Story highlights The body of Doug Walker, 64, was found Friday; he died in an apparent avalanche

An avid outdoorsman, Walker was hiking on Granite Mountain Trail in Washington state

He co-founded software company WRQ Inc. and was founding president of the Seattle Parks Foundation

(CNN) An outdoor enthusiast and early high-tech pioneer in Seattle is dead, killed in an apparent avalanche.

The King County Sheriff's Office launched a search Thursday after Doug Walker, 64, disappeared while hiking with a group of friends at the Granite Mountain Trail, about 45 miles southeast of Seattle.

His body was found Friday along a route that he had apparently traversed many times. The American Alpine Club , for which Walker served as president, confirmed his death.

Sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West told CNN affiliate KOMO that "he was found in ... a debris field, which would be consistent with an avalanche having occurred, so that's one possible scenario of what happened." She called his death a tragic accident.

Walker, originally from South Carolina, moved to Seattle to attend graduate school at the University of Washington.