Officials warn Solano County trail "dangerous" in summer after weekly rescues, heat-related death
Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve's trails have a clear draw: the sparkling views from atop Lake Berryessa.
The Vacaville Fire Protection District is putting out a warning to avoid this hike altogether if you are not an experienced hiker, and even still, consider hiking at a cooler time of the year.
At the Cold Canyon trailhead, hikers have to walk right past a large orange sign that reads "heat kills."
"Everything over 85 degrees, they suggest not to get on this trail," said District Chief Phil Jones with VFPD.
Last week, seven hikers were rescued by helicopter when they all started to suffer from heat illness halfway through the five-mile hike.
"And that was all from heat. They were on top of the hill. They weren't prepared. They just got stuck. They got in a bad situation," said Jones.
It's posted on the trailhead sign that anyone hiking the trail needs to bring a gallon of water with them to stay safe.
Especially with the triple-digit temperatures forecasted through the weekend, the warning is dire.
"We're starting to get calls almost every week to pull people off the hill for dehydration and heat-related illnesses," said Jones.
The uphill, 1,300-foot elevation gain is unforgiving.
"So it's a lot easier coming down, but it's still treacherous, it's little trails. It's not a nice walking road with handles," said Jones.
Friday, a CHP search and rescue helicopter was conducting a rescue drill while CBS13 was shooting this story. Though crews are ready, they hope people heed their warning and stay off the trail.
"This is not a casual hike. This is an extreme and dangerous hike," said Jones.
One of the reasons this hike is so challenging is that there is so little shade.
Only a few trees provide any cover at all, and they are right at the start of the trailhead.
At the top of the hill, when most people start to struggle halfway through the five-mile loop, there's only blazing sun to welcome you.
"A few years ago, this area was impacted by the LNU complex fire that burned through this entire area, so most of the vegetation is burnt out," said Jones.
One hiker has already died in May of this year and one died last year, both heat-related deaths after a trail-top rescue.
Officials are asking people to avoid this trail altogether until the temperature dips back down into the 70s and low 80s.
If you still plan to hike the Cold Canyon and Blue Ridge trails, the advice is this:
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