Hiker and his Bernese mountain dog rescued after night on Buntzen Lake trail

A Maple Ridge, B.C., hiker says he's taking his dog home for a hefty,well deserved breakfast after the pair spent the night stuck on a Buntzen Lake-area trail after a tripgone wrong.

Mike Niedzielski, 45, said he and hisBernese mountain dog,Hunter,set out alongthe Dilly Dally Trail on Sunday. They ran into troublewhenNiedzielskislipped and fell backward, bumpingthe five-year-old doginto a ravine.

The hiker coaxed Hunter backto the path, but it was clear the dog had an injured shoulder and couldn't walk down. Niedzielskitried to carryHunter "113 pounds of love" but gave up when hestrained his back.

"I would have to lift his front paws, then lift his butt over obstacles, then it just got worse and worse and I said, 'You know what, we can't go any farther,'" Niedzielskisaid.

"It was absolutely terrifying."

Niedzielskiphoned for help around 9 p.m. PT. It took three hours for Coquitlam Search and Rescue members to reachthe pair. The teambrought camping supplies and stayed withNiedzielskiand Hunter until ahelicopter lifted themto safety at first light Monday.

Niedzielski, a machinist, said he plans to take Hunter to the vet later Monday. Search and rescue crews praised the hiker's preparedness, saying he'd done "everything right" from leaving a trip plan with his wifeto providing his exact coordinates when he calledfor help.