February 2020 CORE Newsletter

Executive News

 

February 25, 2020 CORE Monthly Meeting

Members and Guests please join us for February’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Scarboro Community Centre 1727 – 14th Ave SW.

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 will see what can be arranged.

February’s Presentation: Iceland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeanette travelled around Iceland for 20 days from May 19 to June 7, 2019. Come and see that Iceland is a country of sharp contrasts between very flat green to very dry mountainous land. From Hot pools to going to a Ice Cave and many different, beautiful waterfalls. Flat straight paved roads to the windiest gravel roads she has every been on. Very modern to the very old. Also, many different domesticated and wildlife (mainly birds) that she saw and what she did during a Whale Trip.

Renewal of CORE Membership for 2019/20 membership year

CORE is three quarters through the 2019/20 year and is planning trips for the remaining 2020 winter and spring seasons. If you would like to join any of our events, you must be a CORE member or guest. For more information on how to join CORE, go to the  “Join Now” tab, on the website.

Coordinator’s Meeting for 2019/2020 Summer Event Planning Meeting

This meeting is for all hikers, planners, leaders, day-trippers, part-time walkers, photographers, nature lovers, cyclists, scramblers, camping even if you have never led an event. There will be lots of help and mentors and co-trip leaders, who would be happy to come along with you. Mike has many guide books, maps, computers to navigate any unknown routes. This meeting is for all current CORE coordinators and CORE members who are interested in becoming an event coordinator or just wishing to have input on a particular trip.

CORE’s Executive Chair, Co-chair and trip coordinator will be holding an event coordinators meeting in April 2020 (near the middle to end of April) and a mentoring hike the following weekend. More  information will be coming in the CORE calendar and the March newsletter.

The mentoring hike will go thru the entire process from choosing your event, posting the event on the website, paperwork and what to do on the actual hike (from the meetup venue, at the trail head, while on the hike, and the return to the trailhead).

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 in the mountains. They are meant to promote safety in our outdoor activities.

Car Pooling $Contribution Rate Revised Effective January 22, 2020

CORE executive revised the car pooling $contribution rate as of January 22, 2020. The new contribution rate is one set rate of, $0.25 cents per km.   CORE executive will re-visit if vehicle expenses go up.

CORE’s Car Pooling guideline, is to contribute per kilometer multiplied by two times the distance, from the meetup place to the trailhead, multiply by .25 cents then divide by the number of people in the vehicle. For more information on car pooling and locations go to CORE Carpooling guideline.

When car pooling, if the road has been very dusty, slushy or muddy, you should help your driver out by giving an extra loonie ($1.00) or toonie ($2.00) for a vehicle wash. Your driver will appreciate this gesture.

Valley Ridge Community Parking Lot

CORE uses the Valley Ridge Community parking lot for car pooling. CORE has been asked by the community association, when we leave our vehicles at this parking lot, to park near the east end of the lot. By the entrance to the parking lot. This is to increase safety for the “in and out” skaters accessing their gate near the west end of the lot.  The two outdoor arena’s, above this community parking lot, creates heavy vehicle and foot traffic.

Event Coordinators Guidelines

Trip Reports

Please remember that the best and fastest way to send your Trip Reports to the  Executive Trip Coordinator,  is to attach the report as a pdf or a scanned photo to an email  to mailbox@corehike.org   if this is not possible, then you can bring the hard copy to one of the monthly meetings. Electronic or hard copy the trip reports must be given in as soon as possible after the event.

Event Calendar

Information on the title part (front page) of the calendar event should have the kind of event, the name of the event, the area, the kilometers, the elevation and the difficulty rating of the event – NOTHING ELSE. All the rest of the information should be in the description of the event.

e.g. Snowshoe, Hare Loop, West Bragg Creek, 7 kms, 100m, E.

Please refer to the Guides tab on the CORE website for information on Guidelines, Difficulty Ratings, etc..

