We arrived at Lake Del Valle at 6:30am to begin our hike. We got attacked by mosquitoes and flies the moment we got out of the car. It was beautiful though. There was a family of 6 deer grazing including a bambi ???? and an army of wild turkeys to greet us at the parking lot. We started our hike at 7:15am. It took us 5 1/2 hours to get to the peak. We had our notorious “peaknic” before heading back down the mountain. My brother developed heat exhaustion about 1/2 mile after we left the peak. Despite my recommendation to call 911 he wanted to keep pushing back to the parking lot. We made it 5 miles when his body shut down and he went into shock. I called 911 despite him begging me to let him finish the hike back down by foot. We kept him warm and let him sleep for about an hour until the helicopter arrived with a medic. He was air lifted back to the lake to an ambulance. Me and the rest of the hike gang put our gear on including our head lamps and was ready to hike back to car but the rangers wouldn't let us and they air lifted us in a different chopper back to the lake. It was my first ride in a helicopter and the views were breathtaking. The rangers and CHP officers and medic were amazing. They treated my brother so good. He was embarrassed by the situation but they made him feel comfortable and strong for making it as far as he did. Thank you for everything EBRP and CHP!!!
We all left there with a different lesson learned. My lesson was go with my first mind when there is a medical crisis occurring. I wanted to call 911 when his symptoms first started around 1:15pm but I let him dictate the situation and finally took charge at 5:22pm and made the call. My brother was upset but at that point we had two choices call and get him help sooner or suck it up and trek slowly down the mountain resting every 5 mins. With sundown quickly approaching I knew I had to stop the hike to increase our chances of being seen by the chopper. If ever faced with another serious situation like that, I will make the call sooner.
Responses
Wow! Is your brother okay now? Glad you were able to contact 911!
Hi Jeff! Yes he is. He still feels a little weak but much better. We stopped in the perfect spot. I couldn’t believe I had a signal! Thanks for asking!
Gosh! Hope your brother recovered, glad you are all Okay. Taking on this trail in a month and hoping it’s uneventful!
It’s a tough day hike for sure! Drink plenty of water even if you don’t feel thirsty!
I am glad to hear you are all okay and hope your brother is recovering. This is a very challenging and long day hike. I hope none of you get discouraged by the situation and I am glad to see you making up your mind to get help sooner next time. We had someone in our group who started getting cramps just couple miles before the summit and she turned back with one of our friends while 2 of us continued and finished it. It’s always best to listen to your body…you can always come back and summit!
Take care!
So true! It definitely hasn’t discouraged us. I jokingly told him he owes me those last 5 plus interest! LOL We are planning to hike to Schlieper Rock and back next month just to finish by foot. 🙂
Hi Jeff! Yes he is. He still feels a little weak but much better. We stopped in the perfect spot. I couldn’t believe I had a signal! Thanks for asking!
Hi Harini! It’s a tough day hike for sure! Drink plenty of water even if you don’t feel thirsty! Thanks for the well wishes!!
Oh my gosh! I was reading your blog for tips on the hike, didn’t expect to read the story you wrote. But so so glad he is ok! Stay strong, go with your gut!
Definitely! We learned a very valuable lesson!