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Volume 43, Issue 6
Views from below the Red Pillar – pictures by Martin Hofmann, May, 2015
ACC VANCOUVER ISLAND
SECTION
Social Events
The club has a monthly slide-show
presentation at the Swan Lake Nature
House, 3873 Swan Lake Road, Victoria,
BC on the second Thursday of each
month, except in July and August. The
doors open at 7:00pm, and the show
starts at 7:30pm.
Web Information
Web site: www.accvi.ca
Webmaster: [email protected]
Executive Meeting Minutes
Available on our meeting archives.
National ACC Office
For new memberships and renewals,
changes of address or other details, and
booking huts, contact the ACC National
office directly.
www.alpineclubofcanada.ca
[email protected]
403 678 3200, or P.O. Box 8040
Canmore, AB, T1W 2T8
Annual Membership Dues
Single $53
Family $75
Youth (19 and under) $38
The Island Bushwhacker Newsletter
A monthly (except for July and August)
publication of the Vancouver Island
Section.
Newsletter Editor:
Mary Sanseverino, 250 592 4677,
[email protected]
We encourage submissions of items of
interest to our membership, including
news items, announcements, and short
articles, along with photos. Email your
submission by the 25th day of the previous
month.
Advertising shall be accepted at the
discretion of the editor. All advertising
shall be for products or services of direct
interest to our membership.
Our Motto
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
COME BACK ALIVE
COME BACK FRIENDS
RESPECT THE LAND
HAVE FUN
GET TO THE TOP
(IN THAT ORDER!)
EXECUTIVE
Chair: Mike Hubbard,
250 370 1096, [email protected]
Secretary: Caroline Tansley,
[email protected]
Treasurer: Colleen Kasting,
250 920 5278, [email protected]
Members-at-Large:
Russ Moir,
[email protected]
Chris Jensen, 250 516 3932,
[email protected]
Access and Environment
Rob MacDonald, [email protected]
*Barb Baker Central Island
BMFF Coordinator
Krista Zala, [email protected]
Bushwhacker Annual
Cedric Zala, 250 652 5841,
[email protected]
Education
Harry Steiner, 250 652 6647,
[email protected]
Equipment
Mike Hubbard (lower Island), 250
370 1096, [email protected]
*Tim Turay (upper Island), 250 334
5259, [email protected]
Summer Camp
Liz Williams,
[email protected]
FMCBC Rep
Rob Macdonald, 250 727 6734,
[email protected]
Library/Archives/History
Tom Hall (Library/Archives),
250 592 2518, [email protected]
*Lindsay Elms (History), 250 792
3384, [email protected]
Membership
Janelle Curtis,
[email protected]
National Rep
Christine Fordham,
[email protected]
Schedule
Karun Thanjavur,
[email protected]
Slide show coordinator
*Peggy Taylor,
[email protected]
Webmaster
Martin Hofmann,
[email protected]
Memorial Fund
*Geoff Bennett, 250 853 7515,
[email protected]
* Non Executive Coordinators
June 2015
COMING EVENTS AT A GLANCE
Slideshow: Thur, June 11.
Canoeing in the Arctic with
Graham Maddocks + Trekking the
Manaslu Circuit with Ken Wong.
Inside
2
Upcoming Slideshows
2
Upcoming Trips
4
4
Upcoming Clinics and Mountain
Education activities
Memorial Fund Update
5
Leadership Points Update
5
Artist in Residence
6
2015 ACC-VI Summer Camp
7
Moon Mountain Adventures
8
VISTA Volunteer Request
9
Trip Report: 5040 in May
10 John Gibson Remembered
11 Judges Route Update
13 Farwell to Don Morton as he
Moves to Montreal
15 What’s on the Menu?
16 Nepal Earthquake Relief
16 e-Trails
Reminder to Members:
Keep your membership up-to-date,
so to as to be covered by the ACC’s
liability insurance.
Keep your contact information
current on ACC National’s site, as
it’s from this master list that we
download our email addresses for
mailouts.
Register on our ACC-VI site to make
your contact information available to
other ACC-VI members.
Join the ACC-VI listserv to keep in
touch and share information with
other ACC-VI members.
Join the ACC-VI’s Facebook group.
1
Upcoming Slideshows
Thur, June 11. Graham Maddocks & Ken Wong present two different trips.
Graham Maddocks – Canoeing the Thomsen River, Banks Island, Northern Canada: at 72 degrees of
latitude, the most northerly navigable river in the world. 3400 year old Pre-Dorset settlements examined, with
musk ox, white wolves and Arctic birdlife.
Ken Wong – Oct 12 to 31, 2014 - Chaos in Shangri-La: A Trek on the Manaslu Circuit and the Tsum Valley in
Nepal with the Annapurna Sanctuary as a bonus.
Slideshows are at Swan Lake Nature House. Doors open at 7:00pm, and the show starts at 7:30pm.
Upcoming Trips
Jun 06. Mt. Arrowsmith – Judges Route, B2. Meeting time: Helmcken Park and Ride 6:50am in Victoria. Mt
Arrowsmith, at 1819 meters, is the highest mountain on southern Vancouver Island. The round trip should
take about 5 hours and has an elevation gain of about 1000 meters. We will hike at a moderate pace, with
brief stops to enjoy the wildflowers and views en route and a longer break for lunch at the summit.
Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and we will have 360 degree views. Unusually for this time of year,
the route is free of snow. Arrowsmith is rated as a class 3 scramble (Rocky scrambling terrain, handholds
required with short steep steps. May be exposed to drops below).
What to bring: Warm clothes, rain gear, a headlamp, a minimum of 2 liters of water, lunch, and the 10
essentials. Carpooling: We will arrange carpooling in advance. Please let us know if you are willing to
drive, other passengers will contribute to gas, etc. We will likely stop for dinner or a drink on the way
home. Mount Arrowsmith reference info: http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Mt-Arrowsmith-Judges-Routenear-Port-Alberni-BC-2141 Max. 12 participants. Contact: Rachel Treloar [email protected] or Brian
Parsons [email protected].
Jun 26 – 28. Mountaineering with kids & youth IV, The Kludahk Trail, C2. The Introduction - Backpacking the
Kludahk Trail. Contact: Nadja Steiner, Sandy Stewart, [email protected], 250-652-6647.
July 01 – 03. Mount Tom Taylor, B3. Mount Tom Taylor (1,778m) via Bedwell Lake and south-east ridge.
Current ACC-VI membership required. Co-leader sought. Max: 3-6 additional people, depending on coleader. Contact: Andrew Pape-Salmon, [email protected].
July 04 – 08. Cape Scott Provincial Park, B1. ** Trip full, wait list being taken** A trip to the Cape Scott
lighthouse and back. The hike itself is easy, not technical. Two days will require 6 - 8 hours of walking.
Contact: Matthew Lettington [email protected].
Itinerary:
July 4th: Leave Nanaimo at 10 am, eat dinner in Port Hardy, camp or hostel overnight
July 5th: Trail-head to Nel's Bight 15 km
July 6th: Nel's Bight to Lighthouse 14km return (no packs on this day)
July 7th: Nel's Bight to San Joseph Bay 18 km
July 8th: San Joseph Bay to Trail-head 2km
I have been to the northern edge of Vancouver Island eight times. This year I am offering to lead a joint
trip of Island Mountain Ramblers & ACCVI. Images from a past trip:
https://www.facebook.com/matthew.lettington/media_set?set=a.10153212752095533&type=3set=a.1015
32127520955
July 11 – 15. Mt. Haig Brown and Mt.Cobb, B3. Mt. Haig Brown and Mt.Cobb from Cervus Creek in Strathcona
Park (Island mountaineering,bushwhacking). Contact : Tak Ogasawara, [email protected],
250-285-3012
Be sure to check our on-line web schedule frequently for updates!
2
Upcoming Trips, Continued …
July 17 – 19. Mountaineering with kids & youth, Va – Strathcona (Mt. Cobb area, TBC). Strathcona (Mt.
Cobb area, TBC). Contact : Derek Sou, youth leader: Iain Sou, [email protected], 250-479-9226
July 19 – Aug 9, ACC-VI Summer Camp in Cyclone Peak Area. (See announcement in this newsletter.)
http://accvi.ca/index.php/summer-camp-2015-cyclone-peak
July 24 – 26. Mountaineering with kids & youth, Vb – Boulder Gabriola, B2. Climbing & bouldering camp on
Gabriola Island. Contact: EJ Hurst, youth leader: Lindsay Richards, [email protected].
Aug 13 – 18. Mt. Assiniboine via N. Ridge, D5. Mt. Assiniboine via North Ridge, experience with alpine/rock
climbing is a must. Max 6. Trip logistics given below. Contact: Shawn Hedges,
[email protected] or 250-896-9911.
Rough itinerary as follows:
Thursday August 13 - loooong drive to trail head
Friday August 14 - hike into Hind hut
Saturday August 15 - summit attempt
Sunday August 16 - alternate summit attempt
Sunday August 16 or Monday August 17 - hike out
Monday August 17 or Tuesday August 18 - loooong drive home
Aug 21 – 24. Mountaineering with kids & youth, VI – Olympic Mountains. The Extraterrestrial, Olympic
Mountains, Solduc, Cat Basin high traverse. Contact : Nadja Steiner, Youth leader: Finn Steiner,
[email protected], 250-652-6647.
Aug 22 – 29. North Coast Trail, C1. Hiking the North Coast Trail. Max 3 additional participants.Two
experienced hiking partners (male and female) looking for 3 other experienced hiking partners (female or
male) to hike the amazing North Coast Trail at the end of August 2015. Contact: Silvie Fortin,
[email protected].
Tentative plans are:
Saturday August 22 to drive to Port Hardy from Duncan.
Sunday August 23 to start hiking from Shushartie Bay.
Expected completion date Friday August 28 or Saturday August 29.
This is 5 nights on the trail.We have a preliminary itinerary, however, the itinerary will be discussed and
approved with the other hiking partners. Trail starting date of Sunday August 23 is non-negotiable.
Sept 12 – 13. Mountaineering with kids & youth, VII – Triple Peak. The Challenge - Triple Peak, (Date to be
confirmed). Contact: Stefan Gessinger, Youth Leader: Iain Sou, [email protected].
