The North Cascades National Park is located in northern Washington State, and it's known
as the deadliest national park in the country. Three hours outside Seattle, the park boasts
lush vegetation and alpine peaks. However, danger lurks among the mountainous terrain,
limited roads, and scattered outposts. There has been an unprecedented increase
in the number of visitors to our national parks in the last few years. Tragically,
this will likely mean an increase in the number of those who go missing.
Previously, it was estimated that over 1,600 people have gone missing in our
national park systems. However, there is no central database for these cases,
so there's no way of knowing the actual number of those who have vanished. David Paulides,
a former law enforcement officer and investigative journalist, began to compile and profile these
cases, which eventually became the Missing 411. For those interested in a complete history of
Paulides, the Missing 411 profile, and potential theories, a link to the first video in this series
can be found in the description below. The following are three select cases of
those who have disappeared in the North Cascades National Park. Rachel Lakoduk, Tom Simonseth,
and Ritchie Collins. This is Missing 411
National Park Disappearances Volume 3. 1.
Rachel Lakoduk Rachel Lakoduk was a 28
year old from Moses Lake, Washington. She was 5'4, 130 pounds, recently separated from her
husband and living with her father. Although times had been tough, Lakoduk seemed in good spirits.
On October 17th of 2019, she packed a backpack with her clothes and a sleeping bag.
She drove her white Jeep Cherokee to the Hidden Lake Trail in the Cascades National Park.
She registered her hike at a ranger station, parked her vehicle at the trailhead, and struck
out for the Hidden Lake Lookout Cabin. Her plan was to spend the night in the
cabin for her 28th birthday. The day after, she planned to meet a friend in Bellingham,
but she would never arrive. The trail was a little over 8 miles in length
but climbed a steep 3300 feet in elevation. Around 4 PM, two hikers encountered Lakoduk
about 2.5 miles into her hike. They warned her that the trail was obscured by snow further ahead,
and they had turned back due to poor conditions. They recalled that Lakoduk
seemed to be poorly dressed for the hike, wearing only thermal tights and a long-sleeved shirt.
A storm hit that afternoon, and when Lakoduk didn't show for her plans in Bellingham,
her family reported her missing. Search teams began quickly, but heavy precipitation and fog
impacted their efforts. They struggled even to reach the lookout cabin,
and when they finally did, the Undersheriff reported that Lakoduk had likely never made it.
Search efforts continued for 10 days with 137 volunteers spending roughly
2000 man-hours. Canine teams, foot patrols, and aerial units all participated in the search.
Lakoduk's remains weren't discovered until August 14th two years later, her sleeping
pad and backpack were discovered under a tree, three hard miles away from the road
and well off the trail. The results of the autopsy have yet to be released.
2. Tom Simonseth Tom Simonseth was a
66--year old man from Mount Vernon. He was described by friends as very athletic
and familiar with the outdoors. After retiring from a career in education, he took up hiking with
encouragement from two of his closest friends. Simonseth was familiar with the Hidden Lake Trail.
He had previously tried the trail multiple times, but he was always deterred by the snow. Less than
a year after Lakoduk's disappearance, Simonseth tried the trail again on May 22. He told his wife
he would return by 7 PM that night. Two hikers on the mountain encountered
Simonseth on the trail. Just as with Lakoduk, these two hikers had turned back
because conditions were worsening further ahead on the trail. It has been speculated the Simonseth
likely followed their footprints and made a choice to turn back as the snow worsened.
His wife reported him missing, and two friends began to search the area.
They had mountaineering and over twenty years of search and rescue experience.
They knew Simonseth didn't have the equipment to survive the night, and they hurried to the site
to find his car still parked at the trailhead. They searched the area until midnight, then slept
nearby until the earliest sign of daybreak. Search and rescue teams from Skagit and other nearby
municipalities participated in the search the next morning. Even units from the U.S. Border Patrol
and Navy participated in the search. Helicopters from Spokane County flew the area while ground
teams combed the difficult terrain. Search and rescue efforts were interrupted
by snow and impaired visibility. However, they continued their search for days, looking for
signs of an avalanche or particular tree wells where Simonseth could have been swept away.
