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Transitioning into Fall / Excited about Winter
As we reflect on the summer season, it's clear that we faced many challenges, particularly with the devastating wildfires that affected several communities across BC. We acknowledge the hardship endured by those who lost their homes and livelihoods, and we stand in solidarity with them. However, it’s important to note that not all of BC was impacted by fires—many BLBCA member lodges remained smoke-free and open for business, welcoming visitors to BC's inimitable and fantastic backcountry.
As we transition into fall, we are reminded of the stunning colours and crisp air this season brings and the exciting fact that winter is just around the corner. With the La Niña effect in play, we can expect an incredible winter with plenty of snow, making it the perfect time to plan your next adventure.
Finally, with BC's upcoming fall election, we encourage everyone to participate in the democratic process. Get informed by chatting with your local candidates. Be sure to get out and vote and make your voice heard!
Take good care.
Brad Harrison
Executive Director, BLBCA
ed@blbca.com
I’ve spent years contemplating flying my bike in to see what it would be like to ride around the Chalet. Then came the dream of riding my bike from the Chalet to Revelstoke.. Laughing over the idea with good friend and long-time adventure buddy Chris Rubens, we thought we had to give it a go…but quickly second-guessed ourselves if we should. Even the night before we flew in, we had doubts about bringing the bikes. The trip consisted of two days; on the first day, we would fly in, ride the area, and then develop a plan for next summer’s infrastructure upgrades. On the second day, we rode our bikes out to Revelstoke via the northern section of the Gold Range Traverse. It is a multi-day ski mountaineering traverse that has grown in popularity and requires perfect springtime conditions for its technical route finding and glacier travel. I completed the traverse only twice, several years ago. Nervously reviewing terrain photos from years past and closely zooming into Google Earth terrain features, we figured we’d give it a shot. In the worst-case scenario, we would have to tie our bikes to our backs and slog out….or call for a helicopter pickup.
We had two good weather days, so we decided to go for it. The night before was spent strategically packing our camel packs with glacier travel gear and sizing out mountain bike shoes with crampons. We met at 5 am to break our bikes down to fit into the small Jet Ranger. At first light, we took off from the Glacier Helicopters hangar. A lightning storm to the west was going off as we landed on the summit of Castor Peak. As the heli took off to the east back to Revelstoke, we stood silent, watching the sun break through the clouds for an incredible sunrise. After our bikes were back together, we rode the 800m vertical down towards the Chalet. We linked up one rock slab to the next as we descended. What an incredible experience riding our bikes down terrain, we thought we knew so well. It was that same feeling of stoke as if we were skiing that blower powder, hooting and hollering over every roll.....
Keep an eye on the Blanket Glacier Chalet and the BLBCA website for upcoming details on these exciting and adventurous trips!
Reconnecting with Nature
Listening to a CBC What on Earth episode with Laura Lynch on Feb 4th, 2024 (42:45 mins), I was reminded of discussions in the classroom when I taught an Environmental issues class at Thompson Rivers University. The student conversations about climate change and feelings of hopelessness or helplessness were similar to the student experiences described in the CBC interview with Jason Brown, an instructor and researcher in the Department of Humanities, the School of Resource and Environmental Studies at SFU. Students question their destiny, whether to have children and the relevance of finishing a degree when their future may be slipping away. As a professor and a baby boomer, I found these conversations of helplessness and eco-anxiety about the future heartbreaking. After all, I was privileged to be born in the ’60s when the idea of climate change was not a daily topic of conversation, nor was it an immediate threat to my future.
My generation of baby boomers reaped the benefits of nature and propped up the neoliberal ideology and capitalist systems that regard consumption and growth as the formula for well-being. In this context, nature is viewed as something outside of ourselves, something we are not part of. The result is a complete unravelling of ecological and cultural connections to nature.....
Leave No Trace - Canada
Fresh snow is a gift in many ways. As a skier, the one I like the best is how it wipes the slate clean. With a snap of Jack Frost’s fingers, the slopes can go from tracked up to pristine.
The one downside: I think these resets change our perception of our impact on the environment. When there’s no snow, our footprint is often apparent. We leave tracks and break branches. When we drop something, it sits there waiting to be picked up. But in the winter, our tracks will disappear with the next snowfall and melt away. Vegetation is safely cushioned below the snow. Dropping a wrapper or an orange peel in the snow can quickly disappear.
Many people don’t think of Leave No Trace (LNT) during the winter. LNT’s seven principles outline guidelines for minimizing impact while recreating, camping and travelling responsibly. The concepts were developed by federal land managers in the United States in response to increased use of backcountry areas during the 1960s and ‘70s and formalized by the Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics in 1999. The U.S.-based non-profit now works to educate the public, conduct research and promote the message. LNT chapters exist in countries worldwide, including the volunteer-run Leave No Trace/Sans Trace Canada (LNTC).....
Share your backcountry adventures, tag photos with:
#myBCbackcountry | #exploreBC
Our members operate in many First Nations' traditional and unceded territories, including the Ktunaxa, Secwepemc, Syilx, and Stoney Nakoda Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in these territories and recognize that these are special places.