Sept 26 – 27. Quadra Retreat. Rock climbing, kayaking. slide show, BBQ at South End winery at night.
Contact: Tak Ogasawara [email protected], 250-285-3012
Be sure to check our on-line web schedule frequently for updates!
Cobalt Lake below 5040 Peak, May 24, 2015.
3
Upcoming Clinics and Mountain Education Activities
July 03 – 06. Introduction to General Mountaineering. COURSE FULL, WAIT LIST BEING TAKEN.
Mountaineering practice with an emphasis on hands-on learning; ice axe techniques, crevasse rescue, rope
systems, anchors, route-finding, People considering the Intro to Mountaineering Course should also take
part in the Snow School-Crevasse Rescue Workshop as preparation if they do not already have this
experience. Preference will be given to ACC members and Student Affiliate members. Others will be
accommodated on a 'stand-by' basis.
Where: Big Interior Mtn/Nine Peaks, Strathcona Park, Vancouver Island.
Limit: 10 participants
Cost: $100.00 / person non-refundable & in advance.
Prerequisites: ACC Membership, Ice axe and Crevasse rescue workshop or equivalent, good physical
condition.
More information and sign up: http://accvi.ca/index.php/education
Contact: Harry Steiner [email protected], 250 652-6647
July 10 – 12. Trip Organizer / Leadership Workshop Plus+. This is course is geared towards aspiring trip
leaders to confidently organize and lead club multi-day trips for other ACC-VI members. Lot's of practical
tips and scenarios ! Get inside ACMG guide Mike Blake's mind with two days of outdoor leadership
instruction in Strathcona Park, plus a comprehensive online pre-trip planning course (online course starts in
June)! This combo experience will prepare aspiring trip leaders to confidently organize and lead club multiday trips for other ACC-VI members. Mike's passion, enthusiasm, and love of the outdoors will inspire you
to embrace the rewards of trip leadership.
In addition to logistics, gear, and safety, the online course will include practical tips for lightweight hiking and
backpacking. For the outdoor component, we will practice leadership styles, natural interpretation, risk
management, and safety strategies. Our route will include the approach to the Myra/Thelwood Ridge via
Westmin Mine, hiking up the old cat road to Tennant Lake, then on single-track to Sandbag Lake. Beyond
Sandbag, we will travel off-trail, bearing towards Mount Thelwood. The groups pace will determine our
camp location on Saturday night. We will exit via a different route back down to the trailhead, arriving at our
vehicles late Sunday afternoon.
Where: Mount Myra to Mount Thelwood, Strathcona Provincial Park.
Staging: Ralph River Campground (evening pre-trip meeting Friday, July 10)
Limit: 5 participants
Cost: $160.00 / person exclusive to ACC-VI Section members.
More information and sign up: http://accvi.ca/index.php/education
Contact: Harry Steiner [email protected], 250 652-6647
Lots more education / courses / workshops coming up. Point your browser to
http://accvi.ca/index.php/education-courses-workshops.
Memorial Fund Update.
Many thanks to Graham Maddocks for his recent generous donation to the Vancouver Island Section Memorial
Fund.
Members wishing to contribute should follow the links on our website and mark the Donation Form
"Vancouver Island Section - Memorial Fund". Tax receipts are provided by the National Office.
http://accvi.ca/index.php/memorial-fund-2#DONATIONS
4
The 2015 Leadership Point Update …
Our Leadership Contest is heating up! That special
ACCVI Arcteryx Jacket, those MEC gift certificates and
ACCVI Leadership badges are waiting for your names to
be on them. The steps are easy, to put trips on schedule
email Karun [email protected], then scan and send
waivers to Tom the [email protected] to make your
points official! Details at "Trip Coordinator Recognition
Program" at http://accvi.ca/index.php/leaderrecognition-program. So far we have posted trips to May
27, but they will only be official if waivers are received.
Leader
Hofmann, Martin
Steiner, Harald
Points
Leader
Points
11.5 Zala, Cedric
9
1.5
Zala, Krista
1.5
Brown, Catrin
8.5 George, Chris
1
Gessinger, Stefan
6.5 Lansfield, Jessica
1
Lembcke, Shanda
6.5 McIntyre, Sean
1
Taylor, Peggy
6.5 Parks, Wendy
1
Ahmed, Roxanne
Collins, Scott
6
Radetzki, Thomas
1
4.5 Schonenberger, Alois
1
We have had 8 leaders added this month, so join the fun
and post a trip on our schedule. Anyone wanting help
with first time trip leading, check out our "Leadership
Mentoring Program" http://accvi.ca/index.php/mentors
Tansley, Caroline
4
Sou, Derek
1
Moar, Walter
2
Sou, Iain
1
Moir, Russell
2
Visnovska, Lenka
1
Parsons, Brian
2
Webster, Anne
1
Trip Leaders, please check your points on our website
http://accvi.ca/index.php/trips-led . If you find any
mistakes, please email Christine at [email protected]
Radetzki, Waltaud
2
Zetterberg, Lisa
1
Suttill, David
2
Beddoes, Jeff
Whitney, Michael
2
PS – Did you know that giving a slide show also counts
toward Leadership points? Remember that in Sept when
Peggy Taylor is looking for Thursday evening speakers!
