Wednesday 26 March 2014

BC parks open for industrial development

Rocky Point. April 2008.
This blog is not for political commentary. I am also easily annoyed with partisan bickering that I often seen on Facebook, Twitters, and comment sections online. However, it is worth mentioning that the Legislative Assembly of BC has passed a bill that will change how provincial parks will be protected from here on. Bill 4, quietly introduced back in February 2014 has been set to become law today. This significant step will open doors for industry led "research" development that includes "without limitation" the construction, maintenance, and improvement of roads/highways, pipelines, transmission lines, telecommunication project, and prescribed projects in a prescribed class of projects. 

So does this mean? You can search online for more legitimate journalism for legal and scientific insights. I just want to mention that this is a sad day for the residents of BC. BC is world renown for its natural resources; yes, this includes things we can extract and consume but a large part of it is for the value we gain from preserving it. People have always complained about environmental protection in BC; from the controversies surrounded the logging industry since the 60's/70's and now the pipeline. But behind the politics, I have experienced and benefited from the day-to-day hard work of park officials in various BC parks. Since I was a child, I have been informed and inspired by all this work put into preserving our parks by witnessing them first hand along the trails and on the beaches of lakes. This includes anything from young men and women walking trails planting tree-lings to parks rangers working with hikers from all around the world to educate them about the park's fragile environment and the effort that we all must put into preserving them for future generations. Also, seeing some of the efforts that hikers have voluntarily put into help the park authorities is personally a humbling experience for me. The point I want to emphasize is that, it's not just the "hippy" activists that are working for our environment against the "evil" government and corporations. Their view is the collective view of many different groups of people who are both directly/indirectly impacted by the degradation of our environment and also by those who are both vocal/silent about these issues. It seems like the media's coverage of politics makes us forget that the personal is political and that the politics we see on paper is merely the façade over more significant efforts.

Many people will undoubtedly argue that the monetary value we can extract from the environment far outweighs the benefit that the few enjoy in these parks. To that I cannot provide any counter argument that they will ever fully understand. I can only provide voice for myself and myself alone. This is both a burden and a privilege that we, as citizens all possess. So what? Who cares what happens in the government or in our forest? What can you or I do that can change anything? These are some of the most common questions I get from sharing my thoughts with people and I guess it's because we are in the end always merely satisficing with what we are given.

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Garibaldi Lake: first-backpacking-trip-worthy

I am still in the process of collecting and organizing materials to start posting about the West Coast Trail (maps, photos, etc.). In the mean time, I think there is plenty to write about in the Squamish/Whistler area. 
Product of many trail-and-error. Aug 2012.
Garibaldi Provincial Park is a located several hours north of Vancouver and is accessible through two points along Hwy 99: Diamond Head access and the Garibaldi Lake access. Diamond Head is the southern access point that is usually used to reach Elfin Lake. Garibaldi Lake access point is used for hikers heading to the Black Tusk, Panorama Ridge, and of course the Garibaldi Lake itself. With sufficient backpacking expertise and preparation, I believe that there are ways to reach all the main sights through either one of the access points.

The very first backpacking trip that I organized myself was to Garibaldi Lake during the summer of 2012. The members included Helena Y., Jin H., Jiwon H., David K., Andrew K., and myself. We left in the middle of August and base-camped at the Garibaldi Lake for 2 nights and hiked around Panorama Ridge and the Black Tusk. We had several hours of rain during the middle of our 2nd day's hike and temperature dropped more than I expected during the night. All the information pertaining to the park's rules and regulations can be found here. Be sure to check the "most recent trail report" before you head into the park. It outlines estimated distances/time, elevation gain, trail conditions, and other safety information. 

All the rules and regulations should be followed. I'll try not to rant on about how important it is for visitors to respect the space that they are privileged to be apart of, but I do want to mention one points. The rules are set for the environmental preservation as well as for the visitors themselves. 

The back-country hiking permit is at best enforced through an honour system; the fees can be paid online or at the parking lot at the trail head but nobody checked our "receipt" anywhere. The current fees are listed on their website. please don't cheap out and sell your soul to save yourself $10-$20.

Our backpacking gear was abysmal at best. We took a 7(?) person tent that had steel frame-rods; I am fairly certain that it is designed for car camping. My pack had only the rods and some granola bars and it weighed around 25lb. We also packed 1 full size korean-style burner and 1 "light-weight" burner of similar style that was not light weight at all. Along with the stoves, we also took a pack of 4 butane canisters and a set of compact camping pots. Individual sleeping bags varied from thick and heavy synthetic barrel bags to thin bag liners probably designed primarily for hostels. None of had sleeping mats. Most of our members had nice rain jackets but several of us did not pack clothes for the cold night. We packed instant noodles, oat meal, tons of trail mix, tons of granola bars, and a few different types of snacks.
Morning of our third day: heading back down. Aug 2012.
Once you reach the Garibaldi Lake there are several clearings to setup your tent, an outhouse, and a shelter. The shelter is not for hikers to sleep in. It is there primarily for people to cook and hang their food (as to not attract wildlife near your tent). We spent a lot of time warming up in the shelter after our hikes. A rodent-proof food hanger is provided in the shelter for hikers to hang their food. I don't think it really works because I found several rodent droppings on my bag that I hung up; you should still use them. Also, when we were hanging in the shelter late at night, we can hear mice scuttling around in and below the shelter scavenging for food. I presume that their presence is not very sanitary but nobody got sick from it. David even ate nuts he dropped on the floor and he's still alive and healthy.

