montage October05 - Le Club Alpin du Canada, Section Montréal

MONTAGE
The Alpine Club of Canada / Le Club Alpin du Canada—Montréal Section
Vol. 63 No. 3 October 2005
“Pelerinage “by Paul Gregoire—Overall Photo Contest Winner
2005 Photo Contest
Winners
Mt Colden via the Trap
Dyke in Winter!!!
Hiking & Scrambling in
the Rockies
GMC 2005
Fantastic photos that inspire!
Pages 16-17
Ski House News
May be its last year
Page 5
Oooh Crickey!!!
Page 18
AGM 2005
Melville/Battle Range. Selkirk Mountains
Page 27
Thursday December 1st from 6 pm
See back page to send off for your place!
Back Page
Outings Schedule
My last issue as Editor!
A Week in the Cascades
A fun packed season ahead
Pages 11-14
(Bless Me!!!!!!!)
This issue!
Andrew & Stephan Browns trip
Page 22
A classic trip
Page 20
Fo r m o re cl u b i n f o g o t o :
w w w. a c c m o n t re a l . c a
CLUB VOLUNTEERS:
PLEASE MAY WE HAVE SOME MORE?
It’s great to have everyone’s involvement, all ideas & efforts welcome!
Don’t be shy, we don’t turn any offers
down!!!
Always use
minimum impact techniques
150 feet—No excuses!
How to S*** in the woods
Dig a six inch deep “cathole” when you
go s*** in the woods, and remember to go
at least 150 feet from water sources or
trails. Please take your toilet paper home
with you.
Page 2
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3– October 2005
Editorial
[email protected]
Hi everybody,
Yes, it’s my last issue as Editor, but
there is someone else stepping in my
shoes, so keep sending those trip reports!
It’s been a fun year being editor & I’ve
enjoyed reading all your stories. I got a
particularly good response for this issue
which was great, & apologies to anyone’s whose work didn’t get put in this
issue, there just wasn’t space! I will be
handing over everything you sent to the
new editor so they can be put into the
next Montage.
The Montage will continue despite recent confusion. The debate is whether
to go electronic with it or keep the paper version. Something I think should
be discussed at the AGM where everyone can vote on it. I look forward to
seeing you all at the AGM &/or up in
the mountains at some point soon!!!
Let’s wish for a good snowfall this season!!!
Rebecca Smith, Montage Editor
[email protected]
Alpine Club of Canada
Safety Web Site
Very Highly Recommended!
http://alpineclub-edm.org/accidents/index.asp
The Montage encourages you
to support the ACC
Planned Giving campaign
ACC National Club
For information on hut or Canmore
clubhouse reservations or anything else
call the ACC at (403) 678-3200, ext. 1
Fax (403) 678-3224
E-mail [email protected]
Lots of information at our website:
www.alpineclubofcanada.ca
Montreal Section Video Library
Call David Percival for more info
514-481-2435
Montage
Page
3 63.1 - February 2005
Montreal Section
Alpine Club of Canada
Executive Committee
Got something to say?
E-mail the exec at
[email protected]
Specific E-mail addresses at:
www.accmontreal.ca
Chair: Murray Levine
514-633-1533
Past Chair: Susanna Oreskovic 514-708-8221
Secretary: Marjorie Jack
514-880-7039
Treasurer: Susanna Oreskovic 514-708-8221
National Rep: Murray Levine 514-633-1533
Membership: Moira Rehmer 514-342-3244
Webmaster: Andrew Parker
514-489-4923
Socials: Mike Rogers
514-630-5990
Outings: Brian Kinsie
514-554-2188
Courses:
Stephane Chamberland
514-421-4784
Environment/Access:
Clemence Tatin-Jaleran…….…....514-282-6817
Public Relations: Norbert Cyr 450-358-7703
Newsletter: Rebecca Smith
[email protected]
Keene Volunteer Coordinator:
Dave Gillespie [email protected]
Members at Large:
Marie Michelle Johnson
450-465-1919
Tom Haslam-Jones
450-672-3415
Keene Farm Committee
(MAC Inc.)
Dave Gillespie
[email protected]
Tom Haslam-Jones
450-672-3415
E-mail [email protected]
Ski House Committee
Ski House e-mail contact: Leslie Robertson
[email protected]
Eric Lepage
Martin Suichies
Martin Goldstein
Leslie Robertson
David Percival
Danuta Potworowski
Herb Ladd
Celestine Segers
514.918.7135
514.747.2828
514.489.4615
514.633.1533
514.481.2435
514.340.1209
514.481.6026
514 489 2842
For other Alpine Club Contact info:
- www.accmontreal.ca
- ACC Member’s Handbook
- 2005 ACC Montreal Section
Member Directory (included in
February Montage)
www.accmontreal.ca
Email announcement of Club news
Please visit our website and sign up to
receive email announcements of club
news. This is a moderated, spam-free
list. Your email address is never sold
to telemarketers!
Address changes / Membership Info
Please give all address, e-mail &
phone information to the club’s
membership coordi nat or Moira
Rhemer. (514) 342 3244
[email protected]
Membership Renewal
Check your member card (or Montage
address label) for expiry date. Has it
expired? Oh No! Don’t let this happen
to you. Send in your membership
renewal as soon as you receive it.
Can’t find the form? Pick one up on
the website, at Keene or call our
membership coordinator (above).
Montage
Volume 63.3 - October 2005
The newsletter of
the Montreal Section
of the Alpine Club of Canada
Published 3 times per year
In February, June, and October
Montage Editor: Rebecca Smith
NEXT ISSUE February 2005
Deadline: 15 January
Send news, reports, art, photos, etc to:
The new editor at:
[email protected]
Current & back issues are
available at our web site
www.accmontreal.ca/newsletter.html
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
3
Rapport du Président
Au moment où
vous lirez ces lignes, vous aurez
sans doute déjà
constaté que le refuge de Keene a
été nettoyé. Merci
à tous ceux qui y
ont participé à la
corvée de nettoyage. Veuillez
noter que c’est la
responsabilité de chacun des visiteurs de Keene de
garder les lieux propres et en ordre. La politique de
sans impacts sur l’environnement (Leave No Trace)
devrait être mise en application par chacun des membres du CAC. Si vous voyez quelqu’un qui ne respecte
pas cette éthique, veuillez ,s’il vous plaît, le signaler
au gardien du refuge.
Entre-temps, si vous êtes à Keene, veuillez demander
à Dave ou à moi-même votre cadeau gratuit si vous
avez fait du bénévolat pour le club dans la dernière
année, ou encore lorsque vous en ferez (profitez-en
tant qu’il y en a encore)
Comme toujours, envoyez-moi vos suggestions et
commentaires à :
Chair-
Leave No Trace
7 Principles of Leave No Trace
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Leave No Trace en français
Récemment, il y a eu 2 tirages au sort pour récompenser et encourager la participation bénévole. J’espère
que ces tirages au sort commandités se poursuivront.
Report from the Chair
By the time that you read this, you may have noticed a
cleanup at Keene. Thank you to all that participated.
Please note that it is every visitor’s duty to keep our facilities neat and clean. Leave No Trace should be the
motto of every ACC member. If you see someone not
following this ethic, please bring it to their attention or
that of the custodian.
Murray Levine
S.-v.-p., suivez ces règles lorsque vous
pratiquez vos activités de plein air favorites :
Planifiez et préparez à l’avance vos
sorties
Attention à l’érosion : voyagez et campez
sur des surfaces non friables.
Débarassez-vous des déchets de
manière appropriée.
Ne déplacez aucune ressources
naturelles. Laissez tout sur place.
Réduisez l’impact des feux de camp au
minimum. (Ils sont interdits dans la région
Est des High Peaks.)
Respectez la faune.
Soyez respectueux des autres visiteurs.
www.LNT.org
Chairman@accmontreal.
ca
Recently, there were two snap draws to reward/
encourage volunteerism. I hope that these draws will
continue. Meanwhile, while at Keene please ask Dave
or myself for your free gift if you have volunteered in
the past year, or when you volunteer in the future
(while supplies last).
Please feel free to
email Murray
[email protected]
As always your suggestions/comments are continually
welcomed.
