VOL 78 MAY 2002 NO.5 Avalanche Echoes Alpine Club of Canada - Vancouver Section News Alpine Club Executive Chair Liz Scremin 604-921-2651 Secretary Tony Knight 604-873-2276 Treasurer Rob Brusse 604-224-0747 Membership (Voicemail) Shirley Howdle 604-878-5272 Editors Helen Habgood 604-984-6842 Steve Wickham 604-733-7650 Climbing Coord. Pam Krannitz 604-946-9942 Camps Coord. Richard Keltie 604-738-4583 Skills Development Zoran Vasic 604-438-9066 Socials Chris Bradley 604-873-9419 Programs Isabel Budke 604-224-5737 Access & Environment Mary Henderson 604-215-3330 National Rep. Fern Hietkamp 604-872-4290 Promotions vacant FMCBC Rep. Liz Scremin 604-921-2651 Quartermaster Rob Brusse 604-224-0747 Special Project Volunteers Program Assistant Linda Bily 604-222-1577 Archivist Irene Goldstone 604-689-8737 Jim Haberl Hut Project Ian McGillivray 604-988-3618 Family Programs Coord. Tony Webb 604-939-1139 Tantalus Hut Ron Royston 604-687-2711 Webmaster Jim Sibley 604-738-1043 Email Administrator Paddy O'Neile 604-818-7199 Camps Committee: Rob Brusse (Rogers Pass) 604-224-0747 Don Serl (Coast Climbing) 604-872-4244 Tony Knight (Pebble Cr. Ski) 604-873-2276 Mike Thompson (Spring Ski) 604-534-8863 Peter Woodsworth (Tantalus) 604-254-7076 Above: Climbing Mount Fairweather, 1957. Photo by Fips Broda. Right: On Mount Jacobson, 1953. Photo by Jack Atkinson. Next meeting: Tuesday, May 28th, 2002 at 7:30pm Location: Floral Hall, Van Dusen Gardens, W. 37th & Oak St., Vancouver Fips Broda will regale us with "Early Explorations in the Coast Mountains", climbing tales and photos from the 1950 s nd 60 s. Vancouver Section webpage: www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/vancouver National Club webpage: www.alpineclubofcanada.ca Summer Trip Schedule Page 4 Avalanche Echoes 1
THE AVALANCHE ECHOES is publishedninetimesperyear by the Alpine Club of Canada, Vancouver Section. EDITORS: Helen Habgood 604-984-6842 hhabgood@chartwell-consultants.com Steve Wickham 604-733-7650 swickham@mda.ca Thisnewsletteristheofficialpublicationof the Alpine Club of Canada, Vancouver Section. It keeps members informed on topics of interest to mountaineers including activities within the club, equipment, techniques, access, and environmental issues. Theclubmeetsmonthly, usuallyforaslide presentation, at the Floral Hall in Van Dusen Gardens, W 37th and Oak St., at 7:30 pm on the fourth Tuesday of the month, except in July, August and December. ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES Vancouver Section: Single $46.00 Family $63.00 Junior $22.00 (under 18) For membership dues, renewals, and changes of address, and booking huts, contact the ACC national office directly: P.O. Box 8040 Canmore, AB, T1W 2T8, fax 403-678-3224, phone 403-678-3200, or e-mail: alpclub@telusplanet.net Website: www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/ vancouver For detailed membership form including upgrades, send SASE to: ACC-Vancouver, c/o FMCBC, 47 West Broadway, Vancouver BC V5Y 1P1. SUBMISSIONS We encourage submissions of writing, photography, drawings, etc. If possible, articles should be submitted by e-mail (about 500 words). Photos and slides are always needed (JPG format is preferable). Deadline for submissions is the last day of the previous month. ADVERTISING Advertising in the Avalanche Echoes shall be accepted at the discretion of the Editor. All advertising shall be for products or services of direct interest to our membership. EDITORIAL POLICY Suitability for publication is at the editor's discretion within the guidelines of the SectionExecutive. Articlesmaybeedited for clarity or to fit the available space. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Chartwell Consultants Ltd. for use of computer space and printers. Announcements Defrost in the Alpine Awareness Project Receives $10,000 from MEC Member Ian Bruce is pleased to announce that the Defrost in the Alpine Awareness Program, recently sponsored by the Vancouver Section, has received $10,000 from the Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Environment Fund. The goal is to educate and promote conservation of our most majestic and treasured Canadian environment, the alpine. The National ACC also endorsed the program and awarded it $400 from the National Environment Fund. See the next Gazette for Ian s article on the program. Ian will also be preparing a paper, poster, and