MARBLEMOUNT, Wash. — Editor's note: The above video originally aired before the ground search for Tom Simonseth was called off.
The ground search for a hiker missing in the North Cascades was suspended Monday due to hazardous conditions.
Tom Simonseth, 66, of Mount Vernon was last seen May 22 when he went for a day hike at the Hidden Lake Lookout trail east of Marblemount. When he didn’t return home that evening, friends and family contacted law enforcement.
Search and rescue teams have been looking for Simonseth since May 23, but trail conditions have become too hazardous for a ground search, according to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office.
Teams are expected to use helicopters to continue the search over the next few weeks as they are available, according to the sheriff’s office.
Multiple agencies, including search and rescue teams from as far away as Spokane, helped with the search.
Simonseth's vehicle, which was parked at the trailhead, was towed back to his home in Mount Vernon.