Page 4
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3– October 2005
Ski House News
Montreal Section Laurentian Ski House (likely) To Close:
This is your last chance to save it
Every winter for the last 25 or so years, the Montreal Section of the ACC has rented a house in the Laurentian Mountains north
of Montreal to serve as a base for cross-country and telemark skiing, as well as ice climbing. However, usage by members has
declined in the last few years so that the viability of this venerable institution is in great jeopardy. The 2004/5 winter season was
poor in terms of snow and attendance was even worse. The ski house lost ~$2200 last year, which cannot continue. So unless
attendance increases this season, the house will, unfortunately, have to close for good. This year we will institute a weekly email
on Thursday evening to members describing the local snow and trail conditions. Hopefully this will energize everyone into action. If that is not enough, our fearless leader Murray has offered some very nice prizes to encourage the purchase of passes
and overnight stays. You will be hearing details in the coming months. This year, the house is available from Dec 1 until April
15. The remainder of the ski house information is as usual, so read on….looking forward to seeing you all up there!
The Ski House: We have kept the house we rented for the last 4 seasons. The ski house is spacious and bright with hardwood floors,
six bedrooms, and more sleeping space than you can shake a ski at. There is plenty of room for cooking and the two floors allow some
solitude for those who desire it. The basement/laundry (the third floor) is ideal for waxing skis etc. The house is literally a five-minute
walk to the grocery store, movie theatre, and the SAQ, and yet still retains a country-like atmosphere.
Ski Trails: Municipality of Ste Adele offers a network of well-maintained and groomed cross country ski trails. And best of all, they
are free (the only free groomed trails in the Laurentians)! The trailhead is a 5 min walk from the house. Or alternatively, a trail leading
to Le petit train du nord is 200 m away at the end of the road by the small downhill ski area. For those who like ice skating, an oval is
kept open on Lac Rond, just a short walk from the house. Many winter outings start from the ski house. The entire Laurentians await
your skis, snowshoes, or axe and crampons.
Fee schedule :The fee schedule remains the same as last season except that children of 2-18 years pay $5/night (last year 7$). The midweek reduction is still in effect. For members the Sunday night – Thursday night rate is $10 and for guests is $15. The blackout periods
on the mid-week rate include Ontario and Quebec spring break weeks and the entire Xmas-New Year period (Xmas eve-Monday following New Year). The day use rate is still $2/person. So if you go in to the ski house to warm up, have lunch, have a pre-dinner beer,
we ask you to throw $2 in the pot before you leave. Thanks.
Custodians: We are continuing to have a host/custodian each high season weekend. This person, we’re looking for volunteers here,
will generally spend Friday and Saturday nights at the house. They will welcome people, collect the fees, act as a general resource person and organise a final clean-up on Sunday afternoon. The person is not expected to remain at the house during the day, just to be
there early mornings and evenings. This won’t be an arduous task, but you will be rewarded by free accommodation (or if you have a
pass, a free meal). Volunteers can call Martin Goldstein at 514-489-4615.
Saturday night meals: Again, we have organised group meals on Saturday night. This is a way of introducing and including new ski
house attendees and also makes a small amount of money to support the house. The meals are also organised to avoid a potential crush
of people cooking their own food at dinner time. If you do not want to partake in the meal, your meal should be prepared either before
or after the group meal. Finally, the meals are just stupendous and are a big draw to the ski house. The schedule is shown elsewhere in
this report. While every attempt will be made to keep to this list of meals, if you just have to attend one particular meal, you should call
the organiser, a ski house committee member, or check the web site. We realize that the meal price saw some inflation last year. However we promise to claw that back to be a maximum of $12/person. For that price, this is a great deal. But there is a catch, you should
be prepared to help out in the preparation in some small way.
“Reservations”: Last year there were some times when the house felt rather full. On those mid-winter Saturday nights it is in everyone’s interest that the sleeping spaces be as optimized as possible. The custodian will be overseeing this to make sure everyone gets a
good night’s rest. Visitors are encouraged to e-mail their intentions to Leslie Roberston (address overleaf) so that in the event of a large
crowd they should bring additional sleeping pads. If anyone is bringing a large group (say 5 or more persons) they must contact the ski
house reservations member at least 5 days in advance at [email protected]. The address is a misnomer as there are
no reservations, but it allows the Custodian some forewarning of what to expect that particular weekend.
Teddy Bear Weekend: One has been organised this year. On this weekend family-orientated events and meals take place. But
don’t be put off if you don’t have kids, the house is plenty big enough to accommodate all.
See overleaf for more ski house info:
Montage
Page
5 63.1 - February 2005
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
5
Montreal Section Laurentian Ski House 2005-06
Ski House Group Meals
As always the ski house meals are a great success. If you
haven’t yet experienced or would like to become one of
our regular participants see below for up coming culinary
delights!
The tradition of providing a group meal on Saturday nights will continue this year.
We do this for several reasons: to avoid the chaos of several meals being prepared
at once, to raise a small amount of money for the house, and because the meals are
outstanding! The cost of the meal is simply divided amongst the diners with a
small amount going towards the ski house. This usually works out to be in the $14
range. In order to make sure there is enough food, please let the organizer of the
meal know you are coming by the Thursday before the meal. Visitors are not
obliged to participate in the meal, but please cook after the group meal.
Date
Meal
Contact
04- Dec
Ski house official opening, WINE & CHEESE
Eric Lepage
(450)978-8817
31- Dec
New Year’s party, who wishes to do it or help?
Celestine S.489-2842
07-Jan
TBA
14-Jan
I want more… Pizza by
Martin Suiches 747-2828
21-Jan
Boeuf Bourgignon
Eric Lepage
(450)978-8817
28-Jan
TBA
Ski House Committee 2005/06
04- Feb
Brazilian Feijoada
(traditional rice pork and bean meal)
11-Feb
. Thai Meal
18-Feb
Teddy Bear Weekend
25-Feb
TBA
04- Mar
LASAGNA
Celestine S. 489-2842
11- Mar
Indian Night
Holly Robertson
481-2435
18- Mar
TBA
25- Mar
TBA
01- Apr
TBA
08- Apr
TBA
15-Apr
Page 6
Danuta Potworowski
340-1978
Murray & Leslie
633-1533
Ski House e-mail contact: Leslie Robertson
[email protected]
Dave Percival
Martin Suiches
Martin Goldstein
Eric Lepage
Leslie Roberston
Danuta Potworoswki
Herb Ladd
Celestine Segers
514-481-2435
514-747-2828
514-489-4615
514-918-7135
514-633-1533
514-340-1209
514-481-6026
514-489-2842
Closing of the ski house
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3– October 2005
Ski House
Frequently Asked Questions
A complete FAQ is available online at the ACC Montreal Section’s
web site www.accmontreal.ca/skihouse.html.
How do I get in if it is locked?
The ski house will normally be locked, especially if you arrive early on
Friday or arrive during the week. Before your first trip to the ski house
this year be sure to call any member of the ski house committee for
information on the key system.
What do I need to bring?
Sleeping bag. Pillow. Food (see food faq)
Do I need to bring food?
Group meals are usually provided on Saturday
nights. See Saturday night meals for more info.
Basic breakfast supplies (bread, oatmeal, milk,
jam, tea, coffee) and beer are available for a
small fee (honour system). You're on your own
for lunches.
Can I make a reservation?
In general the answer is no. The ski house operates on a first come first served basis on the
weekend and during holidays. However if you
would like to bring a group to the ski house
during the week we can make special arrangements (for example reserving beds). Email [email protected]
Ski House Rates
2005-06
Season Pass
$160
Overnights
ACC Member
$15
Guest of Member
$20
12-18 year old
$5
Mid-week (non-holiday)
reductions
Day Use
Meals
Breakfast
Dinners
Directions
The address is 1261 Emile Cauchand, Ste-Adele. From
Montreal take the Laurentian Autoroute (hwy 15) north to
exit 67 (Ste-Adele) and continue north on hwy 117. Immediately after the Banque Nationale turn left on Morin St.
Follow Morin St. for 300 metres and turn right on rue
Emile Cauchand and continue for 200 metres. The house is
on your right, set back from the street.
L'adresse est 1261 Emile Cochand, Ste-Adele. De Montréal prenez l’Autoroute dès Laurentides (15 Nord) juste
qu’a la sortie 67 (Ste-Adele) . Continuez sur la 117 direction nord. Après La Banque Nationale virez a la gauche et
$2
suivez la rue Morin 300 mètres. Virez a la droite sur la rue
Emile Cauchand et continuer 200 mètres. La maison est a
$3
$8-12 votre droite, au fond d’un grand terrain.
The Ski House is open
Will there be enough space?
Nov 15 to April 24
Yes. We never turn anyone away. There are
Autumn—Winter—Spring
enough beds for 22 people. There are foamies
and plenty of floor space for overflow. On very
busy weekends it would be wise to bring a
sleeping pad just in case all foamies are used.
Will I have my own room?
Maybe. The ski house is an informal and communal facility. There are
no private rooms. It is possible that you could have your own room but
there is no guarantee.
How do I pay the house fees?
Please sign the register. The fees are indicated on the front of the register and are posted on the front door. Usually there will be a member of
the ski house committee present - please pay that person. Otherwise
leave your fees in the coffee can in the living room.
Is the ski house a cabin like at Keene?
