Since then I’ve had a couple of small Canon point and shoots that have been used extensively. The one I still use, the SD1100 has been a great little camera and goes nearly everywhere with me. I spent some time after my last big trip to Australia and New Zealand looking through photos of New Zealand. What I remember was absolutely incredible. Soaring mountains, crystal water. These prehistoric-looking places with very interesting history and culture. What I brought back as photos didn’t exactly fit what I remembered. I didn’t want to go on another trip without being able to capture it with more skill and a better camera. It was time to upgrade.

I have always liked the Canon’s so I took a look at their lineup. With a combination of features and price that suited my needs, I brought home a Canon T1i digital SLR. For those that don’t know what the SLR stands for, it means single lens reflex and refers to how the camera takes a picture. Sometimes there’s a “D” on the front like DSLR that stands for Digital. When you look through the viewfinder, you’re looking through the lens using a mirror. When you take the photo, the mirror moves and it captures the picture on the “film” or sensor. Looking through the lens instead of on top of the lens like the small point and shoot viewfinders do, captures a more accurate photograph of what you’re seeing in the viewfinder.

It’s interesting to get a full SLR camera after you’re used to a small point and shoot that you hold far away from your face. The DSLRs go back to the traditional style of using a viewfinder to frame your photo. The T1i does have a live view mode that you can see what’s on the LCD but it’s a bit clunky to use and I prefer just to use the viewfinder when I can. There are some situations like awkward positions or low to the ground where it’s nice to just look at the screen instead of the viewfinder.

It comes with an 18-55mm lens on it that is an ok lens but that’s about all I can say. The 18-55mm means it can zoom from 18mm to 55mm. 18mm is close to real life size on the T1i. You can then zoom in slightly if you want. The pictures from the lens were slightly better than my point and shoot. It was ok to start with but I upgraded to something larger right away. I’ve got the 18-200mm for most of my shooting now. I’ve also got the small 50mm because it was so cheap. I picked up it up for $129 just before I went to France. The 18-200 is still not the expensive L series that all Canon photographers lust for but it’s getting closer. The large range it has extending from 18mm to 200mm makes it a good choice for when you only want to carry one lens.

Travelling with the T1i
Earlier in 2011, I took the T1i to France with the 18-200mm and 50mm lenses. The 18-200mm was on the camera most of the time. I didn’t have a small bag for the 50mm lens so I just stored it in 2 socks while I wasn’t using it. They were clean socks.

I wasn’t sure how much of an issue having the bigger camera was going to be. The last big trip I did in 2009 was to Australia and New Zealand and I only had the small SD1100 with me. The small camera worked very well in Australia when I as moving around a lot. I wasn’t moving nearly as much in France so it a good intro to carrying a bigger camera around. I used a shoulder strap to carry around the camera most of the time. This kept it close at hand and easy to use but not strapped too close that it was annoying. There were times when I would’ve rather not have had the camera with me so I could just experience where I was it was hard to do that. I put it in a shoulder bag when I didn’t want to have it out on my side and look like a tourist.

When I was out doing touristy stuff and shooting photos to show what we had done, I had the 18-200mm on. When I had a bit of time and already had taken regular photos of somewhere we’d already been, I’d head out with the 50mm and see what else I could find. I ended up with more narrow depth of field, close up shots and some of them turned out really good. It was hard to use as a multi-purpose lens because it didn’t zoom. It’s a great portrait lens but it’s hard to use it as a general purpose travel lens. I’m not yet to the point where I’d rather travel with a set of primes rather than a zoom (primes are just one focal length like 24mm or 50mm, they don’t zoom at all), so the large zoom is still my preference when on the road.

Video with the T1i
The T1i was the second Canon camera to get a video mode. It’s not much to shake a stick at but video was on of my requirements when I got the camera so it suited me just fine. For my next camera, the video will be an even bigger deal but for now it’s just a nice little bonus. The T1i does 1080p at 20fps and 720p at 30fps. For the small number of short videos I’ve shot already, it’s a little clunky to use but not bad. I wouldn’t go with a T1i if video was my main reason for using it but, again, it’s a nice feature to have on the side.