Fordham, Christine
1.5
Hubbard, Mike
1.5
Scott, Nic
1.5
Steiner, Nadja
1.5
0.5
Artist in Residence!
st
th
From May 31 to June 6 our own Phee Hudson is the Artist in Residence at the Banff Springs Hotel. She
will be there until Saturday, 6th of June. If you are in the area do drop by and say hello. She is in "The Art
Room at the Castle". Phee’s work is passionately colour-forward, and, of course, mountains and sea
feature prominently. In 2013 she was commissioned to paint three 6ft x 8ft mountain landscapes for the
lobby of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. She is represented by Mountain Galleries in Whistler,
Jasper, and Banff. Check out Phee’s web page: http://www.phillipahudson.com/
Spirit Island, Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park.
5
~ CYCLONE PEAK 2015 SUMMER CAMP UPDATE ~
Summer Camp has been opened up for registrations from other Alpine Club sections across the country. So if you
want to attend this year’s amazing location, do act now as there are just a few spots left. Weeks 1 and 3 are both
full. Week 2 (July 26 – Aug. 2) is the only week with availability now and has only 6 spots remaining. If you
wish to be on a cancellation list for Weeks 1 or 3 please let us know.
If you have not attended a summer camp now is your chance to get in on an amazing experience!
If you are a new member to the club, please consider coming along. It is a great way to meet other members of
the club, expand your mountain skills and enjoy a remote area that would otherwise be difficult to access.
About the Area:
The proposed summer camp area will be at approximately 50°14'46.65"N, 122°20'10.86"W, elevation approx
1900m, between Cyclone Peak (2499m) to the south-east and Snowspider Mountain (2494m) to the north-west.
This spectacular area is just west of Stein Valley Provincial Park and offers some excellent glacier travel and peak
objectives as well as extensive ridge traverses. Staging will be from the east side of Lillooet Lake approximately
25km from Pemberton.
Information / Guide about the Summer Camp: Please see the “Summer Camp General InformationGuide
2015”, the “Guidance for Cyclone Peak Participants 2015” and the "Camp Personal Equipment List", which we
hope will answer many of your preliminary questions. Please be sure to read these documents carefully before
filling in your registration form. Your understanding and agreement with these policies is a prerequisite of
registration. Travel and all other details will be provided at a later date.
Cost: The cost for the 2015 Summer Camp is $600 per person. Costs are estimated from the heli fly-in costs.
Dates: We hope to run three consecutive weekly camps, flying in on Sunday mornings (weather permitting) on
July 19th, July 26th, and August 2nd.
Registration:
Please read the ACC-VI Summer Camp Info Guide and print out
the Registration Form and mail with your cheque for $600 to:
Peggy Taylor.
#417-545 Manchester Road,
Victoria, BC
V8T 5H6
This year we have a bursary of $347.50 available for a parent/youth duo (both must be ACC-VI members),
reducing the cost from $1,200.00 to $852.50 for the pair. If you think your adolescent has the interest, skills,
maturity and energy to come to camp then the Summer Camp Committee invites you to take advantage of this
first come-first serve opportunity to enjoy camp at a reduced cost. We want to encourage our youth to get
outdoors, reconnect with nature and develop their backcountry and mountaineering skills in a supportive
environment. If you have any questions regarding this bursary, please contact Liz Williams at
[email protected] or Peggy Taylor at [email protected]. If we do not have any takers for this
special bursary in 2015 we will offer it again next year. So ACC families please keep it in mind for next year –
2016!
Images from the Cyclone Peak area. Photos courtesy of Jeremy Frimer
6
A bridge on the Kali Gandaki river. These bamboo bridges are
temporary. They are expected to be washed away every monsoon.
Moon Mountain Adventures' Fall Nepal Aid Trek
Hi everyone:
As I began this trek description I heard the earthquake news. It was only after I could call Nima Sherpa in
Nepal and know he was okay that I could calm down. It was in the sadness of the following days that I realized
Nepal needed tourists and their money; as soon as the rebuilt infrastructure allowed. Every time I do a trek a
lot of money goes to our porters and from them to their families and village. It goes as well to Nima Sherpa
and Vishnu Karki and their families in Kathmandu. Now it will go into rebuilding their lives.
September 26- October 31. Over Thorong La to the Mustang - 24 days walking.
This trek begins in Bulbule near the epicenter of the earthquake. Our route follows the NEW Annapurna
Circuit. Due to new trails it is possible to almost completely avoid any road walking. The Marsyangdi River
climbs from rice paddies to high glaciers and passes through many cultures. Having acclimatized to cross
Thorung La pass (our high point, 5420m) our twelve days in the Mustang's average 4000m elevation will be
quite comfortable. The Mustang is Nepal's Tibet. A high desert of walled villages, crumbling fortresses and
ancient monasteries; it was Nepal's main caravan route between Tibet's salt and the rice of the plains.
Our sunken dollar and high restricted area permit fees make the price high. Almost half of the $5700 land price
goes to the porters, guide and cook. This video: https://youtu.be/f-6OaQj7gfw shows the building of a new
water system in our porters' village.
