{"id":3652,"date":"2017-10-22T20:14:16","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T02:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/?p=3652"},"modified":"2021-08-31T09:09:48","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T15:09:48","slug":"october-core-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/?p=3652","title":{"rendered":"October CORE newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"

EXECUTIVE CORNER<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

On-line Membership Sign-up and Electronic Payment Now Up & Running
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Next time you want to renew your CORE membership, you will be able to do so on-line, using your credit card or PayPal. Thanks to invaluable help from CORE member Steve Hashman, we now have on-line membership sign-up and payment capability. Check out the new on-line form and waiver on the Join Now page.<\/p>\n

Upcoming CORE Presentations for 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

Join us at the Scarboro Community Centre for the following presentations in the New Year:<\/p>\n

January 30<\/strong> – Snowshoeing 101 – Justin Howse from Norseman Ski Shop will give a comprehensive talk on snowshoe equipment, snowshoeing techniques and safety while snowshoeing.<\/p>\n

March 27<\/strong> – Author Dale Leckie will give a slideshow on his new book, Rocks, Rivers and Ridges – Geological Wonders of Banff, Yoho and Jasper National Park.<\/p>\n

April 24<\/strong> – CORE member, Mike G., will share his recent trips to Egypt, Greece and Turkey.<\/p>\n

June 26<\/strong> – (tentatively) – CORE member, Jeanette N., will share her recent travels in Cambodia.<\/p>\n

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December 1- 3 Annual Christmas Weekend at Castle Mountain Chalets<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the past four or five years, CORE members have been gathering in the mountains on the first weekend in December for an early Christmas get together. Over the weekend, we snowshoe, cross country ski and downhill ski. More adventurous members have been known to back country ski. Check the CORE calendar for more details about the weekend. Over the coming weeks, the activities will be posted with further information.<\/p>\n

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Discount for CORE members at Norseman Ski and Hike Shop<\/strong><\/p>\n

CORE members are currently entitled to show their membership cards at the Norseman Ski and Hike Shop on 37 Street S.W. and get a 10% discount on hiking and skiing apparel and equipment. There may be some restrictions to this offer, such as no discount on sale items, etc. This offer is definitely good for the rest of 2017, and may be extended into 2018.<\/p>\n

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ACTIVITY SCOREBOARD<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h1>\n

September\/October 2017<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Between September 11 and October 22, CORE\u2019s calendar featured eight hikes, one bike & hike, three urban hikes, one potluck picnic hike, and a social dining evening.\u00a0 Thanks to the following coordinators for posting these events: Lynn, Harvey, Julia, Carol, Cathie, John, Cliona, Cheryl, Kiyoko and Sarah.<\/p>\n

Here are a few highlights. Please visit the CORE photo albums for more pictures from recent activities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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September 16 – Annual Memorial Hike<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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September 23 –\u00a0 A snowy day at Upper Meadow (Burstall Pass)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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September 23 – CORE gang on Powderface and Prairie Creek Loop<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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September 24 – Brilliant blues and autumn foliage of Glenmore Reservoir<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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September 24 – Kiyoko and her group on Wasootch Ridge<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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September 26 – Pat with Gillean and Tony Daffern after CORE meeting<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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September 28 – Happy hikers on 12 Mile Coulee urban walk
<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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September 30 – Spectacular view of Hailstone Butte from Windy Peak<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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October 9 – Getting ready to hike Jack Hill and Jill Hill<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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October 22 – Roasting sausages over the fire<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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OCTOBER MONTHLY MEETING<\/span> <\/strong><\/h1>\n

Scarboro Community Centre<\/strong><\/p>\n

1727 14th Avenue S.W.<\/strong><\/p>\n

TUESDAY. 31 October, 2017,\u00a0<\/strong>7:00 pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Halloween Potluck, Party and Pumpkins!
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Join us at 7:00 p.m. at the Scarboro Community Centre for a Halloween Celebration featuring an Appetizer Potluck, Pumpkin Carving and Decorating, and Music for your listening and dancing pleasure! Beverages will be provided by CORE. Please bring a contribution to the potluck (e.g., appetizers, finger food, munchies, sandwiches, desserts, Halloween treats). Also, bring your own pumpkin, then put on your creative cap and take part in the pumpkin decorating and\/or carving event.\u00a0 CORE will supply lots of decorating materials but you are welcome to bring your own. CORE will also provide four pumpkins for those who are not able to bring their own.\u00a0 If you prefer to carve your pumpkin, don’t forget your carving tools! We encourage everyone to wear at least one Halloween accessory, or a full costume, or wear black and orange.<\/p>\n

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NATURE NEWS & “NOTES”<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

SNOWSHOES: <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Come to our January 30 meeting to hear Justin Howse of the Norseman Ski Shop talk about snowshoes, and how to buy the right type. In the meantime, here are some tips for choosing snowshoes for your winter outings.<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Cheryl and Katherine<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Snowshoe Sizing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Snowshoe size is a key factor in getting the right amount of flotation. Generally, the heavier the person or the lighter and drier the snow, the more snowshoe surface area is required. Snowshoe size also depends on the type of activity you intend to do. For deep powder, a longer, wider snowshoe would be the most effective, but heavier and more tiring to use. Keep in mind that on CORE snowshoeing trips you are often on a trail where someone else has already “broken trail,” in which case you can use a smaller, narrower snowshoe \u2013 much easier and less tiring.<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s vs Women\u2019s Gear\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Men\u2019s snowshoes\u00a0are designed to accommodate larger boots and heavier loads. For example, aluminum-frame snowshoes come in multiple sizes, usually 8″ x 25″, 9″ x 30″ and 10″ x 36″ or something similar. <\/span>Women\u2019s snowshoes\u00a0tend to feature narrower, more contoured frame designs and sizes down to 8\u2033 x 21\u2033. Their bindings are sized to fit women\u2019s footwear.<\/p>\n

