A 78-year-old man who vanished on a popular Skagit County day hike was found dead on Sauk Mountain. The death has put a fresh spotlight on a mountain with a long history of turning deadly for hikers chasing its sweeping Cascade views.
Peter Kalapaca was last seen by family near the Sauk Mountain summit around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, wearing a yellow shirt and hat and carrying limited food and water, according to My Bellingham Now. He was reported missing, and the Skagit County Sheriff's Office reported conducting the search on Friday, as reported by FOX 13 Seattle.
The search grew into a sprawling, multi-agency effort. Officials needed formal permission from the U.S. Forest Service to close the trail and its access road, per the same account from My Bellingham Now. The operation drew in the Skagit County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Border Patrol and National Park Service before a helicopter crew located Kalapaca in steep terrain that ground search-and-rescue teams could not reach, FOX 13 Seattle reported. Air resources, mountain rescue personnel and other partner agencies assisted in the recovery, and the sheriff's office extended condolences to the Kalapaca family and loved ones in social media posts cited by the outlet.
Andy Kalapaca, who is believed to be Peter Kalapaca's son, commented on a Skagit County Sheriff's Office Facebook post that his father was already home with family after the search concluded and that he did not suffer. The trail, briefly closed during the operation, reopened once search efforts wrapped up.
Sauk Mountain reaches 5,545 feet.
A Trail With a Grim Track Record
This is not the first time Sauk Mountain has claimed a hiker's life. A 63-year-old man died after slipping off the trail and falling 150 to 200 feet while hiking with a group, KING 5 reported at the time — a fall Hoodline covered in last year's fatal fall report. The trail also saw fatal falls in 2017 and in July 2018, when a 71-year-old Connecticut woman died after falling down a steep embankment, according to the Associated Press.
Statewide, the scale of wilderness emergency response is even larger. The Washington State Military Department's Emergency Management Division coordinates statewide search-and-rescue efforts, stepping in when local resources like Skagit County's are stretched thin, according to the Washington State Military Department.
A Historic Summit, a Modern Draw
Part of what draws hikers to Sauk Mountain is its history and its views.
