Body found on Mount Rainier was that of missing hiker, outdoors writer Karen Sykes

6/23/2014

SEATTLE — The daughter of a hiker reported missing on Mount Rainier says she was notified of her mother’s death over the weekend.

Annette Shirey says park officials told her on Saturday that they had discovered Karen Sykes’ body.

The 70-year-old Sykes had been hiking with her boyfriend on Wednesday in the Owyhigh Lakes area on the east side of the mountain when they encountered snow on the trail at about 5,000 feet. Friends and park officials say he stopped and she went on.

Sykes was prominent in the Northwest hiking community for her trail reviews and photographs, for her book on hiking in western Washington and for leading group outings.

Shirey says her mother had developed a personal connection to the mountain and wanted to share that love with others.