With the nice weather expected in the next few days, I thought I pass on this report from North Shore Rescue and remind everybody to only head out into the back country well prepared and with an equally well prepared buddy. Please also note, the Bagger Challenge is limited to Howe Sound and "front-row" peaks until June 23rd (see peak list for qualifying peaks)! The North Needle is not a qualifying peak.
North Shore Rescue Report: (http://www.northshorerescue.com/2013/06/north-needle-medical-rescue/) "North Needle Medical Rescue - This afternoon NSR responded to a call for a injured 54 year old male who had taken about a 20 meter fall on a technical part of the route. Luckily the subject was well prepared and able to get out on his cell phone, as he was hiking by himself. He was about 200 meters away from the North Needle (A peak deep within Lynn Headwaters Park) when he fell.
A NSR flight team extracted him from the scene using the Helicopter External Transport System (HETS) and delivered him to a waiting ambulance. He was transported to hospital to be treated for minor to moderate injuries he sustained in the fall. Although the subject was well prepared, he was traveling by himself which can be extremely dangerous if something goes wrong. We always advise that you travel with someone else when you head into the back-country.
Also noteworthy; while on the previous call, NSR personnel also noticed a set of tracks heading up Cathedral Mountain. The tracks were observed to be crossing a heavily undermined snow bridge over a steep gulley. This is EXTREMELY dangerous, and had it given out, someone would have likely been seriously injured or killed.
With the snowpack melting it is essential that people traveling in the local mountains pay attention to areas that may be undermined by melt. These include snow covered areas near rock walls, where streams run underneath, or especially near the edge of snow patches. Falling through could be disastrous."
Stay safe.
