Document type : vocene
Date : 2014-11-04
Description : VOCene #18 2014
Content :
VOCene # 18: Tuesday, November 4th 2014
In this Issue:
Special Mention:
1. Missing Club Tools: Do you have them?
2. AST (Avalanche Skills Training) Courses
3. MEC Club's Night- 10% off! Tuesday, November 4th-TONIGHT!!!!
4. Almost Ablaze: AC Fundraiser, Monday, November 17th
5. Vote: Climbing Wall Name!
The Regular Stuff:
6. Recent Trip Reports
7. Upcoming Trips
8. Message Board Highlights
9. Ms. Manners
____________________________________________________________________________
1. Missing Club Tools: Do you have them?
We are missing some club tools that have been used for the Harrison Trail Renovations. Specifically, we are missing:
1. several prunes
2. at least 2 bent shovels, and
3. at least 4 cutter mattocks.
If you know where these tools are or have them yourself, please let Christian Veenstra know (or myself and I can forward the information to him). Thanks!
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. Avalanche Safety Training (AST Courses)
Every year the VOC works with Canada West Mountain School in order to provide its members with discounted rates on avalanche safety courses, with the intent to help students mitigate the risks of backcountry skiing. The courses available to VOC members run from November thru February and in total include four sessions of Avalanche Skills Training I (AST I), and one session of AST II. The dates, details and deadlines for each course may be viewed in the table below. Web links to the CWMS course descriptions may be found here. Please contact Tes at tedangus@gmail.com with questions or concerns about experience level. Sign up will take place in the clubroom during gear hours, and full payment is required at time of registration.
?
SIGN UP DEADLINE FOR THE FIRST SESSION HAS PASSED BUT YOU MAY STILL BE ABLE TO INQUIRE!
______________________________________________________________________________
3. MEC Clubs Night · Tuesday, November 4th- 10% off! TONIGHT!!!
Come to the Vancouver Mountain Equipment Co-op for Clubs Night! Here you will be able to get a 10% discount on any regular priced item in the store and be eligible for some raffle prize items. You will have to sign in at a table in order to get a stamp confirming that you are a VOC member. Sign up as committed so we can let MEC know how busy they should expect to be, and we'll see you there! Event runs from 7:00-9:00 PM at MEC on Broadway.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Monday, November 17: Almost Ablaze: Avalanche Canada Fundraiser Movie Night
The VOC is organizing another annual fundraiser for Avalanche Canada. This is the 5th annual fundraiser we've hosted for Avalanche Canada and the 3rd year we've held a movie.
This year we'll show the Teton Gravity ski movie "Almost Ablaze" in the Norm theater at UBC. "Awarded "Film Of The Year" at the 2014 International Freeski Film Festival, TGR's Almost Ablaze is a global odyssey combining state-of-the-art cinematography and the most progressive riding on The Planet. Experience a new level of sensory overload as each athlete is wired for sound, immersing the audience completely in the moment. Watch as athletes push the edge to realize a heightened state."
When: Monday, November 17, 2014. Doors will open at 7pm, we'll have a raffle at 7:40pm and the movie will start at 8pm
Where: Norm theater in the old SUB at UBC
Ticket prices: $10 if you buy them before Nov 17 ($15 at the door). Tickets are being sold in the VOC clubroom, at the Outpost in the SUB and at VPO
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Vote: Climbing Wall Name!
We have the pressing issue of what we're going to call this facility. The space is long, tall, and narrow, and the wall is blue and white. The exterior wall opposite the climbing surface is entirely windows. Then again, the name need not be related to the physical space in any way.
Vote for your top five name choices here! The person who proposed the winning name will win a free one-year membership to the gym!
___________________________________________________________________________
6. Recent Trip Reports
The Mesh Team
So, what were we trying to accomplish? The Harrison Trail passes through two clear cuts, which were heli-logged. This part of the trail involves a lot of walking on logs. We were trying to make the logs less slippery by installing “traction Mesh”. We were Kasia, Paul, Leanne and myself. None of us had ever installed traction mesh, but we had all been outdoors before, even in the rain...
