Hiker and his dogs rescued after getting stuck on Grouse Mountain

A man and his two dogs have been safely rescued after a cold and dark hike on Grouse Mountain.

The man in his 20s was hiking the area near Mosquito Creek on the shortest day of the year when night fell.

The hiker was experienced but not well equipped for the winter conditions and was forced to call for help in the late afternoon Tuesday.

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It was dark, steep and slippery route for the hiker, and North Shore Rescue Search Manager Dave Barnett says it only got more treacherous after he crossed a high bridge.

Barnett says the man’s dogs were nervous when crossing the bridge, further adding to the challenging route.

“After he got across that bridge with a bit of difficulty, he ran into another one even more steep and slippery. He just wasn’t comfortable crossing that bridge with his dogs, which was probably the right thing to do,” he said.

The area was too dangerous to continue on, so he stopped where he was and called for help.

The search and rescue volunteers were able to find him and guide him to safety.

The man and his dogs were a bit cold, but otherwise fine, Barnett said.

With files from Kareem Gouda