presentation for the Mountain Communities Conference in Banff in September. The conference theme is Ecological and Earth Sciences in Mountain Areas. Ian s work will focus on the impacts of climate change on the alpine environment. For more info on the conference see http://www.banffcentre.ab.ca/cmc/mtn_communities1.html. Ian also support from the David Suzuki Foundation, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, and the United Nations Association in Canada s Youth Summit Team. Your Advice Wanted How to Vote at the FMCBC Annual General Meeting This year s Annual General Meeting for the FMCBC will be hosted by the Comox District Mountaineering Club in Comox on the weekend of June 22 nd and 23rd. All Federation members are most welcome to attend! There will be a BBQ on Friday night and a dinner on Saturday night. Several hikes are planned for participants and their partners. For more info, call the FMCBC office at 604-878-7007. If you d like to carpool over, call Liz Scremin at 604-921-2651. The big topic at the meeting will be a motion to increase the FMCBC fees. As your Club delegate, Liz Scremin will participate in discussions and vote on this issue. The Directors are recommending an increase of $3 from $12 to $15 per member. With a membership of approximately 3000, this should result in increased revenue of $9000. The money will essentially go towards the hiring of a full-time Executive Director. (The current ED is only paid for 2-3 days per week.) The FMCBC has been operating on a very tight budget for some years now. The North Shore Hikers, BCMC and ACC-Vancouver Island Section are all in favour of this increase. They believe that the non-motorized recreation community needs a stronger political voice and the consistency that a full-time ED can offer. Should the motion pass, the FMCBC fee increase will increase single membership in the Vancouver Section from $46 to $49 per year. This issue will be discussed at the Section s May meeting at Van Dusen. Please bring your opinions! The Best of Jim Haberl: A Slideshow by Canadian mountaineer and guide, Sue Oakey Travel the mountains of the world in Jim s footsteps Thurs, June 20 at 7:00pm Prince of Wales Sec. School Auditorium 2250 Eddington (Arbutus & 30 th ) Admission is by donation. To reserve your seat, please contact info@jimhaberlfund.org or (604) 921-2684. All proceeds will support the construction of the Jim Haberl Hut in the Tantalus Range. Please come out and help make the Section s new hut a reality! For more info, check www.jimhaberlfund.org Avalanche Echoes 2
Letter from the Chair The Artist Within by Liz Scremin Backcountry travel, summer or winter, is a highly aesthetic experience. Wherever we go, views both grand and intimate inspire us. Our eye catches the dramatic line of a mountain range set against the evening sky, or the charm of a perfect flower rooted in a mountain stream. There is beauty everywhere to nurture and soothe us, and we are eager to catch it on film. Yes. Many mountaineers are famous for their photography. Catching an image on film is not just a matter of recording. One must make choices about subject matter, composition, and light. The results can be wonderful. In the absence of photography, many explorers of old were illustrators. Today, many mountaineers are also landscape painters. Indeed painting was a common activity at the Club s General Mountaineering Camps for many years. Did you know? At one time, the Vancouver Section held its meetings at the Vancouver Art Gallery and painters such as Lauren Harris gave talks at our Section meetings. Love of nature and an appreciation for art are indeed closely intertwined. At the end of a day s outing, even the choice of a camp spot is an all-important aesthetic decision. Once the packs are off, the snow shovels come out and everyone takes pleasure in creating their home for the night. Angular walls and elliptical tables with benches and shelves appear. Snow is such a wonderful malleable material and we are all sculptors at heart! There s something about being surrounded with all that raw material branches, rocks, snow that makes one want to move it, manipulate it, and shape it. I remember fondly one inukshuk that we built with great care on a rocky terrace high about the glaciers north of Juneau. It struck a remarkable pose and seemed imbued with personality. I remember another