Maps, itineraries and photos are available on request.
For more information please visit my website: www.moonmountainadventures.com
Thanks,
Tom Carter
7
Vancouver Island Spine Trail Association: Request for Volunteers
by Gil Parker
VISTA (Vancouver Island Spine Trail Association) has long been supported by ACC-VI and members have helped
with our initial trail building. Since we had our Island-wide Conference in Courtenay last summer (when we brought
together over 85 trail builders, promoters and users, to discuss issues of access, liability, funding, etc.) we have
emphasized on-the-ground efforts to complete trails.
VI Spine, the short name for our trail, will eventually provide a 700 km non-motorized, backcountry trail servicing
hikers, runners, and, in many places, bikers and equestrians. While some of the trail utilizes old railroad grades
and other existing trails, as a minimum the VI Spine will be a simple trail cut through the forest, easily followed by
hikers and runners.
This year we have made connections with three First Nations groups in the North Island, the Kwakiutl and Namgis
nations and the Nanwakolis Council. Once their agreement is achieved, we will be focusing on two sections
running south from Port Hardy to Nimpkish Lake, approximately 55 km, and a section from Strathcona dam
running north towards Schoen Lake Provincial Park, a 48 km section. The plan is to complete the 103 km in 2015.
VISTA is seeking funding to complete these and connecting sections between. With Board directors in Victoria,
Nanaimo, Port Hardy, Port Alberni, and Courtenay, we are seeking ways for volunteers to assist in this major
effort. And we will have some opportunities for volunteers to work on trails in the south part of the Island, as well.
If any of you in ACC (or your friends) are interested in volunteering time, labour and expertise to the VI Spine, we
are interested in you!! We have opportunities for trail clearing work, and initial flagging of new trail, using GPS or
other digital mapping. We are especially interested in people who are comfortable in the backcountry, and those
who are capable of following detailed digital maps or GPS routes. The proposed routes are pretty well defined. To
register an interest please provide the following information.
Name and contact points: ( and do you have your own transportation?)
Your location and where you would be available to work: Port Alberni, Cumberland, Campbell River, Woss,
Port McNeill, Port Hardy
Time Frame: one day weekend, two day weekend, weekday availability, duration in days ....
.
Type of work: trail clearing, trail location, trail markers and/or signage, even cooking for a crew?? :-)
Send information by email to Gil Parker; [email protected] and be patient-- we need to figure out the best way to
use your help!
For more information you may call Gil at 250-370-9349 or Terry Lewis, Operations Director, at 250-897-0490.
Late springtime flowers in the hills of Vancouver Island.
8
5040 Peak in May
Trip report and photos by Mary Sanseverino
May 24, 2015
Leaders: Roxy Ahmed and Peggy Taylor
Click for Route Map (Google Maps)
Click for more picture from the day
Early out – late home – and what a fine day in the hills it was!
Led by Roxy and Peggy, our party consisted of Wendy Keeping,
Liz Williams, Brian Parsons, Roger Taylor, Michelle Wright,
Rachel Treloar, Mike Whitney, Sandra Vitulano, Rita Polt, and
me. We convoyed from Victoria and Cobble Hill out past Port
Alberni and up the Marion Main logging road (high clearance
vehicles required), getting on the Cobalt Lake/5040 track by a
little after 10:00am.
The trail up is in
excellent shape – a
Liz, Mary, Rita, and Michelle on the trail.
big shout out to the
Photo by Mike Whitney
trail-keepers on this
route, many of whom are members of the Alberni Valley
Outdoor Club – bravo! We were out of the trees and
into the vistas in about an hour. From here we wound
our way up to Cobalt Lake,
stopped for a break, and then
Triple Peak views from below Cobalt Lake
broke into two groups. Roger,
Michelle, and Mike headed almost due east of the lake and ascended a scree
slope below the high point on the south-east ridge. The rest of us tracked
north around the lake following the well-marked route. Both groups met up on
the ridge below the summit block
and we were all on top by 1:30
pm.
The day was magic – wonderful
views, although the summit
teased us with peek-a-boo
glimpses through the mist; super
wildflower displays, especially the
yellow Glacier Lilies and Nootka
Peggy, Sandra, and yellow Glacier Lilies.
Eastern scree slope
Lupines; a refreshing dip in
above Cobalt Lake.
Cobalt Lake on the way down; convivial company; and the quiet one gets
when far enough away from the madding crowd to enjoy the stillness that only mountains seem
capable of providing.
Although very well maintained, the lower reaches of the
trail are particularly steep. Going down is only a bit faster
than going up and it is easy to make a miss-step. One of
our number did a tuck and roll down several metres of
trail (everyone fine). But it is a cautionary tale - tired
knees and quads might need a bit of care and attention
at the end of the day (I know mine did!).
Front Row, L-R: Michelle, Peggy
Middle: Sandra, Brian, Roxy, Liz, Wendy
Back: Roger, Rita, Mary, Mike, Rachel
We returned to the car around 5:00pm and sometime
after that a group of us were happily tucked in to the
Longwood Brew Pub in Nanaimo enjoying a cool one
before the long ride home. Another day in the hills
successfully seized – as I always say, if you’re lucky
enough to be in the mountains, you’re lucky enough!
