Search suspended for missing 61-year-old hiker, last seen in Mt. Hood national forest

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office has suspended the search for a 61-year-old hiker and her two dogs near Mt. Hood on Nov. 26.

Susan Lane-Fournier, a 61-year-old resident of Brightwood, was reported missing after failing to show up for work, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies with the sheriff’s office believe she was last seen hiking with her two large Malinois-mix dogs along the Green Canyon Way Trail area, south of Welches, as of this reporting.

“Today, after four days of searching in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office has suspended search and rescue operations for Susan Lane-Fournier,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement.

Clackamas County Sheriff’s deputies were first alerted to her disappearance when her employer reported her absence on Nov. 22. They searched Lane-Fournier’s home before discovering her white 1992 Ford F-250 was parked along East Salmon River Road near the trailhead, according to KIRO 7.

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Once her car was discovered, search efforts by Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue deputies, assisted by Clackamas Search and Rescue volunteers, were quickly mobilized. Search efforts continued through the first half of the week as temperatures continue to drop throughout the region.

“Search efforts continued into today (Nov. 24), with additional volunteer resources from Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR), Mountain Wave Emergency Communications and Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue (PNWSAR),” the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office stated on social media. “The search has involved two trailing K9 teams and over two dozen ground searchers.”

But weather became increasingly a factor in the decision to suspend the search. Temperatures dipped into the 30s in the region overnight when the county-wide search was active. Light rain has also been reported in the area, according to KIRO 7.

“Based on weather conditions and the likelihood of survivability, the decision was made to suspend operations after all four volunteer search teams returned from the field,” the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office stated.

Lane-Fournier, who also goes by the nickname “Phoenix” — is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and approximately 150 pounds. She has reddish-brown hair.

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Anyone who has seen Lane-Fournier, her dogs or has information that could help locate her is urged to call the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line at (503) 655-8211.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Contributing: KIRO 7

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.