The ski house is a ‘real’ house like a cottage, not like Keene. There are
washroom facilities, electric heating, a fridge, running water, etc.
By Bus
Take the bus at the Terminus Voyageur (Berri-UQAM) to
Ste Adele. At the stop in Ste Adele walk north toward the
IGA for 20m and turn left at Henri-Dumond and go up the
hill for about 150m until reaching the second intersection
at Emile-Cauchand. Turn right and go about 30 m to the
house at 1261.
Par autobus
Pour aller a la maison de ski du Club Alpin-Section Montreal, proceder au Terminus Voyageur (station metro BerriUQAM) et prendre l'autobus pour Ste. Adele. A l'arret de
Ste. Adele marcher 20 metres au nord (vers le magasin
IGA) et trouver la rue Henri-Dunand. Tourner a gauche
sur cette rue et continuer a la deuxieme intersection qui est
la rue Emile-Cauchand. Tourner a droite sur EmileCauchand et marcher pour environs 30 metres. Il ya une
barriere de bois vert sur votre droit devant une maison
tourqoise. Le numero est 1261 et vous etes la. Pour
l'horaire des autobus telephoner a 842-2281.
Ski House Group Meals are a great way to end an active day!
Montage
Page
7 63.1 - February 2005
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
7
Plastic Wall Climbing
Have a craving for rock climbing in winter?
Indoor climbing is for you!
Join us and keep your fingers strong
during long winter evenings transformed in gym climbing fun.
The ACC Montreal section has put together yet another mailing list to ease
contact between interested climbers
looking for partners, group fun and
motivation!
We post messages once or twice a
week to invite people to AllezUp or
HorizonRock. Top-roping and lead
climbing are possible at both gyms...
Ice?!? not yet!
You can join by sending a mail to:
[email protected]
Please include your full name and club affiliation [ACC, MOC...]
as we try to keep the list manageable by limiting it to members.
(PS if you do not have easy email access, you may contact us at
(514)574-3996 to join the indoor climbing group activities)
See you up there!
Stephane and Agustina
Grimpez aux
murs...
pas aux rideaux!
Cet hiver les mains vous démangent
pour grimper un peu partout?
Essayez l'escalade intérieur!
La section montréalaise de l'ACC à
crée une autre liste de diffusion par
courriel (e-mail) afin de faciliter les
contactes entre les grimpeurs cherchant des partenaires pour l'escalade
intérieur, du plaisir en groupe ou de la
motivation à sortir du salon!
Une à deux fois par semaine, nous envoyons un message pour inviter les gens à venir grimper à AllezUp ou HorizonRock. Il est
possible de faire de la moulinette ou du premier de cordé, aux
deux endroits... et la glace?!? Pas encore!
Pour vous joindre à nous, rien de plus simple, envoyer un courriel
à: [email protected]
SVP inclure votre nom complet ainsi que votre affiliation au club
[ACC, MOC...] puisque nous tentons de conserver une liste administrable en la limitant aux membres.
(PS si vous n'avez pas d'acces facile au courriel, vous pouvez nous
contacter au (514)574-3996 pour joindre les activites du groupe
d'escalade interieur.
On se voie au plafond!
Stéphane et Agustina
Page 8
Wilderness First
Aid course
When I'm out in the outdoors with friends, I wish everything
goes fine. But reality is a bit different, people get hurt more
often than you might think and knowing what to do in such
scenarios makes a huge difference. I wish all my friends know
what to do in such cases.
First aid courses given for city situations are a good base, but
this is a practical based course designed for individuals who
will be participating in outdoor activities within hours of
medical assistance. This course will provide participants with
an introduction to wilderness first aid. Basic topics are covered with an emphasis on practical skills, decision making and
dealing with environmental conditions. Content includes: patient assessment, shock, wound management, burns, fractures
and sprains, environmental injuries, common medical problems, first aid kits.
This course will be given by Sirius Wilderness Medicine, a
leader in Canadian wilderness first aid, emergency and medical training.
Dates: Nov 19-20
Location: Keene Farm, Keene, NY
For details and to register (places limited, book early) please
contact me.
Please note that in addition to the usual subsidy given by the
section for this course, those interested in selling raffle tickets
can get a further subsidy to bring the cost down. The purpose
of the raffle is to have as many members as possible competent in both first aid and leadership helping the club to get
more outings.
Stephane Chamberland
[email protected]
(514)574-3996
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3– October 2005
Premiers soins en
région éloignées
ADVANTAGE TRAVELWORLD Canmore Ltd
We can offer Emergency Hospital/
Medical Insurance
Vous etes-vous déjà demandé ce qu'il adviendrait si une personne de
votre groupe se blesse lors d'une activité de plein air avec le club
ou simplement entre amis. Comment réagir? Que faire? Des compétences minimales en premier soins pour vous et les gens qui vous accompagnent font une différence énorme dans ce genre de situation.
Un cours de premiers soin "de ville" est déjà un bonne base, mais ce
cours va beaucoup plus loin en s'adressant aux individus qui
participent à des activités se déroulant dans des endroits où les
soins médicaux spécialisés ne sont pas accessibles. Ce cours est une
introduction au secourisme en régions isolées. Les notions de base y
sont abordées et une emphase particulière est mise sur l'acquisition
d'habiletés pratiques, sur le processus de prise de décision en
situation d'urgence ainsi que sur la capacité de faire face à des
conditions environnementales rigoureuses et diversifiées.
Coverage for mountaineering activities for Canadian Residents traveling out of province within
Canada, in the USA and for worldwide coverage.
Coverage can be for single or multiple trips
Please contact us for more information and quotes
Email [email protected]
Toll free 1 877 678 9335
Ce cours est offert par Sirius secourisme en régions isolées, un chef
de file canadien dans l'enseignement du secourisme en régions isolées.
Quand? 19-20 Nov
Où? Ferme Keene, Keene, NY
Pour plus de détails et pour vous inscrire (place limitées, faites
vite!) prière de me contacter.
Prendre note qu'en plus du rabais habituel offert par le club pour ce
cours, les participants pourront vendre des billets pour un tirage et
ainsi obtenir un rabais encore plus important. Le but de ces tirages
est de promouvoir encore plus les cours offerts par la section et
rendre nos membres encore plus compétents en premiers soin et
leadership et ainsi pouvoir offrir davantage de sorties.
Stephane Chamberland
[email protected]
(514)574-3996
Montage
Page
9 63.1 - February 2005
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
9
Outings Schedule
FALL/WINTER 05/06
W
e are pleased to again offer our members a
wide range of outings, which we hope will
provide you with many fun days out.
If you are interested in participating in an outing be sure to
call or email the leader well ahead of time (Thursday evening at the latest please!). Please note that these outings
are planned up to eight months in advance and sometimes
changes are necessary due to weather, conditions, access or
leader availability. Please take note of the difficulty ratings
given on the outings schedule and feel free to contact the
outing leader who will provide you a better indication of
the skills and knowledge required to participate. These
outings are potentially dangerous and you will be required
to sign a waiver to participate – we suggest that you become familiar with the waiver on our website prior to the
trip date.
For outings that involve an overnight in a hut, places may
have to be reserved well in advance by the leader. Please
contact the leader four weeks before the outing as places on
the outings are offered on a first come first served basis.
If there’s nothing listed on the outings schedule it doesn’t mean that
nothing’s happening. On winter weekends there are nearly always
people cross-country skiing from the Ski House or ice climbing
from Keene Farm, so you can often connect with others there. You
can also subscribe to the ACC Montreal e-mail listserv
(information available at accmontreal.ca) or check the
web-site to obtain up to date information regarding
the scheduled outings and those that may be added
during the season.
Finally, if you are heading out and feel like some company consider
sending an email to the listserv to see if others would like to join in.
Also, if you would like to lead a trip or have an idea for an outing that
you would like to see please contact me and help me improve and tailor
the outings schedule for our members!
Illustration courtesy Tami Knight
Waivers
You MUST sign the Outings Waiver
on all ACC outings
This ensures that the club is protected by accident insurance. In the event of an accident on an ACC outing,
you must report the circumstances to the outings coordinator or the section chair as soon as possible. Furthermore, If you are travelling to the United States (i.e.
Keene Farm) you are strongly advised to carry some
sort of travellers medical insurance. Remember that
YOU may be financially responsible for any expenses
(possibly huge) that result from having to seek rescue
or medical attention.
Advice on trail/climbing conditions
The National Office of the ACC advises us that legally
we are not qualified to provide advice relating to conditions or hazards that may be encountered by our
members or anyone else involved in outdoor pursuits.
Furthermore we can be held legally responsible if we
give out bum info that leads to an accident. Therefore, if you are looking for advice on trail conditions or want that
latest forest fire report, you will be referred to an authority on the subject or provided with a copy of such information direct from the horse's mouth.
