Dad and Daughter Vanished Climbing Mt Hooker, 11 Years Later Their Cliff Camp Is Found

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.”

Over the years, speculation filled the void. Some experts believed a sudden storm struck while they were mid-climb, trapping them. Others thought they might have slipped into one of the mountain’s hidden crevasses, so deep that even helicopters couldn’t detect them. There were even stranger theories — that they vanished intentionally, or that the mountain itself had claimed them. One rescuer summed it up: “That mountain has places no human should stand. Once it takes you, it doesn’t give you back.”

Before their disappearance, Garrett and Della were known as an inseparable pair in their local climbing community. Garrett, a quiet contractor, was a legend among climbers for his discipline and courage. Della mirrored his spirit — strong, curious, and determined. For them, climbing wasn’t just a challenge; it was how they communicated. After Garrett’s wife became ill, those adventures became their shared language — a way to heal and connect when words weren’t enough.

For eleven years, Mount Hooker kept its silence. Every year, on the anniversary of their disappearance, climbers left flowers at the trailhead — a tribute to the two who never came back. Then, in the summer of 2023, a group of hikers stumbled upon something extraordinary. Hidden beneath a pile of rock halfway up a remote slope, they found what looked like the remains of a small camp — two faded sleeping bags, a rusted stove, and a weathered journal sealed in a plastic pouch. Rangers later confirmed the gear matched the models sold between 2010 and 2012.

Inside the journal were only a few short entries in Della’s familiar handwriting. The final one read: “The storm’s coming faster than we thought. Dad says we’ll ride it out here. He’s calm — I’m trying to be. The wind sounds like the mountain’s alive.” After that, the pages were blank.

Rescue teams revisited the site hoping to find more, but the area was too unstable. Loose stone and the risk of avalanches made further searching impossible. Once again, the Beckwiths vanished — this time beneath the shifting rock and snow.

Today, Mount Hooker stands as one of the most breathtaking yet unforgiving peaks in North America. To climbers, it’s a symbol of courage and danger. To the Beckwith family, it’s a silent monument to love, adventure, and loss. Those who knew Garrett and Della remember not their disappearance, but their spirit — two souls chasing the horizon together, united by the wild.

At sunrise, the north face of Mount Hooker glows pink, untouched and eternal. And somewhere within its granite walls, the wind still whispers their names — a father and daughter who climbed into the wild and never came back.

What do you think — should dangerous mountains like Mount Hooker remain open to climbers, or do their risks outweigh their beauty? Share your thoughts below and keep their memory alive.