SALT LAKE COUNTY -- Just because they're so close, doesn't mean they're less dangerous. That's one message Sgt. Travis Skinner of the Unified Police Department's Canyon Patrol would like to get out, as temperatures warm up and more people head to hiking trails in the mountains east of the Salt Lake Valley.

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A spike in temperatures means Utah's mountain-fed rivers and streams are quickly swelling -- some tripling in volume in a matter of days -- and raising the risk for those who recreate around them.

Failure to plan

"Probably the most common thing is no plan," Skinner says about the calls they typically receive this time of year, related to hikers who've become stranded, stuck or injured.

"They go up in the canyons; they think that because they're close to the city they're safe and they're not going to get lost," Skinner says.

But he says many of the people who find themselves in trouble, don't stick to their plans and don't stick to the trail. Instead, they veer off on what they think is a shortcut, and that sometimes lands them in a dangerous situation.

Skinner says lack of adequate supplies -- including water and food -- and inadequate training can also complicate things.

"We love that people recreate, but you can't climb a lot of the rocky terrain that we have here without the appropriate ropes, without the appropriate skill and education," Skinner says.

The price tag on a rescue operation

In addition to being dangerous, failing to plan correctly for your adventure can cost a pretty penny.

Mobilizing a search and rescue effort, according to Summit County, costs at least $3,000. Add in food and equipment, and the daily price tag climbs to around $7,000.

If teams need a medical helicopter, add $4,000. Add a mobile command center, and you add $100 an hour for fuel, communication and operators.

Last fall's rescue at the Nutty Putty Cave, for example, cost more than $20,000. The Utah County Sheriff's Office had pay $55,000 alone just to replace broken equipment.

In some cases, rescue costs may be donated; but in the end, the bill falls to taxpayers.

"We all pay, and we usually pay because of lack of planning," Skinner says.

It took 22 people to rescue three climbers who took a shortcut in American Fork Canyon over the weekend. Since most are volunteers, Utah County's price tag -- $1,500 -- is a fraction of what it could be.

Utah County added what it would have to pay in a typical year, without donated volunteer hours: $600,000.

"It all comes down to being prepared and having a basic understanding of what you are going to do that day," Skinner says.

Technically, agencies can charge people who aren't prepared and require search and rescue efforts. But all of them we talked with Monday say they rarely do that.

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Story compiled with contributions from Marc Giauque and Nadine Wimmer.

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