M.R.
Brian Kinzie
Outings Coordinator/Coordonnateur des sorties
ACC Montreal Section/Club Alpin du Canada, Section Montréalaise
email/courriel: [email protected]
For outings’ difficulty ratings, please visit www.accmontreal.ca
Page 10
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3– October 2005
Montage
Page
11 63.1 - February 2005
www.accmontreal.ca
Hiking Phelps
Hiking Catamount
An early morning hike to reach the summit of Mt. Algonquin by sun- Adironrise - a unique outing and a spectacular view are assured!
dacks, NY
Schlepping up and sliding down a still closed ski hill somewhere up Laurentians,
Intermediate
QC
north. For Telemark skiers. Hope for snow!
NovemWork
ber 5
November 5 or Outing
6
NovemOuting
ber 6
November 5 or Outing
6
November 19 Course
or 20
November 26 Outing
or 27
December 3 or Outing
4
December 10 Outing
or 11
December 10 Outing
or 11
Trail Maintenance - come help clear some of the ski trails around
Ste-Adele so that you may enjoy them in the coming season!
Sirius Wilderness Medicine course at the Ski House. Learn the
skills you hope you'll never need, your friends just might thank you Ste Adele,
All
for it! This is a course that everyone who ventures into the backLaurentians
country should take.
Beginner/
Intermediate
with good fitness
Trail Clearing at Mont Plante - help prepare the trails for the oncoming ski season.
Every
weekend in Work
November
Adirondacks, NY
Adirondacks, NY
Adirondacks, NY
Adirondacks, NY
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Laurentians,
N/A
QC
Laurentians,
N/A
QC
Intermediate
Backcountry Telemark skiing - location dependant upon snow con- Laurentians,
Intermediate
ditions
QC
Snowshoe or hiking (conditions dependant) up Brothers & Big Slide!
Get an early start to winter with a ski up Whiteface Mountain toll
road or other Adirondack cross country ski
Adirondacks, NY
Hiking a peak to be determined…
Beginner
October
Outing
30
N/A
Level
Learn Map & Compass skills - good knowledge to have for all types Adironof backcountry outings
dacks, NY
Location
October
Course
29
Event
Festival de film d'aventure de Montréal, featuring numerous interMontreal,
esting films including one by Isabelle Daigneault on her exploits in
QC
Ecuador
Type
October
Festival
27 to 30
Date
Contact(s)
Martin Suichies (514)
747-2828
Deborah Skelton [email protected]
Damon Greenberg
(518) 891-1628
Brian Kinzie [email protected]
Stéphane Chamberland
courses@accmontreal.
ca
Frédéric Benz
514.524.0148 [email protected]
Ed Potworowski [email protected]
Ed Potworowski [email protected]
Eric Lepage
514.918.7135
Mike Eamer (450) 4335658
http://www.espaces.qc.
ca/fifam/pdf/
Programme_Fifam05.
pdf
Stéphane Chamberland
courses@accmontreal.
ca
Karen Mendell [email protected]
(514) 483-3183
Alpine Club Montreal Section
Fall/Winter 05/06 Activities Calendar
All participants must be ACC members in good standing.
You will be required to sign a waiver before participating in each outing - these are available at www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
11
Page 12
www.accmontreal.ca
Outing
January 21 or 22
Festival
January 13 to 15
Outing
Outing
January 15
January 21 or 22
Course
January 14
Outing
January 7 or 8
Outing
Outing
January 7
January 14 & 15
-
New Year's
Outing
-
Christmas
January 7 or 8
Outing
December 17 or 18
Date
Type
Location
Laurentians
Adirondacks, NY
Adirondacks, NY
Laurentians, QC
TBD
White Mountains, NH
Ice climbing - top rope Smuggler's Notch, VT
and lead climbing at
Smugs!
Snowshoe to Owl
Head Lookout. 9km
round-trip, with great
Adirondack International Mountainfest features an amazing
Backcountry skiing
on the Loken trail near
St. Sauveur
A cross-country ski
clinic to brush up on
those classic skills
Hiking Mount Washington by the Lion's
Head trail (condition
Contact(s)
-
-
Beginner and Intermediate
Intermediate
N/A
Intermediate
Beginner and Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate to Advanced
Beginner and Intermediate
Peter Pfister [email protected]
Paul Chapman paulchapman@sympatico.
ca
http://www.
mountaineer.com/
mountainfest/
Dave Percival
(514) 481-2435
Stéphane Chamberland
courses@accmontreal.
Frédéric Benz
514.524.0148 [email protected]
Brian Kinzie [email protected]
Murray Levine [email protected]
Anna Grant [email protected]
-
-
Intermediate Telemark Mike Rogers
or Advanced X-country mikerogersmikerogers
@yahoo.ca
Level
Eastern Townships, QC Beginner and Intermediate
-
-
Backcountry Telemark TBD
skiing - location dependant upon snow
Cross-country skiing
at on the trails of Ste-
Snowshoeing up Mt
Foster in the Eastern
Townships (5 minutes
from Knowlton).
No activities planned keep an eye on the
No activities planned keep an eye on the
listserv!
Skiing Montagne Noir - Laurentians, QC
one of the highest
peaks in the Laurentians offering great
Event
Alpine Club Montreal Section
Montage 63.3– October 2005
Montage
Page
13 63.1 - February 2005
www.accmontreal.ca
Festival
February 11 and 12
Outing
February 11
Outing
Outing
February 11
February 11 and 12
Outing
February 11 or 12
Course
February 4
Outing
Festival
January 28 or 29
February 4 or 5
Festival
January 26 to 28
Outing
Outing
January 27
February 4 or 5
Course
January 21
Date
Type
Laurentians, QC
Location
Laurentians, QC
Huntington, Vermont
Laurentians, QC
www.lemassif.com
Stéphane Chamberland
All level telemark
Beginner
Intermediate
Celestine Segers
csegers26@hotmail.
com
Intermediate Backcoun- Paul Chapman paultry
chapman@sympatico.
ca
http://www.banffcentre.
ca/mountainculture/
N/A
Eric Lepage
514.918.7135
Strong Intermediate
Contact(s)
Stéphane Chamberland
courses@accmontreal.
ca
Level
Beginner
Eric Lepage
514.918.7135
Marie-Claude Lamothe
514-842-6094
Strong Intermediate
Beginner/Intermediate
www.csm-mcs.com
Paul Gregoire 450 449
7413
Intermediate
The outings in this schedule are not instructional,
rather they are a way for members of similar abilities
to meet and get outside. It is presumed that you have
the minimum ability level necessary - if you are unsure, call the outing contact person who will be able
to determine if the level of the outing suits your abilities. You are responsible for having or renting equipment. Car pooling may be coordinated by the outing
leader, otherwise you may use the ride board on
www.accmontreal.ca
Frédéric Benz
514.524.0148 [email protected]
A note about ACC outings
Beginner and Intermediate
All participants must be ACC members in good
standing. You will be required to sign a waiver before participating in each outing - these are available
at www.accmontreal.ca
B.K.
Buckingham to Lachute All
The Canadian Ski
Marathon, the quintessential Canadian Event
Cascade en raquette/
Adirondacks, NY
snowshoeing Mt. Cascade
Laurentians, QC
Back country skiing
on the Mont Gabriel
trails. A suitable warm -
Profitez de la pleine
Adirondacks, NY
lune pour faire
l‘ascencion du sommet
Ice climbing for begin- Lake Willoughby, VT
ners - check out the
fantastic waterfalls of
Cross country Skiing
in Foret Ouareau (on
route 125, between
Ever stayed in a Yurt ?
Actually its quite cozy.
Located near Hunting-
Beginner Ice climbing
for those aspiring to
RENDEZ-VOUS TÉLÉ- Le Massif
MARK LE MASSIFGear demos and
hoardes of tele-skiers
Montreal, QC
The Banff Mountain
Film Festival comes to
Backcountry skiing
on St Adele trails. Another suitable warm -
TBD
Beginner Telemarking - learn the liberating feel of a free heel!
