October 2023

Alpenglow on Mt. Brunswick from Hat Pass

Annual General Meeting

Thursday, November 9
Sunrise Community Hall

Mark your calendars! Our club’s AGM this year will convene on Thursday, November 9, at Sunrise Community Hall. An agenda and more details will be sent to all two weeks before the meeting. Everybody is welcome, and please attend. The AGM  is an excellent opportunity to meet the volunteers who make the club work and learn about next year’s “big trips” planned. The meeting has two distinct parts: a business session followed by a slide presentation of a recent adventure.  As in previous years, trip leaders will have the chance to win a $50 gift certificate drawn randomly.

October 2023 Trips

FMCBC Annual General Meeting

Blair Rifle Range: North Shore Trails Closed for Bomb Search

Starting in mid-October, department of defence workers will be searching with metal detectors to look for military remnants 30 to 45 centimetres below the surface. This stretch of unexploded ordinance (UXO) work is expected to last until May of 2024, with a likely return to the Blair Rifle Range lands next fall and into 2025. This next phase of work will require full closures of the popular hiking, mountain biking and dog walking trails in the areas where crews are working, often for months at a time. The purpose is to give workers a 50-metre buffer when dealing with UXO. Any closed trail will have signs warning people to choose a different route. Get more info here

Cascades Summer Camp Returns!

After a three-year pause due to the pandemic, our annual summer camp is back.  The camp will take place in the cascades from August 15th to 21st.  

Save the dates! In a few days, we will send more information about this year’s summer camp including the camp dates, a list of daily hikes, recommended accommodations and registration details.

Post Your Own Trips!

Experienced leaders can now post a trip directly to the schedule without obtaining approval. To qualify, you must have been a member for at least one year, and have led at least six trips. To add yourself to the list of people who can post directly, please get in touch with the planner for the trip class (A, B, C, D, Ski or Bike planner) you are most likely to lead. They will make sure you qualify and get you set up.

Trip Report: Eagle Bluffs Exploratory

By Katy Poon

This is a special spring snowshoe trip in the forest, making our own trails. There were no designated snowshoe trails… but it is very safe as we ensured everyone was comfortable at their own pace. The spring snow conditions make going up and down more challenging but we all had a lot of fun pushing our own limits…. a big thank you to our encouraging leader, Martin.

The return trip (car to car) just took over 4 hours with “many” stop ’n go… no one needed a real break until we arrived at the top of Hollyburn Mountain.   We then had a well deserved long and leisure lunch break bathing in the sunshine.   We had the entire peak to ourselves except a few whisky jack trying to “share” our lunches….

I learned from my last Eagle Bluffs hike that I need to guard my food  ALL THE TIMES…. I lost my plastic box of trail mix when a crow scooped it out of my backpack as soon as I walked away from it. Both this Cypress scramble and the Eagle Bluffs exploratory hikes are safe, fun and out-of-the-ordinary trails.

Early Birds Don't Miss the Boat!

Summer is here, and the ferries are busy. Our advice? Get up early!
Please get to ferry terminals early enough to figure out parking. Too often leaders get texts at the last minute saying "can't find parking." Make sure you get to your meeting place on time, by considering this extra step. Better yet, instead of driving, take a bus to Horseshoe Bay or Tsawwassen and forgeddaboutit (the parking that is). Also, beware that BC Ferries are cancelling ferries due to lack of staff - so be prepared to take a water taxi or to make a reservation -- even as a foot passenger.

Thanks for Reading and Happy Trails

No One Wants to get Long-Lined

Thud, thud, thud - the ominous sound of a North Shore Rescue Talon heli booms off the mountains. Don't you always look up when you hear them and wonder "Uh-oh, I wonder what's going down up there" ?

Saturday, May 13th
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. @ Ecole Argyle

On Saturday, May 13, North Vancouver School District is hosting its second annual Outdoor Safety and Emergency Preparedness Open House at École Argyle Secondary in North Vancouver. The event features first responders and local emergency management experts, who will showcase their expertise. Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue, North Shore Emergency Management, North Vancouver RCMP, and both North Vancouver fire departments will be there along with North Shore Rescue, BC AdventureSmart, and the BC Earthquake Alliance. All are welcome. This is a family-friendly event. You might even get to board a Talon : )

North Shore Hikers will be attending this event with a display

Come see our display and learn about the trails, history, flora and fauna in Lynn Headwaters park.

May 2023

Date/Time	Category	Event
Sat 13 May, 2023 9:00 am	B Hike B2b - Relaxed	B2b Dias Vista loop trail Buntzen Lake
Sat 13 May, 2023 9:15 am	A Hike A2a - Relaxed	Old Buck Trail to Quarry Rock
Sat 13 May, 2023 10:00 am - 4:00 pm	Cycling B - Relaxed	Lionsgate bridge to second narrow's bridge via the historic green necklace bike in north vancouver
Sat 20 May, 2023	B2c - Moderate	Mount Gardner / Bowen Island
Sat 20 May, 2023 10:00 am - 5:00 pm	Cycling B/C - Relaxed	bike ride down arbutus ridge to steveston via crabapple ridge

June 2023

Date/Time	Category	Event
Sat 3 Jun, 2023 - Mon 12 Jun, 2023	A Hike A/B - Relaxed	Hiking in the Amalfi Coast, Italy Hiking in the Amalfi Coast, Italy
Tue 13 Jun, 2023 - Wed 14 Jun, 2023	Cycling Easy pace - Relaxed	Saltspring Island bike camp Saltspring Island bike camp

NEW! Post Your Trip Directly to the Schedule

Experienced leaders can now post a trip directly to the schedule without obtaining approval. To qualify, you must have been a member for at least one year, and have led at least six trips. To add yourself to the list of people who can post directly, please contact the planner for the trip class (A, B, C, D, Ski or Bike planner) you are most likely to lead. They will make sure you qualify and get you set up.

Random Spring Encounter

Your Club Needs You: Trip Mentors

If we all agreed to lead just one hike per year, we’d have a lively program full of choices in no time.  Most of us don’t just hike with our club, but also with other groups and personal friends. We invite you to share some of the hikes you’ve learned about and enjoyed, by proposing them on the schedule and leading them. We really need more A, B and C trip leaders. Worried about how to lead? We can pair you with a "trip mentor" - someone with experience that will help you figure it all out and join you on the trip. Please contact  Ramona to learn more.

Whoa, Fuel  Costs are Ridonculous, Right?

If you carpool, remember to reimburse the driver for carpooling costs at the end of the day. We suggest that drivers be compensated .30 per kilometre divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver.  For example, if it was a 100km round trip and there was one passenger, the passenger would get charged 100 x .30 = $30 divided by 2 = $15. If there were three passengers, each would be charged: $30 divided by 4 = $7.50. This is just rough guidance, and it's up to the driver to ask for what they think is reasonable.

Thanks for reading and happy trails!