North Shore Rescue pulls two hikers from icy Baden Powell Trail near Cypress
Two visitors from Alberta were rescued on the Baden Powell Trail near Eagle Bluffs after temperatures dropped and light snow made the steep terrain too slippery to move.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on nsnews.com.
North Shore Rescue retrieved two hikers from Alberta from the Baden Powell Trail near Eagle Bluffs on Wednesday after snow and cold temperatures left them unable to move, North Shore News reports.
The call came in at around 11:45 a.m. on October 29. The two young men were about 1,000 metres up the trail in an area that runs from Horseshoe Bay toward Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver.
Search manager Dave Barnett told North Shore News that the area is steep, and the snow cover made the boulders slippery enough that the hikers could not move up or down with confidence. "These guys weren't prepared for snow and they just weren't confident going up and they couldn't get down," he said.
What rescue teams found
North Shore News reports that two ground teams hiked in from the SAR station in the Cypress Mountain parking lot, carrying extra clothing, heat vests and warm drinks. They reached the hikers about 90 minutes after the call.
One of the two men had decent boots and a jacket. The other was wearing runners and a cotton t-shirt under a lightweight jacket.
Barnett told North Shore News the two men had been stopped for at least two hours in conditions that dropped below freezing overnight. "They had jackets, but they were stopped there for at least two hours before we got to them," he said. Even a medium jacket is not enough when a person is wet and standing still in the cold, he added.
Both hikers were warmed up and able to hike out on their own with the search team alongside them.
What to carry now
Barnett told North Shore News the incident is a reminder that people need to be prepared for their hike and for the possibility that something goes wrong. "It's winter up in the mountains now," he said.
The gear he named: good boots, traction devices such as microspikes, gloves, a toque and waterproof outer layers.
Hanes Valley is closed
North Shore News also reports that Hanes Valley, the backcountry section of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, is now closed for the season. Metro Vancouver closes the area each year when winter conditions set in. North Shore Rescue pulled three women from Hanes Valley earlier in October before the closure.
Most of Hanes Valley has no cell signal, North Shore News notes. Hikers have died there after getting lost.
West Vancouver residents and visitors planning to hike the North Shore mountains can check conditions before heading out and should carry the gear Barnett described. Hanes Valley trails are closed now; other trails in the West Vancouver mountains remain open but require winter equipment.
Questions this story answers
Where exactly were the two hikers when they were rescued?
North Shore Rescue found them near Eagle Bluffs, about 1,000 metres up the Baden Powell Trail. That section of the trail runs from Horseshoe Bay toward Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver, within the District of West Vancouver.
What conditions made the trail dangerous?
Search manager Dave Barnett told North Shore News there was a light snow cover and the temperatures were below freezing overnight. The snow made the boulders and steep sections slippery enough that the hikers could not move up or down safely.
How did North Shore Rescue reach them?
North Shore News reports that two ground teams hiked in on foot from the SAR station in the Cypress Mountain parking lot, carrying extra clothing, heat vests and warm drinks. They reached the hikers about an hour and a half after the call came in at around 11:45 a.m.
What gear did the hikers have, and what were they missing?
According to North Shore News, one hiker had decent boots and a jacket. The other was wearing runners and a cotton t-shirt under a lightweight jacket. Barnett said both were stopped in the cold for at least two hours before rescue teams arrived.
What gear does North Shore Rescue say hikers need in the mountains right now?
Search manager Dave Barnett told North Shore News that essential items include good boots, some form of traction such as microspikes, gloves, a toque and waterproof outer layers. He said hikers should prepare not just for the hike itself but in case something goes wrong.
Is Hanes Valley open for hiking?
No. North Shore News reports that Hanes Valley, the backcountry section of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, is now closed for the season because of winter conditions. Metro Vancouver closes the area each year when the terrain becomes dangerous. The closure follows an earlier October rescue in that valley.
Is this an isolated incident or part of a pattern?
North Shore News notes that North Shore Rescue also pulled three women from Hanes Valley earlier in October before that area closed. The October 29 rescue at Eagle Bluffs is a separate incident on a different trail, but the search manager's statement treats both as signs that mountain conditions have turned for winter.
What should West Vancouver residents and visitors do before hiking the North Shore mountains now?
Based on the advice North Shore Rescue gave North Shore News, check trail conditions before going, carry microspikes or other traction, wear waterproof layers and warm headwear and gloves, and be prepared for the hike to take longer than planned. Hanes Valley is closed entirely; other trails remain open but require winter gear.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- North Shore News: Cypress hikers rescued after getting stuck in winter trail conditionsnsnews.com
- North Shore Rescuenorthshorerescue.com
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
