By Phuong Le
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — Authorities say a 70-year-old hiker whose body was found in Mount Rainier National Park over the weekend died of hypothermia.
The Pierce County medical examiner’s office on Monday ruled Karen Sykes’ death an accident.
Sykes was reported missing late Wednesday when she failed to meet up with her boyfriend as planned during a day hike on the east side of the mountain.
Park officials suspended three-day search efforts on Saturday when they discovered a woman’s body.
Sykes, a writer, was known in the Northwest hiking community for her trail reviews and photographs and her book on hiking western Washington.