In just 24 hours, Lions Bay Search and Rescue has responded to five calls involving hikers on the Howe Sound Crest Trail — two on Saturday, followed by two more today.
The first involved a hiker who fell down steep terrain on the HSCT around Thomas Peak and suffered a significant leg laceration. His fall was eventually stopped when he became caught in a tree near a major drop. Had that tree not stopped him, he could have continued falling hundreds of metres down the mountainside.
It is an important reminder that a fall in exposed mountain terrain can have consequences far beyond the initial injury. Move slowly, deliberately, with three or four point of contact as required.
The second call involved lost hikers who started from Cypress using Google Maps for navigation. They underestimated how long the route would take and eventually tried to find an exit via Mount Unnecessary toward the Erin Moore Trail. This is an extremely difficult descent trail - if you have to exit early, we recommend the Binkert Trail instead.
We have written about Google Maps before - it is NOT an appropriate backcountry navigation tool. It is primarily designed for roads and urban navigation, not complex mountain terrain - it does not calculate hiking routes correctly and gives inaccurate times. Use a proper offline backcountry mapping application and know how to use it before you leave.
Then came two more calls today — one at approximately 9 a.m. and another around 3 p.m. Both involved knee injuries on the HSCT.
Both groups were travelling overnight with significant pack weight. After kilometres of difficult terrain and descent, knee pain became significant enough that the hikers felt they could no longer safely continue with many kilometres still ahead.
There is an important lesson here about the Howe Sound Crest Trail itself.
If you have hiked something like the Panorama Ridge Trail and look at the distance of the HSCT, you might assume they are comparable.
They are not.
The HSCT is not a normal hiking trail. It travels through rugged alpine terrain with significant elevation gain and loss, difficult footing, route-finding challenges and sections of Class 3 terrain with chains and serious exposure. Around the Lions and toward Thomas Peak, a slip or fall in the wrong place can have severe consequences.
A heavy overnight pack also changes how your body moves. Added weight increases the demands on your legs during long descents, particularly after hours of fatigue. Train with the pack you intend to carry and understand what repeated steep descents will feel like before committing to a long traverse. Do not do the HSCT trail as your first big overnight hike.
There are two other major changes happening in the mountains right now:
It is freezing overnight in the alpine, and we are rapidly losing daylight.
Hikers this weekend reported slippery, icy conditions in the morning. Diamond Head and Black Tusk were visibly carrying fresh snow today. Dewy rock, roots, vegetation and exposed terrain can become considerably more hazardous after an overnight freeze.
At the same time, the days are getting much shorter. A route that took most of the available daylight a few weeks ago may now put you into darkness before you finish. Underestimating your travel time, getting temporarily off route, slowing down because of an injury or encountering more difficult terrain than expected can quickly turn into night travel.
A headlamp is not an optional “just in case” item. Carry one, along with spare power.
Fall mountain conditions are here, even if it still feels warm in the city.
Bring warm layers, gloves and a toque, along with the rest of your Essentials. As temperatures continue to fall, consider carrying microspikes when snow or overnight ice is expected, particularly for early-morning travel.
Consider trekking poles for stability and to reduce the load on your knees during long descents. A 1999 Journal of Sports Sciences study measured downhill walking on a 25° slope and found that trekking poles significantly reduced ground-reaction forces, knee-joint moments, and tibiofemoral compressive and shear forces by 12–25%.
That matters on routes like the HSCT, where long, steep descents combined with fatigue and a heavy overnight pack can place considerable demands on your knees.
Change your mindset to fall weather and fall hazards.
This transition period can be particularly challenging in the mountains, and we see many incidents during it. Conditions are changing quickly: shorter daylight, overnight freezing, ice and snow at elevation, colder temperatures and increasingly slippery terrain.
The mountains have changed seasons. Our planning, equipment and expectations need to change with them.
Call 5 - in progress for ill prepared headlamps.