Stranded hikers spend three nights on Golden Ears Mountain

Published 9:00 am Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Four hikers stranded in the Golden Ears Mountains during a winter storm were rescued on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Rick Laing, spokesperson for Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue, said his team got the call on Saturday, but could only get the group off the mountain after they spent three more nights there. Fortunately, they found the emergency shelter.

The men, all in their 20s, and from Coquitlam, had decent gear and experience in the outdoors, said Laing, but not with the challenges of alpine climbing during the winter.

A forecast that called for three centimeters of snow underestimated the blizzard the hikers encountered, and they could go no further due to whiteout conditions, said Laing.

Those same conditions made it impossible for the rescue helicopter to get to the hikers. There was also a high avalanche danger. Sunday and Monday were no better, and only on Tuesday afternoon could the helicopter safely operate.

The outdoorsmen had brought enough food supplies to get through Sunday, and there is an emergency supplies cache in the shelter with blankets, heat vests, food, and other supplies.

Laing recommends people wanting to do back country adventures in winter take the Avalanche Safety Training Course and other training, or go with a guide.

In this case, given the Avalanche Canada forecast and weather conditions, this group should not have set out, he said.

A popular summit for hikers during the summer months, the Golden Ears Mountains is more than a one-day or overnight trip in January.

“It’s not the same being up there in the winter – it’s a totally different ball game.”