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Missing hiker found dead in Mount Rainier National Park

File image of Mount Rainier.

A 76-year-old hiker was found dead in Mount Rainier National Park on Thursday.

Otto Steffin of Mercer Island set out to hike Mazama Ridge on Wednesday. His family reported him missing at 8 a.m. Thursday.

Search teams were able to narrow their search thanks to a note he'd left detailing his hiking plan. Crews found his body in the Paradise River drainage near Fourth Crossing about 4:45 p.m.

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The cause of death has not been determined Friday.

Steffin was an experienced hiker who carried the 10 essentials, including a map and compass, park officials said. Mazama Ridge is a popular six-mile hike in the park's Paradise area.