Missing hiker found dead off Eagle Peak trail

Search-and-rescue crews Tuesday afternoon found the body of Jeff Graves, who disappeared on a day hike Saturday on Eagle Peak near Mount Rainier.

The body, which was spotted from a search helicopter about 3 p.m. at the base of a cliff, was confirmed later to be that of the 47-year-old Graves. The Minneapolis man had been the subject of a search on the peak since Sunday morning, said Kevin Bacher, a spokesman for Mount Rainier National Park.

Graves' body was found in a remote area that was difficult to get to, Bacher said. It was recovered Tuesday afternoon.

Graves had been in the area visiting his mother, who volunteers at the park.

He was hiking on the Eagle Peak Trail, a seven-mile round-trip day hike that climbs nearly 1,000 feet per mile.

Though searchers had to contend with low clouds and fog early Monday, the weather improved late in the day, which allowed rescuers on the helicopter to search from the sky.

Graves' mother reported her son missing after he failed to meet up with her after his hike on Saturday as planned, Bacher said.

His wife, Randi, and the couple's 7-year-old son had planned to join him in the Seattle area on Saturday, but he missed their rendezvous at the airport, Bacher said.