2nd hiker, a Kansan, dies on Death Valley trail

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — Death Valley National Park rangers are reminding visitors to limit stressful activities during blazing summer heat after the second death of a hiker along the same trail within days.

Blake Chaplin, 52, of Leawood, Kan., was found dead on Aug. 21 near the Manly Beacon formation along the Golden Canyon Trail, the park said in a statement Tuesday.

A search-and-rescue team recovered the body after it was reported by an early-morning hiker. The cause of death was being investigated by Inyo County authorities but foul play was not suspected, the park said.

On Aug. 18, Lawrence Stanback, 60, of San Francisco, died on the Golden Canyon Trail and heat stroke was suspected.

Temperatures on Aug. 21-22 reached 109 degrees, below the daily normal of 115 degrees.

“Although these temperatures may be cooler compared to a typical Death Valley summer day, precautions should still be taken while visiting in the heat,” the park said.

Summer visitors should limit hiking to the relatively cooler morning hours, ending treks by 10 a.m., drink plenty of water, eat salty snacks and stay close to air conditioning.

Scenery is easily viewed from locations within short walks from a vehicle.

COMMENTS

Welcome to the new LJWorld.com. Our old commenting system has been replaced with Facebook Comments. There is no longer a separate username and password login step. If you are already signed into Facebook within your browser, you will be able to comment. If you do not have a Facebook account and do not wish to create one, you will not be able to comment on stories.