Document type : vocene
Date : 2015-09-15
Description : VOCene #15 2015
Content :
Varsity Outdoor Club
VOCene #15, Sept 15 2015


** In This Issue:
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** Special Features
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* Call for slideshow presenters


** Recent Trip Reports
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** Upcoming Trips
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** Message Board Highlights
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** Ms. Manners
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** Special Features
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* Call for slideshow presenters

Have you done anything interesting outside recently? Maybe gone on a climbing trip in South America somewhere, or summited Denali? Show us pictures! Run a slideshow (or maybe something more live action, depending on how GoPro-y your party was) for the VOC! Everybody likes seeing cool pictures alongside stories of some type 2 fun.


** The Usual Suspects
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** Recent Trip Reports
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No new trip reports for the moment. Boo!


** Upcoming Trips
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ONGOING
Top-Secret Harrison Expedition · Sat. Sep. 12th - Sun. Sep. 20th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1034)
Description:
It now seems that Jeff M and I will be going up to Harrison Hut for a week, driving up on the 12th and coming back on the 20th.  The purpose of this is to get some hut work done, so if you are only interested in scrambling, perhaps you aren't what we need.  This pretty well discriminates against you if you are a Weekend Warrior and have to work during the week.  Another carload or two will probably go up on the 19th and down on the 20th.  This would give you an opportunity to see the Harrison Hut, and if you are keen to help, we can always use help.  Maybe Caitlin is organizing this 19-20 thing.
We will not be doing pre-trip meetings, etc, but there is a sign-up page and if you sign up, we will contact you to see if you qualify for this mission.

THIS WEEK
Welcome Back, Tea and Noodles Social · Wednesday, September 16th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1035)
Description:
Welcome old and new members. Lets use our camp stoves to boil water and make bowl noodles and tea. Bring a resusable container and a way to heat up water. I will probably bring a bunch of bowl noodle things to share.
If possible  we will meet on the Knoll. If not I will post some other meeting place. In case of rain, meet in the clubroom in the new sub.
This is a chance to meet people in the club and reconnect with old friends. Also to use up nearly empty fuel canisters not worth taking on trips.

Preparing for the Backcountry [Workshop] · Thursday, September 17th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1026)
Description:
This will be an on-campus worskhop to prepare novices for their first trips into the backcountry. By completing this workshop you'll be prepared for your first VOC trips and have more fun on the trip with a lighter pack, comfy hiking boots and the right attitude.
- Choosing the right trips
- How to pack your pack
- Pacing and food
- Choosing the right boots / Managing your feet on the trail
- Staying found
- What to do in an emergency
- Protips

I'll need a few helping instructors, sign up / email me if you're interested.

THIS WEEKEND

Black Tusk in a Day [Trail Race] · Saturday, September 19th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=919)
Description:
Black Tusk in a Day [ Trail Race ]
It's exactly what it sounds like, this is a Trail Running (http://www.ubc-voc.com/wiki/Trail_running) team race. The objectives of the race are:
1. Everyone finishes
2. ... with style

Course
The rough outline of the course is provided below. It's 29.2 km with a gain/loss of 1973/-2250 m. Right now this is set as Chekemus Lake --> Rubble Creek direction. The top scramble section of the Black Tusk is included in the race plan below (in VOC style) but requires that you and your team take it slow for this section of loose rock and know how to scramble and bring helmets, it's optional. Strategy will be discussed leading up to the event

Pre-trip meeting is Tuesday, Sep. 15th, 6:20 pm in the VOC clubroom.

Harrison Hut workhike - door, floor, and more! · Sat. Sep. 19th - Sun. Sep. 20th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1037)
Description:
It's been a long 5 years, but we can finally say that we have recalimed our Harrison Hut (http://www.ubc-voc.com/wiki/Harrison_Hut) from the wilds. For those not in the know, nobody had managed to get there for years due to a landslide that had taken out a key bridge on the road to get there. Then the largest landslide in Canadian history came down took out the entire road along with a few more brides. We "finished" (is a trail ever truely finished?) a 12.5km trail around it and then renovated the hut last summer.
However, a few issues showed up after the renovations last year. Jeff and Roland are already up at Harrison Hut, and will have been there for a week by the time we arrive. They will be fixing the hut door and outhouse. We will be carrying up supplies to fix the floor, probably a big piece of 3/4" ply (they have a satelite communicator, and will be letting me know exactly what to buy/bring). If we can get a suitable crew I'd love to do some trail work as well. Although the trail is pretty good by coastal standards there are still a couple places where improvments could really decrase the time/effort required to get to the hut (or help prevent an erosion nightmare).
This will be a great opportunity to give back to the club, and one of the sort of workhikes where you get to, you know, work. Hard. This trip is "beginner friendly" in the classic VOC sense of the term (http://www.ubc-voc.com/wiki/Glossary)  - not in the sense that it will be easy, but we will welcome you to come help out even if you are not an experienced overnight hiker. Note that, if you fall into this category we should be sure and have a chat beforehand so you know what you're getting into and actually bring the required gear but not random extra stuff. No caveats about trailbuilding experience, other than the ability to follow simple instructions like "carry these rocks".
This is a "whole weekend" affair - leaving early Saturday (or Friday night) and returning late Sunday.
Depending on the interested personnel we may organize by email, or we might have a pre-trip meeting of some kind. We'll try and nail things down by Wednesday night.

