Document type : vocene
Date : 2011-11-01
Description : VOCene #30
Content :
VOCene #30 – November 1st, 2011
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In this VOCene:
I. Upcoming Events and Trips
1) Slideshow: Ski Touring in Alaska · Wednesday, November 2nd
2) Atmosphere Buy Night · Thursday, November 3rd
3) Cerise Creek completion mission · Sat. Nov. 5th - Sun. Nov. 6th
4) Winter Sea Kayak Expedition in Gulf Islands - Tentative · Sat. Nov. 5th - Sun. Nov. 6th
5) Avalanche beacon training Wreck Beach · Monday, November 7th
6) MEC Clubs Night ·Tuesday, November 8th
7) Slideshow - Mexico: Beyond Your Imagination · Wednesday, November 9th
8) Smith Rocks 2011 · Thursday, November 10th
9) Full Alcoholic Traverse - Tentative - Fri. Nov. 11th - Sun. Nov. 13th
10) Annual Early Season Ski Trip to Brew · Sat. Nov. 12th - Sun. Nov. 13th
11) Beginner Friendly Debacle overflow ski trip to Taylor Meadows · Sat. Nov. 12th - Sun. Nov. 13th
12) Annual VOC Formal/Ugly Sweater Winter Social! · Wednesday, November 23rd
II. Trip Ideas and Partners Sought
III. This week in the VOC
1) Past trips and events
2) First Aid Courses at 40% Discount
IV. Miscellaneous
1) Rewards and incentives for trip organizers
2) Wilderness First Aid at a discount, it's not too late!
V. Ms. Manners
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I. Upcoming Events and Trips
1) Slideshow: Ski Touring in Alaska · Wednesday, November 2nd
Last May Greta, Evan Ben, and Tim completed a 3 week traverse of the icefields between Juneau and Skagway in Alaska. Starting and ending at the ocean, the route took them along a network of icefields and glaciers, past large peaks, and they managed a few turns and summits along the way. Check out the awesome route here: http://tinyurl.com/3u7tuee. Slideshow is at 7:30 in the clubroom.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?1,78387
2) Atmosphere Buy Night · Thursday, November 3rd
Come get 25% off on gear at Atmosphere (formerly Coast Mountain Sports)!
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=138
http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?1,78235,78235#msg-78235
3) Cerise Creek completion mission · Sat. Nov. 5th - Sun. Nov. 6th
Chris Y. is heading back to Cerise creek to put in some more trail markers and give the unwanted plant-matter "death machine" some good use. This is a work-hike but a rather luxurious one. Weight doesn't really matter because there isn't all that much elevation and there is a hut at the end of it for us to stay at. This is beginner friendly and some might even say "low output".
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=157
http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,78458
4) Winter Sea Kayak Expedition in Gulf Islands - Tentative · Sat. Nov. 5th - Sun. Nov. 6th
This will be an intermediate winter sea kayaking trip: you should be self rescue and have gear, including full immersion gear.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=137
5) Avalanche beacon training Wreck Beach · Monday, November 7th
Avalanche beacons are an important part of safely enjoying the mountains in BC for much of the year. But they aren't very useful if no one knows how to use them. Before you head out into the snow with a beacon, make sure you know how to use it. This will be an opportunity to practice and get some tips from other club members, either with your own beacon or one from the club. This one's tentative, watch for updates!
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/functions.php?tripid=141
6) MEC Clubs Night ·Tuesday, November 8th
A couple of times a year MEC invites the VOC and the ACC out to buy gear at a discount. You can buy pretty much anything you like, even clearance stuff, and get an additional 10% off.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/functions.php?tripid=131
http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?1,78208
7) Slideshow - Mexico: Beyond Your Imagination · Wednesday, November 9th
Three trips to different parts of Mexico, a combination of travel, hiking and cycle touring. Presented by Gili Rosenberg and Maya Goldstein. In the clubroom at 7:30!
8) Smith Rocks 2011 · Thursday, November 10th
Join in on this Remembrance Day weekend VOC climbing tradition: Smith Rock State Park is the premier rock climbing destination in Central Oregon and is famous worldwide as an early birth place of bolted sport climbing in North America. Climbing is on two primary volcanic rock types. The welded tuff of the main formations provides knobby and pocketed face and irregular crack climbs at all angles and all difficulties. The basalt columns of the upper and lower gorges provide steep splitter cracks and delicate bolted face climbs.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=123
http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,76696
9) Full Alcoholic Traverse - Tentative - Fri. Nov. 11th - Sun. Nov. 13th
An intermediate friendly trip to ski the full Alcoholic Traverse (Brew to Brandywine). Weather and snow dependent.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=152
http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,78349
10) Annual Early Season Ski Trip to Brew · Sat. Nov. 12th - Sun. Nov. 13th
This trip needs no advertising, but don't forget about the pre-trip. Also, if you aren't likely to be in the first 19 folks who get a spot, or if you'd rather go on a tenting trip to Taylor Meadows, see the overflow trip below.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=149
http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,78013
11) Beginner Friendly Debacle overflow ski trip to Taylor Meadows · Sat. Nov. 12th - Sun. Nov. 13th
Once again our fearless president Katherine saves us from a world less awesome. She's initiated an overflow trip for Veentra's Brew Debacle (item 10). This trip will also be a beginner friendly ski trip, but to Taylor Meadow's where there is a day shelter but tenting overnight.
