68 years old.
While I am impressed and inspired that someone a little older than me is willing to hike in the desert, he was doing it wrong, in my opinion. Bring somebody with you.
This whole state has been going through wild temp fluctuations, as is typical in the summer.
Bring a ham radio or other device with you. Cell service may not work but at least you’d have a means of communication. Bring matches and/or a lighter to set a fire. Tell people what your route will be and when to expect you back.
That said, they call it Death Valley for a reason.
At 68 even normal hot summer days can be a problem for hikers of any age......in Death Valley even more so. I agree going it alone there wasn’t a good decision even for an experienced hiker.
I agree, although there may be more to this than you think.
I am 61. If I ever get to the point where Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s is robbing me of my mind, and putting my family into a support situation I would not want them to be in, I might decide to take a very long swim or a very rigorous hike at times which “normal” people might think was not wise.
I will let God be the final judge.
One Saturday morning, I decided to walk to the town of 29 Palms from the base. It looked like it was not that far away and actually closer if I walked across the desert instead of following the road.
Well things in the desert are much further away than they appear. I walked for several hours to get there and I was probably the thirstiest I ever was in my life up to that point. All I did the rest of the day was drink fluids to rehydrate myself and I had a mild case of sun stroke. Another few miles would have done me in for sure and I was just 18 and in the best shape of my life.
I took the bus back to the base!