Adventuring with the T1i
Since buying the T1i, I’ve been taking it with me for everything I’ve been doing. I probably don’t need to for every single trip. In fact it’s just been extra weight for some but if I got it and didn’t start using it right away on my trips then I would never take it.

On the first few hikes I went on I didn’t use it that much. I had it tucked away in my Talon 33 backpack and it was more work to get it out. If I was using hiking poles at the time then I couldn’t carry it in my hands and I’d have to keep it in my bag. Getting a bag that strapped to my chest partially solved this problem.

The bag is basically just a camera pouch that fits the camera with a good size lens on it. The 18-200mm that I usually have on the camera is about 4 inches long. That will the camera body fills up the small pouch I’ve got. There’s a small compartment on the front for a rain cover and a couple extra SD cards but that’s all it fits. The key part to the whole set up is the straps that go around my shoulders, under my arms and connect back to the pouch.

Having the pouch there make it easier to access for taking photos. You don’t have to stop, take your backpack off, pull the pouch out, open the pouch, pull the camera out and take a photo. It’s already on your chest so you simply open the top and pull the camera out. It’s similar to having a point and shoot camera in your front pocket compared to buried in your bag. It’s not going to get used when it’s deep in your bag.

The chest-pouch setup has worked well on a bunch of hikes, ski tours and snowshoe trips. If I’m working really hard with it on it does get quite warm under the pouch so that could be an issue that’s addressed in a future model. Something with some venting or mesh would be much more comfortable to wear.

The next step in the evolution of the perfect camera carrier is the Cotton Carrier I got for Christmas. The straps are similar to the pouch I’ve been using but instead of a pouch with a lid to store the camera it’s got a clip that attaches to the bottom of the camera. Clip it on and your camera hangs tightly against your chest. Unclip it and it’s ready to use and there isn’t a big pouch still hanging off your chest. Less pouch means less weight to carry and less fabric covering your chest when it’s warm. I’m anxious to try it out on a good day hike. The only downside to it is that if you get muddy or weight, there’s nothing covering your camera. I think it might be a fair weather piece of gear only. There are two covers that come with it for the camera body and lens so we’ll see how those work. If it’s a hassle to get the cover on the camera and lens every time you clip it back on I don’t think I’ll be using them. We’ve written more about carrying your camera on adventures if you want to know more.

The lesson is that the easier your camera is to access the more you will use it. Have it out and ready and you’ll take many more photos than if it takes 20 minutes to get your camera out and a photo taken. And what’s the point of having your camera with you on a trip and not using it!

Conclusion
Unfortunately, I don’t have experience with any other DSLR camera right now to compare it to. When I start to look for a camera upgrade to the T1i, I’ll post some comparisons to this one to see how they stack up.

For anyone looking for a basic DSLR to get into photography and see what it’s all about, I highly recommend something like the T1i. It’s smaller, lighter, and less expensive that most of the other DSLR’s but still gives you most of the options. The lenses are compatible with more expensive cameras as well so the option is there to upgrade the body later on and keep all the lenses you’ve bought. One of the most important things I’ve learned getting into photography is that a lot of the money is in the lenses. It’s also a very large part of a good, clear photo. A really nice lens on a low-end camera will get you a better photo than a terrible lens on an amazing camera. That said, cameras are just tools. How you, the photographer, use them is the most important part!

What cameras do you use? Does it suit your purpose or are you thinking of upgrading to something different?

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Next week we’re going to get into the details of a very lightweight adventure mobile.

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Other reviews of the Canon T1i
As always DP Reviews has a great in depth review of the T1i

Review on Digital Camera Review

Review on Digital Review

Buy a Canon T1i
Buy at Amazon

Snowshoes range in price from $50 to $300 can you can buy them at almost any outdoor store.

A couple years ago, a few friends said they were going snowshoeing and I wanted to join so picked up a pair of the Mountain 12 Series snowshoes’s from Atlas.

