Tag Archives: backcountry

Burns ‘n’ Turns Part III: Theme Song ©Jim Steinman, with substitutions by Amanda M. Johnson

(Turned around) Every now and then I venture into backcountry when I know I’m not prepared (Turned around) Every now and then I don’t try out rental gear before I hit the trail (Turned around) Every now and then I … Continue reading

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Brew Hut debacle lives up to its name

The day started bright and early, with my pack readied the night before and my lovingly prepared sandwiches, avy gear, and flask of rum ready by the door. This being my first VOC trip other than Longhike (which according to … Continue reading

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Nov 8-9: (ad)Venture up Brew Hut

I was dying to escape the city when I signed up for the Brew Hut trip. Saturday morning finally came around, and though already exhausted, I eagerly “popped out of the ground” at Burrard Station to meet with Roland and … Continue reading

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Scraping up the Scree – Beginner Friendly Scrambling in Wedgemount Lake

Standing outside my house early on Saturday morning, my pack fully loaded with gear, I was struck by how quiet and serene the city is in the early hours of the morning, while most normal people are still in bed. … Continue reading

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Helicopters, Fire, and Neon Orange Cheese-Rolling Brew Hutting

(The three explorers Roland, Nishant and I set off to obtain helicopter nets and then set off to Brew Hut. Our goal on this trip was to helicopter 3 metric tons of firewood up to Brew Hut. We were on … Continue reading

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Hiking The West Coast Trail, As We Do

At 1:00 pm on May 12th, Gabe, Carly, Stephen, Nathan and I all set out from Kitsilano to the West Coast Trail. We ferried to Nanaimo then dove to my place in Comox to pick up my truck, have dinner, … Continue reading

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A full weekend – Bridges, Pemberton Icecap, and Squamish-Cheakamus Divide

After crossing the Tantalus Range in a day last season I have been anxious to get out there and do another new long traverse in a short amount of time. A new baby (now 7 months old) has generally limited … Continue reading

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January 25-26, 2014 Intro to Backcountry Skiing – Caspar Creek

Advertised as an intro to backcountry skiing trip, this amazing adventure offered experience not only in skiing outside resorts, but winter camping, survival skiing, and bushwhacking on skis! There was so much interest two groups were formed; one ventured to … Continue reading

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Emergency skills practice: Victim’s point of view

On the weekend of 11-12 of January, a snowstorm convinced some VOCers that going on fancy backcountry skiing trips wasn’t a good idea. But staying home? Really, that’s a possibility? Instead of losing our time by sleeping, studying, cleaning or … Continue reading

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Zoa Peak: An intro to Voile Strap Bindings

The night before was full of excitement, not knowing what to expect from my first real backcountry ski trip. Overwhelmed with excitement, I almost couldn’t sleep that night. What would teleskiing be like? Would I tumble down the mountain upon … Continue reading

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