In my occasional hikes up the North Shore mountains, I've often been stunned at what I've come across. It isn't the scenery that has stopped me – although it can – or the random sighting of a bear or cougar. Rather it has been the people I've encountered attempting to reach the summit of Mount Seymour or Cypress wearing flip-flops and a T-shirt and carrying nothing more than a flimsy bottle of water for supplies.
I assure you, this is not an exaggeration. And anyone who regularly uses the trails on the North Shore will assuredly attest that the number of people who head out on a serious hike completely unprepared is astounding. It's no surprise to me that most of the people who end up getting in trouble and availing themselves of the services of North Shore Rescue are precisely these same hikers.
This past weekend, NSR had to rescue 10 people, many of whom would fit the description of the people I've just mentioned.
There is something definitely not right in our search-and-rescue world here in B.C. The trails that have been blazed through the North Shore mountains are arguably the most well-worn in the country. Still, if you're not paying attention or you are inexperienced and suddenly find yourself trekking without daylight, you can get in a heap of trouble in a hurry. And this happens nearly every weekend – with the often careless hikers paying no consequences for the rescue operation that has to be mounted in their names.
I have a problem with people having to sacrifice their own safety to help out the willfully ignorant. The extraordinary volunteers who make NSR one of the finest rescue operations in the world refuse to entertain any notion of levying a financial penalty on those who have to be rescued as a means of offsetting the costs involved in carrying out these dangerous and time-consuming manoeuvres.
NSR's concern is if we tell people they'll have to pay for their own stupidity, then they may not phone 911 to say they are lost. Personally, I'm not sure I buy that. I think that when people realize their lives are in danger, they'll call for help and worry about any financial fallout afterward.
But in the absence of any kind of user-pay system, we must accept what we have now, which is NSR having to rely on donations to fund their annual operations – which amount to about a half a million dollars. About $180,000 of that comes from the province and the three North Shore municipalities. The balance has to be fundraised by NSR.
Think about that for a moment. Here is a group of about 40 members who donate hundreds and hundreds of hours of their time each year – mostly on weekends – to brave dangerous environs and often inhospitable conditions to save complete strangers. And they have to hold bake sales to raise the money necessary to carry out their rescue feats? They have to hold pub raffles for the privilege of saving hundreds of lives?
There is something not right here on a whole bunch of levels.
The number of rescue operations the group has had to launch this year is off the charts. In a typical year, NSR gets 90 to 100 calls. They've had nearly 120 so far in 2015 and there is plenty of hiking season left. Beyond the costs, this is putting a massive strain on the volunteers themselves. In interviews, you can hear the exasperation in the voice of Mike Danks, the 39-year-old leader of NSR.
The pace has been relentless. And remember, these volunteers all have day jobs, ones they need to pay the mortgage and buy the groceries. It's difficult to perform those jobs well when you've spent the night before rappelling down the side of a mountain to reach some kid shivering on a ledge in his cut-off jean shorts and muscle shirt.
At some point, we have to say enough is enough. At some point, it doesn't seem right for government to outsource this job to an underfunded volunteer group. But if Victoria is intent on allowing these organizations to be responsible for saving people's lives, at least find a way of funding them properly. And then launch a massive education campaign that helps people understand that a trek up the mountains surrounding Vancouver is not the same as a stroll around the Stanley Park seawall.
Good shoes and a brain are required.
Gary Mason