The 12 Series I have are 25 inches long which is in the middle of size ranges. There are shorter lengths available and longer ones as well. I wasn’t sure what kind of conditions I would be getting into on my snowshoe trips so I decided to go in the middle.

They are a tubular design, with a round metal frame running around the snowshoe. Flat plastic fills out the middle and provides a platform to stand on. The binding for your foot is near the front and has a fabric strap that goes over the top of your foot. there is also a plastic strap that goes around the back of your foot to keep it snug in the binding. You can adjust the 3 adjustments on the binding to be looser or tighter depending on where you want your foot to be in the binding.

The bindings are very easy to get one and the fastest of any bindings I’ve tried. All you do is slide your foot in and pull the one binding strap that tightens at two points. Throw on the strap around the back of your foot and you’re ready to go. Getting out of the binding is a little more work as you need to open pull the clips and either push the binding over to loosen it or pull the strap through the other direction. The other issue I have with the binding is that they don’t fold flat very well. Other styles of snowshoes like the MSR Lightnight Ascents can stack flat because there isn’t much binding, only straps, and they fold down flat.

On the bottom of your shoe right under the binding where your foot will go, are a bunch of metal teeth for grip. When you’re on a bit of an icy slope or the trail has been heavily travelled on that it’s a bit hard, these big teeth will come in handy. Old snowshoes didn’t have any teeth and were fine for travelling on flat ground but if you got into technical terrain on a slope, you would be sliding all over the place. The big teeth on the bottom of the Atlas snowshoes act like crampons and keep you steady and travelling where you want to go, not falling down the hill.

Connecting the binding to the snowshoe frame are 2 stretchy plastic straps. They hold the binding nicely and put a little spring in your step when you use them. The only downside is that sometimes they cause the back of the snowshoe to flick up and throw some snow. When you’re moving quickly this can be a lot of snow so make sure you are wearing waterproof clothes. Other styles of snowshoes don’t have this elastic system and don’t flick as much so look out for those when you’re buying.

The only major issue I had with the 12 Series was one of the heel risers breaking twice. Heel risers are short metal bars that you can raise and clip into place to set your heel on when you are walking uphill. Instead of setting your heel down flat on the snowshoe, you stand on the heel riser making less work for your calves as you climb up hills. Obviously these need to be sturdy because they’re going to take a beating from people standing on them repeatedly. The pair I have aren’t quite as strong as they need to be.

Aside from the heel riser issue the Atlas Mountain 25 Snowshoes are a great choice for a pair of snowshoes. The elastic attachment to the binding and the light tube frame make it an excellent snowshoe for cruising around on the trails and through light snow. If you’re looking for something for gnarly, icy conditions, and need traction more than anything. I’d opt for the MSR Lightning Ascents instead.

Other Reviews of the Atlas 12 Series Snowshoes

Reviews on Trailspace

Review on Backpacker.com

Review on Highball Blog

Buy a pair Atlas Series 12 Snowshoes
Buy at Amazon

Buy at Mountain Equipment Co-op

The Nomad’s are a sleek pair of sunglasses from french eyewear producer, Julbo. They’re designed for mountaineering and other sports where you’d need dark lenses and lots of light coverage. They also stick to your head like glue. No amount of moving around are going to pull these off your noggin.

Quick and Dirty about the Nomads

What I like

Fits closely to my head and almost never comes off

Photochromatic lenses get darker in brighter light

Polarized lenses reduce glare off snow or water

Additional side widgets reduce the amount of light coming in around the sides if you’re in a really bright place

What I don’t like

They fit so close to my face that if I’m sweating a lot, they touch my face and get sweat on them

Too dark for some places

The ends of the arms are quite pointy and I have to be careful if I don’t want to stab myself in the face

The price

The Details

The Nomad’s are awesome sunglasses. They fit close to your face and don’t let much light in. When you’ve got the side covers on, even less light gets in. If you’re out on the water or a glacier on a wicked sunny day, you’ll appreciate the covers. They are like the new age explorer goggles that had the leather covers on the side. The downside to them being so close to my face is that when I’m sweating buckets in the sun, drips of sweat get onto the glasses and smear them up good. They do have an anti-fog coating on them which works well against fogging up but not against drops of sweat.