Annual Indian Arm Uber Beginner Friendly Sea Kayaking Bonanza · Sat. Sep. 19th - Sun. Sep. 20th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=996)
Description:
Kayaking!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone's favorite annual September trip is back, and it's going to be better than ever. Actually, it'll probably be the exact same as last year but that's still pretty sweet.
We'll rent double kayaks from Deep Cove (about $100 per person) and paddle up to Granite Falls to spend the night. You are welcome to bring your own boat if you have one. Im also looking for 3-6 people with kayaking experience to helpout, teach, and run safety. Shoot me a message if you are interested in helping and/or have your own boat.
The boats are super stable and we arent paddling too far so this is a super beginner friendly trip (it was my first ever VOC trip). An ability so swim is necessary though!
The current plan is to leave from Deep Cove at 9am (arrive at 8), paddle to Granite Falls, stopping along the way for lunch. Then we'll set up camp, swim, relax, and explore and then have a dinner/dessert/drinks potluck. We should be back at Deep Cove around 4 or 5 on Sunday.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
PSA: This trip is usually very popular and fills up quickly. I'll be opening interested/committed sign ups in late August/early September. Be sure to sign up quickly!

Black Tusk in Two Days [Beginner Friendly] · Sat. Sep. 19th - Sun. Sep. 20th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1028)
Description:
The Garibaldi lake area is one of the most beautiful areas accessible by a not-to-long drive from Vancouver. It features a large colorful lake, glacier views and great peaks to climb.

This trip is a beginner friendly overnight hike to Garibaldi lake, Panorama Ridge and Black Tusk.

You do not need to have overnight backpacking experience, although it is helpful if you have hiked a little bit before. The trail itself involves some 900 meters of elevation gain to the campsite Taylor Meadows, and 600-700m to either Panorama Ridge or Black Tusk. Depending on your physical condition this might be challenging, so be prepared for that. The good news is, that this is a beginner friendly hike, so it's not just for the super fit and experienced in the club.

We will most likely hold a pre trip meeting some days before the trip to go over equipment you will need, organize tent and cooking groups and organize the cars. If you are *sure* that you will attend, sign as committed, otherwise sign as interested. Car spaces are probably going to be the limiting factor, so be sure to tell on the signup page, if you can possibly get a hold of a car.
Edit: Pre-trip meeting is going to happend at 5.30pm on September 17. We are going to organize car groups, so it is important that you show up, or send a representative. Afterwards the related event Preparing for the Backcountry (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1026) is going to take place, which is a great opportunity to learn what you should bring on this trip.

NEXT WEEK

Clubs Days on Campus · Wed. Sep. 23rd - Fri. Sep. 25th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=997)
Description:
Just a heads up that Clubs Days is going to happen.  We will need volunteers to man/woman our booth and tell the rest of the people on Campus what a wonderful Club we have.  In due course there will be a signup page where you can take a shift at our booth.  Of course a shift at our booth gives you credit for a Work Hike in the best possible sense; helping to make the Club better and inviting new members to join.

How to sign up: Go to the wiki page link (at the top of the page), sign in with your VOC wiki account (different than the main VOC account), then edit the page. If you have trouble, email Cora to sign up.

NEXT WEEKEND

G2.2 - The Sanguine Cunctation · Sat. Sep. 26th - Sun. Sep. 27th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1030)
Description:
This is for the original G2 group that decided to delay their glacial pursuits in hopes of a drier weekend. The objective is the same (anniversary glacier).
The sign up for this trip is disabled (building off of the previous sign up list to avoid glacier craziness), but it still seemed relevant to post in case any other G2 people dropped out and didn't hear about this iteration.
Dry school will be figured out closer to the date. Email me with questions and stuff.