9
John Gibson; “Never Fall When Leading”
A remembrance by Gil Parker
It was on my first major summit on Vancouver Island that I got to know John Gibson. Near the top of the
climb we were alone in the clouds, having left the rest of the group well out of the gully below the chock
stone. John’s confidence led us well; I could even ignore the odd bounding rock I loosened as it
ricocheted below us in the gully, the acrid smell of broken stone mingling with the clammy inside of windblown mountain fog. Finally we reached our viewless summit, confirmed by the precipice down the East
Face.
On this and other climbs, it became obvious that John had served his apprenticeship on more difficult
crags. He was born in Suffold, England, during World War I. He completed a zoology degree at Oxford
University. John’s first major expedition was to the head of Sondre Stromfjord in Greenland as leader of
an Oxford team. As a young man, John came by mountaineering honestly. His father, Harry O.S. Gibson,
had climbed with George Mallory.
In 1942, John Gibson came to Canada
as a flight instructor on the British
Commonwealth Air Training Plan. He
was training pilots to fly Stearman
Biplanes and Tiger Moths. While there,
he met a young and enthusiastic climber,
John Wheeler, grandson of A.O.
Wheeler, first director of the Alpine Club
of Canada. Together, they climbed many
Rockies peaks including Mounts Edith
and Louis northwest of Banff. “I did Louis
in running shoes; my boots had Tricouni
nails, not suitable for this kind of rock,”
said John. Near the top of Louis there is
a smooth-sided chimney; the pair
climbed it using shoulders and feet
relying on friction. Perhaps here John
coined his motto: “Never fall when
leading!”
After the war John and his wife Mary
came to Canada, John ultimately
securing a spot at the Pacific Biological
Station, Nanaimo. Through that position
he learned that fishermen off the Coast
had a lucrative and free life, and he
began gill-net fishing, eventually out of
Ktuquot, where the family, now with son,
Peter, lived for 15 years.
As a climber, John led climbs for the
1967 ACC Centennial Expedition near
the Steele Glacier in the Yukon. But once
A youthful John Gibson leading on Mt Hungabee.
John had met Syd Watts on the Island,
the pair explored and climbed widely, often scaling peaks that John had spotted from his boat offshore.
Pinder Peak, Malaspina Peak, Conuma Peak were on their summit list, plus an early attempt on Rugged
Mountain, and two first ascents, Watchtower and Bonanza. John was also involved in early explorations
of the Alava/Bate sanctuary, once surviving a 5m slide/fall using an iceaxe arrest on rock! Despite this,
John was a confident and safe climber, bringing to his outdoor experience tremendous endurance, but
also an intuition into the spirituality of climbing. He created many oil paintings from his slides, and used
his computer in ways that would challenge “techies” of today.
John Gibson died in May, 2015. He was a versatile personality, excelling at flying, fishing, painting and
technology as well as being an accomplished climber. John was a gentleman, a worthy friend.
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Judges Route – Trial by Jury
(Some thoughts for all users of Arrowsmith)
by Russ Moir
The first time I came down Judges from a climb of
Main Gully in the mid 70’s, the ‘route’ was only a
series of flagged passages down the West side.
It is the easiest access route to the summit and has
been a favourite path for many people for decades.
For interests sake, on the day we summited, we
came across Judge Raif Hutchinson hosting a
champagne, smoked salmon “chambers party” on
the summit. He explained that any articling student
foolish enough to join his court had to summit
Arrowsmith before he signed their final papers, and
one grinning person was getting his induction that
day. We happily tasted the wares!
That was his story and I believed him, as I do all
judges (sic).
The route is named after him in recognition of his
contribution to climbing on the Coast.
For the next decades its use has increased
dramatically. Literally hundreds of people tramp up
and down the way each year. On a fine day there
can be dozens. When Peter Rothermel took on the
lead to repair and enhance the route in the mid 90’s,
it was already showing alarming signs of wear and
tear. Last year on a descent from a Nose climb I was
taken aback by the acceleration of damage,
especially on the upper sections.
There have been two main problems. The original
heather gully has had the vegetation stripped from
the path, allowing rain runoff to easily erode the
underlying peat. The channels are now in places
three feet deep! Secondly, lower down, the rocky
slopes have become sceen runs. On the way up,
people tend to follow the easy zig-zag course.
Coming down it’s tempting to be lured into straight
down scree hopping. (OK I’ve often been guilty!). So
there is now a wide expanse of loose rubble in
places where there was once a narrow trail, nasty
for keeping your balance.
So…….we come to this year’s actions.
After an Executive chat, Mike and I approached
Nanaimo Regional District (RDN) who administer the
Arrowsmith Regional Park, on Crown lands. At a
meeting with them, their staff were:
1) amazed at the amount of damage we discussed
(they had not/cannot track the summit conditions);
2) extremely receptive and supportive of our plans to
repair the damage.
On Friday, May 9th, Mike and I met with Dave, their
regional trails manager and went up Judges to show
him first hand the damage and to discuss rehab
ideas. We also hoisted up some beefy tools. He was
shocked to see the place. Photos were taken and a
report written up for the RDN.