(dates to be confirmed)
Event
Alpine Club Montreal Section
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
13
Page 14
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3– October 2005
Outing
Outing
Outing
Festival
Festival
February 25 or 26
February 25 or 26
March 4 or 5
March 4 and 5
March 11 or 12
Outing
Course
February 25 and 26
March 25 or 26
Festival
February 17 to 19
Outing
Ski house event
February 18 and 19
March 18 or 19
Outing
Type
February 18 and 19
Date
Pont Rouge, QC
Ste Adele, Laurentians
Laurentians
Location
Laurentians, QC
Laurentians, QC
Laurentians, QC
Cross-country skiing
at on the trails of SteAgathe Sud-Domaine
Laurentians, QC
Laurentians, QC
Telemark skiing at
Mont Plante. We had a
great outing last year
Fayston, VT
Lift served telemark
skiing at the NATO
telemark festival at Mad
Adirondack Backcoun- Adirondacks, NY
try Ski Festival including guided tours and
Backcountry and
Telemark skiing on
O'Connell trail at
Telemarking little
known powder runs in
the Laurentian BC - If
Backcountry skiing
on the trails in Ste-
Advanced Ice climbing Laurentians, QC
for those looking to advance and begin leading (dates to be con-
The 8th Annual Festiglace - come and witness some of the
Teddy Bear Weekend
at the ski house. Kids
of all ages welcome.
Kasper’s Odyssey. A
great tradition and a
great cross country ski
trip from the ski house
Event
Mike Eamer michael.
[email protected]
(450) 433-5658
Art Campbell
(514) 453-3952
Stéphane Chamberland
courses@accmontreal.
ca
www.festiglace.com
Holly Robertson
(514) 481-2435
Eric Lepage
514.918.7135
Contact(s)
Beginner and Intermediate
Intermediate
All level telemark
N/A
Murray Levine [email protected]
(514) 633-1533
Mike Eamer michael.
[email protected]
(450) 433-5658
http://www.
telemarknato.com/
festival.html
http://www.
mountaineer.com/
skifest/index.htm
Intermediate Telemark Pierre Achard
or Advanced X-country senior_sero@hotmail.
com or 514-744-1855
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
All
All
Advanced
Level
Access and Environment
Are you an enthusiastic outdoor-lover?
Do you feel the urge to protect the amazing playgrounds that Mother Nature offers us?
Do you want to share your passion and are you up to new challenges?
Does this description fits you!?
Then come and join us on the Access and Environment Committee. You will be in charge of
developing educational information for kids and members, organize a nature discovery family
day, represent the ACC-Montreal section, defend the member’s interests and much more…
You have some ideas or concerns regarding environment and access you would like to share? Do
so! Simply go to www.accmontreal.ca/environment.html or send us and e-mail at [email protected]
Be active and share your passion!
Accro du plein air?
Concerné par l’impact des activités humaines sur l’environnement?
Prêt à partager votre passion et relever de nouveaux défis ?
Vous vous reconnaissez dans cette description?
Alors venez nous rejoindre au sein du Comité Environnement et Accès. Vous pourrez développer de nouveaux programmes éducatifs pour les enfants et membres, organiser une journée familiale de découverte de la nature, représenter les membres du club, défendre leur intérêts et bien
plus encore...
Vous avez des idées ou questions sur l’environnement et l’accès que vous voulez partagez. Faites-le donc! Visitez le site to www.accmontreal.ca/environment.html ou encore envoyer un courriel [email protected]
Soyez actifs et partagez votre passion!
Montage
Page
15 63.1 - February 2005
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
15
At last the announcement we’ve all been waiting for:
The 2005 Photo Contest Winners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Over all photo contest winner:
Paul Gregoire “Pelerinage”
Snow Adventure:
Tommaso del Bianco
“Wind on Dial Mountain”
Vertical Adventure:
Tommaso del Bianco
“The Sky is the Limit”
Page 16
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3– October 2005
The 2005 Photo Contest Winners
Flora and Fauna:
Pierre Achad “Northern Gannet”
(Bless them!!!)
Mountain Landscape:
Leigh Freeman "Mist Lake Vermont"
Congratulations
to the winners,
& thanks to
everybody who
entered. There
were some very
inspiring photos!
People and Culture:
Brian Kinzie “Mamshm Man”
Montage
Page
17 63.1 - February 2005
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
17
Mt Colden via the Trap Dyke Feb 27, 2005
by Howard Kay
Photos by Michel Potvin
I
t was an epic adventure. We
endured the mother of all horrendous bushwhacks, packeating trees, man-eating spruce
traps, body belays on bloated
waterfall ice and snow up to our
noses. At times we were crawling on
all fours and were not even sure which
way to go, besides up. In other words,
we had a GREAT time! Really.
Six of us planning to climb the dyke
left Keene Farm at 6:30am and we
started out from the Adirondack Loj
area at about 7:30 on a gloriously
sunny and mild Sunday. Less than
two hours later we were scouting out
the dyke from below on Avalanche
Lake. It looked more full of snow and
ice than the two previous times I had
been through it in winter. At that point
one of us decided not to proceed due
to an injured knee. Now we were five.
He was the one of us
with a camera, so we
have no photos in the
dyke or higher up. In and
up we went.
Not far in, just below the
first of two frozen waterfalls, we stopped to gear
up. As we readied ice
axes and donned crampons, harnesses and
Goretex, a solo climber
went past us and proceeded at a pretty fast
clip up the dyke over the
two waterfalls and was
soon out of sight. We
started up the first waterfall. A little tricky, but we
all soloed it. As we were
moving past the top of
that first one, we met the solo climber
heading back down toward us. He
Page 18
had gone over the second waterfall
and decided to turn around because
there was very deep snow beyond that
and he was concerned about avalanche conditions. Hmmm.
We found ourselves
in snow up to our
waists, sometimes
our necks, even with
snowshoes
When we arrived at the second, much
larger waterfall, Frédéric and JeanFrançois slowly soloed through it but
Paul and I felt it was worthy of a belay,
so one was set up, piecing together
our two 50 foot lengths of 7 mm rope.
Around that time our fifth member felt
www.accmontreal.ca
that our progress was becoming very
slow and we were still near the beginning of the route with only uncertainty
and tons of snow ahead of us and she
decided to turn around. And then we
were four. Frédéric Benz, JeanFrançois Mailloux, Paul Ladouceur
and myself.
Once we were finally past the second
and last waterfall, our final technical
section, we found ourselves in snow
up to our waists, sometimes our necks,
even with snowshoes. Moving up was
a very slow proposition, at best, but we
struggled upwards.
One of the challenges in the Trap
Dyke is to exit the dyke at the right
place for the slide. Too soon and you
find yourself on dangerously steep
slabs. Too late and it becomes almost
impossible to make that traverse as
the distance between
dyke and slide widens
and going all the way
up by the dyke is a
tough grind, at best. In
the summer it is fairly
easy to figure out
where to go and if you
happen to leave at the
wrong spot you can
usually alter your route
and get to the right
place without too much
difficulty. However,
very deep snow and
ice can make that exit
point much more difficult to determine.
We came to a few
places in the dyke
where we thought we
could head over, but the traverse
(Continued on page 19)
Montage 63.3– October 2005
would have been in very deep, unstable snow and each time we decided to
continue and try a little higher up. After a while, we came to the realization
I can’t remember
ever being so happy
to see a real trail
that a safe traverse was either not
possible or we had missed the best
place to do it. So what do you do?
Continue up the dyke or go down?
We were already two hours into the
dyke and the larger waterfall below us
would be tricky getting down, so we
decided to push on. Hence, the horrendous bushwhack.
Montage
Page
19 63.1 - February 2005
The next couple of hours would be
spent climbing, scrambling and crawling up 400 vertical meters of some of
the most vicious real estate in the
Dacks. We got caught in a few spruce
traps and were eaten up by almost
everything else there, as well.
Through trees, up steep trenches, on
top of cripplebush and over thin air all
covered with a two meter layer of soft,
very penetrable, snow. Never quite
sure where to go, we pushed on and
up, led mostly by Jean-François and
Frédéric. Finally, almost by surprise,
we arrived at an opening in the trees
and, thankfully, the hiking trail just below the summit. I can’t remember ever
being so happy to see a real trail. A
short rest and snack and then a few
hours down to the trailhead. We made
it back to the cars an hour or two after
sunset, quite exhausted.
www.accmontreal.ca
It's been a long while since I've done
such an arduous outing. I never
thought the section of trail back from
Marcy Dam to the Loj would seem to
require such an effort. The fact that
we were all carrying almost every
piece of outdoor equipment we owned
didn't help. But it was great and we
made it to the top, although we were
not able to get (safely) to the slabs.
The weather was perfect. Winter, but
not too cold and we were blessed with
the sun shining on us periodically. It's
a nice fun romp in the summer, but in
the winter it can become a true alpine
experience. Almost doesn’t even look
like the same place. Can’t wait to do it
again next year.
By Howard Kay
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
19
Hiking & Scrambling in the Canadian Rockies 2005
By Pierre Achard
July 24th Mount Temple (Banff)
W
e (DP, MB, S, Benoit &
PA) left the Lake
Louise Hostel International Alpine Center a
bit late (7:30am) that
Sunday morning for Lake Moraine.
It had been raining a good part of the night
and it was still falling a few drops. We arrived at the parking lot to find Marco and
his friend waiting for us.