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=158
http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,78581
12) Annual VOC Formal/Ugly Sweater Winter Social! · Wednesday, November 23rd
This is the annual VOC Winter Social at the Gallery (in the SUB, main level). The amazing DJ Oker will be spinning for us, and if it's anything like last year this will be a great party! This will be a potluck, and the dress code is formal, or an ugly sweater (note, "formal" here is to be interpreted in the generalized VOC sense, including ski boots, 90's ski onesie's, etc..).
http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/functions.php?tripid=140
II. Trip Ideas and Partners Sought
Nothing like this, this week.
III. This week in the VOC
1) Past trips and events
-Last Tuesday saw a beacon search session down at Wreck Beach. If you missed this, be sure to check out next week's.
-The annual Skaha Halloween climbing trip was this past weekend, and on all accounts was a blast. TR on the way: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,77700,page=2
-Some VOCers caught early season ski turns up at Taylor Meadows. Check out the beautiful photos here: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,78025
-A VOC crew scrambled Mt. Baby Munday in full costume Saturday. Just when you thought you'd seen it all! TR: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,77839
-Last Wednesday was the second annual VOC gearswap. The VOC packed the Earth and Ocean Sciences lobby with tables full of used gear for sale. Thanks to Gili R. for organizing and Katherine V. for seeing T-shirts and Voile straps.
-Torn between 1) the embarrassment of admitting that they spent a weekend in crap snow instead of "enjoying" Halloween, and 2) the VOCer's duty to report all back-country exploits to the club so that their mistakes are not repeated, two VOC power-houses chose the path of honesty and shared with us this great TR from the Brew Hut: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,78491
-While we are mostly passing time in Vancouver, Colin P. has been dancing naked atop mountains in Morocco: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,78561
IV. Miscellaneous
1) 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
2) Wilderness First Aid at a discount, it's not too late!
VOC members are eligible for a ~40% discount on 50 and 90 hour first aid courses. Check it out here: http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,77401 and here: http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=120
V. Ms. Manners
Dear Ms Manners,
My friends in the VOC like to call me a stroker (not quite a wanker) and they’re right. I’m really apprehensive to go on trips that are longer than 3 days since I go a bit nutty if I don’t get some alone time. Obviously this issue could be solved with a significant other or the guts to take aggressive spooning to a whole other level, but on behalf of all the strokers out there I ask, what is the self-love protocol for week + longer trips in a shared tent? (I’m sure the guys on Denali could lend a hand with this one.)
Stroker
PS Typing with one hand is harder than you think :P
Dear Stroker,
Thanks very much for your question. This is an issue that is very close to my heart (less than a meter, really). What's more, you have given voice to the hundreds of VOCers that surely share your, uh, frustrations. So, through my secret network of libidinous contacts, I've obtained some well-used and somewhat stale smelling suggestions for you. I may or may not have gotten a helping hand from the boys on Denali, but that's really none of your business.
1) Outhouses: Fair game, so long as there's no line. Or if there is a line, make it quick. But "peeing in the trees" or under the cover of darkness works as well.
2) Obviously, your tent partner(s) might not like it if you just start taking care of business in the tent while they are trying to fall asleep. One strategy to deal with this would be to tell them that you are freezing cold, and need to move around in your sleeping bag to warm up. Really vigorously. You are really cold. If they catch on, ask them to quit being such a party-pooper and suggest that they "get warm" themselves..
3) Aggressive spooning of course requires consent, and is not a particularly efficient means of solving the problem. Team-based problem solving strategies can be effective in this context, but are only recommended for couples and advanced parties.
4) Make sure that you are not starving, terrified, or badly injured before turning your attention "inwards" (downwards?). It's also probably best to not be roped up, though I know some people are into that. Remember, this is not your most immediate need. However, one of my contacts reports having once "woken himself up" a bit after getting quite tired on a solo hike. Maybe this is the reason people do solo hikes.
5) If you're in the alpine or traveling on a glacier, make sure you pack everything out. If you're of the mess-making variety and have a partner with you, you might try to talk them into a few quick calories (which, I might add, they did not have to pack up).
- Intermission - Sorry I've got to take care of something...OK I'm back, much better.
One more tip for you Stroker. On a high altitude mountaineering expedition, one satisfied VOCer recounts:
"I woke up one morning before the rest and was like, 'this needs to happen'. So I got up, grabbed a shovel and dug a 4ish foot deep hole by an abandoned tent wall and took care of business in it. It was weird when people walked by, but they seemed to just assume I was pooping."
Well, there you have it. No need to deprive yourself while in the back-country Stroker, there are just some basic rules to play by.
May your journeys be fulfilling and climactic,
Ms. Manners
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