Tragedy has struck on two popular trails in Washington state, with four people dying in separate back-to-back accidents, including one at Mount Rainier National Park.
Two longtime friends in their 70s were killed just outside Olympic National Park when a tree fell on the path where they were hiking with a third friend, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said on Thursday, Jan. 22.
"We heard a big crack that I'll never forget," the surviving hiker, Kathy Todd, told the Kitsap Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network. "I ran as fast as I could, and I'm sure they did too."
That accident happened on Jan. 15 near Lena Lake in the Olympia National Forest. Two days later about 100 miles to the southeast, two climbers were reported overdue in Mount Rainier National Park. Their bodies were found on Jan. 20.
Here's what to know about each tragedy, another rash of deaths in California's mountains in recent months, and how you can stay safe exploring the outdoors.
