Lost skier finds refuge at emergency cache near Cypress Mountain Resort

A backcountry skier who lost his way near the Cypress Mountain Resort was found unharmed Sunday night afterhe sought refugeat an emergency equipment cache for lost hikers.

The 42-year-old man spentseveral frigid hours strandedon the mountainbefore volunteers fromNorth Shore Rescue found himat the emergency equipmentcache,

The skier, who was backcountry skiing alone, ran into trouble around 1.30 p.m. Sunday when hecalled his wife to say he was lost, but he could still see Hollyburn Mountain.

His wife called back at 3.30 p.m. and he told her he thought he'd be out in half an hour. When she didn't hear back from him, she phoned police, who alerted North Shore Rescue and volunteers began searching at 7 p.m.

North Shore Rescue team leader Mike Danks saidthe skier was found just after 11.30 p.m. at the bottom of a steepgully.

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Danks saidthere is a high risk of avalanches on the North Shore Mountains right now and given the current conditions, "he was very lucky he didn't get hit by an avalanche higher up in thegully."

"It's a very dangerous area during avalancheconditions because it's a terrain trap in there. If there is a slide, which there happened to beyesterdayafternoon, there is a high likelihood that you can get seriously injured in there."

Danksurged back country skiers to travel with a partner and bring safety equipment.

The safety cache was one of several on the North Shore Mountains filled withropes, sleeping bags and other gear, that were placed at several spots by the North Shore Rescue team.

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