Safety

Please ensure that you have with you, your membership card (with your emergency contact information) visible on your backpack, as well as your own first aid kit. Refer to the Guides tab on the CORE Website under Clothing and Equipment to make sure you have the appropriate clothing/footwear and equipment for the particular event, as well as food and plenty of water. Remember that event coordinators may refuse anyone not adequately equipped to participate in that event (hike, scramble, snowshoe, x-country ski, bicycle, etc.).

Members, you need to be aware of your own capabilities and limitations, in relation to how difficult the event is. You can check the Guidelines, Difficult Ratings for reference.

CORE Photo Album

All CORE members participating in CORE activities are welcome and encouraged to post photos taken on your outings in the CORE website Photo Albums. There are Photo Management instructions on the CORE Guides web page. If you have any trouble uploading your photos, please ask the event coordinator or other experienced CORE member. Some guidelines when posting photos :

• Post just the highlights of the event
• No parking lot photos. We should not identify members vehicles
• Do not post unflattering pictures of other members
• If you mention a person’s name, use only the person’s first name

Contacting your Executive

CORE has a couple of different purpose-oriented email addresses through which you can contact various executive members. If  you have a general question’s about the club, for instance upcoming presenters planned, event, 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.

ACTIVITY SCOREBOARD

From January 19 to February 18, 2020

Here are a few highlights from the CORE calendar for January 19  to February 18, 2020. Please visit the CORE photo albums for more pictures from recent activities.

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News and Notes

 

Parks Canada rejects Gondola proposal from Banff to Mount Norquay

Parks Canada has rejected a proposed gondola to take skiers and hikers from Banff townsite to the summit at the Mount Norquay ski resort.

Parks Canada was considering a proposal by Liricon Capital, which owns Mt Norquay, to redevelop lands both inside the town of Banff and at the summit of the ski area. They have reviewed a feasibility study and other materials related to that proposal, which was submitted in May 2018.

Per Parks Canada, “There will not be further consideration of the proposed gondola nor the proposed Grizzly Pavilion and boardwalks, which would be located on lands outside the Mt Norquay leasehold. These components of the feasibility study do not conform with the agency’s policies on limits to development and ski area management in Banff National Park.”

The proposal by Liricon, which was supported by the Town of Banff, would have potentially closed the only access road to the ski hill and returned that land to Parks Canada. Visitors would then park in new lots at the train station in the townsite and ride the gondola over the Trans-Canada highway to the resort. Jan Waterous, a partner at Liricon Capital, stated “the company will be resubmitting a different proposal for the Parks consideration in the near future that addresses their concerns.” Waterous believes the project, along with some transit proposals, could be beneficial for a wildlife corridor that goes along the Norquay road. Liricon had an independent environmental study done and suggested that there would not be any negative impacts on grizzly bears, wolves and cougars. Parks Canada advised that a further study needed to be done on bighorn sheep.

Parks Canada’s position is, they place limits on development in Banff’s National Park to ensure that the area is preserved for now and for future generations.

Liricon also wanted to develop land to allow passenger rail to Banff from Calgary as part of the proposal. Parks Canada stated “the potential for train service would be subject to a separate review.”

Ivvavik National Park, Fly in Artic Base Camp

Imniarvik Base Camp Trips: Fly into the heart of Ivvavik National Park, Sleep in furnished Prospector tents, hike across Beringian landscapes, beneath the midnight sun. Spend time with your Inuvialuit hosts, hearing stories and learning of their culture on their traditional land. Catered and self-catered trip options. Some trips include a Herschel Island stopover (on the Yukon’s Artic Coast).  Departures June 12 to July 6, 2020. For more information Contact Parks Canada at Inuvik.info@pc.gc.ca or 867 – 777 – 8800 or Parks Canada Ivvavik National Park website.

Jen from Parks Canada sent an email to CORE asking to forward this information along to our members.

The Ten Commandments for Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain

This article was on the mountaineers website. I thought it was an interesting read. This article is regarding, if you are in avalanche terrain, “how to stay away from dangerous conditions.” The article was written by Bruce Tremper, titled “10 Commandments of Low Risk Travel in avalanche terrain.” By clicking on the title, I have created the link to this article.

