• Hiker died of hypothermia on Mount Rainier

SEATTLE - A 70-year-old hiker who died of hypothermia in rugged terrain in Mount Rainier National Park over the weekend was experienced, prepared and knew the mountain well after having written dozens of stories about treks through the area.

Karen Sykes did not have other injuries and her death was an accident, the Pierce County medical examiner's office said Monday. Sykes had heart disease, according to an autopsy, but her daughter and others said she was healthy and fit and often hiked twice a week.

While not certain about the circumstances around her death, those who knew Sykes said earlier that they believe her death was something that could happen to anyone no matter how experienced.

"The mountains are big. There's a lot going on. She was extremely experienced but experience has nothing to do with any of it," said Kim Brown, who has hiked with Sykes.

"She was very careful, very cautious," Brown said of Sykes, who was prominent in the Northwest hiking community for her trail reviews and photographs and her book on hiking western Washington. "It's just something that happens out in the mountains. Everybody who goes in the mountains knows this can happen. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't go out; you need to be aware of it."

Sykes was reported missing late Wednesday when she failed to meet up with her boyfriend as planned during a day hike on the east side of the mountain.

Park officials suspended three-day search efforts on Saturday when they discovered Sykes.

Kindra Ramos, with the nonprofit Washington Trails Association, said she won't guess what happened to Sykes but said hiking comes with some inherent risks.

"As they go outdoors, the best thing you could do is to have your 10 essentials, be comfortable with your surroundings, and go as far as you're comfortable," Ramos said.

She recommended proper trip planning and preparation, including reading trip reports and knowing weather conditions.

"Karen knew these things and I'm sure did them. She really had her bases covered, and unfortunately accidents happen sometimes," Ramos said. She added that Sykes would want people to know that there are some risks but "she wouldn't want to scare people from hiking."

Mary Kay Nelson, executive director of Visit Rainier, an organization that promotes tourism at the mountain, said Sykes was researching a story that she likely would have submitted to the website.

She said Sykes had written about more than 100 hikes in the Rainier area, and "was always eager to find new places to go, hidden hikes that weren't well-traveled."

Nelson said her disappearance was particularly shocking because she was so experienced.

"It tells us that no matter how prepared we are, accidents happens and things can happen. We need to take outdoor recreation seriously. There's a certain amount of risk every day we get up, whatever we do," she said.

Since 2000, 18 hikers have died in Mount Rainier National Park, including from falls, drowning and heart attacks, according to park statistics.

Annette Shirey, 52, who lives in Tucson, Arizona, said her mother had a personal connection to the mountain and wanted to share that love with others.

"The mountains were always a place that gave her strength and was always uplifting for her," she said. "It helped restore her spirit and her strength."

• Magnitude-7.9 quake spawns small tsunami

By MARK THIESSEN/Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A strong earthquake near Alaska's Aleutian Islands triggered a tsunami warning Monday, but only small waves measuring several inches hit coastal communities.

The National Tsunami Warning Center, which initially issued a warning that significant inundation was possible, kept advisories in place for parts of the sparsely populated islands, saying conditions could be dangerous to people near the water.

"There could be strong currents, but still stay away from the beach," said Dave Nyland, a geophysicist at the warning center.

The magnitude-7.9 earthquake struck early Monday afternoon, centered about 13 miles southeast of Little Sitkin Island, or about 1,400 miles southwest of Anchorage.

There were no reports of damage, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Residents in some communities like Adak, which were first in line for the tsunami, did evacuate.

"We're seeing water leave our bay, so we do have everybody up on the Bering Hill area, where our primary evacuation center is at," City Manager Layton Lockett told The Associated Press by telephone as he gathered some paperwork before heading out to join about 300 residents at the center.

After the warning was canceled, he said everyone in town remains on alert. If anything significant were to happen, a siren will sound.

"We will expect everyone to go back on the hill ASAP," he said.

About 200 miles west, a tsunami wave of about 7 inches was reported at Amchitka Island, Zidek said. The wave diminished the further it traveled, reaching only a couple of inches at Adak and Shemya.

But the earthquake was widely felt in Adak, one of the largest cities in the affected area. Shaking could also be felt in Shemya and other villages along the island chain.

Lockett said the prolonged shaking from the temblor put it in the top 10 of those felt recently.

"Everybody in our building went out, watching the vehicles shake and waiting for it to end," he said.

Shemya Island is where the U.S. military operates Eareckson Air Station, which serves mainly as an early warning radar installation. Air Force officials said there was no damage to the air station.

Amchitka Island is where the government tested nuclear weapons underground in the 1960s and 70s. The tests included one of the United States' largest nuclear explosions.

Monday's earthquake was initially reported with a magnitude of 7.1, but that was upgraded to 8.0, said Natasha Ruppert, a seismologist with the Alaska Earthquake Center. In the review of data hours after the quake, the magnitude was downgraded to 7.9.

There were several strong aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging from 3.5 to 5.9. Nyland said those would be too small to trigger a tsunami.

A tsunami advisory remained in effect late Monday afternoon for coastal areas between Nikolski and Attu, which is near the tip of the Aleutians.

A separate advisory stretching from Nikolski to Unimak Pass, which is further east, was canceled. That area includes Unalaska, a community of about 4,000 people and home to Dutch Harbor, one of the nation's largest fishing ports.

An advisory means strong currents or dangerous waves are expected, but widespread inundation isn't likely.