r/lastimages • u/SorrySeptember • 4d ago
LOCAL Last image of influencer Hannah Rose Moody from her 1st video in a series about taking sunset hikes in Arizona. She died of heat exhaustion while hiking a week later and was found after friends reported her missing.
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u/andromeda__rising 4d ago
One thing I wish people would stop doing is hiking in the summer. If you aren’t on the trail by 6 and off by 9, it’s gonna be too damn hot. You can bring all the water, food, and sun protection you want, but the heat can and will eat you alive.
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u/Diacetyl-Morphin 4d ago
Same goes for the opposite, the cold. In the alps here in Switzerland, many tourists underestimate the dangers. Like "We can walk back to the civilization in an hour!" "It's not Russia, it can't get that cold!" and so on. Unfortunately for the victims, once you get caught in a snow storm, you'll lose your vision and can't even see your own hands right in front of your face.
It depends on the height, when you go up the air gets thin and you'll get exhausted quickly. In the snow storms, temperatures can drop down to -20 to -30°c and that's quite the same like the winter in Russia.
There were people that died right in front of a shelter, they didn't see it because the snow storm made them blind. Cellphones and GPS can get off when you are in certain parts.
There are also the glaciers. It's safe on the marked routes, but never go off these routes, because there are holes (crevasses) in the ice of the glaciers. These can be covered with fresh snow, not visible and then you are walking through a minefield. One wrong step and you fall down. Even when you survive the fall, the clock is ticking for rescue, because you die from hypothermia down there.
Every year, we find bodies of people that died and got stuck in the glacier. Sometimes, these bodies are old, like from hundred years ago. The body gets preserved in the ice and moves with the glacier, until it comes back to the surface.
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u/SadisticNecromancer 4d ago
Honestly, I believe that if a person did not grow up in the cold, they can never truly handle it. It takes a lifetime getting used to true cold like that.
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u/mikeyp83 4d ago
It also wears off. I grew up and lived in extreme cold until my mid-20's but have lived in mostly warm/hot climates ever since. Now whenever it drops below 50 I am at risk of freezing to death.
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u/Randrey 4d ago
Yeah, acclimation wears off in something like...6 months? Honestly probably even less. I read a warning about it for people that lived in an extremely high elevation moving away then trying to come back like nothing had changed. It was dangerous for them.
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u/buttononmyback 4d ago
That’s interesting! I didn’t know that. I’ve lived in a cold climate my whole life but am planning on moving south when I retire. If I ever come visit the north again, I’ll make sure I keep that mind!
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u/lilacsforcharlie 4d ago
Same lol exact same. Grew up in Chicago winters for 18 years, but have been down in the southeast Georgia for about 16 years lol. My blood “thinned out” by my 5th summer down here
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u/GoldenHelikaon 4d ago
That happens a lot in NZ too. People going off tramping in the bush or up the mountains in the winter, no gps beacons or anything, not the correct clothes etc, and end up requiring search and rescue.
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u/LaceBird360 3d ago
Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop.
Tourists think that, in a country that was literally built in the Alps, they can do all of the above??? (Oh, Lord, please tell me they weren't my fellow Americans - even we know better than to do that.)
Also: how did y'all not grow up traumatized? Poor little Johann going on a hike with his dad and finding a body in the glaciers? That's nuts.
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u/SignificanceOld1220 3d ago
Where are these glaciers? I would like to learn more about people being found frozen in them.
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u/SorrySeptember 4d ago
She recently had a work shift change (from nights to a day shift) and I have to assume she was unprepared for the temperature difference and overestimated her ability. Tragic and needless.
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u/SaltyDog772 4d ago
Good rule of thumb but depends where you live. I’m in MA and hiking seems much safer than the SW from what I’ve read.
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u/Justinisdriven 4d ago
Yeah it can get crazy hot obviously, but maybe less obvious is the total lack of shade in a lot of places. The amount you sweat is unreal, and all of those electrolytes evaporate quickly. Without shade or some other way to prevent sweating and maintain body temperature (like a pool, also preferably with some shade) there’s not much you can do.
If you do break down in the SW desert far from anywhere, best bet is to preserve whatever water you can and wait for nightfall, likely uunder or inside your car (open the windows or run the ac if you can) If you have some water and know where the nearest help is or might be, you can start moving at night, taking frequent breaks.
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u/SaltyDog772 4d ago
It’s crazy to think that a car breaking down can kill you out there.
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u/Justinisdriven 4d ago
There’s a reason that a big chunk of the desert out in Nevada and California is called “Death Valley”. It is absolutely unreal.
