Club Events 2007

Trip List Calendar

2007-05-25 : COC - Multi-Day Backpacker Training
Marty, Ed and I set out as planned on Friday. We claimed a site at Paddy Flats campground and then hiked, fully loaded, the Riverview and Elbow Valley trails. Ed and Marty did a bunch of trail maintenance - clearing several trees off the path with Marty's fancy new saw. Connie caught up with us in the evening and Marty and Connie went on a futile search for ice caves. Better luck next time! I earned a few Princess Demerits for freezing my heinie off on Friday night - I don't know what was up with that, but I had my -7 bag (planned on having my -20 bag, but oh well... should have been ok), long underwear, socks, slippers, t-shirt, fleece 1, fleece 2 and my PARKA on and still froze. I had a really weird dream, too, early in the morning, which made it all worthwhile... I dreamed that I was driving down Shaganappi Trail really fast when I got a bad headache. I closed one eye and then started thinking it was dangerous to drive so fast with no depth perception - I should open the other eye. I couldn't open my other eye, though, so I thought maybe if I close both eyes and then open them both at once that would work. So, I closed my other eye and then I couldn't open either of them. I started to panic about driving down the road with my eyes closed, but no matter what I did I couldn't open them. Then I thought... "wait a minute... I'm not driving down Shaganappi Trail at all... it's the Saturday morning of my backpacker training and I'm laying asleep in the tent and if I could just open my eyes and confirm that everything would be ok." Alas, I still couldn't open my eyes, but I did manage to reach out my left hand and touched the side of the tent at which point my dream ended. I have had lucid dreams before, but never one that I was able to control at all - this was pretty cool to reach out and touch the side of my tent to confirm that I was dreaming.

Anyway, enough about me. On Saturday, the four of us set out to do Nihahi Ridge. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful hike. Ed and Marty did a bit more trail maintenance. Juanita caught up with us during our lunch stop and stayed with us for the rest of the day. We had a lovely camp-out dinner, celebrated Connie's upcoming birthday, and I did NOT freeze my heinie off that night (thank goodness - I don't need any more Princess Demerits!!).

On Sunday, we left Connie and Juanita at the camp site while we went up to Moose Mountain. The trail was REALLY snowy and sloggy and it was quite chilly out, especially when the wind kicked up. I had begged permission to leave part of my weight (mmmm... maybe about 5 pounds) out of my pack for the day's hike, and then after we'd hiked (actually, slogged) for four kilometers, I begged permission to abort the hike and turn back. That was pretty much our intention, anyway, when we saw the condition of the trail in the morning, but it was me who finally cried "uncle" after four kms. We still had a great time - the slogging was pretty good West Coast Trail training, especially for Ed who's going to have to get used to having wet feet!!

A very very successful training weekend. Clearly we've done our homework because we weren't missing anything important, had just the right amount of food, enough fuel, and basically everything went perfectly. We're so smrt.

-- Rhonda


2007-05-26 : COC - Multi-Day Backpacker Training
... continued from previous day


2007-05-27 : COC - Multi-Day Backpacker Training
... continued from previous day


2007-05-28 : COC - Backpacker Conditioning, and Inline Skating
Backpacker Conditioning (Edworthy Hill)
Inline Skating - Edworthy to Downtown - Slow/Moderate Pace


2007-05-30 : COC - Riverview Trail, and CCC - The Secret Garden
COC - Riverview Trail EASY MTN BIKE

We had some novices and some experienced riders out today and we had a great time. We went up Riverview, then down Riverview, then around Paddy Flat's Campground, then back onto Riverview for a bit and then done. No matter how hard we tried, or what we made her do, Connie refused to get any kind of bleeding injury today... all we managed were a few bruises. A great group and a great day. :)

-- Rhonda
CCC - The Secret Garden

An adaptation of the classic children's novel, the Secret Garden. An original musical performance by young amateur performers from Wildwood School. Written, produced, and directed by resident teacher, Steve Martin.



