SEPTEMBER ACTIVITY SCOREBOARD
We’re a bit early this month in sending out the October Newsletter, as this author will be away for a good part of October. Hope you find our newsletter both enjoyable and informative.
September was another good month for club outings, considering some events had to be cancelled due to bad weather. There were 17 events posted on the calendar, including urban walks, cycle trips, dinner and movie outings, scrambles and hikes of various levels of difficulty.
Some Highlights
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 Stanley Mitchel Weekend – CORE Member at Twin Falls |
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September Club Meeting
Last month’s club meeting was held on Tue September 29 at the Scarboro Community Centre. The presenter was David Peyto (author & former Phys.Ed. teacher) who gave a photo presentation about his interesting project, walking every street in Calgary.
CORE OCTOBER CLUB MEETING
Tues. October 27 – 7 p.m.
Join us at the Scarboro Community Hall, 1727 – 14 Ave SW. The theme for the evening will be:
Exploring the Cariboo Region
Join CORE member Chris Wright as he presents Exploring the Cariboo and Chilcotin through a collection of his photographs. This area is a sparsely populated region in central British Columbia with dramatic rolling grasslands, Douglas Fir forests, and numerous lakes.
Some highlights:
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SAFETY
Bear Activity
As usual, check out the http://www.wildsmart.ca/ website for latest bear activity in the Bow Valley.
Watch your Step
Some Safety thoughts from Chairman Mike:
Whenever you are close to a big drop:
- Look where your feet are – is the ground solid or cracked?
- Better yet, always have at least 3 points of contact with the rock/ground (2 feet and a hand or 1 foot and 2 hands)
- Avoid wet slimy places
- Mountains do not give you a second chance – if in doubt retreat
Search and Rescue at Twin Falls
Many in the outdoor community took note of the fall and tragic death of a young hiker at Twin Falls in Yoho National park this past month. This is a popular stop-over spot along the Whaleback hike, and many CORE members have been to this locale. This brings to mind just how risky trekking in the mountains can be. It isn’t just bears and avalanches. But we still venture there because of the sheer lure of the mountain top.
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EXECUTIVE CORNER
Ask your Exec
If CORE members have any questions about club policies or procedures, just email us at mailbox@corehike.org and a member of the Executive will respond. If the question is of general interest, we’ll include it with the answer in the next newsletter.
Q&A’s
What is the club policy on carpooling?
Folks who have signed up for an event will meet at a spot designated by the event coordinator. People who volunteer to drive will record the total distance to trailhead and back, and be compensated by passengers at a rate of $0.25 per KM / number of people in the vehicle. Payment is traditionally made at the end of the trip. Note that the rate may change from year to year upon review by the executive.
Do all participants on a hike have to proceed at the pace of the slowest person?
Generally speaking, that is the suggestion. If the group is a large one however, it is possible for the hike leader to offer to split the group into a slower and faster group provided that each group has at least 4 members in it. Other safety precautions would apply to each smaller group such as each one having a lead and a sweep, and waiting for the whole group at any points where the trail divides and the incorrect trail could potentially be taken.
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
MEC Night
MEC will be hosting a CORE club discount night on Thursday, October 22. Participants MUST bring their CORE membership card to be eligible for discounts associated with the event. MEC personnel will also host a walking tour of their outdoor clothing section and talk about layering for winter. For those interested, please arrive at MEC between 6:45 and 7:00 PM. CORE members Dave and Edna will be available to hand out identifying bracelets for the group. For further information, please email mailbox@corehike.org.
INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS
Our monthly quote from outdoor adventurer writers.
Earle Alfred Birney, (1904 –1995) was a distinguished Canadian poet and novelist, who twice won the Governor General’s Award, Canada’s top literary honor, for his poetry. You can Google the poem if you want to read through the whole piece, but this little bit, although quite dated, helps explain why people go to such places.
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Excerpt from the poem “David” by Earl Birney
But always we talked of the Finger on Sawback, unknown
And hooked, till the first afternoon in September we slogged
Through the musky woods, past a swamp that quivered with frog-song,
And camped by a bottle-green lake. But under the cold
Breath of the glacier sleep would not come, the moonlight
Etching the Finger. We rose and trod past the feathery
Larch, while the stars went out, and the quiet heather
Flushed, and the skyline pulsed with the surging bloom
Of incredible dawn in the Rockies.
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