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u/Interesting_Sock9142 4d ago
We drove through death valley 2 years ago and it really is otherworldly
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u/feralcomms 3d ago
Las Vegas native and avid hiker here. We learned early on to always carry extra extra water in the car. When hiking, we would be at the trail before daybreak and makes sure to be in the canyon walls by sun up and take long breaks in the middle of the day.
When kayaking down parts of the green river, we would cache water and food along the way.
Big brimmed hats are life savers.
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u/BustAMove_13 4d ago
I'm in SW Ohio. We hike in the woods with lots of shades. Bug spray and a big water bottle and we're good. I still don't go at the hottest part of the day though.
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u/yurmamma 4d ago
The desert is always trying to kill you
In the summer daytime you basically can’t drink enough to stay hydrated if you are exerting yourself hard
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u/Iloveherthismuch 4d ago
That, and being so driven by having an online presence that they dive head first in. Without engaging a more rational thought process.
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u/parmesann 3d ago
I run in a local forest preserve and live by this. safety aside, it’s just miserable to be out during peak heat. I always check the weather before going to bed when I plan to run in the morning, and I’m always home from my run by 9am. seeing folks out running in 90°(32°C) and full UV anger at noon pains me. I can’t imagine how hard that is on their bodies.
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u/SpezJailbaitMod 4d ago
Looks like she doesn't even have any water 😢
Edit: I realize now it says she died while hiking a week later
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u/lethalkin 4d ago
The only summer hikes I do include water sources that I can fully immerse myself in to combat the heat. So river hikes basically.
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u/take_number_two 4d ago
Sorry you live somewhere where you can’t hike all summer, that’s a bummer
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u/Gatorade_Nut_Punch 3d ago
Not sure why you got downvoted, plenty of people live in cooler climates where it’s generally very pleasant to hike in the summer.
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u/La_Saxofonista 1d ago
And people severely underestimate how much water they actually need.
Indoors, working an 8 hour shift at Walgreens, it isn't unusual for me to go through four bottles of water. You'll need WAY more than that while hiking.
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u/KristenTheGirl 4d ago
As someone who is an AZ native, I will never understand why people do this. We all KNOW this heat will kill us, and yet every summer we get the same news articles.
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u/mintjulep_ 4d ago
Her mom saying “it was a mystery” how she died. Uhhh not really
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u/SorrySeptember 4d ago
It speaks to how much people underestimate heat exhaustion. 1 liter per hour minimum, people! And always tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back! Per the article she was not found until several days after she passed.
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u/hgrub 4d ago
I have lived in Bangkok, Thailand most of my life(I’m 50) so I’m used to heat there. However, one day I was working in the farm under the sun for couple hours and I felt nauseous and my boss told he I might have a heat stroke. So yes I did underestimate the heat exhaustion because I thought I’m used to heat all my life.
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u/mintjulep_ 4d ago
I lived in Arizona. Hiking was mornings only (done by 9 at the latest) or in a pack at night on full moons with headlamps on marked trials.
Bring water, something salty, something sweet. Plus hiking in AZ in the summer means rattle snakes so no thanks
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u/Get-stupid 4d ago
Moved to AZ back in 2013 and I've noticed two things are pretty much annual events: someone will die of heatstroke hiking in summer, and someone will die trying to drive through a flash flood in monsoon season
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u/RestlessNightbird 4d ago
Don't forget how important it is to also have salt. You can drink all the water you want but if your electrolytes are depleted it won't do anything. I'm Australian, I've hiked briefly in 48c heat where it's just mirages and red dirt, and even though I've lived in Aus my whole life, it nearly did me in.
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u/nokiacrusher 3d ago
There should be enough electrolytes left on your skin unless you're doing something crazy or are too proud to scrape it off your skin and eat it to save your own life.
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u/Coriandercilantroyo 4d ago
But wait, you just posted the mom's statement saying heat exhaustion.
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u/SorrySeptember 4d ago
Her mom posted that after the cause of death was determined. They did not know what caused her death when she was first discovered.
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u/mybadselves 4d ago
Her body was found "600 yards off trail" That's a ways. I'm guessing she became disoriented to the point she was unable to save herself?
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u/SorrySeptember 4d ago
Her mom's post on Hannah's instagram: "For Hannah’s followers who may not have heard, Hannah went to be with the One she loved in Heaven this past May. She died doing what she adored—hiking the Arizona mountains--and unfortunately succumbed to heat exposure. Know that you were all precious and loved by her and that she would want nothing more than for each of you to find Jesus and to know His great goodness and love for you. We miss Hannah terribly, but we know she is in a place so beautiful that this earth pales in comparison. Rest in His peace, sweet girl; we’ll see you on the other side. ❤️"
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u/alison_bee 4d ago
For her sake I hope she was actually religious.
