The search for a hiker who went missing in the North Cascades more than one week ago is now a recovery effort, according to family of the missing hiker.
Elizabeth Tripp, the mother of 28-year-old Rachel Lakoduk, thanked first responders on social media Monday for their efforts.
“Despite multiple efforts to rescue Rachel off the mountain, none of the SAR teams were able to locate her,” Tripp wrote in a Facebook post. “Their determination and dedication never waivered (sic).”
Lakoduk left Moses Lake on Oct. 17 telling her family she planned to hike the Hidden Lake Trail to a lookout cabin and spend the night. She hasn’t been seen since.
Lakoduk’s car was found at the trailhead, but crews didn’t find her last week at the lookout tower, which is located at 6,800 feet of elevation. Skagit County Undersheriff Chad Clark said it didn't look like Lakoduk had been there at all.
Tripp says search and rescue crews plan to use a helicopter to search forecasted snowmelt above the tree line on Wednesday.
The trailhead is about 15 miles east of Marblemount in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
