Doug Walker: Seattle software pioneer killed in avalanche on Washington mountain

Doug Walker, a Seattle software entrepreneur, was found dead Friday after a hiking accident on Washington’s Granite Mountain.

The King County Sheriff’s Office and other county search teams posted on social media Thursday evening that teams were heading out to look for 65-year-old Doug Walker.

Doug Walker had been hiking with a group of friends Thursday afternoon when they became separated. His friends called the police at about 5 p.m. when Walker didn’t show up at the trailhead, according to the sheriff’s office.

“We had search and rescue personnel on the mountain all night looking for him — upwards of 60 people total during the search time frame,” said Cindi West with the King County sheriff’s office.

Doug Walker, who officials described as a very experienced hiker, was found dead on Friday morning, according to the sheriff’s office. His body was located about about two miles up the mountain. Searchers believe he may have have been caught in an avalanche.

“Some of the rescue members said he was found in what they called a debris field, which would be consistent with an avalanche having occurred, so that’s one possible scenario of what happened,” West said.

Doug Walker was an active member of the community and worked with numerous local and national organizations. He was the co-chairman of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation and chairman of the Governing Council of The Wilderness Society, as well as being the vice president of The American Alpine Club, according to the Recreation and Conservation Office. Walker also served for more than a decade as the chairman of REI.

Doug Walker was the founding president of the Seattle Parks Foundation.

Current Executive Director Thatcher Bailey said he shared countless conversations with Walker about access to the outdoors. Walker wanted to make sure everyone could enjoy them as much as he did, Bailey said.

“I suppose you could say he died doing what he loved, but you could also say he was so vital and was doing so much and he had so much more that he was going to get done,” Bailey said.

“He’s not a guy you would see on Climbing Magazine, but everybody knew him,” said Eddie Espinosa, Western States Manager of The American Alpine Club.

“You know his first question was always, you know, ‘Where have you been lately? Where have you hiked? And it wasn’t for him to share what he did. But it was for him to high-five you and be glad that you were outside,” Espinosa added.

King County Executive Dow Constantine addressed Walker’s death in a Friday statement.

“We’ve lost a great civic leader, conservationist, and philanthropist who had a passion for the outdoors, and instilled that same passion in others. Doug brought a boundless energy to everything he tackled, from climbing the highest peaks to connecting the high-tech community to environmental preservation,” Constantine wrote.

REI also released a statement, calling Walker a “treasured friend and colleague who inspired many others with his great passions for climbing, conservation and civic engagement.”

Former REI CEO and current Interior Secretary Sally Jewell also released a statement.

“His legacy will live on in the generations of young people he has directly and indirectly reached through his friendship, leadership and philanthropy. My heart goes out to Doug’s wife, daughter, family and friends,” Jewell wrote. “He will be missed, but his presence will continue to be felt by everyone that he touched with his commitment and kindness.”

Granite Mountain is about 16 miles east of North Bend.

Agencies/Canadajournal