Hikers’ Bodies Found Teens Missing Since Sunday Apparently Died In Avalanche

The bodies of two 19-year-old hikers were found buried in deep snow Wednesday, two days after they failed to return from an overnight hike in the Cascade Mountains.

Robert Mattson of Mill Creek and Matthew Ichihashi of Woodinville apparently died in an avalanche, King County Police spokesman Jerrell Wills said.

The two teenagers left Sunday morning from the Alpental trailhead, northwest of Snoqualmie Pass.

“The plan was to camp at the base of Chair Peak,” Wills said.

The hikers told their parents to expect them back by 4:30 p.m. Monday. When they had not returned by 10 p.m., police were called, Wills said.

Rescue crews - including volunteers from ski patrols and a 15-person King County search crew - suspended their search Tuesday morning after three avalanches struck in two hours, Wills said.

No one was injured.

After the search resumed Christmas morning, rescuers spotted a yellow tent and some camping gear at the base of Chair Peak.

A homing device led rescuers to the bodies, which were found nearby shortly before nightfall, Wills said.

Efforts to recover the bodies Wednesday night were being hampered by cold and windy weather, he added.

At least one of the hikers had graduated from Explorer Search and Rescue, said Sharen Rieg, a communications supervisor with King County police.

A combination of moderate snow and possible freezing rain appears likely at Snoqualmie Pass for today, according to the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center.

There is also high avalanche danger below 7,000 feet in the Olympic and Cascade mountains today, the center said.

A winter storm watch for the Cascade and Olympic mountains was in effect for today.