Dad and Daughter Vanished Climbing Mt. Hooker — 11 Years Later, Their Cliff Camp Is Found
In the vast wilderness of Wyoming’s Wind River Range, where granite walls rise thousands of feet into the clouds, lies Mount Hooker — one of the most remote and technically demanding peaks in the United States. For years, it has drawn the bravest of climbers. But it has also kept some of them forever.
This is the haunting story of a father and daughter who vanished during a climbing expedition, leaving behind only questions and heartbreak — until, more than a decade later, a shocking discovery on a sheer cliff face finally revealed part of what happened on that mountain.
🏔️ A Shared Passion for Adventure
Mark Dalton and his 17-year-old daughter, Emily, shared an extraordinary bond built on a love for the outdoors. Mark, an experienced mountaineer and wilderness guide, had been climbing for over two decades. Emily, athletic and fearless, had grown up exploring with him — learning how to pitch tents, read topographic maps, and respect nature’s power.
For Emily, this was more than just a father-daughter hobby; it was a shared language. Every summer, they took on a new challenge — scaling peaks across Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. In July 2014, they set their sights on one of Mark’s lifelong dreams: the North Face of Mount Hooker, a 2,000-foot vertical wall considered one of the most difficult big-wall climbs in North America.
It was supposed to be their ultimate adventure before Emily started college. Neither of them could have imagined it would be their last.
🌦️ The Disappearance
They arrived at the trailhead in mid-July, planning a five-day expedition. The weather forecast looked stable, and they packed accordingly — climbing ropes, harnesses, a lightweight tent, and enough food for a week. A park ranger saw them on July 18, heading up toward Baptiste Lake, the base camp area for climbers tackling Mount Hooker.
That was the last confirmed sighting.
When they didn’t return as scheduled, Mark’s wife and Emily’s mother, Karen, contacted authorities. Within 48 hours, search and rescue teams were deployed. Helicopters scanned the steep granite faces, rescuers rappelled into crevices, and drones were used to look for bright colors — tents, ropes, or jackets. But the search turned up nothing.
Not a trace. No tent. No rope. No sign of a fall.
After weeks of searching, the operation was scaled back. The Dalton family was left with heartbreak and unanswered questions. Had they been caught in a rockfall? Swept away by a storm? Or had they simply vanished into the mountain’s silent depths?
🧭 Eleven Years of Silence
For more than a decade, the mystery lingered. Mark and Emily became part of local legend — a tragic story whispered among climbers and rangers who knew the dangers of Mount Hooker’s sheer cliffs and unpredictable weather.
Karen Dalton never gave up hope. Every year, she hiked back to Baptiste Lake to leave flowers by the water’s edge, whispering Emily’s name to the wind. “I always felt they were still up there somewhere,” she said in an interview years later.
Then, in the summer of 2025, a new team of climbers arrived to attempt the same route Mark and Emily had planned to conquer — and stumbled upon something extraordinary.
🧗 The Discovery
On July 22, 2025, a group of three climbers scaling a seldom-visited route on Mount Hooker’s east face noticed something unusual about 600 feet up — a faded piece of fabric fluttering against the rock. At first, they assumed it was an old tarp or trash left behind. But as they ascended, they realized it was part of a tent, anchored to a small ledge barely wide enough for two people.
Inside the tent was a haunting time capsule of the past.
The climbers found two sleeping bags, climbing journals, and a small camera — all remarkably preserved by the cold, dry air. There were also two helmets, climbing gear neatly coiled, and half a packet of trail mix still tucked into a side pocket.
When authorities were notified and the items recovered, identification tags on the gear confirmed what many had long suspected — the campsite belonged to Mark and Emily Dalton.
🕵️ Theories and Clues
The discovery provided a breakthrough, but not complete closure. Investigators pieced together what might have happened based on the recovered items. The camera contained several photos showing Mark and Emily smiling as they prepared their route — with the final image time-stamped July 19, 2014, at 6:47 p.m.
That evening, weather data revealed a fast-moving storm had swept through the region. High winds and hail battered the mountains, and temperatures plummeted overnight.
It’s now believed the Daltons established their cliff camp — a hanging bivouac — to rest before attempting the summit the next morning. But the sudden storm likely trapped them there. Gusts exceeding 60 mph could have ripped away their anchors or caused a fall. Some speculate that Mark went out to secure the ropes and was swept off by the wind, with Emily attempting to follow or assist.
The exact sequence remains unknown. No human remains were found, suggesting they may have fallen into an inaccessible crevasse far below.
💔 A Family Finally Finds Peace
For Karen, the discovery was both devastating and healing. “It hurts to know the mountain kept them for so long,” she said through tears, “but it’s comforting to finally know where they were — together, doing what they loved most.”
Emily’s younger brother, who was only six when they disappeared, joined the rescue team in placing a small memorial plaque near the base of the climb. It reads:
“In memory of Mark and Emily Dalton — bound by love, lost to the wild, forever part of the mountain.”
Climbers who pass through the area now often stop to pay their respects. The story of the Daltons serves as a powerful reminder of the beauty and danger that coexist in nature — and the unbreakable bond between parent and child.
🌄 The Legacy of Mt. Hooker
Mount Hooker has always commanded respect. Its vertical granite walls, often slick with ice even in summer, challenge even the most experienced climbers. Over the years, it has claimed several lives — a testament to both its allure and its peril.
But the story of Mark and Emily has added a new layer of meaning to this mountain. It’s not just about risk — it’s about love, courage, and the human spirit’s desire to reach for something greater.
Today, many climbers dedicate their ascents to the Daltons, leaving small tokens at the lake below — a tradition that has transformed their tragedy into a symbol of endurance and connection.
🌤️ Epilogue: The Mountain Remembers
In the stillness of the Wind River Range, Mount Hooker stands as silent witness to the passage of time. Winds continue to sweep across its cliffs, carrying whispers of those who dared to climb it.
And somewhere on that ledge, where a father and daughter once laughed beneath the open sky, their story lives on — not in sorrow, but in the spirit of adventure and love that drove them there in the first place.
