A hiker who became stranded on the exposed south ridge of Mt. Superior in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Wednesday, July 23, was rescued uninjured after calling for help when the terrain became too dangerous to navigate alone.

The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team said two friends started the hike at 6 a.m. Wednesday. The pair became separated on the route, and one called for help shortly before noon after feeling unable to safely move up or down the ridge.

A SAR team hiked up to reach the stranded hiker. Before they arrived, the hiker began descending on their own, though SAR had advised them to stay put if they weren't comfortable. The team met the hiker near the Gazex, a fixed avalanche control structure on the ridgeline above SR-210, and escorted them the rest of the way to the road. All teams were off the mountain by 1:25 p.m.

SAR warns: not a beginner route

With the Pioneer Day holiday weekend bringing more hikers into the canyons, the SAR team issued a pointed safety advisory about the route.

"The south ridge of Superior is not a beginner scramble," the team said in its Wednesday statement. "It is a difficult hike with substantial exposure and severe consequences. As with any route, please research it before you go and if a member of your party decides they are uncomfortable with the terrain, consider turning around together."

Route guides describe the south ridge as a scramble with brief sections of Class 5 rock (rated 5.4 to 5.5), roughly 2,550 feet of elevation gain, and no established trail. The ridge narrows to as little as 3 feet across in places. A hiker died on the route in September 2002, according to the route guide RoadTripRyan.

Another canyon rescue this summer

The Mt. Superior rescue follows another serious incident in Little Cottonwood Canyon. On Saturday, July 19, Salt Lake County SAR, a Department of Public Safety helicopter, and Unified Fire rescued a climber who fell about 30 feet on the Pentapitch climbing route, sustaining ankle and shoulder injuries.

The SAR team's message for anyone eyeing the south ridge this weekend: know the route before you go, and don't split up on technical terrain.