October 2020 CORE Newsletter

Executive News

 

CORE is Having a Halloween Bash

JOIN CORE’s HALLOWEEN BASH ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, AT 12 NOON

CORE is hosting an outdoor gathering at Bowness Park on Saturday, October 31 starting at 12 Noon to 4 pm.

The Halloween Bash will be held at Bowness Park, located at 8900 – 48th Ave. NW. We will be gathering at Picnic Site 3 (the PDF map is at bottom of Calgary Parks page) for campfires, picnic and a cookout at noon, followed by a walking circuit through Bowness and Barker Parks, along 85th street bridge (approx 6kms). CORE will supply the wood for the fires. All you need to bring is your own lunch e.g. weiners, sausages, marshmallows, smores and a hot or cold beverage. Plus campfire roasting sticks. We will have a fire for roasting and a BBQ going for other cooking. MASKS are welcome! Get creative and let’s see who can come with the scariest, funniest and most imaginative masks! There will be prizes awarded. Since there is a large shelter available at the site, the event will go, unless we are having torrential rainstorms! For more information email Carol at mailbox@corehike.org . (Large parking lot accessible near the site).

CORE, ACTIVITIES/EVENTS DURING THIS UNPRECENDENTED TIME

Thank you for your patience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the Alberta government has re-opened the provincial parks and has announced that groups of up to 50 people can gather in the outdoors (while maintaining such practices as social distancing), CORE  re-started the club on June 15th.  CORE executive has put in place guidelines and recommendations for trip coordinators, and COVID-19 guidelines for keeping members safe, when participating in CORE activities/events. CORE executive would like to thank all CORE members that put on hikes, bike rides, urban walk’s for their club members during this unprecedented time.

Fall is now with us, Many more activities are planned for the coming months. Continue to watch your emails and CORE calendar for activities/events. Since restarting the club on June 15th, 2020 CORE has put on many activities/events. Have a look at the Activity Scoreboard below and/or go to CORE photo album .

Members are encouraged to read the Guidelines “Hiking with CORE in the Time of COVID-19 pandemic.”

If the province of Alberta mandates different requirements, the organization may have to make appropriate changes.  If the situation changes a newsletter with the updated information will be sent to the members.

No October Monthly Meeting, Join CORE for a Halloween Bash, Oct 31, for information see above.

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.

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ACTIVITY SCOREBOARD

Highlights of Activities/Events

Here are a few highlights from the CORE calendar of hikes from September 29, 2020 to October 8, 2020.  Please visit the CORE photo albums for more pictures from recent and past activities.

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September 29 2020 Saddleback Hike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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October 2 2020 Cox Hill Summit Hike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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October 3 2020 Goats Eye Gondola Station Hike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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October 8 2020 Lake Louise Big Beehive Hike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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News and Notes

Unsafe Catwalk leads to closure of a Section of Johnston Canyon Trail

Johnston Canyon Upper Falls

Effective October 2, 2020, the lower viewpoint to the Upper Falls at Johnston Canyon has been closed until further notice. This is due to damage to a section of the canyon-clinging catwalk. Parks Canada stated “a routine engineering inspection discovered that a section of the catwalk located on the trail has structural damage to its footings, making it unsafe. It is not clear what has caused the damage, engineering professionals are assessing the infrastructure.”

The closure affects the trail to the 30-metre high Upper Falls where it intersects with the catwalk that leads to the lower viewpoint of the Upper Falls.

This closure does not prevent people from accessing the upper viewpoint of the Upper Falls, the Ink Pots or the viewpoint at the Lower Falls.

The closure is clearly marked. If you are caught in this area, you could be fined up to $25,000 dollars. Parks Canada has no timeline for reopening this area.

 

Kootenay National Park is 100 Years Old

Marble Canyon Tokumm Creek, Kootenay National Park

Originally called Kootenay Dominion Park, this park was established in 1920 as part of an agreement between the province of British Columbia and the Canadian Federal government. BC was to build a highway, in exchange for title of land, approximately 8 km on either side of the 94 km highway, across the western side of the Rockies. The road was called the Banff-Windermere highway. This land was to be used only for park purposes. There is no towns inside this park.

Kootenay national park is part of the UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage site.

Located in this park is Radium Hot springs. A natural occuring mineral springs. September 18, 2020, Radium Hot Springs reopened to visitors. The hot springs had been closed due to construction. The aquacourt is a federally designated heritage building. It was built between 1949 and 1951. Radium Hot Springs pools facility was the first major post Second World War building project in Canada’s western national parks.

 

Female Grizzly Defending cub attacks hiker in Kananaskis Country

Bow Valley Parkway

A man, hiking in the Pasque Mountain, at the southern end of Kananaskis country, in a cut block area, when he was attacked by a female grizzly bear. The man had come into a area where a cub and mother were feeding. The mother bear swatted him and knocked him down, then grabbed the man by the elbow and bit him. He played dead and the bear dropped him and ran off.

