Numbers are up, and hikers need to be prepared Screen shot from Petr Lebedev's Sea to Sky Wasp Watch site. Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) member Maria Masiar wants hikers to be on the alert for wasp nests on the trails, and to be prepared if the worst should happen. "Search and Rescue teams have been getting reports of stings since May this year," Masiar said. "It was a warm winter, which meant more queens survived, which has meant more and larger colonies along hiking t

Top essentials plus the best choice in apps LBSAR prepares Talon helicopter for night flight. Photo courtesy LBSAR. Well-prepared hikers may already know to head out carrying the ten essentials. But Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) member Maria Masiar notes that three particular items often mean the difference between a successful hike out and an emergency — a cell phone, a headlamp and a spare battery pack. It's the height of hiking season at the moment, and local parking

Summer season off to a busy start for LBSAR Photo courtesy LBSAR. Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) faced a triple rescue earlier this week that began on July 5 when a married couple attempted to complete the Howe Sound Crest Trail in a single day. According to LBSAR member Maria Masiar, the couple had parked their vehicle at Porteau Cove, arranged a shuttle to Cypress Mountain, and began their hike at approximately 9:00 a.m. However, by the time they reached James Peak, th

How much do you know about LBSAR? Photo courtesy LBSAR. Sunny skies and warm temperatures have local hikers shaking the dust off their hiking boots, and poring over local trail maps. But for Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR), the increasing number of hikers in the wilderness means the start of rescue season. Of course, with winter hiking and the ever-increasing number of adventurers taking advantage of the great outdoors, it's never really NOT rescue season for LBSAR. They

Twelve-year-old E-biker calls for help An injured hiker received help on Saturday, thanks to a young local who was out for a ride. Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) member Maria Masiar reports that a twelve-year-old boy was out on his e-bike when he came upon the injured hiker. The hiker had been trying to make his way down using a pole he had found in the woods. Neither the hiker nor their partner had a cell phone, so it was the young cyclist who used his cell phone to cal

Lions Bay SAR call-out season off to a busy start Members of the SAR teams deliver an injured hiker to BC Ambulance Services via helicopter on May 1. Photo courtesy Lions Bay SAR. An injured knee and a lost backpack both proved problematic for hikers this weekend. The sunny weekend proved to be a siren song, as hikers flocked to the trails to enjoy the sun and the views. A call came in to Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) on Friday May 1, reporting an injured hiker near Tun

Vehicle owner saving airport parking fees? After a multi-day search that involved a number of agencies, the mystery of the abandoned Jeep in Lions Bay School parking lot has been solved. Local residents were concerned that the abandoned vehicle could belong to a backcountry visitor who had not returned from a hike. However, RCMP did not receive any reports of missing persons or hikers. Squamish RCMP Constable Adam Koehle said that after investigation, the police have learned

Missing driver or free parking ploy? Photo by Ian Grant. A vehicle has remained parked in the school lot for more than a month, and a local resident is concerned. Long-time resident Ian Grant, whose home is across from Lions Bay School's lower parking lot, said that he has made a report to the Squamish RCMP. "I've reported it twice to the police, and they told me that someone else had reported it as well. I'm just a little bit worried that the person has gone up the mountain

John Dudley breaks trails and brings sleepless nights Rudy Luethy's memorial bench, designed and built by Andrew Wray. Photo by Andrew Wray. This is the third and final installment (for now!) of long-time resident John Dudley's history of building trails in and around Lions Bay over the past three decades. If you have an interest in lending a hand with this eternally on-going project, he dearly hopes you will reach out. He shares his experiences in Part One HERE, in which

John Dudley remembers the ups and downs of trail building Photo by John Dudley. Long-time resident John Dudley has been building and maintaining the local trail system around the Village for decades, and he's looking for some help. In a recent outreach to local residents on social media, Dudley notes that "a number of our team have been with the group for over 25 years and are now approaching their best-before date." He says he's hoping to welcome some enthusiastic volunteers

Plus, a history of Lions Bay Trailblazing: Part One Official opening of the Totally Unnecessary Trail (now the Erin Moore Trail) June 1, 2001. Photo by John Dudley Sharp-eyed residents may have noticed a recent plea in the Lions Bay Village Update for new blood on the Trailblazer's Team. Founder John Dudley put out a call for "enthusiastic people who don't need replacement parts" and who are interested in seeing our local trails remain in good condition to reach out to the gr