Elfin Lakes (Beginner Friendly Overnighter!) · Sat. Sep. 26th - Sun. Sep. 27th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1008)
Description:
This is a beginner friendly trip that is created for those new to overnight hiking trips. Come if you are enthusiastic about getting into the outdoors, learning about camping, and interested in meeting new people!
Elfin Lakes is a beautiful area accessed from Squamish. Seehere (http://www.vancouvertrails.com/trails/elfin-lakes/) and here (http://squamishhiatus.com/squamishhikes/elfin-lakes.html) for further details and pictures about the region.
Further details about this trip will be added closer to.


** Message Board Highlights
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-Rose Beagley (http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?1,114023) is looking for a place to live.

-Mathew van Oostdam (http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?1,114077) needs a couch to crash on until the end of September.


** Ms Manners
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Ms Manners is the VOC's resident expert on mountaineering and outdoors etiquette, and answers questions from VOCers once a week in her advice column, here. Do you have a question for Ms Manners? Email the VOCene editor and it will be forwarded on to Ms Manners, with a reply posted the following week.

Hey Ms Manners,

I just joined the VOC. How does this club work? Do I have to pay for trips? Also, I don't own any outdoors equipment. What do I need? Can I borrow any of it?

Thanks!

Hi,

First off, welcome to the VOC! We really, really like being outside and will happily enable other members in doing anything from hiking to summiting remote and/or glaciated mountain peaks. If you ever wanted to learn any technical outdoors skills, from how to belay a climber on top rope, to setting an ice screw, or even how to river kayak or mountain bike, you've come to the right place. We're also pretty happy to just go hiking, too.

Your question covers a lot of ground. I'll do this in sections. Also, there's a workshop happening this week that you'll probably want to go to; check out 'preparing for the backcountry'.

>How does this club work? Do I have to pay for trips?

Any member of the club can organize a trip, not just experienced folk or members of the Exec. Barring a couple of fundraising trips like Rock Party, everything's free except for the gas fare to and from wherever people are heading. The club only works because of this; we have an insane number of members, and it's pretty often that the optimal number of folks on a trip is 10-ish.

(Side note: Generally, this club also needs people with cars who can shuttle folks around. Vancouver's a lot closer to beautiful terrain than most other cities, but it's still 100+ km away from a lot of the places we like to go).

If you don't think you have any experience, you can find a more experienced person to 'lead' the trip and do all of the technical stuff while you handle all of the boring but necessary logistics, including finding rides for people, putting the trip up on the agenda, and making sure everyone has a tent/food group if they're on an overnight trip.

>Also, I don't own any outdoors equipment. What do I need?

Here's a useful link to the VOC's recommended equipment list for various outdoor excursions: http://www.ubc-voc.com/wiki/Gear_lists.

The gear list pretty much covers everything you'll want to bring. Bring everything on it, especially for winter trips where hypothermia is a risk depending on what you forget. That said, don't bring more stuff than what's up there, especially on trips that you expect to be hard! You don't want to add a weight handicap to yourself on top of everything else.

> Can I borrow any of it?

Short answer is yes--a lot of the expensive technical/specific stuff you can borrow from the VOC for free, and most of the rest of it you'll either have, can borrow pretty easily from other VOCers, or can buy for cheap.

If you're not sure whether you have the gear you'll need for a trip, be sure to let the organizer know, and sooner rather than later. There's also some members of the VOC exec, like the quartermasters or the trip coordinator, who would be happy to help you figure it out.

Some stuff's pretty ubiquitous, like rain jackets or pants, so hopefully you'll either have or need to buy something like it anyway, even if it's not quite ideal for a trip. Other stuff's not. On some trip or another, you'll probably end up badly needing:

-General outdoors gear like a good backpack, a tent, or a stove.
-Climbing gear, like a harness, a helmet, rock shoes, or a rope.
-Snow/glacier-specific gear, like crampons or an ice axe.
-Backcountry skiing gear, like avalanche probes or... well, skis. Skis are not always necessary for skiing trips, of course (I'm not kidding-you're usually free to snowshoe up if you like).

You can borrow all of the above from the VOC's gear room (for freeee!) except for tents, stoves, and sleeping bags; more on that here: http://www.ubc-voc.com/wiki/Gear_rental. You can probably also find stuff to borrow by posting on the message board. We like people to do something for the club in return for being able to borrow gear; for example, the Harrison Hut work hike that's coming up would be a good time to give back to the club in return for getting all of this free gear to use.

You can also often find cheap gear at gear swaps, some of which are organized by the VOC and some of which are organized by MEC. There's generally one in the fall sometime and one in the spring.

See you outside,
Ms Manners

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