Friends of Fish Creek Park Events:

Friends of Fish Creek Park is offering different events regarding the park’s history, wildlife, archaeology and other events in the park this spring/summer/fall.

February 27, 7 pm to 8 pm – Writing-On-Stone an UNESCO World Heritage Site, presented by Aaron Domes – Park supervisor of Writing-On-Stone and Randy Bottle – Blackfoot Elder and Park interpreter.

March 19, 7 pm to 8 pm – Dinosaur Provincial Park, presented by Amber de Kam – Visitors Service Outreach Coordinator of Dinosaur Provincial Park.

Visit Friends of Fish Creek Park event calendar for daily and weekly events.

Friends of Kananaskis Park Event Series:

February 26, 7 pm to 8 pm – From Kananaskis Country to the Olympics. A Nordic Athletes Journey.

March 24, 7pm to 8 pm – What Bears Teach Us.

For more information go to Friends of Kananaskis Park event calendar.

Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area, New Parking Fee Effective January 1, 2020

ASCC is a not-for-profit charity in Alberta. They have estimated the cost of providing an opportunity for visitors to experience over 20 km of observation trails to be approximately $50, 000 per year or $5 per visitor to maintain the trails and facilities. Visitor donations do not cover these costs and the government only covers less than 1% of their operation budget.

Starting January 1, 2020, visitors will be required to pay a fee of $10.00 per vehicle seven days per week, from 4 am to 11 pm. Their parking lot will be regularly patrolled by volunteers and staff and is monitored 24/7 by security cameras. ASCC is implementing a parking pass system.  Annual pass will be $120.00 for the calendar year.

For more information go to ASCC.

 Avalanche Season

Before you go out into the mountains, verify the avalanche conditions in the area of the event. Go to Avalanche Canada or Parks Canada Avalanche page or  the direct link to Alberta Parks – Kananaskis.

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.

New Snow Shoe Trails in Kananaskis

Check out the Kananaskis Trails for six new snow shoe loop trails in Kananaskis.

Trail Closures and Trail Report Link

Alberta Parks and Banff National Park are urging people to be bear aware. There has been multiple sightings of bears, and other wildlife in the parks. Depending on which park you are in, contact either Alberta Parks (403-591-7755) or Parks Canada Banff office (403-762-1470) if you come in close vicinity of a bear, cougar, elk or wolf.

• Alberta Parks Trail Reports

• Parks Canada Trail Reports – multiply closures due to wildlife and construction

• Greater Bragg Creek Trail Report

• Peter Lougheed Provincial Park Ski Grooming Report
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• Moose Mountain Summit closure as of May 21, 2019 
• Glennfield Day Use Areas and Parking Lot closed from March 2019 to October 2020 

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Members Corner

The Members Corner section of the CORE Newsletter is meant to allow CORE Members to connect with other members of like interest, or to seek or sell outdoor equipment. Please submit any request to mailbox@corehike.org and include your contact info for interested parties to contact you. No photo’s of items will be posted on CORE newsletter. Also, please keep your words to a minimum (50 words or less).  Please note that the CORE Newsletter is in the public domain, and that by submitting a request, you give permission to CORE to publish your contact information thus provided. CORE will not act as intermediary in any resulting transactions. All members who submit any request have relinquished CORE from any and all liabilities, claims, suits, and causes of action, and property (including loss of use or damage) on the part of the CORE club (individually or collectively).

{member’s AD and contact info to be posted here}

 

Adventure Stories

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.  mailbox@corehike.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Hither and Yon

 

Getting Lost in the Wilderness

Nobody wants to get lost in the wilderness! Proper planning and action can keep you safe.