stream that with just a little adjusting turned into the most magical Zen garden. I remember a snowfort that we occupied long enough to construct high block walls complete with a classical arched entrance and the perfect keystone. Ah! An architectural and engineering marvel! If you enjoy working with natural materials, let me suggest that you check out the English sculptor, Andy Goldsworthy. (His books are surely in the library.) His work incorporates fragile panes of ice, fine lattice of branches, leaves knitted together, snowmounds and earthwork. It is all quite fascinating and will open your eyes to no end of possibilities. Well? The Section is eager to encourage artistic pursuits, and so, on page 8 of this newsletter, alongside ads for first aid courses and rock workshops, you will find ads for two very special courses that have been arranged for the ACC-Vancouver Section. They are Watercolour Painting En Plein Air and Landscape Photography. Both are to be held in wonderful mountain settings a refreshing change from the typical classroom. Just think of the visual stimulus! Just think of the impetus to your creativity! The instructors for both come highly recommended. They have tons of knowledge and energy to share. See all the details in the ads that follow. We hope these courses are well received. We hope you enjoy. May you discover the artist within you! Wapta Traverse April 21-27, 2002 The Wapta traverse began with an epic. It was still very wintery at the end of April, -10 to -15 degrees, often blustery with extreme wind chills. It snowed when we left Lake Louise, cleared a bit on Bow summit, but started again as we began skiing a few km further north. After a gentle descent to the lake led to a long ski over the ice. At least the old snow was firm, but new snow accumulated quickly. Our leader Jay wanted to use the new route bypassing the canyon below Peyto glacier. It was a horrible, steep, exposed, rocky ridge, a gruelling climb with heavy packs. Hurricane force gusts tried to blow us over; sometimes we had to brace ourselves for minutes to let the worst blow over and visibility improve. Some keeners climbed too high and we waited a long time for everyone to re-group. We could seldom see more than 100m, so when I led down to the glacier the others followed only reluctantly, another long wait. At least the wind had died down some, but the snow depth made trailbreaking tough. We were all very tired when we finally reached the Peyto Hut. At least the little fibreglass igloo, where I froze 30 years ago in my inadequate summer bag, has long been replaced by an insulated large building that sleeps 16 comfortably. That night our party of nine shared the hut with a group of three who left early the next morning in a white-out. They wanted to go all the way to the 4th hut in case the weather improved. Later that week we read in the Balfour Hut that they had stopped there for lunch, but since there was no note in the Scott Duncan Hut they may have skied out all the way in one day! We took it a lot easier, and when it cleared a bit near noon, four of us skied up the south ridge of Rhondda and got a few good turns in before the clouds moved in again. On the Bow glacier we couldn t see the hut and had to follow old tracks to it. The large new Bow Hut is lower and further east than the old location, and isn t visible when you come from Peyto. After warming up in the spacious lounge room with big picture windows, a wood burning stove and 8 propane burners for cooking, most of us took some runs on the glacier in the improving afternoon light. We had booked 2 nights in this hut and the next morning I went to climb Mt. Thompson while the others climbed Gordon. It was a very windy day and Gordon was definitely a better ski. The slopes of Thompson are very exposed with wind crusted snow Continued on Page. Avalanche Echoes 3