The Nomad’s that I have from a few years ago use the Julbo Camel lens that are polarized and photochromatic. The polorization reduces the glare from water or snow and has helped me a lot when I’m out on the water sailing. The few times I’ve been out on the snow with them, they’ve worked wonders as well. No more squinting in the snow with crappy sunglasses on.  The photochromatic part changes the darkness of the lens from category 3 in lower light to category 4. They’re quite dark to start with and get even darker when the sun comes out. Julbo recommends that you don’t drive with them because they’re so dark. On the Julbo website there are images of using the category 3 lenses in the woods. I found they were too dark for mountain biking. You could use them hiking if you were moving a bit slower and were moving in and out of the trees into bright places. The new Nomad’s use the Zebra lens which transitions from category 2 to 4.

The Verdict

I’d highly recommend the Nomad’s to anyone. They’re aren’t the perfect fit for highly active sports with a lot of sweat or in the dark trees but for bright days sailing, climbing in the mountains or skiing they fit the bill perfectly. Just don’t go try tumbling down a hill to see if they’ll stay on your head. They probably will.

It’s only a 33 litre bag so it’s not going to fit tons and tons of stuff for overnight hikes but for every kind of day hike/ski/snowshoe, this is the one I’ve been using. That said, I have been able to fit everything I need for a couple days in it for warm weather summer camping. Sleeping pad, tent, sleeping bag, stove food, water. All of it. In a 33 litre! That might be more of a testament to how small and light gear can get these days than the awesomeness of the pack. But lets get back to the pack.

Basic setup of the Talon 33

The Talon is a pouch bag which means that it’s just one big pouch that you stuff everything into with a strap and lid on top. The Talon 44 is also laid out like this. The Talon 22 is a zippered pouch with no lid. The large pouch makes up for most of the storage space with the remaining few litres in the lid on top. There is one small  pouch inside the lid and one underneath it. These work well for keys, cell phones or other things that you need to keep separate from everything else.

The large main pouch has a strap to slide it shut at the top and that’s about it. it’s only got the one opening at the top so if you need anything at the bottom, you’ll be hauling everything out. I’ve taken to putting small things into light stuff sacks to make it easier to organize and remove everything. On the front of the bag is a wet gear pouch with drainage hole at the bottom. Also at the bottom are ice axe straps and a adventure racing tow loop.

The Talon 33 has a separate compartment between the main pouch and the back of the pack for your water bladder and a little clip near the top to keep it from sinking all the way to the bottom of the compartment. The straps have small loops on them to keep the water hose organized and little elastic compartments for small items like a camera or a protein bars. The hip belts also have large zippered compartments on them. I can fit my point and shoot camera in one of them or my GPS. I’ve recently upgraded to a Garmin Montana 600 GPS from a Garmin Colorado 300. It’s quite a large GPS and it still fits.

There is no frame in the Talon 33 but it doesn’t have a bit of a stiffener in the back panel. You can still fold it in half if you need to but it gives the bag a bit of shape. The 44 has a light internal frame to it. The 22 just has a stiffener like the 33.

My favorite features of the Talon are the size, mesh belts and ruggedness. I’ve found the size to be perfect for almost everything I do. It’s almost a little small for some of the longer winter trips if I have to carry lots of layers but for the most part it’s perfect. The mesh belts and shoulder straps are adjustable, comfortable and breathable. I haven’t had them chafe at all and aside from the regular sweat from a good hike up a mountain they aren’t especially warm. The bag has been on countless hikes, ski tours, and snowshoe trips as well as travelling around Australia and New Zealand. Everything on the bag except for the ends of a couple small bungee cords that came off is in great condition.

If you’re looking for a decent sized daypack for almost any adventure, I’d highly recommend the Talon 33. I regularly travel, hike, ski tour and snowshoe with mine and it’s perfect for all those things. The only thing I’ve come across that it doesn’t perform well has been carrying skis. Luckily when I’m touring, my skis are on my feet most of the time so that hasn’t been an issue much.