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. Upcoming Trips
THIS WEEK
Beacon Search Evening · Wednesday, November 5th
There will be a beacon search practice at Wreck Beach on Wednesday, November 5th at 6:00 pm. This will be a good opportunity to brush up on you search skills or learn some new ones. We can make the situations as hard or as easy as need be. If you have your own beacon, please bring it. As well, you should bring a tupperware so that you can bury your beacon without it getting sandy. Please sign up, so we know how many people will arrive.
VOC slideshow: Sea cliffs · Wednesday, November 5th
Jeff Mottershead will give a presentation about sea cliffs at 6:30 PM in Buchanan A202.
Yoga for Climbers: Fundraiser for Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter (VRRWS) · Thursday, November 6th
Open up those tight hips and strengthen your core! Wishing you were more confident in stemming and high-stepping? Now you can do yoga and a great cause all together! Join the Mountain Goatees, an all-women VOCers fundraiser bowling team (See Facebook page) initiated by Anne Darby, in ending violence against women by supporting Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter (VRRWS)!This event will run from 6:30-7:45 PM in SWING building (2175 West Mall), Room 407.
===
THIS WEEKEND
Remembrance Climbing at Smith Rocks · Fri. Nov. 7th - Tue. Nov. 11th
An annual pilgramage to Smith Rocks over the Remembrance Day weekend. It has been a long-standing tradition of the VOC to seek refuge from storm clouds in the guarded southern interior of Oregon. Join us on our journey and you will find your true climbing self over 4 days in Smith Rocks. Pre-trip meeting will be Wednesday, November 5th at 6:00 PM, location TBD.
Skiing Baker Nov. 8th? (Not Beginner-Friendly I assume)
Would anyone be interested in heading up to Baker the weekend of Nov. 8th to check things out fer some early turns? From what I understand it just snowed approx. 100 inches or so and will continue to snow the coming weeks.... Respond on this message board if you are keen and have a fair amount of experience skiing!
Skaha climbing trip · Fri. Nov. 7th - Mon. Nov. 10th
Weather permitting, I would like to go to Skaha for the long weekend and do some sport climbing over there. The advantage over Smith Rocks is that it takes half the time to go there (5hrs) and avoids the hassle of crossing the US border. However the weather may not be as good (we will know on Wednesday). This is not an instructional trip, you need to know the basics of rock climbing, and find partners and the necessary gear. However, I certainly don't mind climbing as a group and can set-up top-ropes. I would like to try my luck on 5.10's climbs. This trip will be organize by e-mail FAFF (i.e. no in person pre-trip meeting).
Harrison Hut fiasco · Sat. Nov. 8th - Sun. Nov. 9th
We're making a bridge not fall over. The best part is that the cement is already up there. You haven't lived until you've fallen in a creek while it's snowing! You don't need to know how to use any of the tools or anything. I'll show you. E-mail trip organizer regarding details of trip planning.
Brew Hut overnight · Sat. Nov. 8th - Sun. Nov. 9th
All my trips are Beginner Friendly, which means we won't deliberately make you suffer, try to lose you, etc. I don't walk very fast. And I don't get lost. At this time of the year the trip is 5 km, and you are rewarded at the end with a warm hut. Weather for the weekend looks OK so far, though it's hard to see that far ahead. You will need a sleeping bag of some sort, a mat, some food, some water to drink, a sweater or two, a jacket, boots, $15 for gas. And you need a ride. My car has several empty seats. I can always hope that others with cars will show up and offer rides, and I can ferry people up the road in case you have a car that is not 4wd. There will be no pre-trip meeting; please e-mail trip organizer or discuss with him at the slideshow on Wednesday.
===
NEXT WEEK
VOC slideshow: Traversing North Garibaldi Park on skis · Wednesday, November 12th
Annie Maurer, Cassandra Elphinstone, Frank Zimmermann, Jens Vent-Schmidt, Jeremy Leal and Sam McKoy went on a 7 day traverse from Mt. Currie, over the Spearhead towards the McBride and then out via the northern leg of the Tuwasus horseshoe. Some of them will show some pictures and share their adventure. Here is their trip report to give you an idea. Starts at 6:30 PM in Buchanan A202.
First Aid Refresher · Thursday, November 13th
Winter is around the corner. Now is a great time to brush up on first aid skills.... just in case you need them this winter! We can start with the basics and common injuries, and move on from there. Location and time is TBD: Please check the trip page on the Trip Agenda for updates.