Vancouver Section Trip Schedule Date Destination Type/Grade Organizer Phone MAY 11 National AGM, BBQ Dinner & Show (Tix $22) Fern Hietkamp 604-872-4290 12 Petgill Lake (dogs OK) hike B2 Petra Heppner 604-733-4601 18-20 Mt. Mamquam ski B3 Manrico Scremin 604-921-2651 25 Sigurd Creek area hike B/C2 Harry Young 604-219-4950 26 Sechelt Reach hike C2 John Sapac 604-873-6740 25-26 Silverstar / North Cascades ski B3 Jane Weller 604-988-3618 28 Monthly Meeting 7:30 pm at Van Dusen Gardens (37th & Oak) JUNE JUNE 2 Mt. Gardner (Bowen Island) hike B2 Pam K 604-946-9942 8 Blanshard Needle climb C4 Rob Brusse 604-224-0747 9 Stawamus Squaw (family) hike A2 Vesna Sossi 604-272-2106 15 Sky Pilot climb C3/4 Bob Sitter 604-921-1310 15 Cloudburst hike B2 Harry Young 604-219-4950 16 Tenquille Lake (dogs OK) hike B2 Petra Heppner 604-733-4601 16 Leader s Choice hike B2 Helen Habgood 604-984-6842 19-23 Juan de Fuca Trai hike B2 Mirella Lioce 604-736-5079 15-16 Panorama Ridge hike B2 David Gunhold 604-881-2294 22-23 Leader s Choice hike B2 Fern Hietkamp 604-872-4290 23 Harvey-Brunswick Loop hike B2/3 Tom Hamilton 604-736-1562 22-23 Meslilloet Mtn, West Ridge climb C3 Todd Ponzini 604-983-2612 25 Monthly Meeting 7:30 pm at Van Dusen Gardens (37th & Oak) 29 Mt. Cheam hike B2 Hermann Sparn 604-531-1707 29-Aug1 Mt. Matier and area (via Cerise) hike B3 Jay Straith 604-983-4200 JULY 1 Cascade Mountaineering Climb climb C4 Jane Weller 604-988-3618 6-7 Intro to back country travel hike Course Hans 604-228-9499 (+ evening June 26, July3) 13-14 Sahale Peak (North Cascades) hike B3 Hans 604-228-9499 13-21 Lake Lovely Water Camp climb variouspeter Woodsworth 604-254-7076 14 Brandywine Mdws(dogs OK) hike B2 Petra Heppner 604-733-4601 20 Welch Peak scramble C3 Paul Baker 604-922-6111 20-27 Rogers Pass Camp - Wk 1 hike/climbb2-c4 Rob Brusse 604-224-0747 20-Aug5 Bell/Geddes Climbing Camp climb C4-D5 Don Serl 604-872-4244 21 Rainbow Mtn./Lake hike B2 Tania 604-738-0696 27 Opal Cone hike B2 Daniela 604-430-0553 27-28 Bear Mtn. climb C3/4 Todd Ponzini 604-983-2612 AUGUST 3-5 McGillivrary Pass Traverse hike B2 Melinda Straight 604-980-9921 3-5 Eldorado Peak, haute route scramble B3/4 Hans 604-228-9499 10 Needle Pk to Portia, mini-traversehike C2 Todd Ponzini 604-983-2612 11 Garibaldi Lake hike B2 Sharon Folkes 604-731-7441 11 Coliseum Mt. hike C2 Mike Young 604-436-1970 10-13 Seton Ridge area hike A-B2/3 PamK 604-946-9942 10-17 Roger s Pass Camp - Wk 2 hike/climbb2-c4 Rob Brusse 604-224-0747 17-18 Joffre Traverse climb D4 Wes Maedel 604-990-3526 18 High Falls creek hike B2 Tania 604-738-0696 31-Sep2 Glacier Peak scramble B3/4 Hans 604-228-9499 31-Sep2 McGillivray Pass, Whitecap Mtn. hike B3 Ian McGillivray 604-988-3618 SEPTEMBER 7 Needle Peak (N ridge) climb B4 Rich Pawlowicz 604-222-3343 7-8 Snass Mtn. Snazzy Pk-(jt BCMC) hike B3 Carol McMillan 604-879-2947 14 Petgill lake hike B2 Mothe Tilden 604-732-8765 15 Excelsior Pass (family trip) hike A2 Chris Bradley 604-873-9419 14-15 Duffy Lake Rd hike B2 Susan Higinbottom 604-925-3742 29 Hanes Valley Loop hike B2 Russ Fretenburg 604-618-5732 OCTOBER 5 Black Tusk hike/scr C2/3 Mirella Lioce 604-736-5079 6 Mt. Capilano hike/bike B2 Helen Habgood 604-984-6842 6 Leader s Choice hike B2 Maria Gunkel 604-985-3041 20 Mt. Brew hike B2 Irene Goldstone 604-689-8737 THE ALPINE CLUB OF CANADA VANCOUVERSECTION TRIPSCHEDULE SPRING/SUMMER 2002 GRADING GUIDELINES A - Less than 6 hrs travel/day (not strenuous) B - 6 to 8 hrs travel/day (moderately strenuous) C - 8 to 12 hrs travel/day (strenuous) D - More than 12 hrs travel/day (extremely strenuous) S- Slower-paced trip, (suitable for seniors) 1 - Gentle slopes. Travel on trails over fairly level terrain. 2 - Moderate slopes. Travel may be off trail. Intermediate skiing ability recommended. Easy climbing. 3 - Travel in mountainous terrain. Steep forest and glaciers probable. Backcountry equipment and intermediate skiing experience required. Moderate climbing. 4 - Travel over difficult mountain terrain. Advanced backcountry and mountaineering experience, ability and equipment required. Advanced ski mountaineering or moderate to difficult ice or mixed climbing. Ropes and belays required. 5 - Technical ice or mixed climbing. Advanced climbing experience required. Please contact trip organizers by the Wednesday prior to the trip or earlier to express your interest. Non-members are welcome to participate once or twice before joining, and are accepted on a space available basis.. Everyone is welcome to attend our meetings at 7:30pm in the Floral Hall of Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, W. 37 th Ave. & Oak St in Vancouver on the fourth Tuesday of every month (except July, Aug, Dec). CHAIRPERSON Liz Scremin 604-921-2651 MEMBERSHIP Shirley Howdle 604-878-5272 CLIMBING SCHEDULE Pam Krannitz 604-946-9942 VOLUNTEER!! Trip organizers needed - all levels welcome and needed. This is your last chance to add to the trip schedule - deadline is May 30th! Please call Pam at 604-946-9942 or send email to vanacctrips@hotmail.com. Avalanche Echoes 4
