Mount Strachan hikers hurt in avalanche, North Shore Rescue called in

Two hikers have been seriously hurt after an avalanche on a popular Mount Strachan trail Friday.

The call for help came in around 2:30 p.m. North Shore Rescue tells CityNews the two people were on the Howe Sound Crest Trail when the slide hit.

“They got to an area of a fairly steep slope … near Strachan Meadows and some snow released. Ultimately, it’s an avalanche, but it was just rotting snow and big areas of rotting snow being undercut by rock just released. It was just really bad timing — it came down and hit them and it took them for a bit of a ride,” explained Stan Sovdat, search manager with NSR.

Ground and air teams were sent in to help the pair. The teams included an ER physician, hoist technicians, and a Level 2 avalanche forecaster.

A North Shore Rescue aerial response team gets ready to head out on a call. (Courtesy Facebook/NSR)

Sovdat says the hikers suffered “fairly significant” injuries. They are being taken to Lions Gate Hospital for treatment.

“We suspect a spinal injury in one. They both have some head trauma, broken nose, and head injuries, and also a compound fractured ankle,” he said.

While temperatures have been warming up around the Lower Mainland, higher elevations are still experiencing cooler conditions.

Sovdat notes this situation shows just how unpredictable things can be when you’re out in the backcountry this time of year.

“It’s really easy to look at the snow and think it’s just a road or a highway, solid underneath. But often, this time of year, it’s really eaten out underneath and there’s no support. And you think it’s supportive until you step on it and it gives way and you fall. Frankly, it’s injured and killed people in the past,” he explained. 

The Howe Sound Crest Trail is very popular, especially in the summer months. Sovdat is urging hikers to be aware of their surroundings and to be prepared for anything.

That includes researching your route, and knowing what you need to bring — especially for different seasons.

He says basic precautions include ensuring you have a good communication device (that might not be a cell phone), leaving a plan with someone before you head out, telling them when you plan to be back, and bringing essentials, like water and clothing.

-With files from Tarnjit Parmar