Hiker who died on Mount Pugh identified as pilot with love of outdoors
The Bothell man who died while hiking on Mount Pugh has been identified by family as Alex Keen, a pilot and avid outdoors enthusiast.
Keen, 34, was reported missing Sunday, and rescue crews located his body Tuesday near the 7,200-foot peak, east of Darrington in the North Cascades.
In a phone interview, Keen's aunt, Karin Clemetson, described him as someone who loved his church and had a passion for people and adventure."
"He enjoyed the outdoors, he enjoyed some adrenaline and he just enjoyed adventure," she said.
The search for Keen began Sunday after he didn't show up for his work shift at Skydive Snohomish, where he was a pilot, according to Clemetson. Keen had told a few friends before the weekend he was planning to hike near Mount Pugh.
"He was in an excellent state of mind," she said, adding later: "We're just not quite sure why he went alone."
Search-and-rescue deputies found Keen's vehicle at the Mount Pugh trailhead and began a search that ultimately included volunteers from seven mountain rescue units.
Crews using sheriff's office helicopters then spotted hiking equipment at the top of a narrow and vertical gully. Keen was found 800 vertical feet from the hiking equipment, and his body was recovered by helicopter.
An email sent Wednesday afternoon to the Snohomish County sheriff's office seeking further information wasn't immediately returned.
Mount Pugh is also known by its Indigenous name "Da Klagwats" and is home to dramatic views of the North Cascades, according to the Washington Trails Association. In the area, hikers can see Glacier Peak and Sloan Peak, mounts Baker, Shuksan and Rainier, and the Olympic Mountains, among others.
The precise location where Keen's body was found hasn't been shared publicly. But the association warns that the Mount Pugh trail has areas that "can be treacherous in snow or adverse weather conditions and intimidating to an unseasoned hiker."
Keen's aunt is hosting a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of Keen's funeral.
"Alex's mother is now facing the unimaginable loss of her only child, along with the overwhelming responsibility of arranging his funeral and managing end-of-life expenses," she wrote in the GoFundMe.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, Skydive Snohomish called Keen "a huge part of our team, our dropzone, the aviation community here at Harvey Airfield, and our daily lives.
The company remained closed Wednesday as staff and others gathered to process the loss, according to the post, but it planned to resume operations on Thursday.
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