A wayward walker needed rescuing Friday morning after straying from the BCMC trail and toward hypothermia.
The hiker called for help shortly before 9 a.m., reporting he was lost in the snow and “very cold.”
After getting a call from the RCMP, North Shore Rescue conducted an avalanche assessment and ventured down Grouse Mountain to scour the mountainside for the 24-year-old man.
A park ranger found the hiker about 50 metres east of the BCMC trail, according to NSR team leader Mike Danks. The hiker was dressed in jeans, skate shoes, and a cotton hoodie that was “absolutely soaked,” according to Danks.
“Once you get wet it’s really hard to get re-warmed without getting rid of that wet clothing,” he said.
The crew warmed him up and gave him some food and dry clothes before helping him back up the trail.
The incident underscores the danger venturing from a trail in wet, snowy conditions.
“Once you’re off the trail you can be in very steep, treacherous terrain very quickly,” Danks said.
A fall in that terrain can be severe, Danks noted.
“You end up bouncing off trees and rocks on your way down.”
Danks advised backcountry explorers to hike with a friend, wear footwear with ankle support as well as microspikes and pack an ice axe.
Many hikers seem a little more complacent in the winter, according to Danks.
“It’s mostly because they’re naïve to the dangers,” he said.
With fluctuating freezing levels and rain expected, the avalanche danger is expected to be high over the weekend.
“Check the bulletin in that area, talk to people that are on the trail, ask about the current conditions,” he said. “If you do not have avalanche training, you should not be recreating in uncontrolled terrain.”
More information is available at avalanche.ca.
