We start today's walk at that mesquite tree so Joy and Melissa do not have to miss any part of the walk. Things are fine for a while but then Melissa starts to slow down. I stay with her but we are about five minutes behind the other two. In all my years of hiking with Melissa, I have never seen her walk this slowly. I wonder if she can make it through the day. At the first rest stop, I tell her that I do not want to hold up everybody and I may have to ask her to quit. I was worried about her safety but, as I later learned, I did not communicate my concerns properly.

Ahead of us is the vast salt pan of Badwater. Even the creosote bush has given up on this bleak landscape. Gusts of wind buffet us. Yesterday's high was 119°F and it definitely is hotter today. We are walking but not saying much to each other.

Melissa has picked up her pace and she and Warren are now in front. I am helping Joy stay cool by squirting water on her. As we approach the Explorer, I see Melissa lying under it. I had mentioned to her yesterday that, in the desert, the inside of a car gets very hot but it is a lot cooler underneath. I am encouraged that she is still able to think clearly. All of the Explorer's windows are covered with sun shades but still, the temperature inside is 134°F. We let her lie there for a while and give her Gatorade and some food. She admits that she has reached her limit and she does not want to try to finish the last leg. She said that she tried to walk fast to avoid being asked to quit. I had not meant her to race but I must take the blame for giving ambiguous signals.

I tell her to get into the car and drive about three miles and wait for us. That way, if necessary, we could take another break there. We start off well, but soon Joy is getting unnerved. Her blisters are causing havoc with her feet, the hot wind is like needles on her bare arms, and her whole body is now hot. She goes to urinate frequently (not an easy chore with the wind and the umbrella), but when I tell her to stop drinking for a little while, she tells me she does not want to get dehydrated. I detect a panicked feeling in her. We continue for a while, but it is slow going. We are approaching Badwater, and the heat and the wind are unrelenting. Finally, I think, the panic overtakes her. She now has no bladder control. I agree with her that she should not try to go any further than where Melissa is parked, about a quarter mile ahead.

Warren sees Joy getting into the car and he knows that I am all right. So, he decides to see how fast he can walk. When I finally reach the car, he tells me he walked the last mile in about 15 minutes. Not bad for a 71 year old man.

Dinesh's caption:
After walking 10 miles, she collapses under the car, the only reasonably cool place in the desert.

Car Talk's caption:
"You know, having the weight of a Ford Explorer on your chest really distracts you from those 130-degree temperatures."