Next day, Mike and I met up with ACC members,
Dave Suttill, Rob Ramsey, Jay Simpson, Rich Mably
and Joshua Nobleman at the base and under heavy
packs we sweated back up to the summit. There we
were greeted by Roxie Ahmed and Chris Jensen,
who had arranged to meet there after their Gully
climb. We didn’t waste too much time socializing but
got backs bent over picks and shovels on the top
section, which was ….a mess!
Amazingly, within 4-5 hours we had managed a solid
set of rock steps and some novel small -log cribbing
in the deeper sections. We also dug a side drain to
try keeping the water flow from entering the very
fragile peat gully.
Mike, Dave and I camped out in a lovely evening
sun, as the others went down to their cars for a
camp out. Clarke Gourley appeared later to bivvy
with us ready for the morrow.
Next day we four started early at around 7am, to be
joined later by the others after their ascent ,along
with Chris Istace from Island Ramblers (Editor’s
Note: Chris is also a new ACC-VI member –
welcome Chris!)
We worked our way down to a lower section, which
again had awful gully damage. As we were rapidly
running out of materials, wooden stakes and nearby
branches, we were limited in some of the quality
cribbing we had aimed for, but better than nothing.
At least I think the gullied path is stabilized for
another 60-80 ft.
I then garishly flagged our work with yellow tape to
encourage folks to follow our chosen pathway rather
than split off in places to create more erosion. Looks
a little like “Coney Island”. Hopefully the message
will get through.
At our suggestion, RDN will post two boards at the
trail start and at the “notch” at around 1600m. The
significance of this spot is that it’s as near as we can
guess to entry to the actual Arrowsmith Park. These
boards will ask users to respect the trail by keeping
to it rather than skipping off, especially on descent.
We can only plead!!
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The real significance of “the notch” placement is that
ALL ACCESS to Arrowsmith is through Island
Timberlands (IT) PRIVATE logging lands. If IT
followed the policies of Timber West, they could
exclude pretty well everyone from the mountain.
Yes, that could happen !!!
RDN are presently re-negotiating their official paths
over IT lands, only the CPR trail on Arrowsmith is
official. All other routes are at the tacit permission of
IT. They do/are closing road access as their logging
operations increase. The lower Judges area is right
now being pruned. Pass Main is open. The spur
road into Judges is now gated and will be locked to
vehicle access from Pass Main. Beware if you do
drive in, you might be LOCKED IN!
And so……any one or groups who might want to
help out in the continuing repairs of “the old lady of
the hill” should do so under the umbrella of RDN
who will support any such efforts, as long as agreed
to by them. This will allow us to be under THEIR
liability insurance cover. The ACC policy DOES
NOT, repeat DOES NOT cover members on trail
repairs, even when on signed waivers. This to us, as
a Section, seems a contentious issue which may
need discussion.
We plan for further repair trips ahead, as energy and
time can be gathered. We would VERY MUCH
APPRECIATE any members or others joining our
efforts.
Either contact me at [email protected] or any
Section Executive member who can pass on
information.
Our Happy Gang: Mike Hubbard, Dave Suttill, Rob
Ramsey, Jay Simpson, Rich Mably, Joshua
Nobleman, Clarke Gourley, Chris Istace, Roxy
Ahmed, Chris Jensen, Russ Moir.
New rock steps on
“the old lady of the hill”.
Russ and company, doing a bit of
novel log cribbing.
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Farewell to Don Morton as he Moves to Montreal
by Mike Hubbard
On May 14th we said goodbye to Don at Swan Lake. We wanted to stage a more exclusive event for our
old friend but in typical Don fashion, everything happened very quickly. Don and Winifred decided to
move to Montreal to be close to family, the house sold in 3 days, completion was May 25th, Don was off
to Chicago for an astronomical conference May 17th-20th and Thursday was the only night free.
My hiking and climbing
memories of Don are
many. A long day on
Septimus followed by
midnight coffee in
Campbell River and a
predawn drive home
with crazy ideas of
going on to climb Mt.
Baker without
bothering to go home;
stumbling down to
camp on Aconcagua
after a night alone on
the mountain to find
Don already packed
and ready to leave for
his next adventure in
Patagonia; Don
crawling down Mt
Braden in the Sooke
hills after breaking a
A “selfie”: Don on Aconcagua, 2001
bone in his knee and
resisting Mike Whitney’s and my attempts to carry him on Mike’s trusty hiking pole; Don’s arrival at my
house in the early hours of the morning for one more trip – always cheerful, always on time and full of
enthusiasm.
I was always aware of his distinguished careers both academically and in the mountains but until now had
never strung the pieces together.