Another group of four people group has
asked use if they could join us on the Larch
valley trail. So we were far over the 6persons minimum requirement (bear restrictions for Larch and Paradise Valley)
with our noisy group of eleven people.
I found it was a bit "overkill" to hike in
such a massive group, we didn't meet any
Grizzly but at the same time we didn't see
any wildlife anymore !
We reached the Sentinel Pass in about a
hour and a half, the sky was getting clearer
and everybody was fine.
We started the ascent up the path (Sentinel)
to Mount Temple with a smaller group (6
persons).
For the first hour of scramble the trail was
easy to follow but somewhere around the
first rock cliff, we missed few cairns and
continued to ascent too far to the right.
This mistake made our ascent longer than
it should has been. Scrambling in the
screes is hard for the legs, but sometimes it
seems harder mentally.
Every step forward has to be mentally prepared and calculated so not to slip backward !
After two other rock cliffs (one climbed
with a rope !), we finally reached the snow
ridge and made the final ascent with crampons up to the summit.
It was around 3:30pm when we reached the
top... everybody was toasted !
Lucky for us, there is light until 10 pm in
July and the weather was also cooperating.
We took our time hiking down to the parking lot, where we met the rest of the group
that had turned back previously.
Benoit told us that he had seen our group
Page 20
on the final ridge from Paradise Valley !
We spent the night at the Protection Mtn
campground on highway 1A instead of the
Hostel International Alpine Center.
The hostel was full, not to mention expensive for a youth hostel (38$+Txes for nonmembers) and the Lake Louise campground was already full since 3pm !
July 25th and 26th - Mount
Richardson (Skoki, Banff)
We (DP, PA) left Martin, Stephanie (who
were going to Abbot Pass) and Benoit to
make an easy two days hike in the Skoki
area.
This place is really nice if you want to
leave the crowded trails and the bear restrictions of the Lake Louise area.
Here, you can have a real backcountry
camping experience without the quotas and
limitations of Lake O'Hara... but there is
quite a lot of mosquitos. Almost as many
as in Val David during the spring season !
Anyway, the trail to access Skoki Lodge
runs by the Lake Louise Ski Center and
brings us to Hidden Lake where the campground is.
The following day , we scrambled in the
screes (once again) to reach Richardson
where the view is terrific (as Alan Kane
writes in his book) !
We didn't run into anyone during the ascent (only two people on the way down)
and we did not find any human presence in
the closest valleys even with binoculars !
Also the flora and fauna is much more accessible than the other places we went to.
Some great pictures to take once again.
We even find two big morels (you know,
the sponge shaped mushrooms) close to the
trail (on July 26th)... one can imagine that
spring came late in this region.
July 27th and 28th - President
(Little Yoho, Yoho BC)
We (DP, MB, S, Benoit & PA) were back
together for a two days hike in the Little
Yoho valley.
www.accmontreal.ca
Destination: Stanley Mitchell Hut.
Martin and Stephanie decided to take the
Iceline trail. We (DP and PA) decided to
hike along the Yoho and Little Yoho valley
trail because of our (overly) heavy packs!
Some people recommend to reach the hut
via the Iceline trail and come back by the
Yoho trail because they want to get high to
see the Takakkaw falls.
Personally, I would suggest the reverse.
The Iceline is very demanding when you
have to carry food and water for a two days
hike. It is very steep at the beginning and
the rest is a gentle ascending slope... finally you have to hike down to reach the
hut. By contrast, the Yoho trail is almost
flat. The slope begins only at the cross section of Little Yoho valley... and never
change up to the hut.
We crossed a lot of people along the trail,
the place is very famous. The hut was full
as well... a lot of families.
If I had to give another advice for people to
go there for the first time, try to be at the
hut as soon as possible to get the left-wing
room.
Why ?
Because even in July, you'll be facing people that cannot resist to start a fire in the
stove when darkness comes... as a consequence, everybody that are sleeping on the
mezzanine is sweating in his -20° rated
sleeping bag !!!
Anyway, after a short wet night (!) we got
up at 3:30 am to attempt the summit of the
President. It was amazing how the hut
seemed empty at that time of the day !
The trail to reach the glacier is pretty easy
to follow even in the darkness but we did
appreciate the first light to walk on the narrow moraine.
After a hour and a half we were at the bottom of the glacier. It was easy to see and to
avoid the crevasses since the glacier was
still in good conditions.
We reached the President pass and the
summit without difficulties. You have a
very nice point of view of the Des Poilus
glacier and the Waputik Icefield... the hut
seemed so small from there.
After taking dozens of pictures, we made
Montage 63.3– October 2005
our way back to the hut. We reached the
hut by noon.
Everyone took a rest before returning to
the Takakkaw Falls parking lot.
The susliks around the hut are not very
shy, I spent a lot of time playing with
them...
As for the way up, we splited the group in
two. Daniel and myself took the Iceline
while Martin and Stephanie took the Yoho
trail.
At about midway, we stopped at the cross
section of two trails to drink.
The Iceline trail is continuing straight forward and the secondary trail (Celeste Lake
Connector) brings back you down into the
valley.
We were talking a lot and when I decided
to move forward, I was expecting Daniel
to follow but ten seconds later when I finally looked behind me, he has disappeared !
I was just not believing my eyes that he
could have take the wrong trail... that it
certainly took me several minutes to realize it !
Everybody who knows this area would be
agree with me: it's just impossible to get
lost !
No trees, no place to hide, just millions of
rocks all over the place... and - for those
that stillcan be lost in their own corridor a huge sign gives you all the necessary
information to come back home alive !
No way for him, this was just not the right
moment to think where to go - I guess his
mind was busy at that time !
Anyway, it took him 45 min. more to join
us at the parking lot (and that is a pretty
short delay for the additional distance to
cover) with a sorry face.
But later I was asking myself: "what
would happen if this mistake have been
3000 feet higher, late on a glacier with bad
Montage
Page
21 63.1 - February 2005
weather conditions ?"
I preferred not to imagine.
July 29th and 30th - Abbot Pass
via Lake O'Hara (Yoho BC)
When Martin and Stephanie left the day
before, all the campgrounds where full so
we didn't have the choice to do
“wilderness camping”… which is illegal !
So we just camped close to the Lake
O'Hara parking lot to be on time for the
bus the morning after and we were not the
only one to do it.
We followed all the park instructions to
spend a bear-safe-night and we passed the
exam "hands down".
After 15-20 minutes of gravel road, we
reached Lake O'Hara. I was curious to see
if all the adjectives I’d heard about this
place and the crazy reservation system to
pass through were justified. The answer is
yes !
It's really beautiful... and no one can pretend beauty to be subjective in this case.
Yoho park quota limitations make the experience really enjoyable - I mean, it
would not be the same with thousands of
tourists.
We took the Lake Oesa trail to reach the
Abbot Pass alpine route.
The first part of this route is very interesting, the way it passes through the rock
cliffs and the view it gives on the lake...
but the second half is much less appreciated.
400 meters gain elevation in a very steep
scree... you have to choose the rocks (the
biggest the best) you're walking on to not
slip backward !
It took us more than two hours to reach the
hut in this mess but the game is not worth
the candle.
www.accmontreal.ca
The view on the death trap and the Victoria glacier is awesome, as well as the snow
streams on Lefroy.
Spending a night in this mythic ACC hut is
a very nice experience, I’ll never forget
this moment.
The day after, it took us less than 30 minutes to reach the bottom of the scree
slope... long and strong heel-steps in
gravel can do miracles !
Because hiking up to Opabin Lake was
just no enough for me this day, I decided
to try a last scramble on Schaffer before
the last returning bus.
The view is amazing here, Lake McArthur
is uncovered at the very last end of the
climb...
Unfortunately, I’d decided to leave my
pack with my camera lower at the crux to
climb more easily.
Whatever, best pictures we take are always
with our eyes and the souvenir make them
even nicer... don't you think ?
Summary
Place: Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise
area - Banff & Yoho Nat. Parks
Date: July 24-30th, 2005
Participants:
Daniel Piaget (ACC Calgary) - DP
Martin Bouchard & Stephanie (ACC
Montreal) - MB, S
Myself: Pierre Achard (ACC Montreal) PA
(Other people like Benoit and Marco have
been also part of our group sometimes)
Related Web Site (pictures and comments
in French): www.seniorcanardo.com/
seniorcanardo/seniorsero/photos.php
By Pierre Achard
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
21
A Week in the Cascades
By Andrew Brown
M
y son Stephen
and I arrived in
Seattle on Saturday August 13th.
The weather
looked stable so we decided to start
our week with a ‘tourist’ trip to
Mount Rainier on Sunday the 14th.
