BCMC Grouse Mountain Rescue – A Day in the Life

by | Feb 21, 2018 | Grouse Grind, Hiking

We just wanted to share a little story from Gerry Rahn, the founder of Grindaholic. We were talking about our recent adventures over coffee and Gerry brought up a hike he went on over a week ago. He doesn’t know we’re sharing it here today, but we think it bears repeating. Sorry Gerry, we know you’re humble.

Over a week ago the original Grindaholic was hiking up the BCMC on his second of three hikes in the span of 12 hours. Gerry was 3/4’s of the way up when he heard faint sounds of other hikers way off in the distance. He couldn’t quite make out the precise words, but undertones of stress and concern were clear.

Abandoning his path, Gerry veered off the BCMC through the brush in an attempt to find the source of the voices. Within about 10 minutes he came upon two women and two men. Noting the relief on their faces he could tell he made the right call. One woman in particular remained somewhat concerned, even though she was happy that their group number just grew by one experienced local hiker (Gerry just exudes that aura).

It seems that she had only just become acquainted with the other three, a small group visiting from El Salvador. She was lost, as were they, and they had happened upon each other. Turns out the solo hiker was especially stressed because she was pregnant. Here she was on a foggy day up on the BCMC, hiking for an hour, lost for an additional hour, and growing more frantic with each passing minute. Our expectant hiker (pictured below) was not expecting this to happen on a trail she thought she knew well enough to navigate on her own.

True to his duty, Gerry guided the lost hikers (and mother to be) back to the BCMC, then walked with them the remainder of the way to make sure they stayed on course. At the end of the hike hugs made their rounds, photos were taken, and contact information exchanged. For Gerry Rahn, this was just another day on the mountain.

Gerry has been navigating the tumultuous trails of B.C. for over two decades and through that time he has come across (and assisted) many lost hikers. As hiking in this neck of the Pacific Northwest continues to grow in popularity and the Grouse Grind hits record numbers year after year, more hikers will veer off the trails and get lost.

That is why Gerry and all Grindaholics continue to keep a keen eye (and ear) open for any sign of trouble. But in an effort to take more preventative measures, Grindaholic will be launching a guided tour program for locals and visitors alike who would like to venture onto the BCMC, Grouse Grind, and other challenging hikes in the region (and beyond). Stay tuned as we prepare for launch. If you come across this article before then, contact Grindaholictoday to book a guided tour.

Until then, thanks for reading and thanks to our founder, Gerry Rahn, for being a true Grindaholic.

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