Don was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario on June 12th 1933. After high school he obtained a BA with
Honours in Mathematics and Physics at the University of Toronto in 1956 followed by a PhD in Astronomy
at Princeton in 1959. After a term as an Astronomer with the US Naval Research Laboratory in
Washington, DC, he worked at Princeton University and was the Director of Graduate Studies in
Astrophysics from 1969 to 1976. From 1976 to 1986 he was the Director of the Anglo-Australian
Observatory at Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, from 1986 to 2000 the Director General of the Herzberg
Institute of Astrophysics of the National Research Council of Canada, and from 2001, a Researcher
Emeritus with the NRC with a special interest in climate change from an Astronomical point of view. In
1980 he was made an Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society and in 1984 a Fellow of the Australian
Academy of Science. He and Winifred have 2 children: Keith born in 1975 who has a PhD in Electrical
Engineering and Christine born in 1978 who has a PhD in Physics.
Don has always managed to combine his academic career with his love of mountaineering and has
always seemed to be just off to a conference armed with ice axe, crampons and overnight gear.
His mountaineering career is as star-studded as his academic one. Whilst at Princeton he climbed in the
Gunks of New York State. He joined the ACC in 1961, the AAC in 1963 and the AC (UK) in 1979. He was
awarded the Silver Rope for Leadership by the ACC in 2013 for excellence in mountaineering. In 1963,
he climbed on Baffin Island making first ascents of Swiss Tower, Freya and Adluk and a second ascent of
Asgard. In 1966, he climbed in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru including a first ascent of the 3 Pilancos and
ascents of Quitaraju and Tayapampa. In 1967, he participated in the Centennial Ranges expedition
celebrating 100 years of Confederation and climbed Mt Yukon. In 1969, he climbed in Afghanistan and he
has climbed at least 32 Munros in Scotland. The list goes on and on and he has not stopped. After our
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ascent of Aconcagua in 2001, organized so well by Tony Vaughn, he went on to make successive
attempts on Lhotse and Everest reaching over 26,000 feet on both mountains. If he had been successful
on Everest he would have been, at that time, the oldest person to have climbed Everest. This year’s
edition of the Bushwhacker Annual has 3 articles by Don on his year’s activities, the highest mountain in
Spain, a trek in Austria and Switzerland and climbing in Argentina. Even now, after a move which would
leave most of us gasping for breath and wanting to take it easy for a while, he is planning a trip to Ladakh
this summer and one more peak over 6000m.
Despite the occasional stumble, Don remains a master on rock. I remember well the final pitch on Mt
Olympus some years ago, where there is a somewhat exposed rock move which caused Tony, Sylvia and
me to pause, when Don murmured, “I think I have a friend in my pack”, placed the friend, led the pitch
and belayed us up and down in rapidly deteriorating weather.
Don on North Twin Sister, June 7th, 2007. Photo by Tony Vaughn.
Don has also contributed to the social life of our section, rarely missing an occasion unless out of town on
some conference, expedition, or family visit. He has given presentations at several of our Thursday
gatherings at Swan lake. I remember particularly the occasion when he showed us pictures of his early
climbs on Baffin Island and produced an original sketch on plywood given to him by A. Y. Jackson who
had been painting there at the same time.
Don has been an inspiration to us all and will be sorely missed. Fortunately he assures us that he will be
back from time to time and it is only au revoir. Don, we wish you much happiness in Montreal and look
forward to seeing you again for some more trips into the hills.
14
What’s on the Menu? The 1938 ACC-VI Annual Dinner
Artifacts discovered by Lindsay Elms
Lindsay recently acquired this menu from the 1938 Annual Dinner of the ACC-VI. It was signed by the
attendees and includes signatures from both Wheelers.
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Nepal Earthquake Relief
The devastating earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday April 25 th, has touched many ACC members – possibly
it was fond memories from a trip to the “Roof of the World”, or maybe friends and family live in the area, or perhaps
it is simply the desire to help those in need. Whatever the reason, many of us want to help. With this in mind, ACCVI President Mike Hubbard has been in touch with Chris Considine, Honorary Consul General of Nepal. Mr.
Considine suggests working through the Red Cross’s Nepal Region Earthquake Fund. We can make a donation to
the Canadian Red Cross Nepal Region Earthquake Fund at www.redcross.ca, by calling 1-800-418-1111 or by
contacting our local Canadian Red Cross office at 250-382-2043 / Toll Free 1-800-661-9055. The Government of
Canada is no longer matching funds (that program was finished on May 25, 2015), but the need is still great.
eTrails
This is the last edition of the Island Bushwhacker Newsletter until Sept 2015.
There are lots of ways for everyone to stay in touch over the summer. Here are a few
links to help us all stay “connected”.
Our own ACC-VI web page: http://accvi.ca/ Keep a weather eye out on the Events
Calendar especially.
The ACC-VI Listserver Bulletin Board: http://accvi.ca/index.php/communications
The ACC-VI Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/156536071058088/
You do have to be a FB member to see this page, but if you are, it is always full of
interesting topics.
The Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC: http://mountainclubs.org/
The ACC main web page: http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/
Editor’s Note: I will be away for Sept and October this year. In my place I’d like to
introduce Sean McIntyre. He will be Acting Editor until I return. Sean will bring a lot of
expertise to the position as he works at a weekly newspaper on Salt Spring. In the coming
weeks I’ll send out info on how to contact Sean.
Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone “happy trails” this summer – and think of the
Bushwhacker Newsletter as Sept and Oct start to draw near!
ttfn (ta ta for now)
Mary
Triple Peak.
Painting by Phee Hudson.
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