Playing dead will work if you are being attacked by a mother grizzly defending her cubs. As you are not a threat anymore, she will leave and go find her cub. She is not attacking because she wants to eat you but to tell you to leave us a alone.

Playing dead is the wrong thing to do if attacked by a predatory bear.

The hiker did have bear spray but was not easily accessible, the bear spray was in his back pack.

When hiking in bear territory, travel in groups, make lots of noise, carry bear spray and have the bear spray easily accessible(within reach), be aware of your surroundings.

Bears at this time of year spend their time in open areas such as meadows and cut blocks. As the food source is plentiful in these areas. In these areas make alot of noise, also scan the area before  proceeding into it for potential wildlife activity.

Bears will have more trouble in hearing you near water. Once again make alot of noise and scan the area before proceeding.

Update to Canada Park Passes

For pass holders with a Discovery Pass valid as of March 2020, Parks Canada will automatically extend the end date of Discovery Passes by 4 months. E.G. A Discovery Pass that would have originally expired March 2020 will now expire July 2020, similar if a Discovery Pass would have expired September 2020 will now expire January 2021. A Discovery Pass expires on the last day of the month. E.G. July 31, 2020. For more information go to Parks Canada website.

Defend Alberta Parks Campaign

CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) and AEN (Alberta Environmental Network) have teamed up to raise awareness of the Alberta Governments plans for provincial parks. This campaign is called Defend Alberta Parks.

The website has information regarding the governments decision to close parks and to contract out parks as well as coal mining in these parks. Parks are vital for Albertans and Canadians. They are asking Albertans to write to their MLA, Minister of Environment and/or request a Lawn Sign stating, “Defend Alberta Parks.” The two organizations are asking for a donation for the lawn signs. For more information go to Defend Alberta Parks, website.

 

Kananaskis Cross Country Ski Trail Grooming Update

CORE members cross country ski trip

February 20, 2020, Albertans were advised by the UPC provincial government, they would no longerbe funding trail maintenance and grooming in three areas in Kananaskis Country: Ribbon Creek, Mt Shark and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

In April 2020, the MLA for Banff/Kananaskis brought together a number of stakeholders in the Kananaskis area to hear their concerns and to discuss possible solutions to the issue. May 7, 2020 MLA Miranda Rosin sent a letter to the Minister of Environment and Parks, Jason Nixon providing suggestions for a fee-based approach to winter activities in Kananaskis to help offset some of the costs.

On August 2, 2020, Fortress Mountain Ski Resorts submitted a proposal to the Alberta Government to keep cross country ski trails going in Kananaskis. The proposal is based on a groomed trail user fee program that would have direct users contributing to the grooming services in the three areas.

August 20, 2020, it was brought to Nordiq Alberta’s attention that the complete cancellation of grooming within Kananaskis Country is going forward as planned by the provincial government. This could mean, in the future, more cross-country skiing locations will be at risk of shutting down.

Individual Albertans need to voice their concerns to their local MLA and/or the Minister of Environment and Parks, Jason Nixon.

To keep up to date on this issue go to Kananaskis grooming update by Nordiq Alberta.

Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park:

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.

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

Friends of Kananaskis Park Event Series:

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

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 and Trail Report Link

Alberta Parks and Banff National Park are urging people to be bear aware. There have 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.

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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

 

Hiking QuoteFor 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

 

Wind Mountain or Mount Lougheed

 

Mount Lougheed

Mount Lougheed can be seen from the Trans-Canada Highway. this 3150 metre (10,335 ft), 5-peak massif mountain is named for Sir James Alexander Lougheed. He is the only Albertan to be knighted.

Mount Lougheed was originally named Windy Mountain by Eugene Bourgeau of the Palliser Expedition in 1858. In 1903 the federal government surveyors and map makers shortened the name to Wind Mountain.

In 1925 a prominent Calgary lawyer and businessman, Conservative party leader and Senator, Sir James Lougheed passed away. In 1926, with the consent of Lougheed’s wife a mountain near Wind Mountain was named Mount Lougheed. This mountain was within the Rocky Mountains Park, and later renamed to Banff National Park. In 1928, Lougheed’s son Clarence petitioned the Geographic Board of Canada to remove his father’s name from the smaller peak, which he felt did not honour his father. He proposed Wind Mountain to be renamed to Mount Lougheed. The Geographic Board of Canada objected, the change received consent on February 8, 1928, Wind Mountain officially became Mount Lougheed.

The change of Wind Mountain to Mount Lougheed created a problem as the names were used interchangeably on some maps and in official publications for years. In 1972 the Canadian Geographical Names board affirmed the decision made 44 years prior, and the name Wind Mountain no longer was used on maps produced by the federal government. In 1982, Alberta’s Historic Sites Board confirmed this 5-peaked massif would be know as Mount Lougheed and the name Wind Mountain was dropped from official use.

Some historians and local residents wanted the name Wind Mountain to be retained in some form. The Alberta Historic Sites Board was supportive of this ideal and a nearby peak was named Wind Mountain. The decision was made official on January 14, 1985. 

 

 

Have Fun and Stay Safe!!!!