In the summer of 2012, seasoned climber Garrett Beckwith and his 19-year-old daughter, Della, set out for what they believed would be another unforgettable expedition — a climb up the legendary Mount Hooker in Wyoming’s Wind River Range. For Garrett and Della, adventure wasn’t just a pastime; it was their bond. He had raised her among the mountains, teaching her to read the weather, respect the terrain, and find beauty in the silence of the wild. But what began as a father-daughter journey into the heart of nature soon became one of the most haunting mysteries in American mountaineering.
Mount Hooker is no place for the unprepared. Standing nearly 12,500 feet high, its sheer north face is among the most formidable in North America. Reaching it takes days of hiking through rough trails, unpredictable weather, and untamed wilderness. By all accounts, Garrett and Della were ready. They were last seen by hikers near base camp, smiling and excited as they discussed their route and plan to summit within three days. When the days passed and no one heard from them, friends knew something was terribly wrong.
Search-and-rescue teams launched an immediate effort. Helicopters scoured the ridgelines, rescue dogs tracked faint scents through snow and pine, and volunteer climbers risked their lives to scale the dangerous cliffs. But nothing was found — no gear, no footprints, no trace at all. After weeks of searching, authorities had to call off the mission. The report was left as “unresolved.” For Garrett’s wife, Susan, and their two sons, the lack of closure was unbearable. “You can grieve when there’s a grave,” she later said. “But when there’s only silence — that’s torture.”
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