Last weekend 24 members of VOCO got to go cat skiing with Monashee Mountain Cats for the day. There was one group on Saturday and another on Sunday. I went on the Saturday trip. We started bright and early at 7:30 am in Brookes garage in Sicamous. The guides all introduced them self and we sign the liability forms. Giving them the right to drag us to the top of some great mountains just outside of Sicamous. We spent an hour or so going through basic avalanche awareness coarse and then we where on our way. The snow about knee to thigh deep and we got about 7 or 8 runs in! It turned out to be one of the best days of the year. If any one has picture from cat skiing please send them to vocojournal@gmail.com. We will be sure to post them so everyone can check them out. http://www.monasheemountaincats.com/
By: Nick Therrien
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
PLEASE READ- Unusual Snowpack
"UNUSUAL" SNOWPACK COULD AFFECT CONDITIONS ALL SEASON, CONCURS AVALANCHE EXPERT In light of this year's unusual snowpack, Chris Stethem, an internationally-recognized snow science authority, was brought in by Whistler Blackcomb in the wake of last week's fatal avalanches to provide additional insight into the current snow pack. His findings concur with Whistler Blackcomb avalanche forecasters in that there is currently an extremely unusual, and dangerous snow pack."We are dealing with a continental snowpack more common in the Rockies. This deep seated instability hasn't been seen to this degree in the South Coast region since the late 70s," says Stethem. "It requires backcountry users to tread cautiously, and inbounds avalanche control to be undertaken with extra vigilance."This winter season got off to a very slow start with below average snowfall accumulation. A three week cold snap resulted in a layer of loose granular snow on top of a crust that is very uncommon for the region. New snow is building up on this unstable layer. "This has resulted in a deep instability in the snow pack," continues Stethem. "This instability with lots of new layers will cause the avalanche frequency to increase in the short term."Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol, avalanche forecasters and operations teams are coming to terms with what this means for the rest of the season. Avalanches are always a concern in a mountain environment; Whistler Blackcomb works to control the occurrence of avalanches but they cannot always be prevented. "The snow is reacting differently this year, and the avalanche control teams need to approach inbound avalanche control differently after each storm system," says Doug MacFarlane, Whistler Blackcomb's mountain manager. "Ski Patrol records where slides are triggered from explosive testing, and pinpoints areas that are not sliding, to understand daily and weekly what is happening on the mountains. This approach may mean additional time spent on avalanche control prior to opening terrain for our guests." MacFarlane is urging the public to recognize the effort that is going into opening inbounds terrain and ensuring the safety of Whistler Blackcomb's skiers and snowboarders. "When we feel that it's ready to open, we will open it. We want to get it open," says MacFarlane. "There may be longer wait times for the opening of alpine lifts and there will be limited terrain open in the high alpine with some areas potentially not opening for extended periods of time, but it' all with safety in mind." The coastal snow pack is acting more like snow in the Rockies and will react differently than it has in previous years. Patrollers are working on the terrain systematically and are utilizing more explosives. Ski cutting, a technique commonly used to start avalanches with your skis, is problematic as the snow pack is too shallow to safely cut the slopes meaning that more explosives are required to effectively control.Outside the ski area boundary, this is a pattern that could play out over the rest of the season as that persistent weak layer becomes deeper and harder to trigger. "This is going to be a dangerous season for backcountry travelers," says Stethem. "Extreme caution should be adhered to."To dissuade people from entering high avalanche risk areas, Whistler Blackcomb will continue to designate some inbounds areas as "Closed". Anyone caught entering into a "Closed" area will face the consequences of losing their mountain access privileges at Whistler Blackcomb for one full year. "We are taking this matter very seriously and want to communicate the danger in the most effective way possible," says MacFarlane. "Taking away pass privileges, from the type of people who are out there every day pushing their limits, is a very serious consequence to their actions. We believe it acts as a very effective deterrent." There are no plans for Whistler Blackcomb to change policies and impose penalties on guests who ski beyond the Ski Area Boundary, which is very different from a Closed area. "Beyond boundary access is not something that we can or want to restrict entirely," says MacFarlane. "Backcountry travel in BC is very popular and many who venture in uncontrolled areas are prepared for the hazards that exist. Those who cross the Ski Area Boundary are responsible for their own safety and need the appropriate training, equipment, route finding skills, partners and self rescue capabilities."The avalanche safety hazard is currently high. Daily avalanche hazard updates as well as snow conditions and lift status details are available online at www.whistlerblackcomb.com
Horses, Snakes and Some Climbing
September 13-14 2008
VOCO trips are generally last minute ideas, planned during an organic chemistry lecture on a sunny Friday afternoon. This trip was no exception. Ivan, Benson and I decided that this weekend would be the last free weekend before the onslaught of schoolwork. The forecast was for sun. Why not climb? Even better, why not climb for two full days and camp out in between? Heather was a last minute addition to the team of three, making two solid climbing teams.