If you’re looking at getting a Talon and have any other questions, leave a comment below or email me!

Mount Elma over Helen Mackenzie Lake

Where is Mount Elma?

Mount Elma is across Paradise Meadows from the Raven Lodge. Imagine sitting on the deck at the Raven Lodge looking out over the snowshoe and cross-country ski area. The big ramp of a peak in the background is Mount Albert Edward. Closest to the lodge, just over Lake Helen McKenzie is Brooks Mountain on the right and Mount Elma on the left. They are about 2 kilometers from the Raven Lodge parking lot via the snowshoe trails. Our route took us around the edge of Lake Helen Mckenzie because the ice wasn’t thick enough in the centre. Our weight is spread out being on skis but I’d rather not go for an icy bath and lose my skis in the lake.

Mount Elma has parking?

We took the steep but paved road up Mount Washington and took the left onto Nordic Road near the top. The Raven cross-country lodge is at the end of that road, and we parked there for the day. A quick walk around the lodge and we strapped on our skis and started our tour through the snowshoe and cross-country trails.

Hard snow

The snow on the way to Mount Elma was crusty and hard. Not having had fresh snow in a few days and a bit of rain on top of that made for some hard packed ground cover. On the one hand, that made the tour less tiring as we weren’t sinking into the snow with each step. On the other, the steeper sections were tough to maintain a grip on the ice if there were ridges and dips in the hard snow. When it’s nice and soft, the squishy snow gives you even grip with your skins on the snow.

We followed the trails through Paradise Meadows, meandering towards Brooks and Elma. We crossed a bridge over a creek that was piled high with snow. Don’t trip up there when your skis are at the height of the railings. You’d go for a swim!

Eventually we made it to the edge of Lake Helen Mckenzie. The signposts for the Strathcona park were barely visible above the snow and another foot will bury them. The ice was fairly thin on the lake so we decided to play it safe and skirt the edges. We were on the ice but close to the shore. If any one went through we’d be able to get to shore. The thin ice was visible in the middle of the lake. Another few weeks of snow and cold weather and you’ll be able to ski straight across the lake, shaving 20 minutes off the time to get to the col between Brooks and Elma.

Wandering through Paradise Meadows

From the other side of the lake we headed up into the woods until we hit the ridge of the col. Here you’d head right to go up Brooks or left up Elma, as we did. The hill steepens here but nothing a little switchbacking can’t handle. In 20 minutes we were having lunch on the summit of Elma chatting to the other snowshoers that had come up the east ridge.

Ryan always finds the jumps

The ride back down was a little hairy in sections where it was just icy hardpack. The patches of powder that were left made the trip worth it. If it had not been for a couple powdery sections it would have just been an icy snowshoe.

Skiing back to the Raven Lodge at Mount Washington

How did the gear do?

All the gear performed well this trip. I was glad to be wearing polypro as the base layer. When we were in the sun it was quite warm and I’d sweat but once we got into the shade it would cool down dramatically. A polypro base and a merino mid-layer has been my go-to setup for the last few trips.

I tried Sole heat-moldeable insoles in my ski boots this time but they still gave me blisters on the insoles of my feet. This is an ongoing experiment to find out what fits for me. I might have to go to a different boot. The Montana GPS screen was acting up as well. It wasn’t calibrated properly so it was hard to hit some of the buttons. I calibrated it on the summit which seemed to help a bit but didn’t quite solve the problem. It might have been too cold to calibrate properly. I was using my hands with no gloves on so it shouldn’t have had a problem. I’ll have to re-calibrate in a nice warm indoor environment and see how it does.

A quick stop at the Raven Lodge for a coffee apres ski

What gear did I use?

