EXECUTIVE CORNER
Event Coordinator Meeting, November 6, 2018
Calling all hikers, snow shoers, x-country skiers, planners, leaders, day-trippers, part-time walkers, photographers, nature lovers, cyclists, even if you have never led an event – there will be lots of help and mentors and co-trip leaders who would be delighted to come along with you.
This meeting is for all current CORE coordinators and any CORE members who are interested in becoming an event coordinator or just wishing to have some input on a particular trip.
The Executive Trip Coordinator will be holding an event coordinators meeting on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Place and Time will be announced shortly in the CORE calendar.
And as a reminder to all current and new event coordinators, please review the EVENT COORDINATORS GUIDELINES posted on the CORE website. These guides are a collection of “knowledge” representing years of experience of people seasoned in mountain recreation. They are meant to promote safety in our outdoor activities.
Contacting your Executive
CORE has a couple of purpose-oriented email addresses through which you can contact various executive members. If you have a general question about the club, for instance what activities are coming up, presenters planned, etc, please email us at mailbox@corehike.org. If it is a question about membership or joining the club, please direct your query to membership@corehike.org.
Remember that our CORE Executive members are volunteers who also have day jobs and a life outside of CORE, so please be patient if it takes a few days to respond to your queries.
September CORE Meeting – Presenting “Walking the 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Shikoku Japan”
September’s monthly meeting is on Tuesday, September 25 at Scarboro Community Centre. It will feature a slide show: “Walking the 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Shikoku Japan”, presented by CORE member Kiyoko. The 88 Temple Pilgrimage is Japan’s most famous pilgrimage route, a 1200 km loop around the island of Shikoku. While most modern-day pilgrims (an estimated 100,000 yearly) travel by tour bus, a small minority still set out the old-fashioned way on foot, a journey which takes about six weeks to complete. Kiyoko and 3 friends undertook this journey in 2007, and the story of their odyssey promises to be very interesting, so don’t miss it
Members and non-members alike are invited to attend.
If YOU have an idea for a presenter who may be willing to give us a talk on their adventures, please send their particulars along to the executive, and we’ll see what can be arranged.
ACTIVITY SCOREBOARD
September 2018
Here are a few highlights from the CORE calendar for September. Please visit the CORE photo albums for more pictures from recent activities.
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NEWS & NOTES
Courses
Regretfully, the Executive had to make the difficult decision to cancel the Wilderness First Aid Course scheduled for Saturday, September 22 due to lack of participation. It was rather surprising as the last time this course was presented it was very well attended and the feedback was excellent. Thank you to those who sent comments from which, it seemed more a question of scheduling than lack of interest, but that will always be the case. The Executive will now discuss whether to put this, or another course, on in the near future.
Cold and Wet Weather
The weather is starting to get cooler outside, bringing rain and snow. Ensure you bring a warm layer of clothes and weather resistance gear on your outdoor events.
Trailhead Parking Security
It has been reported that car break-ins and theft has been happening at trail-head parking lots. Be sure to lock up your belongings and ensure nothing is visible when you leave your vehicle to mitigate the visibility of tempting items for thieves.
Trail Closures
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Bear Closure – Ptarmigan Cirque Interpretive
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Construction Closure – Bow River Campground – September 10, 2018 until end of year
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Bear Closure – Fortress Junction Gas Station up to Opal Ridge
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Construction Closure – Spray Lakes Road and Grassi Lakes Day Use – until September 26th, 2018
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Bear Closure – Central Spray Valley
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Ha Ling Trail/Climbs Closed Until October 2018
- Wolf Warning – Bow Valley Parkway from Fireside day use to Castle Junction.
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Check Trail reports, due to the recent weather some trails have snow cover at the higher altitudes and trails only listed in fair condition.
Contest
A contest to encourage member readership of the CORE newsletter was started in August and will continue for the September, October and November issues. There will be a prize awarded at the the CORE Christmas party in November. Each month, there will be a quiz question related to some clue buried within the newsletter. Collect all four clues to participate in the contest at the Christmas Party (November 27), and winners names will be put in a draw for a prize. The Executive has put aside a MEC gift certificate, so stay tuned, folks.
Eligibility:
- Must be a CORE member
- Cannot be a member of the Executive (insider knowledge etc.)
- Must be in attendance at the CORE Christmas Party
September Newsletter clue: “Which type of bear has the longer claws?” The answer is in the Hither and Yon” section of the September Newsletter.
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Hither and Yon
For all CORE members, this spot is for you. If you have a little story to tell about something you’ve seen on a CORE outing, or some article or book you may have read that you would like to share, please send it along and we’ll publish it in the next newsletter. Keep it to a couple paragraphs, and stick to topics related to the outdoors or the environment. Please submit via email to mailbox@corehike.org.
Bear Smart
- Know your different Bears:
- Grizzly bear has pronounced shoulder hump, may have silver or grey hairs on face, back and hump, ears are round, nose is pig like, claws longer 7.5 to 10 cm in length.
- Black bear are more uniform in colour, nose is dog like, claws are short 2.5 cm in length.
- Bear Signs: bear tracks, bear trails, scat, rolled logs and rocks, torn stumps, rubbed chewed and claw marked trees, diggings, ant hills torn up.
- Avoid encounters:
- Make lots of noise.
- Travel in groups.
- Walk pets on leash.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Recognize signs of wildlife.
- Carry bear spray and know how to use.
- If you encounter a bear:
- Stop, Never Run
- Stay calm and size up the situation
- If bear is unaware of your presence, back away slowly the way you came.
- If bear is aware of your presence, talk calmly and back away slowly.
- In a defensive encounter, if a bear comes within your range, use your bear spray, if bear makes contact play dead.
- If attack continues fight back, act big and loud, use your bear spray, attack the eyes and nose.
For more information on handling bears and another wildlife encounters visit Wildsmart at:
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….see you on the trails …
Jane and Stu