I awoke early Saturday morning to my cell phone ringing. It was
Ivan realising that Benson needed a harness. Of course Neil was sleeping and there was no way to get to the gear locker. I knew that Dylan had a harness so I sped down to his place at Phase II. His room being on ground level made tapping on his window quite easy. Getting a hold of the right person proved to be more difficult. “Nick what are you doing here?”, I asked. “Sleeping in Dylan’s bed”, he replies. Was that a faint smell of alcohol from Dylan’s room? As I am about to ask where Dylan is he comes up the stairs and we get the harness. First order of business taken care of.
Heather and I left campus and met Ivan and Benson at the bus station. Unfortunately none of us have a vehicle so we had to Greyhound it to Penticton. Some of the more “tired” climbers were able to catch up on some sleep they somehow or another did not get the night before.
We walked to Safeway, grabbed some food, and managed to get to the edge of town on one of the city busses. Off we went on Ivan’s idea of a fifteen-minute hike to the Skaha parking lot. Ten minutes later and we were still climbing the hill to Valleyview Rd. Luckily we were spotted by some other climbers who offered us a ride in the back of their pickup with their over-excited canine companion. The drive there turned out to be close to ten minutes. Thanks Ivan.
We finally arrived and spent the day climbing Red Tail wall. The four of us climbed 6 awesome routes ranging from a 5.9 to a 10.b. Me and Ivan climbed a 5.9 that led to a 5.10d where you had to get to the first bolt by climbing a tree. We were all tired from a day of climbing so we packed up our gear and headed out in search of a nice place to sleep.
We ate some dinner, played some frizbee in the dark, and set up the tents. Before retiring for the night we decided to put our food up in a tree, a lesson I learned when a mouse ate Dylan’s sandwich on the last trip to the Kelowna Crags. While most of the food was out of reach from anything shorter than a giraffe, Benson assumed that he was only keeping his food away from mice and small rodents, so he put it a few feet off the ground in the tree right behind my tent. This is important information for the rest of the story. Anyways, we all climbed into our tents, Benson and Heather in one, Ivan and I in the other. After a long day of hiking and climbing we all fell asleep very quickly.
At sometime around midnight Ivan heard something moving about outside and frantically woke me. I sat upright in a flash realising that while I was sleeping I was hearing something too but my mind was not processing the signs of danger outside. Sure enough there was something big moving around, and it was doing quite a number on Benson’s bag of food. We both assumed that it is a bear but neither of us was gutsy enough to unzip the tent, stand up, and see what was right behind us. We resort to rock-paper-scissors. I won. As Ivan unzipped the screen we heard the beast crash into the forest. He stood up and turned to investigate but all he could see was a large shadow moving through the trees. We woke up the other two to let tell them it was time to say their final prayers. We tried to convince Benson that he had to find out what it was since it was eating his food. He said to yell at it if it returned. After a couple of minutes of silence it did return. This time it was moving around right beside the tent. We thought for sure we were goners. Just as I was thinking that the bear was going to tear into my tent, with a snort it revealed its true identity – a horse. A harmless horse that just wanted to eat Benson’s apples. Next time we may not be so lucky.
