In the summer of 2012, Garrett Beckwith and his 19-year-old daughter, Della, set out on what should have been another unforgettable adventure. The pair shared a deep passion for climbing and hiking, a bond strengthened through years of navigating trails, scaling rock faces, and trusting one another in wild, unforgiving landscapes. This time, their destination was Mount Hooker, hidden deep within Wyoming’s remote Wind River Range.
For Garrett, the journey was more than a climb. It was another opportunity to strengthen the father–daughter connection that had grown in the outdoors, away from distractions and noise. For Della, it represented the excitement of pushing her limits alongside the man who had first placed climbing ropes in her hands and taught her to respect both the beauty and danger of the mountains.
They packed their gear carefully, said goodbye to loved ones, and disappeared into the wilderness.
They were never seen again.
Mount Hooker is not an ordinary peak. Rising nearly 12,500 feet, its towering granite walls and sheer north face make it one of the most formidable climbs in the continental United States. Even experienced climbers consider it a serious undertaking. Reaching the base alone requires days of trekking through dense forest, rugged valleys, and unpredictable terrain. Weather can change without warning, turning clear skies into violent storms within hours.
It is a place where mistakes carry consequences that are often final.
Garrett and Della were last seen beginning their ascent, full of determination and confidence. When they failed to return on schedule, concern turned quickly into fear. Family and friends contacted authorities, triggering a large-scale search-and-rescue operation.
Helicopters combed the cliffs from above. Dogs traced scent trails across rocky slopes. Ground crews risked their own safety navigating steep ridges and narrow ledges. Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months.
Nothing was found.
No equipment. No clothing. No signs of a campsite or struggle. Not even a trace to explain where the pair had gone.
The silence left behind became its own mystery.
Over the years, theories have multiplied. Some believe Garrett and Della suffered a fall during their climb, their bodies concealed by deep crevasses or buried beneath rockfall. Others suggest a sudden storm disoriented them, forcing them into dangerous terrain where rescue would be impossible. A few speculate they may have become trapped or injured far from their planned route, beyond the reach of search teams.
Mount Hooker’s remoteness makes every theory possible—and impossible to confirm.
For their family, the absence of answers has been its own kind of heartbreak. Without bodies to bury or certainty to hold onto, grief remains suspended in time. Hope and despair coexist uneasily, refusing to fully release their grip.
To lose loved ones is painful. To lose them without explanation is something else entirely.
Yet those who knew Garrett and Della refuse to let their story be defined solely by disappearance. They remember Garrett as a devoted father, patient teacher, and steady presence. Della is remembered as adventurous, fearless, and deeply compassionate, someone who carried both courage and warmth into every challenge.
They lived the way many only dream of living—fully engaged with the natural world, bound together by trust, respect, and love.
More than a decade later, Mount Hooker still stands unchanged, its granite face towering over the Wind River Range. Snow falls where they once climbed. Wind moves across the ridges they planned to cross. The mountain keeps its silence.
And somewhere within that vast wilderness lies the unanswered truth of what happened to a father and daughter who went searching for adventure—and never found their way home.
Their story remains one of the most haunting mysteries of modern mountaineering, a reminder of both the beauty and the unforgiving power of the wild places humans dare to enter.