Summer temperatures in the park

There are some precautions we can take though. I would say a very easy one is: don’t go hiking in the desert when it’s hot. Just skip that.

Two women who had been hiking at a Nevada state park were found dead on Saturday, park rangers said, as record-breaking heat waves rippled through the region and sent temperatures rising through parts of the western and southwestern United States.

The coroner’s office in Clark County, Nev., identified the women as Jessica Rhodes, 34, and Diana Matienzo Rivera, 29. State park rangers said that they had been hiking the Prospect Trail together in the Valley of Fire State Park, a desert area known for its sandstone and limestone outcroppings and rock formations that is about 45 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

Summer temperatures in the park often exceed 100 degrees and can even reach 120 degrees, according to park officials.

Soooo don’t hike there in summer.

Park rangers conducted a search and, about an hour later, found the body of one of the women on the trail, which stretches 11 miles. The body of the second woman was found at about 2 p.m. that day, near a canyon that the trail bisects, leading the rangers to believe that she had gone searching for help.

Why go for a walk in the desert when it’s extremely hot? Do people just not realize that heat can kill you?

Mr. Brunjes said that the deaths were possibly linked to heat exhaustion.

“Anytime you’re going hiking you should go extremely early, carry at least a liter of water and wear light-colored clothing,” he said. “We can’t emphasize these things enough.”

The women, Mr. Brunjes added, had worn dark-colored clothing and did not seem to have been carrying enough water.

Just stay home.

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