===
NEXT WEEKEND
Tentative: Beginner friendly ski day trip · Saturday, November 15th
Plan is to have a day to get a taste of what backcountry skiing is like. It's okay if you've never skied or even seen snow before, all you need is general fitness, autonomy and curiosity. Probably we'll head up to Zoa or Zupjok on the Coquihalla for a day. You can borrow everything you need from the gear room, because the VOC is special. :) Pre-trip meeting will be on Wednesday, November 12th, time and location TBD.
Intro to Winter!! And Maybe Skiing! Beginner Friendly · Sat. Nov. 15th - Sun. Nov. 16th
Are you sick of shoulder season and stoked for winter? Come play in the snow! We'll be going to Phelix hut. For those who haven't been there, it's a total gem--it comforatbly fits twenty people and can squeeze a lot more, and it's in a gorgeous alpine valley near a lake. I've been six or seven times and I'm not the least bit sick of it. The exact activities will depend on snow levels. I plan to make snow shelters and practice avalanche rescue. This is something no one does enough, and it'll be a great way to start the ski season. And speaking of--their MIGHT be enough snow to ski, but unless I get an updated snow report that won't be a focus of the trip. If you do want to ski you'll be carrying skis a long way for a bit of skiing, and scraping your skis on rocks. There's nothing wrong with this, I'm just letting you know what to expect and warning you not to bring skis you care about too much. Pre-trip meeting will be Wednesday, November 12th at 7:00 PM in the clubroom.
________________________________________________________________________
8. Message Board Highlights
a. You can still get your Climbing Stoke going despite the coming of fall! Alternatively, you can also start getting stoked about skiing or stoked about ice climbing! Or, get your Mountain Bike Stoke on year-round. Check out these threads for awesome videos, photos and more!
b. Looking to buy gear? Check out these links: a variety of gear, more variety, climbing harness, gear and more, panniers, ski gear, for sale and for free items, ski pack and bindings.
c. Looking to Buy: Ski skins for short and skinny skis
d. Launching "QuiCond": Capitalizing on the lack of a quick-to-use conditions log, well, anywhere on the internet I decided to write something. It's still in the very-early stages, but I figured it was time to release it into the wild. Please test-drive!
e. Rogers Pass Guidebook: Douglas Sproul has written a fantastic new guide to ski touring in Rogers Pass. This an incredible guide loaded with detailed maps and photos written by a local who knows the pass like the back of his hand.
f. How to go light without dying? (Silnylon Tarps) Follow the discussion here!
________________________________________________________________________________
9. Ms. Manners
Do you have a question for Ms. Manners? If so, email it to to your friendly neighbourhood VOCene Editor and it'll get forwarded Ms. Manners for review. Remember, there's no such thing as a stupid question, so ask away.
===
Dear Ms. Manners,
I hear that it has started snowing on top of some mountains! I want to learn how to ski, what are my options? Get me out there!
Sincerely,
Zealous Wanna-be-a-Skier
===
Dear Zealous Wanna-be-a-Skier,
What you have heard is true! As you move further North or East, the snow has begun to accumulate on some peaks. The quality of the snow may not be optimal yet, however, as much of it melts and freezes to create hard crunchy snow or ice in some areas. However, this does signal that beginner friendly ski trips are in the making and are as soon as two weekends away! Please check the Tip Agenda regularly to see if any new Beginner-Friendly Ski Trips have been scheduled, and sign up early as they fill up fast! The club can rent you all the gear that you need, just be sure to check the deposit amounts before heading to the clubroom.
You can get super stoked about skiing by attending our Avalanche Canada (AC) Fundraiser on Monday, November 17th as well! Tickets are only $10 if purchased in advance!
Get out and have some fun!
Sincerely,
Ms. Manners
===
_____________________________________________________________________________
CONTRIBUTIONS to the VOCene are welcome. Please send all inquires or additions to the VOCene Editor.
To unsubscribe from the VOCene mailing list, sign in at http://www.ubc-voc.com/member/update.php and uncheck the "want VOCene" box. Or, send an email to majordomo@interchange.ubc.ca with the following command in the body of the email message: "unsubscribe voc-members your_e-mail@place.ca" or "unsubscribe voc-alumni your_e-mail@place.ca".
Fatal error: Call to undefined function user_has_role() in /home/ubcvocco/public_html/wp-voc/modules/members/doc_view.php on line 19