We all slept in until well past eight o’clock. After a quick breakfast and camp teardown we were back on the rock, this time at the top of the stairs on a wall known as The Fortress. We managed to climb a few routes each before the second wave of VOCO climber’s pleaded for us to join them over in Grassy Glades. Nick, Dylan, Neil and Raeleen only had three harnesses between them and they were tired of sharing. Damn them for asking us to go over there, the whole place was full of rattlesnakes. As I was just conquering the crux of a nice 5.10c I see Ivan, my belayer, jumping up and down. Whitney was beside him fending off a deadly rattler with a stick. The snake was trying to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Take out the belayer and the climber falls as well. Nick, Neil, Heather, and Benson all had enough of the snakes, they ditched out early for a swim in the lake. A few of us braved it for a little longer but after Dylan almost stepped on one we decided it was time to leave. Anyways, we got two days of solid climbing in, perfect weather, and some exciting stories. It was another fun VOCO weekend.
Dave Donnelly
VOCO trips are generally last minute ideas, planned during an organic chemistry lecture on a sunny Friday afternoon. This trip was no exception. Ivan, Benson and I decided that this weekend would be the last free weekend before the onslaught of schoolwork. The forecast was for sun. Why not climb? Even better, why not climb for two full days and camp out in between? Heather was a last minute addition to the team of three, making two solid climbing teams.
I awoke early Saturday morning to my cell phone ringing. It was
Ivan realising that Benson needed a harness. Of course Neil was sleeping and there was no way to get to the gear locker. I knew that Dylan had a harness so I sped down to his place at Phase II. His room being on ground level made tapping on his window quite easy. Getting a hold of the right person proved to be more difficult. “Nick what are you doing here?”, I asked. “Sleeping in Dylan’s bed”, he replies. Was that a faint smell of alcohol from Dylan’s room? As I am about to ask where Dylan is he comes up the stairs and we get the harness. First order of business taken care of.
Heather and I left campus and met Ivan and Benson at the bus station. Unfortunately none of us have a vehicle so we had to Greyhound it to Penticton. Some of the more “tired” climbers were able to catch up on some sleep they somehow or another did not get the night before.
We walked to Safeway, grabbed some food, and managed to get to the edge of town on one of the city busses. Off we went on Ivan’s idea of a fifteen-minute hike to the Skaha parking lot. Ten minutes later and we were still climbing the hill to Valleyview Rd. Luckily we were spotted by some other climbers who offered us a ride in the back of their pickup with their over-excited canine companion. The drive there turned out to be close to ten minutes. Thanks Ivan.
We finally arrived and spent the day climbing Red Tail wall. The four of us climbed 6 awesome routes ranging from a 5.9 to a 10.b. Me and Ivan climbed a 5.9 that led to a 5.10d where you had to get to the first bolt by climbing a tree. We were all tired from a day of climbing so we packed up our gear and headed out in search of a nice place to sleep.
We ate some dinner, played some frizbee in the dark, and set up the tents. Before retiring for the night we decided to put our food up in a tree, a lesson I learned when a mouse ate Dylan’s sandwich on the last trip to the Kelowna Crags. While most of the food was out of reach from anything shorter than a giraffe, Benson assumed that he was only keeping his food away from mice and small rodents, so he put it a few feet off the ground in the tree right behind my tent. This is important information for the rest of the story. Anyways, we all climbed into our tents, Benson and Heather in one, Ivan and I in the other. After a long day of hiking and climbing we all fell asleep very quickly.