Section Camps!! 5th Annual Lake Lovely Water Camp July 13-21, 2002 Seven days of mountaineering in the glorious Tantalus Range (map ref 92G/14) with routes to charm the beginner to the advanced. Accommodation is in the luxurious ACC cabin with swimming and boating at the door step. This is a self guided camp for club members. Cost is $275 and includes helicopter transport in/out and registration. Call Peter Woodsworth for details 604-254-7076. Coast Range Climbing Camp - Mts. Bell and Geddes July 20 - August 5, 2002 Two weeks climbing two of the finest peaks in the Coast Mountains and their neighbours in the northwestern Waddington Range. Bell (3278m) is a great icy pyramid; Geddes (3223m) is a trapezoidal rock peak. This is very rugged, extremely remote country, so only experienced mountaineers should participate. As well, the trip is a nonguided peer camp, so participants need to come with partners. We will fly from Bluff Lake Whitesaddle Air Services to Remote Glacier Sunday July 21st, climb in the Bell area for the first week, heli-hop camp to Parallel Glacier Saturday or Sunday the 27th or 28th (tba), climb Geddes and neighbours second week, fly out Monday August 5th. Helicopter costs will be $600-$800 per person. Party will be limited to 12 people, its filling up fast,so early contact is advised. Priority will be given to two-weekers, although one week attendance is a possibility. A $100 non-refundable deposit is required to secure a spot. Contact Don Serl: 604-872-4244, or dserl@mec.ca. Rogers Pass Camps Rogers Pass North - July 20-27, 2002 Rogers Pass offers spectacular vistas and impressive opportunities for hiking, scrambling and climbing. This self-guided camp will feature 3 days (2 nights) at Hermit Meadows (tents required) and 3 days (5 nights) at the Wheeler Hut. Participants objectives and experience levels will determine specific activities. Possible objectives are Rogers Peak, Mount Tupper, Eagle Peak, Mts. Abbott and Afton. Rogers Pass South - Aug 10-17 This self-guided camp will feature 3 days (2 nights) at the Asulkan Cabin and 3 days (5 nights) at the Wheeler Hut. Possible objectives include Mt. Jupiter. Terminal Peak, Avalanche Peak, and Mt. Cheops. Cost for each camp: $300, (includes food, hut, section, & backcountry fees but not parking) $50 deposit required with registration. Fully refundable to May 1st for Rogers Pass North; to June 1st for Rogers Pass South. $250 balance by May 15th for Rogers Pass North; by June 15th for Rogers Pass South. Refunds if substitute is found. Group Size: 12 for each camp Information: Maps - Rogers Pass 1:50,000, Guidebook Selkirks South D Jones, Trail Guide Footloose in The Columbias Contact: Rob Brusse at 604-224-0747 or robasbeekbrusse@aol.com Heathens Annual Strathcona Alpine Camp - Invitation to ACC Members Dates: Come for as many days as you like between July 5-21, 2002 Location: Car camping at Crest Lake, right in the middle of a fantastic rock-climbing area (TR, free climbing and aid), with dozens of day trip possibilities for both hiking and mountaineering. Bring your canoe and your swimsuit! The ocean and the grocery store are just a hop, skip and a jump away. Cost: None! Just get yourself to Crest Lake on Northern Vancouver Island. Contact: Chris Barner at 250-287-4611. Calgary Section s Sir Sandford Climbing Camp - Invitation to all ACC Members Dates: Still spaces on Week 1, Aug. 3-10 and Week 3, Aug. 17-24, 2002 Based at the ACC s Great Cairn Hut in the Selkirks. For more info, check the Calgary Section website at: www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/calgary/index.html and click on Summer/Section Summer Camp. $100 deposit required to reserve your spot. Cost: approximately $200 depending on helicopter costs. Contact: Bill Marriott at wdmltd@shaw.ca All the best to Ilze Rupners as she travels to the old country in Latvia. Bon voyage to Jim Firstbrook as he begins a 3-month sabbatical, taking him to Red Rocks, Canyonlands and Colorado. Happy climbing to Graham Rowbotham, off to get high in Peru. Good weather wishes to Linda Bily and Markus Kellerhals as they explore the remote corners of the Personalities Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains. Cheerio to Mary