To increase public awareness of backcountry safety, the Squamish Emergency Program is inviting Squamish outdoors enthusiasts to its second annual Trail Sense Day at the Stawamus Chief.
The event takes place on Aug. 8, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the head of the Chief hiking trail.
Jim Lang, co-ordinator of the Squamish Emergency Program, said the primary goal of Trail Sense day is prevention.
"We'd like to talk about safety there, and in the end if we do an excellent job we won't have to do a rescue again," said Lang.
The Squamish Emergency Program and a number of local businesses will be in attendance, creating a "gauntlet of happy folks reaching out to them [hikers]" to explain the importance of backcountry safety.
Visitors will get to participate in learning activities like the AdventureSmart Wheel of Fortune where a correct answer will win the participant a whistle or other small prize.
One example of an important item Lang suggests to take along on a hike is a cell phone.
"You're going to come across that person who is injured and you're going to want that cell phone," he said. "It's smart to carry it for yourself [but] it's more likely that you'd use that equipment that you take up there for somebody else.
"Trail sense day is another way of reminding everybody that it is a nice world for ourselves, but we also have to be aware that there are other people out there as well who might also find themselves in difficulty. The message just keeps on going."
On a busy weekend 800 to 1,000 people will head up the Chief trail, said Lang, adding he has been a trained Search and Rescue manager "since there was ice in the valley."
The Squamish Emergency Program is a volunteer-based organization that provides a variety of search and rescue services including mountain rescue, ground search and rescue, rope rescue, swift water rescue and helicopter external transportation. For more information about the program, visit squamishrescue.com.