At sometime around midnight Ivan heard something moving about outside and frantically woke me. I sat upright in a flash realising that while I was sleeping I was hearing something too but my mind was not processing the signs of danger outside. Sure enough there was something big moving around, and it was doing quite a number on Benson’s bag of food. We both assumed that it is a bear but neither of us was gutsy enough to unzip the tent, stand up, and see what was right behind us. We resort to rock-paper-scissors. I won. As Ivan unzipped the screen we heard the beast crash into the forest. He stood up and turned to investigate but all he could see was a large shadow moving through the trees. We woke up the other two to let tell them it was time to say their final prayers. We tried to convince Benson that he had to find out what it was since it was eating his food. He said to yell at it if it returned. After a couple of minutes of silence it did return. This time it was moving around right beside the tent. We thought for sure we were goners. Just as I was thinking that the bear was going to tear into my tent, with a snort it revealed its true identity – a horse. A harmless horse that just wanted to eat Benson’s apples. Next time we may not be so lucky.
We all slept in until well past eight o’clock. After a quick breakfast and camp teardown we were back on the rock, this time at the top of the stairs on a wall known as The Fortress. We managed to climb a few routes each before the second wave of VOCO climber’s pleaded for us to join them over in Grassy Glades. Nick, Dylan, Neil and Raeleen only had three harnesses between them and they were tired of sharing. Damn them for asking us to go over there, the whole place was full of rattlesnakes. As I was just conquering the crux of a nice 5.10c I see Ivan, my belayer, jumping up and down. Whitney was beside him fending off a deadly rattler with a stick. The snake was trying to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Take out the belayer and the climber falls as well. Nick, Neil, Heather, and Benson all had enough of the snakes, they ditched out early for a swim in the lake. A few of us braved it for a little longer but after Dylan almost stepped on one we decided it was time to leave. Anyways, we got two days of solid climbing in, perfect weather, and some exciting stories. It was another fun VOCO weekend.
Dave Donnelly
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Powder Choke
A 1 in 10 year storm hit Alaska's Southeast panhandle in the early days of 2009. Snow accumulated in quick inches, as light, sparkling powder that would normally be found in the interior, not on a coastal range. This was not the usual snow that Juneau would see. I was told by locals that I had come at the best time and that I was a lucky visitor to experience such dry snow, completely safe for shredding. I had never seen Juneau in all it's might and wet, rainy furry, although I had wanted to see it for the past 2 years. Of course, a series of life events prevented my visit to this magical winter rainforest until this past New Years. After flying from Toronto to Kelowna, sleeping for 7 hours, flying from Kelowna to Seattle, missing my flight to Juneau, getting the next flight to Juneau which stopped in Ketchikan and Sitka totaling a 4 hour flight for what could have been a 1 1/2 hour flight, and alas arriving in Juneau at 7:30pm the following day, I was content to see Kaitlyn standing there in the tiny inactive airport. The airport is a place of rest for those who travel to and from Juneau, for the city itself and the surrounding communities have some of the most active people I've ever met anywhere. There is always something to do in this landlocked city, the state's capital.
To be continued...with photos.
To be continued...with photos.
Ski Revelstoke Resort
I swear that there has to be some explanation for why getting hit in the face with snow is actually enjoyable. You should be getting pissed off… especially in the trees when you need to see where you’re going and the stuff is just sticking to your goggles. Sometimes you’re gasping for air cause your legs are on fire and you can’t help choking on it. Somehow, the converse is true, getting a face shot is great…it’s like a good joke and when I get one I find myself skiing out the run laughing about how awesome it was. Nick and I were up at Revelstoke Mountain Resort this past Sunday, and in following tradition, it was another good time. If you’re looking to get some pow turns this season I would advise that you check it out. Revy now has a new chair that accesses tons of glades that adds even more terrain to what is already a sweet area. Go up for a day, or stay the night in Revelstoke and ski both days…or don’t, you might never leave. I would call it a 2-2.5hr drive depending on the road conditions (which you should check out ahead of time www.drivebc.ca). Revelstoke Mountain Resort, http://www.revelstokemountainresort.com/revelstokemtn/info/lift.aspx
By Dylan Cunningham
By Dylan Cunningham
Climbing at Beyond the Crux
Last Tuesday Dave and I hit the crux to get some energy out and keep in shape for climbing come spring. I’m not sure whether or not Dave consciously planned it but it seems convenient that the day he can always make it into the Crux is ladies night, regardless, with wicked climbing for anyone and a relaxing atmosphere the crux is always a good time. Check it out if you’ve never been http://www.beyondthecrux.com/index.php
By Dylan Cunningham
By Dylan Cunningham
Monday, December 29, 2008
Roger's Pass
I know this may be old news and the time has past of wet, sloppy, early season snow, but here is a little recap of a Roger's Pass adventure, complete with a chilly dip in Connaught Creek.
