This story interested me as I think Mt. Rainier is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. There seems to be a lot of tragedy on this mountain this year as well, underscored by the loss of what some considered a veteran hiker in this area.

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/06/friend-body-found-near-mount-rainier-is-karen-sykes/

I had previously read about the search for this person and it immediately came to mind that there was not to be a good outcome.

Judging by the info in the link, she was an experienced hiker - but experienced does not always equate good judgement which was missing on that fateful day.

I agree. I found it very surprising that she decided to "go it alone". Even this time of year, I think the weather on Mt. Rainier is unpredictable. I'm glad SAR was able to locate her and bring her home to her family and friends.

Seems a bit premature to be accusing her of poor judgement? I have not heard anything about what led to her death, or if the weather played a role. Maybe being with someone would have made a difference, but then again maybe not?

If hiking solo is a crime, then I must plead guilty, your honor. I have done so on many occasions. Sometimes even in unpredictable weather.

I was kind of surprised that there was so little discussion of the case here at ETS but summer has come to the Dakotas and even I am not online as much. I've followed the story with interest since the woman was a very experienced hiker and outdoorswoman by all accounts. Today I read that the cause of death has been determined to be hypothermia. Momentarily I was taken aback; in my mind I thought a 70 year old woman hiking alone, probably she had an accident or died of a heart attack or other illness.

But no, hypothermia. According to the reports the low temps were in the low 40's, certainly cold enough to kill but not usually a huge concern for someone well equipped and skilled in wilderness lore. I know that a surprise downpour or a slip and fall into a stream can lead to a rapid loss of core heat. Still...someone with that much experience should have known this and been better prepared. I don't say that to speak ill of her memory but to remind anyone reading that there's a good reason places like ETS exist! Nowhere in the media reports have I learned what she carried for gear but I have to wonder if a PSP & AMK HeatSheet bivvy might have made the difference between a story to tell your grandkids and a tragedy.

I've only read one or two articles that reported on the cause of her death, and I know that health laws limit the details that can be reported, but I do hope more details are forthcoming.

From what I read she was an experienced hiker, she was well equipped, and she was not injured.

She simply died of hypothermia ... and we don't know why.

If she had a coat with her ... was she wearing it?

If she had a water resistant layer ... was she wearing it?

Was her insulation not working - maybe she'd gotten wet?

I just don't accept that sometimes people just go out for a hike ... and die, which is essentially what the articles I read are saying.

Hopefully her family will allow others to learn from her death.

Hypothermia? That certainly would not have been my first guess either, not with someone with her experience.

It really makes me wonder what chain of events led to this.

As usual, we have only sketchy and often unreliable news accounts. Some reports say " Karen Sykes died of hypothermia with the secondary cause of heart disease, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s office said this afternoon." Earlier reports said she was prepared to spend at least one night out.

So did a heart attack make her susceptible to hypothermia? Was she found using her extra gear? Or was it still in her pack? We can speculate all day long, but the bottom line is we don't know jack. That's why I don't jump to conclusions, or pass judgement on her actions and preparations.

Any incident has a systematic chain of events that can ultimately lead up to a tragic conclusion. This includes car accidents, airplane crashes, hiking injuries/death and so on. Science and post incident investigations has long proven that somewhere in that chain of events, poor judgement, not well thought, wrong or even worse - no decisions have played a role in tragic situations. The chain of events leading up, can be weeks, days, hours or minutes in the making. In this deceased person's case, we will probably never know. That does not mean I am passing poor judgement directly on the person, but simply stating a fact that is perhaps uncomfortable for many to realize.

Another uncomfortable fact of life: Aneurisms. Many folks have them within the brain and/or along primary blood vessels and have not ever learned of that fact, for many reasons, until one day, poof. Death occurs quickly and one drops exactly where they were at that moment. One can be standing in an Emergency Room of a modern hospital and there is not anything that can be done for them.

MDana (sorry for butchering your handle) can explain this fact of life much more intelligently than I.