Sign stealers endangering Grouse Mountain hikers
Some signs on the old BCMC trail have been replaced 3 times this summer according to North Shore Rescue
North Shore Rescue is sounding the alarm about missing trail signs after helping a hiker who became lost on the old B.C. Mountain Clubs (BCMC) trail on Grouse Mountain Sunday night.
The male hiker was rescued and uninjured but NSR spokesman Mike Danks said he likely became lost because someone keeps removing signs marking the trail, especially around the area of Mackay Creek.
"That MacKay Creek area has been marked on three separate times now [this summer] and every time it gets marked someone goes in there and pulls all the markers down," said Danks.
"The markers are up for a good reason — so people don't get lost. And with this call we had last night, [the signs] probably would have prevented that from happening."
According to Danks, sign markers along other trails have also gone missing, although the BCMC trail, which runs parallel to the Grouse Grind, has been the worst hit.
NSR was able to locate the lost hiker by pinging his cell phone and 14 volunteers helped with the rescue, which took place in the dark.
Danks says no one knows who is removing the signs, or why.
"They're deliberately being taking down. What ever the motivation is we're not sure," he said.
"We'd like to talk to this person and try to understand [it]."
With files from Brenna Rose