It was the last weekend of November and still no snow at the resorts. Nick and I drove up to Revelstoke to meet Dylan, who was at the Village Idiot pub on the main strip. We walked in to find him with our group of friends, slanted in his chair with a meek look on his face. "We should ski Revy tomorrow instead of Roger's" Dylan said, with some slurring and agression, as he bear-hugged my waist. Really? resort tomorrow? I thought it was shit right now... I thought to myself. This sparked a domestic argument between Nick and Dylan, that I tried to mediate.
As the night progressed I casually began to forget things after each Tequila-tonic, and only remember thinking how unpleasant the next morning was going to feel. Dylan and I scuffed our feet around the dance floor following inpredictable arm movements, calling it dancing.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Nicks alarm went off on his phone. "urrgggg what time is it Nick?" I asked, as we each had our own couch in Kurts living room. "7am...snorrrrre..." The electric fireplace kicked in and shone gold across the room. Warmth. It seemed the hours had passed and I was awoken by Nick telling me to get ready. It was 7:45am, and we needed to get going. The three of us hussled to get our things together, jumped in the car and off we were to the pass.
The parking lot was relatively empyt compared to the previous weekend. We had our touring gear on quickly, Dylan casually releasing his tequila gas. My head felt like a football.
the day was a warm, light snowfall over night, and the touring path was like a freeway of skiers heading into the mountains. The trail was packed and icey in some spots and rather wide, so we crossed Connaught Creek and fumbled our way through the Alder bushes that tangled the far side. Up, up and up we went into the clouds. the snow became thicker and untouched, and we found an uptrack heading towards Ursus Major. Finally the trees became thin and short, and we were spat out into the base of an open bowl where the wind was bitter.
We were at the freezing line, so the temperature drop was significant compared to the bottom where we started. We ate lunch here and engaged in light humour, laughing and searching for our next uptrack line.
We were off, climbing again into the wind and clouds. There were times when I couldn't see Dylan because of the haze, as he was leading us up higher. The wind was strong, and I was getting tired. As we shimmied along a ridge top to a drop in point, which was found at the top of a chute named 8812, presumably it's height in feet. We couldn't see a thing. I put my splitboard together, and we waited for the clouds to part in the sky so that we could make our way to the bottom. The turns were great, the snow was heavy, but the run was long excellent considering the conditions for the rest of the province. It was worth the 8km tour and 3000ft of climbing!
We made our way back ot the creek that meandered through the valley. Close to the bottom there is a weir that contains a pool of water about 4 feet deep, icey and cold, merky along the bottom with slime. All of us were sweaty and hot, and the small pool was inviting. Suddenly we were in our underwear, one at a time dunking our heads and bodies into the crisp water. Slightly hypothermic, Dylan didnt bother putting his snowgear back on to ski the 800m to the parking lot; he journied down in some boxer-briefs. Nick and I, both with purple lips, geared up, jamming our wet bodies into sweaty snowpants and tight boots, down into the parking lot, laughing as Alder bushes whipped Dylans exposed Bambi legs (a nick-name Nick blurted out on the climb up). Alas we made it to the bottom, the Subie was sitting there waiting for us to warm her up. I was exhausted, and content. The first tour of the season was successful for me, and my new board performed a in a magical way.