At 5:30 I am getting ready to head out the door for this event after the biggest blonde moment of my life. Marty was leaving for his mountain bike event when he calls me and says "where's your car?". After trying to figure out if I could have possibly parked it someplace else, including checking visitor parking, plus checking with my building manager to make sure she hadn't had it towed for some reason, I determined that my car had been stolen. EEEEEK!!!!! I phoned Angela and asked her to take over the event, and then Sibel to let her know I wouldn't be there. I e-mailed the group to let them know I wouldn't be there. I was on hold with the police to report the car stolen when Marty says "your car wasn't here last night when I got home so I thought you were still getting groceries. the car must be at Safeway". I couldn't imagine why I would have driven over to Safeway after getting home from Talisman yesterday instead of just walking over, but I asked him to go over and check - it was at least worth looking. Two minutes after he left, I remembered where my car was... I had gone to do an install at another client yesterday morning, then parked my car over by the LRT station to go downtown to work at Talisman for the rest of the day. D'OH!!! I'd completely forgotten about it by after work, and just came home on transit like usual. So, Marty drove me over to retrieve it and insisted that I had to confess what happened in my write-up, so here it is. *blush* And now I've had to pay the worst price for it... Marty says I'm not allowed... EVER... to razz him again about misplacing his car keys.

It's 11:00 and I just got home from the play. This was easily the best Five Bucks I've spent in a long time... maybe ever. The kids' acting was really great... in a great kid-acting kind of way. The robin and "Colin"'s hysterics scene were my absolute favorites and to the boy who played Colin, I have to say you have more guts than me to do that on stage. Good on you.

The thing about watching these kids perform is that it was similar to watching kids play hockey (really trying at playing hockey, not just farting around). I don't get a lot of exposure to hockey, but most of what I get is the REALLY GOOD hockey... you know... the NHL. It is only when you go and watch a bunch of ten-year-olds play their hearts out that you get to really see how much effort and skill goes into REALLY GOOD hockey. The kids who performed tonight, and the adults who supported them, from Mr. Martin, their teacher/director, and all the other supporters, worked their buns off. They were unpolished and so charmingly human - an absolute joy to watch. So much more so than the REALLY GOOD acting that we're typically exposed to.

Sibel, let's make sure we take a group every year to see Mr. Martin's plays. It was really fantastic.

-- Rhonda


2007-05-31 : COC - Mount Burke - Slow but Steady Pace
This time I made it to the TOP of Mount Burke. Next time (in about three years), it will be Lila's turn to make it to the top. Thanks to a fun, interesting and entertaining group for coming out and sharing the day.

-- Rhonda


2007-06-01 : COC - Sooper-Slowpoke Fluffy Beginner Mountain Bike on Nose Hill (and Beer at Kilkenny)


2007-06-02 : COC - Sooper-Slowpoke Fluffy Beginner Mountain Bike on Nose Hill


2007-06-03 : COC - Ribbon Creek - slow pace
I love this club! For all the new things I get to learn and experience, the terrific people, and because there are always surprises. Today was no exception. First - what a great group! Next, we discovered that the round trip hiking distance is actually 22km - NOT the 16.4km that has been copied and posted over and over. Thank you to David for noticing that error! No wonder we were all totally beat by the time we were half-way back. Next, the travel distance is actually only about 200km, not 240km as is often posted. These days of high gas prices makes a difference in overall carpool amounts. A young moose right at the edge of the trail was a highlight of the day. Then - wow - I've never seen Ribbon Creek and Falls so full. It was a wonderful experience to walk alongside the raging river, and the falls were spectacular. After a rest stop at the falls we saw dark clouds forming around us and made a hasty retreat just in time before the thunder storm hit. Sure am glad we got off the trail when we did. - Marg


2007-06-04 : COC - Backpacker Conditioning (Curling Club Stairs)


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