Document type : vocene
Date : 2011-05-11
Description : VOCene #5
Content :
VOCene #5 – May 11th, 2011
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In this VOCene:
I. Upcoming Events and Trips
1) Capilano River Kayak (Class 3) - Wednesday (TODAY!) After work 6pm
2) Beginner Kayak River Run - Thursday May 12th
3) MEC Gear Swap - Sunday May 15th
4) Similkameen River Whitewater Kayak Trip! - May 20th-23rd
5) Mount Baker over May Long Weekend (May 21st-23rd)
6) Son of Rock (Learn to climb rock!) - May 28th-29th
II. This week in the VOC
1) Past trips and events
2) From the exec's desk
III. Miscellaneous
1) 2010 journals available for pickup
2) Rewards and incentives for trip organizers
IV. Ms. Manners
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I. Upcoming Events and Trips
It looks like whitewater kayaking season is upon us!
1) Capilano River Kayak (Class 3) - Wednesday (TODAY!) After work 6pm
Snow melt & Long day light = Wednesday Evening Cap runs (afterwork in May & June)...
http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum2/read.php?f=3&i=19155&t=19155
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda_details.php?tripid=62
2) Beginner Kayak River Run - Thursday May 12th
Caitlin S. is leading a beginner friendly kayaking trip on either the Lower Seymour or the Capilano tomorrow. Participants are expected to be able to at least wet exit, but otherwise this trip is certainly appropriate for people who are newish to kayaking.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda_details.php?tripid=58
3) MEC Gear Swap - Sunday May 15th
The MEC Gear Swap is this Sunday! For those who haven't been before, this is one of the best opportunities around for gear on the cheap.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum2/read.php?f=3&i=18898&t=18898
4) Similkameen River Whitewater Kayak Trip! - May 20th-23rd
Merick M. is organizing a trip to kayak the Similkameen River, just across the Cascades.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda_details.php?tripid=57
5) Mount Baker over May Long Weekend (May 21st-23rd)
Two trips are in the works to climb Mt. Baker over the upcoming long weekend. The "Normal" trip includes a choice of snowshoeing or skiing: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum2/read.php?f=3&i=19098&t=19098, while Trip "Crazy" is a self-propelled trip, cycling the whole way from Vancouver: http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda_details.php?tripid=60 (of course, this idea is "Crazy" in the best way possible!).
6) Son of Rock (Learn to climb rock!) - May 28th-29th
This is the VOC's spring instructional climbing trip. Instruction will range from the very basics to leading trad climbing, provided that people step up to be instructors. We need people to do this, so please help if you can.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda_details.php?tripid=42
Instructors present your wonderful selves here: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum2/read.php?f=1&i=53763&t=53763
II. This week in the VOC
1) Past trips and events
- We had our first monthly summer BBQ of 2011 on Wednesday, down where Tolmie St. meets the beach. If you haven't been before, the summer barbecues are a blast! Complete with trip planning, frisbee, drinks, and vegetarians trying to barbecue things like tofu.
- Katherine V.'s Golden Ears trip changed plans to go for the Haines valley trail from Grouse. The crew turned around before dropping over Crown Pass after encountering bad visibility and snow.
- Roland initiated a snowshoe/ski trip to the Brew hut. Gili R. dragged up two pieces of the steel flashing which will need to be installed up there. On behalf of me, I'd like to extend a big thanks to Gili for that!
- Some TR's that got posted in the last week: An Elaho-Exodus circuit: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum2/read.php?f=3&i=19122&t=19122, West Lion & Mt. Harvey: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum2/read.php?f=1&i=53802&t=53802, and a trip that got very serious very fast on Mt. Joffre: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum2/read.php?f=3&i=19142&t=19142
2) From the exec's desk
You are now able to upload your emergency contact info to your profile on the VOC website, which will then be available to members only. Thanks to Veenstra for building this functionality! Read about it here: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum2/read.php?f=1&i=53732&t=53732
III. Miscellaneous
1) 2010 journals available for pickup
If you haven't grabbed your VOC Journal yet, you are really missing out! This year's journal is packed with epicness, hilarity, and thought-provoking discussion about the outdoors, the VOC, and everything in between. The cost of the Journal is included in your membership fee, so you owe nothing for your first copy. If you'd like more than one, extra copies are available for $20.
2) Rewards and incentives for trip organizers
Woohoo, prodeals for VOC Trip organizers! In return for leading trips, you now get not only immense satisfaction, but cheap gear too!!
http://www.ubc-voc.com/wiki/Discounts_for_VOC_Trip_Organizers
IV. Ms. Manners
Do you have a question for Ms. Manners? If so, email it to to your friendly neighbourhood VOCene editor and he'll forward it to Ms. Manners for review. Remember, there's no such thing as a stupid question, so ask away.
Dear Ms. Manners,
My roommate asked me to do a "self-propelled" trip. What is that?
Sincerely,
Gus Guzzler
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Dear Gus Guzzler,
A self-propelled (often abbreviated to "SP") trip is one in which the whole trip runs on human energy, from the moment you leave your home to when you return to it. Typically, this is done by cycling with whatever gear you need for the trip, be it climbing gear, hiking boots, skis, snowshoes, or even a boat. The natural question regarding self-propelled trips is why anyone would think to do them, given how much easier it is to drive/take transit. But you can't take this question too seriously, because the second you start to doubt why anyone would turn down a car ride to a trail head, you implicitly question why we do any of the things that we do in the outdoors. Staying home is much easier.
When you ask people why they do self-propelled trips, you'll hear everything from: "I love to suffer, and I find that cars are often comfortable" to "Cars really cramp my radical humanism, and are destroying the planet". Regardless of the reason, one thing is certain: a self-propelled trip is guaranteed to be at least twice as epic as the same trip without the self-propulsion. So if not for yourself, you can do it for the rest of us who will read your trip report. Or for the people who will stare at you incredulously from the bus stop at 5AM and wonder about you for the rest of the day. So dust off that old bike, strap some awkwardly shaped metal things to it, and hit the road at an even more unholy hour than you normally start your Saturdays. Your body may hate you, but your spirit will come alive.
A tentative SP trip to Mt. Baker is coming up (see Upcoming Trips section), and keep your eyes open for a North Shore trip of the "Intro to Bicycle Mountaineering" variety in the next month or so.
Yours Truly,
Ms. Manners
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