Easy-to-Fasten Bindings\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Make sure the bindings fit the boots you are going to be wearing, and that the fasteners are heavy duty (so they won\u2019t break) and easy to secure and adjust.<\/p>\n

Snowshoe Traction Devices\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Snowshoes for rolling or mountain terrain will come with\u00a0toe crampons\u00a0that rotate under the\u00a0front of your foot to aid in climbing hills. Heel crampons are in a V shape and slow you down when descending hills. Look for both for casual snowshoeing in the Rockies. Some more rugged snowshoes may also have\u00a0side rails\u00a0(also called\u00a0traction bars) to prevent slipping when crossing steep slopes.<\/p>\n

Heel lifts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also known as climbing bars, these are wire bails that can be flipped up under your heels to relieve calf strain on steep uphill sections and save energy on long ascents.<\/p>\n

Watch this YouTube video<\/a><\/strong> for some further useful snowshoeing tips.<\/p>\n

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OUTDOOR TRACTION DEVICES:<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Highly Recommended by CORE for Winter Hikes and Outings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Kahtoola MICROspikes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Cheryl with MICROspikes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Although the Kahtoola MICROspikes ($85 at MEC – October 2017) are perhaps a bit too aggressive for regular around-town sidewalk use, they are a good choice for all-purpose go-to option for longer hikes in mixed snow and icy conditions. Despite heavy use and abuse on everything from frozen streets to icy backcountry trails, they perform flawlessly and are incredibly durable. As a further testament, Backpacker<\/em> magazine awarded the MICROspikes one of their 2012 Editors\u2019 Choice Gold Awards, which honors exceptional outdoor gear that has withstood the test of time.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>ICE Trekkers Diamond Grip:<\/strong><\/p>\n

A more recent entry into the field, the ICE Trekkers Diamond Grip ($49 at MEC, $55 at Atmosphere \u2013 October 2017) are a slightly different, slightly less aggressive take on the MICROspikes. They slip on using a similar stretchy rubber harness system, but instead of short, sharp vertical teeth underfoot, they use a lower-profile multi-toothed chain for grip. This will be the third season they\u2019ve been available and they have been garnering some excellent reviews.<\/p>\n

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ICEtrekkers Diamond Grip<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

YakTrax Extreme (XTR) Ice Cleats:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yaktrax XTR Ice Cleats ($29.99 at Sport Check and Atmosphere \u2013 October 2017) provide good traction on snow and ice. Their spike design enhances traction while preventing snow build up with its unique anti-snow pack plate. They appear to be a lighter, less heavy-duty version of MICROspikes, with 10 spikes on the bottom, as opposed to 12 on the MICROspikes. \u00a0They have good and bad reviews on Amazon; one reviewer says that they are not sized correctly.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong> When buying any outdoor traction device, make sure that you buy them large enough to fit the boots that you will be wearing most often when using the spikes or cleats (which could be a size larger than your walking shoes).<\/p>\n

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ARTICLES & BOOKS and WEBSITES WORTH\u00a0<\/strong>NOTING<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The most underrated endurance workout? Hiking.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“There\u2019s something special about moderately paced movement through nature that leaves one feeling refreshed, renewed, and satisfied. Because of that, hiking is rarely considered a sport in the same way as trail running or mountain biking, both of which are more acutely painful and taxing on the body. And yet recent studies show that a walk in the woods\u2014especially at the right tempo\u2014is a superb way to build endurance and strength.”<\/p>\n

For a\u00a0study\u00a0published earlier this year in the journal\u00a0PLOS One, a team of researchers affiliated with the University of Innsbruck in Austria had individuals complete two three-hour workouts under distinct conditions. The first was a \u201cfast walk\u201d on an indoor treadmill; the second was an outdoor hike through mountains. In the treadmill condition, the incline settings were contrived to mimic the outdoor route as closely as possible, so that the physical strain of both scenarios would be similar. (The researchers could not force the treadmills to decline, so outdoor downhill segments became indoor flat segments.)<\/p>\n

During and immediately following both workouts, the researchers collected physiological and psychological measures. What they found is\u00a0interesting, a bit paradoxical, and fully in support of hiking.<\/p>\n

For starters, participants pushed themselves harder during the outdoor hike, as evidenced by heart rates that were, on average, six beats per minute higher. Given this, you\u2019d think the participants would have experienced the outdoor hike as more tiring and perhaps less enjoyable. But the opposite occurred: They reported increased feelings of pleasure both during and immediately following the outdoor hike, and they said they felt less fatigued afterward. Put differently, going hard while hiking in nature\u00a0feels\u00a0easier than going hard indoors.<\/p>\n

(Sourced from the Alpine Club of Canada, Calgary Section Newsletter)<\/p>\n

Tony and Gillean Daffern’s New Trailfinder Application<\/strong><\/p>\n

At our September meeting, Tony and Gillean Daffern, author and publisher of Kananaskis Trail Guides, introduced their new website which features their Trailfinder application. It’s worth checking out if you are looking for maps and information on trails.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/kananaskistrails.com\/trailfinder\/trailfinder.html<\/a><\/p>\n

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….see you on the trails ….<\/p>\n

CM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EXECUTIVE CORNER On-line Membership Sign-up and Electronic Payment Now Up & Running Next time you want to renew your CORE membership, you will be able to do so on-line, using your credit card or PayPal. Thanks to invaluable help from CORE member Steve Hashman, we now have on-line membership sign-up and payment capability. Check out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3667,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3652"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3652"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3652\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8651,"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3652\/revisions\/8651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corehike.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}