I've come across several memes on my Facebook feed that say that just 24 hours of camping resets your body back to the natural circadian rhythm. Sounds like a pseudo-scientific-hippy-crap at first but it really does work! With very limited artificial light and many hours of hiking by day, my body was ready to sleep by 10 and up by 6-7. I can never wake up that early without 20 alarms and extreme agony at home. When I'm camping, I usually wake up before most people and manage to start up the stove for coffee and tea.

This trip is not difficult at all; it's easy and short enough for mistakes and crappy gear. The hike from the parking lot to the lake is only around 3-4 hours. I've heard of people making a full round trip from the parking lot, to Black Tusk, and back to their car in around 9 hours. The trail is quite steep (elevation gain 770m just to the lake) so the return trip takes a lot shorter than the trip up. Our visit to both the Panorama Ridge and the Black Tusk was not successful because of fog and rain but even then, it was quite amazing.

Spring already hit in the west coast and summer is just around the corner for all of us. I suggest you plan your summer now before it flies by. Set goals, log your progress, and enjoy it to its potential. Cheers.


* Photo courtesy: Andrew JW Kim
* For more photos search Flickr for Garibaldi Lake.
* For those members mentioned in the post, if you have any comments or suggestions about the post, you know how to reach me. For the rest of you, if you have any questions or comments, please comment below.


Thursday 13 March 2014

The Weight of Mountains

Found an informative video online through Alex Honnold's Facebook page. I always wished that I had a geologist friend to go hiking with. This is probably a glimpse of what that would be like. Enjoy.


The Weight of Mountains from Studiocanoe on Vimeo.

It's fascinating to learn about nature. Science helps us rationalize, categorize, and understand nature; however, I'm a firm believer in experiencing our own personal realities the way they are build around us. Maybe we can't take off all the labels but we can certainly pretend that we are. In other words, maybe we should just sit back and really enjoy. 


WHEN I HEARD THE LEARN'D ASTRONOMER:
- Walter Witman
 
When I heard the learn'd astronomer;
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me;
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them;
When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much  applause in the lecture-room,
How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick;
Till rising and gliding out, I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.

Saturday 8 March 2014

Running on ice.

Running has proven to be the best cardiovascular endurance exercise for me. Swimming requires too much planning (e.x. packing swimsuit/gear, getting changed, shower, walking home wet, on and on and on). Elliptical machines and rowing machines are at the gym; I hate gyms. I could bicycle. It can be done outdoors and with higher speed I could travel longer distances. But I have other issues regarding long term cycling; some things are just not worth the risk. And lets face it: walking is for oldies.
Helena on the Sea Wall, February 2013
I blame the Sea Wall in Vancouver for my initial enthusiasm for running, but having an awesome running partner got me going even when my body was screaming back at me. Back then (2011), I ran mostly because it felt so great to be running along the coast. Kitsilano Beach, Stanley Park, and Ambleside are some of the places I would recommend for people who want to start running; the coast is quite addictive. Living in Vancouver is such a privilege in so many ways. Unless you don't mind running in the rain, you can typically run outdoors all year long. I must admit that I used to make excuses when it got "too" cold (5°C) but now temperatures like that are laughable.
Rideau Canal, February 2014
After moving to Ottawa in September, I was lucky enough to find great routes along the Rideau Canal and the Parliament Hill. I have been running this 8km route ever since I arrived 6 months ago and it is still a great motivation to run. During this winter, I have ran outside at -16°C (well over -20°C windchill) but my general rule of thumb for opting out and heading to the treadmill is -15°C. If you have thick base-layer top/bottom and a windbreaker, it's no problem. Also, running on snow and running on ice (on the canal) is helping me train my toes. I started climbing and it requires muscles that we typically don't use. The obvious one would be your fingers; but, a less obvious part that people forget about are the toes. Running on the canal ice(rink) helped my toes strengthen this winter a great deal.

Running is not something I excel at. I've never been able to beat Helena, my half-marathon time is embarrassing, and I have no intention of training for a full marathon in the foreseeable future. I run to keep my mind clear and my body prepared. I need to be prepared to climb higher and faster. I need to be prepared to hike the back-country for many days with heavy packs. I need to be prepared for the Spartan Trifecta Tribe!


Thursday 6 March 2014

Write to remember.

First and foremost, for my first blog post, I will write about writing. If you are anything like me, you must have terrible memory. Even as a child I hated being forced to memorize information just to regurgitate back for school. (Un)fortunately some memories are worth keeping. Detail is key and every bit of it can help us build our identity and our passion. As I got older, I learned to value these bits of memories. Sadly...I can't just send an owl to Dumbledore to find me a pensieve. The best that a muggle like myself can do is write his thoughts and experiences down for later recollection.

Remembering every detail of a certain moment in time is difficult even for someone with amazing memory. This is why I took on photography as a hobby many years ago; it wasn't to create beautiful "works of art." I wanted to capture the moment the way I experienced it. Unfortunately, photographs often do not do justice for some of the amazing breathtaking views that I have been privileged to witness. Also, videos of friends fooling around is fun to watch but it is also limiting. 

I now turn to writing. I try to log my experiences when I travel and my 2014 new years resolution is to write 3 pages of anything everyday. This has been proven to be difficult for me as my life is not very exciting. But, when you are away from home visiting new places, you spend a lot of time thinking to yourself. On the trail, on a train, or on the road, you have a lot of time to yourself. For me, I like to discuss things with people around me. Meet new people on the road or at a bar. Share ideas and thoughts with my travel buddies. Waste countless hours with friends talking about the "meaning of life"(?). All in all, it brings out different parts of ourselves; you learn about others as well as yourself. My advice to you is to write these thoughts down. Record this fluid process of your consciousness. A single vista can strike you with thoughts and memories. These are valuable experiences that must be stored somehow. All you need is a pen and a notebook. 10-15 years down the road, this may be the most valuable 300g. that was in your pack on the trail.