O Donovan as she jets off to trek in Scotland.ACC member Tania and new member Trish head off to experience vast wilderness, solitude and exploration at new heights on Mount Logan during May and June. A warm welcome home to Irene Goldstone, after two wonderful weeks in Japan. Another warm welcome home to Rick Barichello, who serves as a valued economic advisor in Vietnam. A further welcome to Gareth Evans, Roger Boudreau, James Jennings, Mark Teeter, Lisa Lee, Joel Hampson, Matti Schroderus, Jeff Brown, Annari Faurie, Sophia Granchinho, Assad Wasfi, and Fadhila Mahdi all new members as of April 1, 2002. May the ACC bring new outdoor recreation opportunities to you! Avalanche Echoes 5
The Wilderness Education Program (WEP) by Lisa Baile, Program Coordinator Since it s inception in 1996, WEP has been exceptionally effective in reaching thousands of students and their teachers each year with a unique opportunity to learn about British Columbia s wild places and to experience wilderness first hand. In the last five years some 35,000 youth have been reached with John Clarke s inspiring and entertaining (often hilarious!) presentations bringing wilderness live to the classroom. Over 1700 young people have participated in John s nature hikes and overnight camping trips to local wilderness areas. In addition, John has prepared and presented approximately 20 workshops for teachers at conferences and professional development days. John Clarke and baby Nicholas As WEP gains recognition participation in the program continues to grow. Last school year (2000-2001) there was a 27% increase in overall participation. In 2001 WEP raised extra funds to replace John s 20-year-old vehicle with a minivan, ( WEP-mobile ) which has been converted to run on more environmentally friendly natural gas. About John Clarke In January of this year John and his lovely and accomplished wife, Annette, became the very proud parents of a baby boy Nicolas. It was a wonderful event for John and Annette and their family and friends, and Nicolas is, without doubt, the best baby in the world! Life seemed to be complete, until recently when John was hospitalized for surgery; he is now at home recovering. Because of this setback WEP is on hold for the time being - so the Clarke family has no income until it resumes. If you would like to help out John, Annette and Nicolas you can send a donation. Please make your cheque out to: John Clarke and mail it to Lisa Baile at: WEP, 3116 West 3 rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6K 1N3. Wapta Traverse Continued from Page 3. and bare rock. Later in the day Neil and Vince followed my route, but saw only a few of my turns on a sheltered slope near the bottom. We were an individualistic group and the following day took four different routes to the Balfour Hut. I started to ski alone up to Mt Olive from near Vulture col, but was soon followed by KJ. On top I met Don and Vince who had hoofed it all the way from St. Niklaus col. Later KJ and I crossed Vulture col. The access from the west is quite easy but the descent to the east is narrow ans steep. We were glad that a guide with a group of French students had proved it save. The snow was very deep and heavy, crusting over on top, where the sun had gone off it. I used both poles to vault into each turn. It was hard work, but one off the best runs of the trip. The next morning the light was gray and flat, and we roped up to ascend the dangerous glacier on Balfour s north side. In the high col the sun came out a bit but it did not look promising for climbing the peak. Avalanche Echoes 6 We were only too aware that a Whistler skier had died near there by skiing over a cornice in a white-out only a week earlier. So we descended cautiously into the gray cloud and fog hiding Mt. Daly and the Scott Duncan Hut to the south east. Only in the last km did the hut resolve itself from the rock outcrops on which it stands. As we arrived at lunch time it was getting quite dark and windy. The rest of the afternoon we huddled in our warmest clothing in this the smallest of the four huts, with the 2 old Coleman stoves reluctantly melting snow without warming the place. Outside a gale drove the snow horizontally, making every exit like a scene from Scott in Antarctica. Only towards evening did the sun break through to give us limited views of Yoho valley. All week long, at the best