I slept the entire 4-hour drive home to Kelowna, except during the Tim Hortons stop where I got my hot chocolate....happiness...mmm
It was the last weekend of November and still no snow at the resorts. Nick and I drove up to Revelstoke to meet Dylan, who was at the Village Idiot pub on the main strip. We walked in to find him with our group of friends, slanted in his chair with a meek look on his face. "We should ski Revy tomorrow instead of Roger's" Dylan said, with some slurring and agression, as he bear-hugged my waist. Really? resort tomorrow? I thought it was shit right now... I thought to myself. This sparked a domestic argument between Nick and Dylan, that I tried to mediate.
As the night progressed I casually began to forget things after each Tequila-tonic, and only remember thinking how unpleasant the next morning was going to feel. Dylan and I scuffed our feet around the dance floor following inpredictable arm movements, calling it dancing.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Nicks alarm went off on his phone. "urrgggg what time is it Nick?" I asked, as we each had our own couch in Kurts living room. "7am...snorrrrre..." The electric fireplace kicked in and shone gold across the room. Warmth. It seemed the hours had passed and I was awoken by Nick telling me to get ready. It was 7:45am, and we needed to get going. The three of us hussled to get our things together, jumped in the car and off we were to the pass.
The parking lot was relatively empyt compared to the previous weekend. We had our touring gear on quickly, Dylan casually releasing his tequila gas. My head felt like a football.
the day was a warm, light snowfall over night, and the touring path was like a freeway of skiers heading into the mountains. The trail was packed and icey in some spots and rather wide, so we crossed Connaught Creek and fumbled our way through the Alder bushes that tangled the far side. Up, up and up we went into the clouds. the snow became thicker and untouched, and we found an uptrack heading towards Ursus Major. Finally the trees became thin and short, and we were spat out into the base of an open bowl where the wind was bitter.
We were at the freezing line, so the temperature drop was significant compared to the bottom where we started. We ate lunch here and engaged in light humour, laughing and searching for our next uptrack line.
We were off, climbing again into the wind and clouds. There were times when I couldn't see Dylan because of the haze, as he was leading us up higher. The wind was strong, and I was getting tired. As we shimmied along a ridge top to a drop in point, which was found at the top of a chute named 8812, presumably it's height in feet. We couldn't see a thing. I put my splitboard together, and we waited for the clouds to part in the sky so that we could make our way to the bottom. The turns were great, the snow was heavy, but the run was long excellent considering the conditions for the rest of the province. It was worth the 8km tour and 3000ft of climbing!
We made our way back ot the creek that meandered through the valley. Close to the bottom there is a weir that contains a pool of water about 4 feet deep, icey and cold, merky along the bottom with slime. All of us were sweaty and hot, and the small pool was inviting. Suddenly we were in our underwear, one at a time dunking our heads and bodies into the crisp water. Slightly hypothermic, Dylan didnt bother putting his snowgear back on to ski the 800m to the parking lot; he journied down in some boxer-briefs. Nick and I, both with purple lips, geared up, jamming our wet bodies into sweaty snowpants and tight boots, down into the parking lot, laughing as Alder bushes whipped Dylans exposed Bambi legs (a nick-name Nick blurted out on the climb up). Alas we made it to the bottom, the Subie was sitting there waiting for us to warm her up. I was exhausted, and content. The first tour of the season was successful for me, and my new board performed a in a magical way.
I slept the entire 4-hour drive home to Kelowna, except during the Tim Hortons stop where I got my hot chocolate....happiness...mmm
Monday, December 1, 2008
Revelstoke Pictures
Ivan's climbing trip to Revelstoke, BC. Be sure to check out the new uploaded pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0DBO_COUnlLqrvi_2BgPqg
Early Season Snow
First ski trip of the year, Dylan, Yannik, Loic, and bunch of others headed out to the pass. The only place that seems to have snow is Rogers Pass. We hiked back to 8812 bowl to get some sweet early season turns in!!
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