Hiker dies while descending trail in Little Cottonwood Canyon, police say

SALT LAKE CITY — A hiker died after he fell on a trail in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Thursday, according to police.

The 31-year-old man from Salt Lake City died while descending the Mount Superior trail, police said Friday morning. He was identified later as Brent Rane.

Rane started up the trail about 2:30 p.m. Thursday. He called some family members about 7:50 p.m. to say he was descending the trail, according to Unified police detective Ken Hansen.

Rane did not return home after that. Hansen said it appeared that Rane may have slipped on some snow on the trail and hit his head on a rock.

Crews found Rane's body on the trail about 7 a.m. Friday, police said. They were able to take his body off the mountain by 11 a.m.

The terrain where Rane's body was located is very steep, with loose gravel and dirt. There was also snow on the trail, Hansen said. Rane was found toward the end of his descent and was about to be off the mountain when he fell, Hansen added.

He recommended that people wait until the snow has melted to go hiking in the area so that the trail isn't as slippery. People should also avoid hiking at night and hike with a partner if possible, Hansen recommended.

People need to be cautious, let family members know where they are, and use proper footwear while hiking, he added.

"The laws of gravity still apply up here; and when you have these really steep hills, if you make a mistake, you know, the penalty is pretty significant," Hansen said. "So you've got to be extra careful."

Friday's incident was the 10th search-and-rescue mission in the last 12 days for Unified police, according to Hansen.

Contributing: Felicia Martinez and Derek Petersen, KSL TV

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