoke at the bottom of a slope 14 hours later, he realized that even gear and experience is no match for brutal desert conditions. Writing on yesterday in what he describes as "cautionary tale" to others, Mulligan says he left the Panamint Butte trailhead at 4 a.m.
last Tuesday. The temperatures in the area were due to climb to 116 degrees that day, and official advice is that if you do choose to hike in extreme heat, you should leave early. He says he researched the route and .
He brought a for navigation according to a news release by the . He also says he brought almost nine liters of water, which is about as much as one hiker can carry. However, it proved not to be enough, especially when things didn't go to plan.
Mulligan reached the summit around 12 p.m., where he says it was 85 degrees at 6,500 feet.
The first obstacle arose when he decided to descend via a canyon. According to the NPS, despite consulting the map, he didn't realize that route would require climbing gear. "Not having ropes and technical gear, he climbed back up the mountain and descended the route he had climbed that morning.
" Retracting his steps meant unplanned climbing and mileage in soaring temperatures. Consequently, Mulligan ran out of water around 4 p.m.
before encountering an especially steep section where the NPS says heat and caught up with him. "I was starting to feel weaker and weaker, un.