S.F. cyclist missing in Death Valley found dead

S.F. cyclist missing in Death Valley found dead

www.sfgate.com

Kohler was a member of a tour group riding 318 miles over five days through the valley. Around 8 p.m. on March 12, the first day of the trip, Kohler told his companions he was tired and got up to leave the campfire.

There was no indication Kohler ever went to sleep in his tent. His bike and overnight gear were found at the camp.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This story grabbed my attention.

He was 68. It seems to me that when someone of that age says he's tired and is going to bed, that's what they do.

They said he had fallen off his bike a few times on the way up. He might have had a head injury.

He might have gotten lost. Just how far away from the campfire was his tent?

No immediate cause of death was apparent, they will do an autopsy.

Maybe he was drawn out to the desert by someone or something.

Odd.

www.sfgate.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Perhaps he felt it was his time and
he wanted to be in the desert for
the end. Evidently something was
wrong with him due to his falling, etc.

I'm beginning to think that dying doing something you love to do would not be a bad thing. The cyclist seemed to be having some problems ("off-kilter" and falling) from an emerging medical condition. Maybe a stroke or...? If he were at home, the warning signs probably would have been ignored, so, yeah, at least he died doing what he liked.

Originally posted by desert
I'm beginning to think that dying doing something you love to do would not be a bad thing. The cyclist seemed to be having some problems ("off-kilter" and falling) from an emerging medical condition. Maybe a stroke or...? If he were at home, the warning signs probably would have been ignored, so, yeah, at least he died doing what he liked.

Hey, remember the old saying of the West: "The best way to die is with your boots on."

He looks like he was in great shape for his age and I agree that is odd to say the least. Most people do not wander around the desert alone at night, especially if he had to get up early and ride the next day.

It is possible that he was disoriented due to a medical condition, maybe that is why he fell, and maybe that is why he was walking around, but it is still strange that it does not look like he slept in his tent.

The big danger to people in death valley is dehydration even in the winter.

The humidity in death valley runs about 10% and people from wetter climates never even realize they are getting dehydrated.
In the heat of summer you naturally drink a lot of water when traveling in death valley but it can creep up on you in the winter

People suffering dehydration can become confused and suffer strokes or heart attach even people in very good health.

You have to know death valley to survive there.

Sad, but not necessarily nefarious or conspiratorial. I can imagine a free-spirited San Franciscan dehydrated from a long ride wanting to get away from the herd of strangers to do what free-spirited San Franciscan's do, wandering to the serenity of the desert and passing from conventional semi-geriatic - dehydrated causes.

I remember my trip to DV years ago. It was in the beginning of July.
The air temp was 115F. There was a stiff breeze 15-20 mph.
Every time we stopped along the road to take pictures it felt like we stepped in front of an industrial oven with a fan inside. It was brutal but great fun.
Although I was concerned about the rental car. I never shut it down and only stopped for a minute or two.