of times, anything beyond nearest peaks was shrouded in clouds and a thin veil of snow drifting from an almost blue sky. The last morning finally dawned clear and calm and we departed quickly in two groups to climb small nearby peaks. I was able to ski up the slightly higher one without skins, which saved me enough time for an extra run down the saddle to the west in surprisingly good powder snow. Later the descend into the valley was the most scenic part of the trip, skiing through the broad pass between the cliffs of Mts. Dali and Niles with the high peaks of the Mt. Victoria group in front of us. It was a great ending to a memorable trip and we toasted our success in the parking lot of the old Wapta lodge with beer provided by Lindsay. Participants were Jay Straith, leader, Lorrie Mann, Don Heppner, Vince Mantle, LindsayRobertson, SamElvin, NeileLange, KJ Herman, and Klaus Haring, reporter. Satellite Phone for Rent The Vancouver Section now owns a satellite phone! Members can rent it for $60 per week, plus an air-time charge of $2.00 per minute. A $300 deposit is required and will be refunded when the phone is returned in good condition. Contact Tony Knight at 604-873- 2276 or tak@mda.ca.
50 s Photo Gallery Clockwise from upper left: On the summit ridge of Mount Fairweather, 1957. Fips Broda. Tackling an icefall on Mount Monarch, 1953. Jack Atkinson. Skiing near Mount Monarch, with Princess Mtn. in background. Jack Atkinson, 1953. Camp at Fairweather, looking at Mt. Lituya. Fips Broda, 1957. Climbing Mount Monarch, 1953. Fips Broda. Avalanche Echoes 7
Courses ST. JOHN S First On The Scene STANDARD FIRST AID for the Wilderness Thurs July 11 eve, July 13-14, 2002 23 hours of instruction special $143. course fee (plus GST) Includes 3 year FA certification, CPR C certification, 1 million liability insurance and all course texts. Gain skills to treat injuries and promote recovery when you are hours, even days, away from emergency medical aid. Learn to improvise with standard outdoor gear, in practical outdoor sessions. Get ready for safe summer adventures! To register, call Zoran at (H) (604) 438-9066 or (cell) (604) 841-8601, or email: zoran_vasic@canaccord.com Introduction to Backcoun- try and Wilderness Travel Workshop July 6-7, 2002 plus eves. June 26, July 3 A summer workshop on backcountry travel for those who want to extend their range of hiking into less accessible areas, but who are not necessessarily interested in technical or difficult climbing. It will consist of two introductory evening meetings and a weekend trip. Topics covered include: equipment low-impact camping practices negotiating different kinds of terrain ice-axe skills No technical subjects (such as crampons or rope handling) will be covered. Prerequisites: ACC membership (can be arranged on the spot). More information: Members please call Hans at (604) 228-9499; nonmembers please call the membership line at (604) 878-5272. Join us for fun in the mountains! www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/vancouver (604) 878-5272 WATERCOL TERCOLOUR OUR PAINTING EN PLEIN AIR NEAR MOUNT BAKER with Velvet Bailes a special 4-day workshop for the ACC Thursday to Sunday in late Sept or early Oct, 2002 Come capture the fall colours! $225 course fee for members / $250 for non-members includes instruction, meals and accommodation at the Mountaineers Baker Lodge. Contact Susan Hollenberg for more info and to register at 604-736-3653. LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY AT LAKE LOVELY WATER with Doug Williams a special 4-day workshop for the ACC September 19-22, 2002 (Thurs-Sun) $295 course fee for members / $320 for non-members (based on 8 students) includes instruction, helicopter in and out, and accommodation at the Section s Tantalus Hut Topics will include composition, managing light and depth of field, film, filters and lenses, best use of your tripod and light meter, colour versus black and white, and more. Contact Doug for more info and to register at 604-736-5799 or dwphoto@shaw.ca www.dwphotography.com 03964906 The AVALANCHE ECHOES Newsletter is printed and published monthly by: The Alpine Club of Canada, Vancouver Section, c/o Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC 47 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1P1 CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT #40033734 Avalanche Echoes 8