I’m not, it is WELL established within my family and friend group, but if my family wrote some flowery religious eulogy about how I’m finally in the place where I’m supposed to be or whatever… ohhhh imma haunt their asses.
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u/star0forion 4d ago
“He’s not with god. He’s fucking dead. He’s not religious so thanks for your thoughts, but he’s fuckin dead.” Pat Tillman’s younger brother’s eulogy after hearing public figures attribute religiousness to a known atheist.
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u/GoochPhilosopher 4d ago
She was a "Christian influencer" according to this article:
Moody was a Christian influencer with over 45,000 followers on Instagram. She regularly shared content online about her religious beliefs and her affinity for hiking in Arizona.
Maybe she believed God would protect her from the heat.
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u/Cocotte3333 4d ago
Using someone's death for religious propaganda, ugh. So tasteless.
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u/feioo 4d ago
Idk. I'm no longer religious and I have a lot of issues with evangelism like this, but it seems in keeping with the influencer herself and the message she was putting out. From within the Christian faith, a speech like this is viewed as uplifting and positive, a way to find joy and hope in the midst of despair. Since it's coming from a mother who just lost a daughter, seems like we should give her the grace to say what feels right to her, even if it feels extremely propaganda-y from the outside.
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u/Serious_Winter_ 4d ago
These are truly kind thoughts. I was cringing when I read the euology but you are so right, this kindness and understanding is the way.
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u/ArtisanalMoonlight 3d ago edited 3d ago
She was a Christian influencer. Anyone surprised her mom is talking about Heaven and God and whatever needs to have their head checked for spoilage.
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u/RangerLt 4d ago
Bringing a towel that I was able to drench in water for my hike back from Superstition saved my life. Well, that might be over exaggerating but I didn't feel, physically, like I was going to make the full 4 miles back to my parking spot until I covered my head with the towel. Lived in Arizona for 7 years and thought I'd be fine after heading out an hour later than expected.
10am - 7pm are no goes for hiking during the summer in AZ.
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u/eyehate 4d ago
You don't mess around with heat in my state (AZ).
It will kill you quick.
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u/SorrySeptember 4d ago
I can't believe she was hiking alone in AZ in LATE MAY. This poor girl.
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u/eyehate 4d ago
Yeah. I feel bad that she paid for it. But you really need to respect the desert. I
have lived in Phoenix on summers that have hit 122F.
And I used to run at ten at night to avoid the sun - it was still 110F outside and had to cut it short.
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u/mohs04 4d ago
I would run at 4am when I lived in Phoenix and it was still 90 degrees out in the dark.
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u/Weekly-Ad-4712 4d ago
That was common run time on campus when I was a student at asu. Quick nap before class to survive the day. Good times
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u/I_am_not_baldy 4d ago
I was driving through Phoenix one night (near midnight), and I saw a woman running/jogging. I remember thinking something like, "I get it."
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u/TheGuardianKnux 4d ago
Yeaaahh this is why I've only ever gone to AZ in the winter whenever I visited. I don't hike but even in the winter months it's almost too much.
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u/worstbehaviorrr 4d ago
Sadly her last Instagram story while walking out said something like “don’t worry, I have plenty of water!”
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u/MentalLie9571 3d ago
I wonder if she just did all the hikes for the hype. Like if social media didn’t exist would she still be here
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u/Redpantsrule 3d ago
I visited Sedona a few years ago alone while trying to heal from a divorce. There was a trail head literally a few house down from me and lots of people on the trail in the late afternoon. I had plenty of water in my backpack, along with various survival items, my phone and a back up charger. Everything was fine on the way up the mountain as I was able to follow people but coming back down, I kept getting off the main trail somehow. I go all the way down a trail to find it ended either on too steep a cliff or there’s be too much brush to go thru. I could literally see the houses in the neighborhood but couldn’t get to them so would continually have to go back up to get to the main trail to try again. Seems all the people disappeared by the time I realized I needed to call out to people for help. Pulled out my phone where I had an app that was supposed to help but then my battery was closed to dying. Pulled out my thick battery pack but soon realized that I’d left it on during the flight earlier that day, and the battery had run down. It was Sept, so still pretty hot and I was exhausted. I was at the point of deciding to set up a small camp as it was getting dark. No sleeping bag and no tent, just some protein bars, water, a fire starting kit, knives, ropes and a tarp. I was so scarred but knew if I continued in the dark, I’d fall as the skree was bad in that area. Didn’t want to slid off the mountain or end up in a cactus bed. Had just collected some wood, and started arranging it when I heard some teens laughing in the distance. Thankfully they heard me yelling for them and stayed where they were until I found them, which took longer than I expected. Turns out it was locals who grew up in that neighborhood and knew they area well so hung out at night on that mountain. I was lucky. No one was expecting me back and I hadn’t run out of water …yet. Learned a big lesson that day.
