
A Washington woman died while attempting the Bailey Range Traverse in Olympic National Park/NPS file photo of Stephen Peak and Stephen Peak Basin
The body of a Washington woman attempting an off-trail route through the backcountry of Olympic National Park in was found Saturday afternoon below Stephen Peak above the Hoh River.
Lisa Markli, of Port Angeles, was travelling solo on the Bailey Range Traverse, a remote, off-trail route, a park release said. The National Park Service dispatched aerial and ground resources on Thursday after she was reported overdue. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and Mount Rainier’s A-STAR helicopter extensively searched the area.
On Friday, multiple ground search teams were dispatched along Markli’s intended route. In addition, aerial resources continued to search the area.
On Saturday, ground search teams continued along their intended routes while aerial searches of the area resumed. At 12:55 p.m. local time, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located a body below 6,418-foot Stephen Peak. Soon after, a ground search team was able to confirm it was Lisa Markli. Mount Rainier’s A-STAR helicopter planned to use a short-haul technique to recover the body.
The Washington Trails Association describes the Baily Range Traverse as "challenging, largely off-trail, multi-day backpacking scramble across the rough and rugged interior of the Olympic Mountains."
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