The drive to the northern lodge at
Sunrise is about 2 hours from Seattle and we were accompanied by
Page 22
August 14 –20, 2005
my daughter and son-in-law who
now live near Redmond. Mt. Rainier dominates the southern skyline
as you drive southeast and, at over
14,000 ft, is one of the premier
mountains of the lower states. The
parking lot was busy but the surrounding hills looked less crowded
as several trail options were available.
www.accmontreal.ca
We decided on a moderate hike
with a round trip of about 8 miles
which we can call Mt. Rainier ,
from Sunrise, via Burroughs Peak
with Winthrop and Emmons glacier
overlooks. The trail starts directly
behind the snack bar and gift shop
and rises at a moderate grade to a
fork at about .3 miles. Here the
route for Burroughs Peak bears left
across sandy terrain and into a volMontage 63.3– October 2005
canic basin with a small reservoir/
lake (Frozen Lake). Keeping left
and rising more steeply the main
ridge is reached after about 3 miles.
The views of Rainier and its northern glaciers are magnificent. Looking north you can see Eldorado
Peak, Mt Logan and the Pickets
return to Sunrise via the glacial basin and the White River trail, but
we decided to remain at a higher
level and retrace our steps along the
ridge. We stopped at the Dairy
Queen in Enumclaw on the way
home. All in all a very satisfying
day trip.
Another mile of
rambling along
volcanic ash and
pumice brings you
to a steep overlook
onto Winthrop glacier
and Mystic Lake.
The following day Steve and I
headed north on I-5 towards Vancouver and turned east on Hwy 20
at Mt. Vernon. Hwy 20 is called the
North Cascades Highway and it
takes you to Marblemount about 2
½ hours after leaving Seattle. You
must register at the Ranger Station
in Marblemount and pick up free
wilderness camping passes. The
Rangers will ask you to describe
your approximate route, the color
of your tent and outer clothing in
case of search and rescue. You indicate the day and time of your return, but it is made quite clear to
you that no search will start until
you are missing for at least a day
(our objective for mid-week) in
The North Cascades National Park.
Another mile of rambling along
volcanic ash and pumice brings you
to a steep overlook onto Winthrop
glacier and Mystic Lake. There is
the option to descend steeply and
after your proposed return. A broken leg late on the first day of a remote trail could present quite a
problem, and cell phones don’t
really work out here. This is definitely a wilderness area and you are
on your own. You must also pick
up a parking pass to park at trail
heads which costs $5 per day. The
ranger station is not that easy to
find in Marblemount. You look for
a small brown sign to the left as
you enter the village and go up a
single lane track for one mile before you find it.
Our first objective in the North
Cascades was Thornton Lakes.
Leaving Marblemount drive east
about 12 miles to another brown
sign on the left indicating Thornton
Lake. Take a very rough track for
about four miles to a small parking
lot and trail head. We actually didn’t make it the full 4 miles up the
track. After the second steep incline
We descended 500
feet to the first lake
outlet and pitched
tent at a sandy site.
where the rental car tried to go
back instead of forwards, I found a
safe pull-in and parked. Use your
own discretion on driving this
track, a Jeep Liberty would be better than our Chevy Malibu! The
foot trail from the trail head starts
gently along an old logging road
and continues for three miles with
magnificent views across the Skagit
valley to the south. Then the logging road ends and a steep ascent is
taken for 2.5 miles to the saddle
(Continued on page 24)
Montage
Page
23 63.1 - February 2005
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
23
(Continued from page 23)
overlooking Thornton Lakes. The
view is Alpine and breathtaking.
There are three alpine cirque lakes
hidden in the valley surrounded by
the rugged heights of Thornton
Peak ahead, Mt. Triumph behind
and Trappers Peak to the right. We
descended 500ft. to the first lake
outlet and pitched tent at a sandy
site. That evening we scrambled
back up to the saddle and along to
Fred Becky’s guide
says 3 hours from the
lake to Thornton summit. Don’t believe it!
to cross rotten ice and snow on the
way. We decided to enjoy the views
of Mt. Triumph and Mt. Shuksan
from the ridge and, as it was, did
not return to camp until 4pm. We
packed up and descended to the
Skagit valley and Newhalem village
by 6.30 pm. Newhalem looks promising on the map, but there is nothing there for the hungry traveller. It
is a purely practical Hydro Electric
village with Hydro Plant, company
housing, and neither restaurant nor
lodging. The campsite was bleak
and deserted, so we beat a hasty re-
treat back to Marblemount where
we feasted on buffalo steak at the
Buffalo Run restaurant!
We needed that meal because the
next day (Wednesday) we planned
to hike in to the Pickets and camp at
6,000 ft for two nights. Wednesday
morning was drizzly and damp as
we packed for our next adventure.
Seattle weather had predicted drizzle followed by clearing and sun in
the afternoon. We drove back to
Newhalem and took the left turn towards the Goodell Creek Group
Trappers Peak on the Thornton/
Goodell Creek divide. From here
the views into the Southern Picket
Range are incomparable. We dawdled over a healthy meal of nuts,
cranberries, fresh blueberries and
beef jerkey. Took lots of photos of
the Pickets and the setting sun and
sped home in the last light to our
tent by the Lake, superb rock scenery all around. This would be a
strenuous day hike, but a night at
the lake is well worth the time and
effort.
Tuesday dawned as another perfect day and we decided to scramble up the open ridge and glacial
slabs to the left (west) of the lakes
to gain the Thornton/Triumph divide and the ridge route to Thornton
Peak. Fred Becky’s guide says 3
hours from the lake to Thornton
summit. Don’t believe it! This is a
steady climb which took us a good
three hours just to the ridge. From
there we would have taken at least
another hour to the summit and had
Page 24
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3– October 2005
Campground (brown sign). Take the
right fork and drive another couple
of miles to the end of the road by
Goodell creek. The Goodell Creek
approach to the
Southern Pickets
starts from the last
campsite on the
right. Again the
whole campsite was
ghostly and deserted! Still drizzling we set off
along the brushy old
logging road which
takes you five miles
up the Goodell
Creek valley. Drizzle turned to rain
and rain coated all
the trees, bushes,
ferns, mosses and
us. This was truly
the Pacific Northwest rain forest at its
best. But more fun was to come.
hillside. Towards the top it is necessary to pull on bushes, roots, rocks
and mud just to continue upwards
progress. We found out only days
later that the Rangers refer to this ascent as the “Green Hell.” Finally the
After five miles the trail crosses a grade eased, we headed North along
deep streambed and soon after
heather benches and stopped at the
comes to a mossy clearing with a
first flat patch of sedge grass to pitch
pebble arrow on the ground pointing tent, soaked and exhausted. We had
right. This is your cue to start the
seen no view for eight hours and
knew we were at least two miles
short of the Terror basin that had
We beat a hasty
been our objective for that night. We
changed clothes and warmed in our
retreat back to
sleeping bags and munched on turMarblemount where
key jerkey, nuts and Snickers. Thank
we feasted on buffalo goodness we had packed in 3 litre
Camelpaks each, because there was
steak at the Buffalo
no water to be found except the rain!
That night was long. We slept fitRun restaurant!
fully wondering our exact position
5,000 ft ascent to above tree line.
and listening to the rumble and roar
This is one of the most demanding
of ice ‘calving’ from Terror glacier,
‘straight-up’ hikes I have ever done. how far away?
The trail zig-zags a bit but is mostly
relentless slogging straight up the
Thursday morning dawned bright
Montage
Page
25 63.1 - February 2005
www.accmontreal.ca
and perfect and we stuck our bleary
heads out of the tent to be greeted by
the sight of the whole Southern
Picket range in the early morning
light. From the
Chopping Block
on the left to Mt.
Terror, Inspiration Peak and
McMillan Spires
on the right, it
was all there,
better than the
pictures! The
glorious Pickets,
truly Americas
Alps, as they are
nicknamed locally. Now we
were energised.
Our route that
day was to take
us over heather
and alpine
benches to a high
col overlooking Terror basin and
then on over glacial moraine and
slabs to Terror Glacier and perhaps a
scramble up West McMillan Spire.
The trail was thin but easy to follow
except in two stream beds where
‘rogue’ cairns tried to send us the
wrong way. The views from the col
are breathtaking but the descent from
the col to the glacial basin is treacherous. Keep to the right against a
loose rock wall and pick your way
gently down loose and steep talus
and scree. Once down drink deep
from the glacial stream, it is the first
water you will find since you left
Goodell Creek. Be prepared for the
transformation from glacial stream
in the morning to raging torrent in
the afternoon on your return, and if
camping here, don’t pitch tent too
close to the river! We continued on
down and over glacial debris to
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
25
and yellow
flowers
to arrive
back at
the basin
late in
the afternoon.
