Two hikers were rescued from the North Vancouver backcountry early Saturday morning after getting stranded at the bottom of a steep, snow-covered slope.
The 21-year-old men from Richmond and Burnaby were heading along the Hanes Valley loop, a 15-kilometre trail that connects Lynn Valley with Grouse Mountain, on Friday afternoon when they realized that they couldnt go any farther.
They encountered a very steep snow field that they could not ascend because they only had running shoes on, said Tim Jones, a spokesman for North Shore Rescue.
The duo started backtracking but soon found that they couldnt cross Lynn Creek because of the high water levels.
They were not comfortable crossing, so thats why they remained stuck, said Jones.
When they didnt return home that evening, one of their fathers who had a note outlining their itinerary called the police.
At around midnight, North Vancouver RCMP launched an airborne search of the area from their Air 1 helicopter, but they were unable to find anything. Soon after, they began a second search using a list of GPS coordinates provided by North Shore Rescue.
The coordinates are based on historical searches where subjects normally go into, said Jones.
The hikers were spotted flashing a cellphone camera near the last coordinate, just north of Lynn Creek.
A field team was able to reach them by 6 a.m. and the group transported by a Talon Helicopter to North Shore Rescues rescue station in the Seymour watershed.
The men were cold, but otherwise unharmed, said Jones, adding that the pair ignored winter closure signs on the Hanes Valley route.
He advises members of the public to be wary of taking on the backcountry without proper equipment.
The ski runs may look bare but the alpine trails protected by tree canopy, there is still a ton of snow on them, he said.
You need a minimum of good mountaineering boots and an ice axe and to know how to use them.
