Body of hiker found 2 years after she went missing in the North Cascade mountain range

August 17, 2021 / 10:17 AM

The body of a 28-year-old hiker who went missing in the North Cascade mountain range nearly two years ago was found over the weekend by a private search and rescue group. Rachel Lakoduk of Moses Lake went missing October 17, 2019 after telling her family she planned to hike the Hidden Lake Trail to a lookout cabin and spend the night to celebrate her birthday, CBS affiliate KIRO-TV reported.

During the initial search for Lakoduk, her vehicle was found at the trailhead. However, search crews reported that it didn't appear she had made it to the lookout tower.

The weather turned while she was hiking and she did not make it off the mountain, according to a GoFundMe to help support searches for Lakoduk.

Over the weekend, her remains were found by a large search group. Lakoduk's mother, Elizabeth Tripp, posted Monday morning on Facebook: "Our beloved Rachel's remains arrived off the mountain yesterday."

Tripp said her heart is both thankful and broken.

"Thankful for all the courageous people who searched for Rachel for the past two years," she said. "Thankful for the outpouring of love from people around the world. Thankful for the prayers sent up for us. Thankful that I was able to kiss my baby's remains goodbye.

"Sometimes there are just no words for a broken heart."