 

 

 

1. Planning and Preparation

• Learn how to use a compass and a map or GPS.
• Go over the map and other guidebooks of the area in detail. Learn about the trails, streams, mountains, nearby roads and other features around the area. Find out how long the hike takes to complete, for your level of hiking. (Round trip).
• Tell someone of your plans and the time you expect to return.
• Pack the proper equipment and supplies. Carry essential items in case of an emergency.
• Sign in on trailhead registers (if there is one, time and date you started on the trail) and stick to your planned route.
• When hiking use a map (and a compass). Stop occasionally to note your progress on the map and always pay attention to landmarks as you hike. Be aware of your surroundings.
• Check the weather forecast prior to leaving on the hike.
• Check for trail closures or other hazards (eg: avalanche).

2. If you do get lost, stay calm. Do Not Panic.

• S.T.O.P. (stop, think, observe and plan).
  • “S” is too simply stop. Frantically moving faster will only get you more lost. Sit and breathe, collect your thoughts. Have something to drink and eat, this will also calm you down.
  • “T” is for think. Ask yourself these questions:
    • Which direction were you going?
    • What was the last landmark you recognized?
    • How long ago was that?
    • How far have you come since?
    • Where was the last time you knew where you were? Average hiking pace is 3.2 kms (2 miles) per hour.
  • “O” is to observe. Look around you. Can you see landmarks? Can you recognize a craggy mountain top or creek? Get out your camera, go back thru the photograph’s and do the same thing. Digital photos are time stamped this will help you determine how long you have been hiking? How do you feel? How long before sunset? Is there a natural shelter nearby? Is there fuel for fire?
  • “P” means to plan. Don’t move until you have a plan. Use your whistle, someone may hear it. Do you have enough daylight to try to retrace your route? Should you consider building a fire as it is almost dark?
• Try to return to a familiar location if within a reasonable distance. Do not go too far off your original route.
  • Leave obvious landmarks (stone cairns, piles of branches, tape around a tree(date, time and initial)) along your return path. If you need to turn back you can follow the land markers to your original start point.
  • If you manage to get back to a trail, head downhill.
  • If it is dark, wear your headlamp.
• If still lost, stay put. Rescuer will most likely find you within 24 hours. But Only if you have left your hiking plans with someone!!!!
• Blow your whistle to signal that you are in trouble and you need assistance.
• Stay warm and dry. Put on extra clothing to avoid hypothermia.
• Build a fire to keep you warm and help with your rescue.
• Drink plenty of water. Do not let yourself get dehydrated. Purify (need water purifier tablets) the water from natural sources.
• Seek some sort of shelter for protection and comfort. E.G. cave, rock cropping’s.
• Eat foods to keep your energy. Only eat natural source foods (e.g. berries) if they can be eaten safely.
• If injured, administer first aid.

3. The 10 essentials you need to carry in your backpack to survive.

• Pocketknife
• Matches/lighter/flint
• Map and compass and/or a GPS tracking system
• Headlamp
• Sunglasses/sunscreen
• Raincoat
• Extra Clothes
• Food
• Water (and purification system – tablets)
• First aid kit and a whistle

4. You need to know, how to use the 10 essentials above.

• Being able to read contours on a map, knowing which is mountains and valleys.
• Noticing features around you.
• How to build a fire.

5. Hike during daylight hours.

• Start hiking early in the morning, not in the afternoon.
• Do Not start a longer hike in the afternoon, as weather can change quickly.

6. Keep Track of Time.

• What was the time when you started on the trail head? Write this down.
• Constantly check the time. How long did it take you to travel from point A to point B? Compare the distance to time travelled. Then how much further you need to go to get to the top of the trail. Keep track of this information. Need to leave enough time to get back down in daylight hours.

7. Taken photo’s is very useful.

• Photos provide essential information for finding your way back, if you get lost. Digital photos allow instant previewing of pictures taken with a date and time stamp on each photo. If you took several photos along the trail, you can estimate your time, it took you to hike from point A to point B. And the photos also provide landmarks (e.g. mountain terrain, streams, etc.).

For more tips go to CORE’s blog Wilderness Emergencies.

                              Take Care and Have Fun