Search and rescue officials in B.C. are warning would-be hikers to do their homework before striking out to into the province's backcountry, after several ill-equipped individuals were recovered from the mountains over the Victoria Day weekend.
North Shore Rescue says it's concerned that novice hikers are being lured to the mountains by Instagram posts that advertise too-good-to-be-true conditions. One post they highlighted shows a woman wearing shorts and a tank top on St. Marks Summit, a peak that is still covered in snow at this time of year.
"If you're a novice hiker and you don't have any avalanche safety equipment with you, and you're in runners, you shouldn't be there," Mike Danks, of North Shore Rescue, told CTV Vancouver.
Among those rescued from the Saint Marks area over the weekend were three young women in running shoes, who called 911 from a trail where the snow was nearly a metre deep.
"We saw other hikers with running shoes and wearing the same clothes as us, so we thought we'd be fine," Rana Nour, who was one of the three women rescued, told CTV Vancouver.
Rema Nour said she called 911 when the conditions became too dangerous for the group to press forward. "I couldn't move," she said. "My feet just felt frozen and I couldn't function."
Another hiker was rescued after he suffered an injury at Lynn Peak, where he was forced to spend the night before a helicopter arrived.
North Shore Rescue says hikers should do their research before setting out to recreate the Instagram posts they see online. Hikers are also advised to take proper equipment, including footwear, and to share their plans with someone else before setting out.
Don Jardine of North Shore Rescue says it's important for hikers not to push themselves too far. "Don't overestimate your abilities," he said. "Go on trails you've been on before. Go prepared for snow. If you think you're not prepared, then turn around and go back."
With files from CTV Vancouver