Some
folks
climb the
peak and
descend
to Goodell
creek all
in one day, but I don’t know how.
We forded the torrent, picked up
fresh water for the night and our Fri-
scent is not easy and it took until
mid afternoon to reach the car. We
were tired but happy, after one of the
best weeks that we could possibly
have spent in the mountains anywhere.
Route Summary
Mt Rainier from Sunrise via
Burroughs Peak, with Winthrop and
Emmons glacier views. 8 mile round
trip. Moderate grades over volcanic
debris.
Mt Triumph from Thornton Lakes
and Mt. Thornton. 12 mile round
trip. Strenuous final 2,500 ft ascent
smooth slabs and the outlet of what
to the Lakes. At least 4 hours from
we called ‘Emerald Lake’. It was
lower lake to Thornton Peak summit.
beautiful and it wasn’t on the map!
Terror Glacier and the Southern
Time for lunch and then we continPicket Range via the Goodell Creek
ued up to Terror glacier and the
We met a wolverine on approach. 18 mile round trip. Very
slabby approach to West McMillan
Strenuous including 5,000 ft direct
the way. Luckily he
Spire. The guide book says climb the
ascent from the valley floor. Thin
45 degree snow to a snow gully and was more interested in trails and interesting navigation.
on up the ridge. We found a 45 deMagnificent!
gree glacier with little snow and gap- hunting pikas than us
ing crevasses. We had ice axes, a 75
Sources
and he shot away
ft rope but no crampons. We tried a
Guide to Alpine Climbing in the
tentative foray onto the ice but the
day descent, and ascended the nasty North Cascades, Fred Becky.
combination of no belay stations,
scree to the col. All this time Terror Backpacker Magazine, feature artitight crevasses below and rockfall
glacier had been letting rip every
cle, February 2005
from above stopped us there 700 ft few minutes with new tons of falling Various Internet personal recollecbelow our summit. Caution and good ice. Will these glaciers survive a few tions.
sense won the day. Checking in
more years of warm summers?
Becky’s guide on our return I noted Maybe the experts can tell. We rePhotos
his comments, “the glacier may be
turned to camp, ate a leisurely meal, Page 20; Thornton Lakes from Trapdifficult to cross in late Summer”. It saw the sunset over Mt. Triumph and pers
was!
turned in for the night. Around mid- Page 21; The ridge to Thornton and
night a mysterious green glow lit the Mt. Triumph
We played around on the ‘safe’
hillsides and the whole Picket range Page 22; Thornton and Mt. Triside of the glacier until we got bored was rendered eerily luminous by the umph.
and then descended the slabs and re- light of the full moon.
Page 23; Stephen at the col
traced our steps to the col. We met a
Page 24; The approach to McMillan
wolverine on the way. Luckily he
We descended Friday morning,
Spires
was more interested in hunting pikas roping down the steep mud and root
than us and he shot away. We scram- pitches we had found so disagreeable ...By Andrew Brown
bled over glacial morain and purple in the rain on Wednesday. The dePage 26
www.accmontreal.ca
Montage 63.3– October 2005
ACC General Mountaineering Camp –2005
Melville/Battle Range, Selkirk Mountains
By Tom Haslam-Jones
T
he GMC this year was beside Houston Lake in the
Melville part of the Battle
Range, south of Rogers
Pass in the Selkirks. The
camp was at 2,000 m altitude within
easy reach of several interesting peaks
up to 3,220 m high. From Montreal,
Tom Haslam-Jones and Benoît Landreville participated in the fourth week of
the camp and then Claudine Blanchette
took part in the sixth week.
a gastric bug
running through
the participants.
Brad Harrison,
who has been
running the
camps for the
last two decades, researched the
issue and has
come up with an
effective scheme
Access was along 53 km of forest road for providing
followed by a ten-minute helicopter ride. hand washing
The hazard of helicopter access is that facilities that is easy to use and minimises the risk of contamination.
Most of the rock is beautifully
solid granite, often in large
pieces, reminiscent of the
Presidentials. Not many
scree slopes. Billy Budd,
however, is sedimentary and
shows it, with rock debris
everywhere. For the both the
fourth and sixth weeks the
weather was beautiful and
climbs went forth every day.
the effects of acclimatization are more
abrupt than when access is by foot;
time to access by foot, however, would
have taken in the order of days, so we
paid for the convenience of motorized
transport.
Photo1;Looking down to the camp and
Houston Lake
Photo 2:Benoît (left) about to descend
Moby Dick East, trusting to Guide Matt
Peter (right)
Proteus and White Jacket and Redburn
in the background
Benoît signed up for a snow school
on the first day, but then Brad Harrison, who has been running the
camps for the last two decades,
turned up and whisked him and a
few companions up Proteus (3220
m). Benoit then spent the rest of
the week trying to recover. Even so
he went up Fafnir (2835 m), did the
Claggart - Billy Budd traverse
(2790 m) and then Moby Dick
(3170 m).
Almost all the peaks are named after
books and characters from Herman
Melville. Billy Budd, Redfern, Harpoon,
White Jacket, and, of course, Moby
Dick, Ishmael, Pequod and Ahab. The
highest peak, Proteus (3220 m), is not
from Melville, being named from afar by Tom spent the first four days climbthe original surveyors.
ing Typee (2865 m) , Fafnir, the Claggart - Billy Budd traverse and Moby
Claggart and Billy Budd in the backDick, then the prospect of looking after
ground
his four year old grandson for a week
The first camp at Houston Lake in1999 made him rest up and recover.
was dogged with health problems, with
Montage
Page
27 63.1 - February 2005
Claudine climbed Moby Dick, Claggart Billy Budd traverse and Forecastle
(2930 m). She finished with a fourteen
hour traverse from Benito Cereno to
Proteus, over Redburn and White
Jacket, involving 5.7 pitches on exposed ridges; see photos above and
below for the itinerary.
www.accmontreal.ca
Photo 3 ;Tom on top of Claggart, White
Jacket, Redburn, Benito Cereno and
Moby Dick in background
Tom Haslam-Jones
Montage 63.3 October
Page
2005
27
2005 ACC Montreal
Section
Annual General Meeting
L’assemblée générale annuelle de la section Montréal.
An opportunity to taste some of Montréal’s interesting cultural cuisine amongst friends & fellow
outdoor enthusiasts & to participate in the functioning of the Alpine Club.
Le temps est venu pour vous éveiller le sens du
gouté lors de l’assemblée annuelle AGM de la
section Montréal du club alpine.
This year the AGM promises to offer an opportunity for everyone to learn more about the functions of our
club & to participate in the decision making, all set in a relaxed atmosphere.
The evening will end with a tribute to alpine pursuits with an
audiovisual presentation. Not to be missed!
Cette année, le repas promet de stimuler vos papilles gustatives lors des présentations des bilans
de fins d’année tout en vous permettant le privilege de participer au fonctionnement de notre club.
La soirée se terminera avec une présentation audiovisuelle
mettant en valeur les exploits en alpinisme d’un de nos membres qu a vécu des aventures spectaculaires.
We hope to see you there & we welcome all participants,
members & non members alike.
Date: Thursday 1st December 2005
Time: 6.00pm
Place: To be confirmed!
Cost: $18.00 (includes taxes & services, but drinks excluded) $20 after November 24th (if space is still available)
Nous souhaitons le bienvenu a tous!
Date: Thursday 1st December 2005
Heure: 6.00pm
Lieu: To be confirmed!
Cout: $18.00 (taxes & services, inclus, consommations en
sus) ($20 aprés Novembre 24)
Tickets must be reserved by sending the form and cheque
to by 24th November, to:
Poste-le avec un chèque au nom de ACC- Section Montréal à :
Mike Rogers
421 Greenwood Dr
Beaconsfield QC
H9W 4Z7
Mike Rogers
421 Greenwood Dr
Beaconsfield QC
H9W 4Z7
*Non-smoking event
*Évenement non-fumer.
ACC Montreal Section AGM 2005 / AGM section Montréal 2005
Name(s)/Nom(s)......................................................................................................
Address /Addresse...................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
Evening’s Schedule
6pm: Registration &
opening of the bar
7pm: Supper
8pm: Annual General
Meeting
8.30pm: Audiovisual
Presentation
Telephone(.........).............................................
No. of Tickets/Nombre de billets.....................................x $18.00 =.......................
Vegeterian? Végétarien?.............................
Payment by cheque to: Montreal section, ACC
Addresser votre cheque a: Montreal section, ACC
Deadline November 24th 2005 / Date limite:le 24 Novembre2005
Page 28
www.accmontreal.ca
Déroulement
de la soirée
18.00: Inscriptions &
ouveture du bar
19.00: Souper
20.00: Assemblée générale annuelle
20.30: Présentation audiovisuelle
Montage 63.3– October 2005