Search teams in Washington state are still looking for a writer who went missing on Mt. Rainier Wednesday.
KIRO reports 70-year-old Karen Sykes was hiking the mountain with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend says he wanted to stay back when they hit a rough spot on their climb. Sykes decided to go ahead without him, and no one has heard from her since.
Search crews are now looking around areas where much of the snow is melting, which is creating thin "snow bridges" over water. Crews are looking from helicopters and on the ground. (Via KATU)
Officials say Sykes is an experienced climber and has even instructed climbs in the past. KOMO reports she has written several books about hiking.
A woman who knows Sykes told NBC she's staying hopeful: "If anybody can survive the wilderness, it's her. ... Karen is what I would consider an utmost expert, and Mount Rainier is her backyard. We're just hoping for the best." (Via NBC)
The search comes just a few weeks after officials called off the search for six climbers who went missing on the same mountain. Officials say they believe the climbers fell about 3,000 feet to their deaths, but they haven't found their bodies. (Via KING)
An incident commander at Mt. Rainier says Sykes had plenty of survival gear with her, so searchers are staying hopeful they'll find her alive. The search is expected to start back up Saturday morning.
