Found Deceased WA - Rachel Lakoduk, 28, hiker, Marblemount, North Cascades, 17 Oct 2019

[JerseyGirl]

Rachel Lakoduk (Tripp), 28, went hiking alone to a lookout point in Mount Vernon on her birthday, Thursday, Oct. 17, and never returned to her family. Lakoduk’s family thinks she went hiking by herself.

The family believes she may be bunkered in a mountain cabin at Hidden Lake Lookout in Skagit County but rescue teams have been unable to contact her due to poor snow conditions in the area.

Lakoduk’s car at the trailhead near Marblemount.

'This is life or death:' Moses Lake hiker missing in Skagit County

Moses Lake woman missing after hiking in Mount Vernon, rescue efforts unsuccessful

 

[rainynights]

Her Facebook page:
Rachel Lakoduk

 

[GraceG]

I looked at the historical radar (Piper Air Safety website). There was a very wet mass that went over the area 17th into the 18th that would have dumped a lot of snow at higher elevations. A Back Country Permit is required to overnight camp in the park. Hopefully, they checked with the rangers to see if she got one which might better pinpoint her location. Praying she found shelter.

 

[broadviewren]

I notice that one of the news stories above (Columbia Basin Herald) says that she went to a lookout in Mount Vernon. That's not right -- Mount Vernon is 64 miles and an hour and a half from where she went missing, and there's no snow there (just a lot of rain this week).

I think they mixed up Mount Vernon with Marblemount, which is way farther east in the Cascades. That's near where her car was found (according to the KOMO news story linked above).

This is a very scary situation -- weather conditions haven't been good in the area at all and keeping warm and dry would be a challenge. I hope she made it to the fire lookout, which would have given her some shelter, or at least to some kind of shelter.

 

[K9Enzo]

Hearts are heavy right now. I believe this is now a recovery effort.

 

[Ccging]

Her family has confirmed she never made it to the lookout and body recovery is now the focus, so sad

 

[sasha17]

A few more bits from this article: Missing hiker not at mountain cabin Skagit County

"Search and Rescue workers were able to reach Hidden Lake Lookout on Tuesday looking for a missing hiker from Moses Lake. They hoped she had taken shelter in a cabin at the top but she was not there."

"28-year-old Rachel Lakoduk failed to return from a planned overnight hike last Thursday to the lookout, which is in Skagit County."

"Anderson said they believe Lakoduk had water, some food and a sleeping bag with her. “She was prepared for a moderate hike and to spend the night,” said Anderson."

"Other hikers reported seeing Lakoduk on the trail, which rescuers said is now covered in 2 to 6 feet of snow."

 

[sasha17]

Here is a picture of the lookout cabin she was trying to make it to:

Hidden Lake Lookout Hiking Trail Guide

 

[book-thinker]

I hope Search and Rescue finds
Rachel soon. Prayers to her family.

We have had so much rain this
October. The trail head to Hidden Lake
would be slippery when wet.

Yesterday’s the rain was non stop near Mount Vernon/ Everett WA.

Hiker commented; 3 days ago fresh blanket of snow on Hidden Lake trail head. Later that day blizzard like conditions
day.

 

[tigerteeth]

Her family has confirmed she never made it to the lookout and body recovery is now the focus, so sad

How do they have a way to know she never made it to the lookout tower? Just wondering.

 

[zecats]

How do they have a way to know she never made it to the lookout tower? Just wondering.

They finally made it up there to search and she was not there.

https://www.thestate.com/news/nation-world/national/article236530208.html

A team of rescuers braved treacherous, snowy conditions to reach a remote cabin in Washington on Tuesday in hopes of finding a missing hiker there, but the woman was nowhere to be found, according to local authorities.

Rachel Lakoduk has been missing since going hiking Oct. 17 near Marblemount, Washington, and rescuers and her family thought she might have taken shelter inside a lookout tower at the Hidden Lake Lookout “when weather conditions turned snowy,” the Skagit Search and Rescue Council said in a Facebook post.

“Search crews reached the cabin at Hidden Lake and the missing hiker was not located. The search crew is actively searching for her on their way down off the mountain,” Skagit County Undersheriff Chad Clark said in an update Tuesday afternoon, adding that the search will resume Wednesday.

 

[Ccging]

How do they have a way to know she never made it to the lookout tower? Just wondering.

Search crews reached the cabin and she was not there.

 

[JerseyGirl]

In a Facebook post, Rachel's mother said, "We learned that our sweet Rachel never arrived at the outlook tower. There’ll be a dog & personnel search for her tomorrow to look for her body. We are shocked beyond belief, appreciate everyone’s prayers."

The Skagit County Undersheriff said authorities are not giving up hope, adding a Navy helicopter and more search teams will be on the trail Wednesday looking for any sign of life.

Hiker missing for nearly a week in North Cascades

 

[sasha17]

How do they have a way to know she never made it to the lookout tower? Just wondering.

Completely my own guess here but a lot of times, these lookout cabins have a sign in book where hikers can write their name and the date they visited. It's possible the rescuers checked that book, found no entry from Rachel, and therefore assume she didn't make it there at all.

 

[JnRyan]

Family of missing Moses Lake hiker indicates that she didn't make it out of wilderness alive
She was apparently in an avalanche prone area, although they haven't determined if an avalanche actually occurred.

 

[tigerteeth]

Completely my own guess here but a lot of times, these lookout cabins have a sign in book where hikers can write their name and the date they visited. It's possible the rescuers checked that book, found no entry from Rachel, and therefore assume she didn't make it there at all.

I was wondering if it was something more like this since she could have signed or not, or may have gone missing on the way down, etc. I guess I wasn’t sure If there were those check in cabins/shops or what was up with clues leading them to think she may not have gotten as far as the top.

 

[book-thinker]

Hiker missing for nearly a week in North Cascades
Fog, rain and snow have hampered the rescue efforts for days. Rescue crews are continuing their efforts to locate Rachel Lakoduk.

Published: 6:40 PM PDT October 22, 2019
Updated: 7:58 AM PDT October 23, 2019
SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. — Last Thursday, a Moses Lake hiker headed out to the Hidden Lake trailhead near Marblemount in Skagit County.
Fog, rain and snow have hampered the rescue efforts for days. Rescue crews are continuing their efforts to locate Rachel Lakoduk.

authorities are not giving up hope, adding a Navy helicopter and more search teams will be on the trail Wednesday looking for any sign of life.

 

[MaryLamb]

I was wondering if it was something more like this since she could have signed or not, or may have gone missing on the way down, etc. I guess I wasn’t sure If there were those check in cabins/shops or what was up with clues leading them to think she may not have gotten as far as the top.

Presumably, the searchers could tell if someone had been in the lookout cabin by wet marks on the floor, footprints in the snow around the cabin, etc. no one else would be up there with the recent weather conditions.

 

[Rhenish]

Marblemount is off of Hwy. 20 which is also known as the North Cascades Hwy. and it is part of Washington's "North Cascade Scenic Route". The Hwy is usually closed in Nov. of each year and then reopens around May. This is a vast and beautiful and rugged wilderness area, for miles and miles. I would never hike an area like this alone, especially with the plan of possibly staying overnight as it says she had her sleeping bag. Given it has been so many days she has been gone it is very troubling, especially given the weather that came in. But.. she could have been abducted or met with foul play or encountered a wild animal, IMO. Ideally, I hope she resurfaces alive and well and survives "whatever" happened. If she is deceased I hope she can be recovered especially before the serious winter weather begins.

 

[Dre]

Bumping just because I’m sad about Rachel. No news yet