On July 29th 2021, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Helicopter Team recovered remains
that are thought to be those of Simonseth; however, identification is still pending.
The case of Tom Simonseth fits several of the Missing 411 profile points:
He was described by friends as athletic and familiar with the outdoors.
His disappearance occurred shortly after encountering the two hikers that afternoon.
He disappeared from the same Hidden Lake Trail in North Cascades, near the same area
where Lakoduk disappeared. Snow and impaired visibility
occurred around the time of his disappearance and during search and rescue efforts.
3. Ritchie Ambrose Collins On April 30th, 2019, detectives arrived
at the Colonial Creek Campground in the North Cascades National Park after receiving a report
from national park service rangers that a vehicle had been parked in the area for several weeks.
The vehicle was a Honda Element that belonged to Ritchie Collins. Collins was 6'1 and 275 pounds.
He was a father and a 58 year old veteran with 23 years of military service and experience
in border and customs patrol. He was not known to be a camper or a hiker; he had high blood
pressure and a bad knee. The vehicle showed clear signs of not having left the area, and detectives
discovered the key to the vehicle on the roof with no other signs of Collins. On the passenger seat,
a map of the Cascade Mountains was open. While press and news reports are limited,
Britney Collins reported that Newhalem Rangers searched a 7 mile radius around the vehicle,
bringing cadaver canine units as well. The Colonial Creek Campground has a reservoir
over 300 feet deep, and it was reported to have been dredged in the search for Collins' body.
After speaking with Collins' daughter, Britney, detectives discovered that
his large collection of firearms was also missing.
Over 35 weapons had been removed from the home; the gun cases themselves had
been left behind and strewn about as if the place had been ransacked. Other odd details
about his apartment: bleach was found out on the counter, the dishwasher was stuffed including
even a crockpot with the electrical cord. Collins' daughter believes his collection was
stolen, and his car had been ditched in the area by the perpetrator or perpetrators.
Collins' brother, Randy, reported that the apartment was in absolute disarray upon entering.
This was uncharacteristic for Ritchie, who was fastidious
in nature. Randy discovered that his brother's computer had been
taken from the residence, too. Collins was described as a loner,
often keeping to himself. It wasn't uncommon for him to go days or weeks without being heard from.
Reports of the last sighting of Richie place him with a small bookbag leaving his home,
but the timelines are mixed, placing the sighting in early March or late April.
It was later discovered that the gun safe had been pried open, but detectives theorized these
were made by Collins. A professional estate manager and trustee took over Collins property,
but in an unfortunate twist of fate, they quickly sold
all his belongings and home, arresting any potential for future private investigation.
On July 6th, several children discovered partial remains near the Fourth of July Campground
in North Cascades. It was 5 miles away from the parking lot at Diablo Lake where Collin's
car was found. Nearby were some of Collins' belongings which were used to identify him;
however, his head was missing. The autopsy has yet to be completed.
While unique, the case of Ritchie Collins shares many similarities with the Missing 411 profile.
He was an overweight and disabled veteran, unlikely to pursue
an extensive hike in the North Cascades National Park.
His neighbor's reported last seeing him midday in April.
Several other disappearances have occurred at Diablo Lake. In October of 2020, Alexander Pisch
disappeared after setting up an easel to paint a landscape. His remains have never been recovered.
Additionally, the Diablo Lake campground is less than 30 miles away from Hidden Lake Trail,
where Lakoduk and Simonseth had diseappeared. Collins disappeared near Diablo Lake.
His cause of death has yet to be determined. Search and rescue teams could not find
a trail of Collins when searching the area around his vehicle.
Similarly, the cadaver dogs uncovered no scent of Collins during their search.
The tragic disappearances of Rachel Lakoduk, Tom Simonseth, and Ritchie Collins are shrouded in
mystery. The Missing 411 profile does not solve or explain their cases, it only connects them. If
you're headed to the North Cascades, stay safe and be prepared.
For more national park disappearances, please consider the other volumes in this series.