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u/SorrySeptember 4d ago edited 4d ago
News article about her disappearance & death: https://people.com/hiking-influencer-hannah-moodys-body-was-discovered-decomposing-in-103-degree-heat-11782054
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u/_yourupperlip_ 4d ago
At the bottom of that article there’s just a menagerie of links to recently deceased influencers. Wtf is this world haha
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u/Wizerud 4d ago edited 4d ago
This world is one where one of our weakest, most insecure personality traits is now actively being rewarded: attention-seeking. Couple that with the usual belief they’re way more interesting and/or smart than they actually are and it’s off to the social media rollercoaster for them.
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u/method7670 4d ago
I genuinely do not understand what possesses people to hike in AZ in the dead of summer. It’s regularly 115+ and that kind of heat will drop you, FAST.
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u/xproofx 4d ago edited 4d ago
I remember going for a walk at White Sands around high noon with nothing but a 40 oz bottle of Aquafina. Not saying this to be proud, I'm saying this to tell you I am dumb as shit. I'm pretty sure I almost died that day.
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u/Vladd3456 3d ago
I got out of the car and walked a dune for about 10 minutes at 2 PM in June. The sun was blinding, the heat immense, walking in the sand was difficult. I remembered the story about the young French couple who died on a short hike in the same area. I wasn't going more than 100 yards away from my car. Nope.
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u/Mikect87 4d ago
Damn, that’s a fair amount of water. You must have been out for over 4 hours then…?
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u/morosco 4d ago
I was hiking around southern Utah last weekend and I was surprised how good I felt in higher and higher temperatures. It was only my mind that kept me safe. I started early, it got to be 11ish and 90ish degrees and I still felt really strong, just that hiking high and being in a beautiful place I guess. I had to block that out and just mentally realize, nope, I'm done.
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u/Thurisaz- 4d ago
We get people that need to be rescued a lot in my city. Always the same story. People go hiking in the mountains here when it’s 100F+ every summer.
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u/Ovennamedheats 4d ago
I have to say that is probably the worst way to go. I hope she is in a better place
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u/ZayWithAnA 4d ago
As an Arizona native born and raised, I’ll be the opposite end of the spectrum with things and admit being raised in the desert helped prepare me for heat. As I’ve gotten older, my water rechecks have gotten better, but I can recall several times I took multi hour hikes with a single 24oz in my hand and worked through it.
For my fellow desert dwellers, god rest this woman’s soul. Our environment is as unique as it is dangerous. And every once in a while it’s worth appreciating growing up in this desolate, arid landscape comes with challenges - but it also seemingly comes with built in immunities, largely based on heat resistance.
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u/YancyAzul 3d ago
Heat exhaustion needs to be taken way more seriously, especially if folks take medication that can dysregulate their body temps such as SSRI's. I take citalopram and the summers, even being in Nebraska, get more brutal. I have such a difficult time regulating my body temp so I get hot and sweaty so fast. Then it takes me a while to cool down. People don't believe me or get upset when I don't make outside plans during summer. Oh well, stay mad, I'd like to stay alive and functional.
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u/GigisJ 4d ago
I wonder if she was taking any SSRIs?
I recently learned my anti depressant medication makes it difficult to regulate my temperature especially in the heat. It will cause excessive sweating as well on an attempt at cooling down but can also lead to dehydration fast.
Also if it was humid out, sweating basically does nothing to help regulate your temperature anymore. So tragic, she was so young.
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u/grapesafe 4d ago
it’s so easy to misjudge how hot you are and often times it can be too late. poor girl, i feel awful for the family.
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u/Godzilla2000Zero 4d ago
Oh I just heard about her a few days ago on a Savox video I think it was. RIP Hannah.
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u/clawkyrad 4d ago
stuff like this scares me beyond words, i use to hike both in winter and summer being prepared for either is challenging, i hope she's at peace.
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u/giddy-kipper 4d ago
All the comments about why this wasn’t a good idea are interesting to me (had no idea it got this hot over there) but why wasn’t she carrying some sort of GPS tracker ‘just in case’?! 2 days to find her seems like it could have been avoidable too and may have saved her life
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u/Markus_H 3d ago edited 3d ago
I went mountain biking this summer. Being in Finland, it wasn't that hot. Maybe 24'c. The trip was about 55 km, although maybe with just a dozen km of actual mountain biking, if even that. The rest was easy tracks and trails. I was thinking about taking a 3l hydration bladder with me, but figured, that I could just fill up my 0,7l bottle from a lake or a pond with a water filter, being in the land of thousand lakes.
