Document type : vocene
Date : 2016-04-12
Description : VOCene #41 2016
Content :
Varsity Outdoor Club
VOCene #41. April 12, 2016


** In This Issue:
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** Recent Trips
Special Features
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** The VOC has a twitter account!
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** Lost gear at Jan 27 slideshow
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** Upcoming Trips
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** Message Board Highlights
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** Ms. Manners
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** Recent Trips
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-The VOC photo contest winners are here (http://www.ubc-voc.com/2016/04/10/2016-voc-photo-contest) !
-Christian Veenstra reports the results of his Blackcomb-Currie daytrip. (http://www.ubc-voc.com/2016/04/10/blackcomb-currie-daytrip)
-There was some trail running (http://www.ubc-voc.com/2016/04/05/trail-running-and-donuts) ! Also donuts.


** Special Features
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*
** The VOC has a twitter account!
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The VOC has a twitter account, for anyone inclined to follow it, at @ubc_voc. (https://twitter.com/ubc_voc)
*
** Lost gear at Jan 27 slideshow
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Following the Jan 27th slideshow (I know, quite a while ago), a group of VOCers went to Koerners and a mesh bag containing a harness and pair of climbing shoes was left there. One of the employees, not wanting them to stay laying around in the pub, brought them home with the intention of getting them to the VOC ASAP but, here we are, April 7th. Jess Landing was kind enough to get ahold of them and dropped them with Sebastian at the clubroom. There's a note on them identifying as such.


** Upcoming Trips
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THIS WEEK

Mount Garibaldi via Brohm Ridge (Intermediate Friendly) · Thu. Apr. 14th - Fri. Apr. 15th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1186)
The goals of this trip are two-fold: to climb Mt. Garibaldi via the classic Northeast Face, and to enjoy and get images of the Brohm Ridge approach while it is still in a relatively untouched state.

NEXT WEEK
Trip Leader Workshop - How do I get involved? · Tuesday, April 19th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1194)
If you've ever wanted to organize a trip, this is the way.

NEXT WEEKEND
HOT SPRINGS: Formal in the Forest Edition · Sat. Apr. 23rd - Sun. Apr. 24th (http://www.ubc-voc.com/tripagenda/details.php?tripid=1178)
Skookumchuck hot springs party. Formal attire required.


** Message Board Highlights
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-Mountain biking faff begins anew (http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?3,111117) .
-Mike Cancilla's put up a useful note on lowering on an autoblock (http://www.ubc-voc.com/phorum5/read.php?1,117766) .


** 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,

Last week, I was up on a glacier in the middle of nowhere and I saw mountain goat poop of all things along the trail! I don't mean somewhere in the woods, I mean halfway along the glacier, several hundred meters above the treeline, in the middle of nowhere. What gives? I didn't realize anything could actually live up there as it's just rock and ice. What the hell do they eat?

Thanks,
Confused

Hey,

You've got me there--I don't know either. There's a surprising amount of wildlife up there.

I'm no expert at all (a short Google search leads to this (http://www.antarcticglaciers.org/modern-glaciers/glacier-ecosystems/) , and if I was better prepared, maybe I could have Cassandra Elphinstone do a guest column) but as far as I can tell, the glacier ecosystem consists of:

-Algae and bacteria (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_alga) . They photosynthesize and have evolved to secrete their own antifreeze. Those pinkish smears across the glacier in the summer are because of them.
-Ice worms (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_worm) . They feed on the algae. Anecdotal reports from other VOCers suggest that, in places, they form a 'teeming mass' under the ice. Wikipedia reports species up to several centimeters long and populations numbering in the billions, which in the interest of my not imagining this right under my feet every time I cross a glacier I'm going to choose to forget.  They and the algae are the only life forms on the glacier that don't appear to be up there by mistake.
-Crows. I dunno, maybe they eat the worms? I'm not an ecologist.
-Mountain goats. Presumably they form some vital trophic link in the ecosystem, except that I don't know what kind of algae or worm could possibly sustain an animal about the size of a dog for any prolonged period of time, barring an ice worm species with all the carbohydrate and protein biochemistry of a Cliff bar. Maybe they just wander over glaciers for fun, like us. It is always possible they eat the crows, though I've never seen this.
-Whiskeyjacks which followed up backcountry skiers by mistake.

Life always finds a way,

Ms Manners

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