Salt Lake County Search and Rescue pulled three stranded hikers off Mt. Superior in Little Cottonwood Canyon late Saturday, Sept. 12. The group had wandered off-trail and became trapped on steep terrain they could neither climb nor safely descend.

The rescue is the third high-profile canyon operation in less than two months. SLCoSAR is urging hikers to plan carefully as shorter days and colder nights raise the stakes on exposed ridgelines.

The three hikers, all in their 20s, set out around 7:30 p.m. Saturday with a larger group planning to camp overnight on Mt. Superior, ABC4 reported. The larger group moved faster. The three fell behind, lost the trail and ended up on steep ground west of the South Ridge where they could not move in any direction.

They called for help around 10:30 p.m.

Salt Lake County Search and Rescue (SLCoSAR) dispatched two teams carrying ropes, harnesses, helmets, extra lights and warm layers. Volunteers scrambled to the hikers, rigged a short roped belay for each one and guided them down to easier ground. Everyone reached the road just after 1 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, according to SLCoSAR.

Recent canyon rescues

The rescue follows a difficult stretch for backcountry response teams in the Wasatch. On Sept. 6, SLCoSAR crews spent 11.5 hours overnight bringing two cold, altitude-sick hikers down from the top of Lone Peak, Gephardt Daily reported. On Aug. 20, a 16-year-old boy died after falling several hundred feet along the ridgeline of Devil's Castle near Alta, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Mt. Superior's South Ridge has been a repeat trouble spot. In July, a separate hiker was rescued from the same ridge after becoming separated from a partner and getting stranded on exposed terrain, Gephardt Daily reported. After that rescue, SLCoSAR warned on July 24 that the south ridge is not a beginner scramble and carries substantial exposure with severe consequences.

Safety warning

SLCoSAR, a volunteer organization under Salt Lake County Government, urged hikers after the Saturday rescue not to scramble up anything they cannot get back down from and to call for help early rather than risk a fall.

After the Sept. 6 Lone Peak rescue, SLCoSAR also warned that valley temperatures in the 90s can drop to the 30s at 11,000 feet after sunset, with wind chill making conditions feel even colder. The team recommended carrying extra headlamp batteries as the days grow shorter.

Residents who encounter an emergency in the backcountry should call 911.