I really should have drank a whole lot more - like at least three times more - but I tried saving the water in order to not have to disassemble and dry up the water filter back home. What ended up happening, was that I started to run out of energy and dehydrated simultaneously. I had salted peanuts with me for energy, but when I tried to eat, they would just form up in an inedible mass in my mouth due to lack of saliva. My water was running out too, as I tried to save the few last drops to make it to the nearest body of water.
It was a real slog to get there, and I was feeling so ill, that I sort of had to force down the drink, even though I had never felt that kind of thirst.
I had all kinds of bodies of water around me most of the way, but all that did was give a false sense of security. Without energy and water, the kilometers get very long, and when the crash came, I still had a kilometer or so of tough terrain ahead of me to the nearest pond. But in the end, it was just a kilometer. If it was 3 kilometers, I would have been in trouble. Another thing is, that when you run out of energy, mountain biking becomes a lot harder; you get sluggish, and start to make mistakes as a result, which turns into a vicious cycle of spending more energy to correct them.
I felt dumb af after getting home, for getting in that situation. Not going to mess with hydration from now on.
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u/rohithkumarsp 4d ago
Found her last video https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ0KNMzvTeR/?igsh=dTlheXFveWttNjds
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u/screenmonkey68 3d ago
Arizona. August. Alone. No shade anywhere. No hat. No longsleeves. No camelback. (If in an outfit similar to the one in the pic.)
It’s a shame someone on the trail didn’t talk some sense into her.
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u/Lepidopteria 3d ago
Arizona is one of those places it really feels like people aren't supposed to live. If you must live there, do what the animals do. Hunker down until it's dark and cold out.
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u/thewhiterosequeen 4d ago
Guess she should have been less concerned with sharing religion and selfies and more concerned with basic outdoor preparedness. Such a senseless death.
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u/andr0media 4d ago
Damn. Good to know if I post selfies and religious stuff, then my death is somehow warranted. Jfc.
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u/KnotiaPickle 4d ago edited 4d ago
I’m sorry, but this is cruel and unnecessarily mean. Just because you disagree with her beliefs doesn’t require you to bash a dead person. Clearly she made a fatal mistake, but why be insulting about it? She was doing her own thing out in nature, not hurting anyone, and messed up. I think that’s all that needs to be said.
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u/SaltyDog772 4d ago
Maybe it balances out the irrationally positive stuff, like the religious thing her mom said about her being in a better place like it’s a good thing she died.
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u/KnotiaPickle 4d ago
I think a lot of parents would just lose their minds and be unable to go on at all if they couldn’t have the small comfort of believing that their child is in a better place after death.
She doesn’t think it’s a good thing that her daughter died. She’s coping however she can.
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u/CapeMama819 4d ago
Thank you for writing this. I have buried a child and it’s the kind of hell I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. This girls mother is simply trying to survive the absolute worst time of her life, worse than most people will have to experience. I’m not religious but understand having hope that your baby IS in a better place now and able to rest in peace.
To judge someone for the way they grieve the death of their child is disgusting.
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u/Ok-Consideration2463 3d ago
Everybody should understand heat exhaustion can easily happen to you. The body literally can’t cool itself under certain conditions. It can be any combination of high temperature, dehydration, and exertion level. Let’s stay safe people.
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u/_yourupperlip_ 4d ago
Can’t hold a water bottle when you need to hold a selfie stick and use your other hand to dictate vibes I guess
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u/ArtisanalMoonlight 3d ago edited 3d ago
Well, that's fucking sad (because it's so preventable).
I grew up, partially, in Arizona. From about 9-10am to 7-8pm from May to September was indoor time, unless I was in the pool.
Heat exhaustion can be fucking sneaky. I kept water bottles in the freezer and would grab one before leaving the house. (Still carry a water bottle everywhere these days.)
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u/PhillyLee3434 4d ago
Heat exhaustion is no joke and can creep up on you fast.
I worked a warehouse job a few years ago with no AC in the middle of the Texas heat and watched a older man in his mid 50’s complain of a headache and collapse a few moments later and go into full cardiac arrest.
Texas gets HOT but Arizona gets extreme dry heat, delirium, loss of focus out in the middle of the desert is a recipe for disaster.
No amount of water, food can save you once the body starts to breakdown outside in the elements like this.