G3 Saint 170 ski’s

Colltex Skins

Scarpa Spirit 4 Touring boots

Black Diamond Contour Elliptic Shock Compact trekking poles

Helly Hansen long-sleeved polypropelene base layer

Merino 260 weight longsleeve

Arcteryx Gamma AR softshell jacket

Osprey Talon 33 pack

Garmin Montana 600 GPS

Montbell Alpine Light down jacket

Dakine Titan glove

Julbo Race sunglasses

Canon T1i DSLR camera

AdventureMobile: Subaru Impreza 5-door

Have you been up Mount Elma? What was the trip like and what gear did you take?

The plan for this trip was to drive up to Buttle Lake after work on the Friday. We’d paddle across the lake and spend the night in the campsite on the other side. Saturday, we’d hike up to the meadows and possibly get up Marble Peak if there was time. Sunday we would bag Mount McBride. Monday would be an easy walk down to the lake and paddle back to the cars. Easy, right?

Off we go
We headed off towards Campbell River after work. We had all our gear packed. The boats on the roof. Our packs in the back. The food stowed. At least I think we had all the gear. Dave asked if I remembered the tent. I definitely remembered the tent. I wasn’t sure about the poles.

The weather looked great as we headed down the road to Buttle Lake where we would launch our kayaks. We were meeting up with 2 others hiker pairs at the lake and would hook up with another pair in the morning.

The light was fading as we packed our gear down to the lake. One tip I learned; Make sure you know all your gear fits into your boat if you’re planning on using one. I was 99% sure but was still a little worried as I tucked my pack, ice axe, crampons, helmet, food and sleeping gear into the hatches of my boat. I didn’t pack the spray skirt as I thought the weather would be calm and the paddle would be an easy one. I almost regretted that decision later.

A beautiful kayak across Buttle Lake
The sun went down behind the mountains as we were getting onto the the water. 2 of our group headed out to scout out the Philips Creek campsite while the others and I finished organising and got onto the water. The sky was clear and the water was glass calm. We glided towards the opposite side of Buttle Lake. I snapped a few pictures of the scenery in the low light. Any I took with moving boats in it were blurred a bit but a couple came out with a ghostly effect.

2 people from our group had been to the campsite on the other side of the lake before and knew the river mouth we were heading for. We took a shorter route this time than they had taken previously. Our launch point was much closer to the river mouth and campsite than the previous trip. When the air is warm and the water glassy, a longer paddle is no problem. Paddling into whitecaps and a stiff wind is no fun thought and you never know exactly what the conditions are going to be.

Prepping for the paddle

Directly across from the park we started at, Philips Creek comes down from the mountains. We were heading for the creek mouth to pull our boats out of the water and set up camp. The provincial camp site there has camping areas and fire pits. 1 other group also called the campsite home for the night. They had paddled all the way from McIvor Lake that day. After a bit of guitar around the fire, they retired early. We would have had a great relaxing evening by the fire if it had not been for one problem, or many small ones depending on how you look at it.

A small nest of problems
After hauling our boats up into the campsite and moving them from being directly on the path to the rest of the campsite, we set up camp and got a fire going. It was fairly warm out but it’s always nice to have a fire going for more light and warmth. We needed some fuel for the fire. roaming around the campsite and surrounding area we found more than enough little branches and wood laying around. In that search though, one in our group ran into a hornets nest. Luckily she got out unscathed but now we had a problem. None of us are fond of getting bit by a hornet so what do we do about the nest? We could just leave it and possibly forget and get bit or we could remove it somehow. After a lot of brainstorming and a few failed attempts we had our foolproof method.

While I hung back and tried not to get bit (I swell up like crazy from those damn things), two of the guys managed to get the nest into one of our pots and stuffed it straight into the bottom of the fire. So long hornets. No one wanted to open to lid to check whether anything was left. Apparently it’s ridiculously hot in a pot in the fire so they were toast after a minute. No more hornets nest. No more hornets. And a good nights sleep for me.

A good fire to cook our pesky hornets

Holy switchbacks, batman
I was under the impression that the hike up to Marble Meadows from the campsite was fairly steep. I did not realize that it would be ridiculously steep. I’ve never seen so many switchbacks in my life. I’m thankful for the switchbacks because they made the steep hill bearable but there were still a LOT of them. While I was happy about the switchbacks, I was not happy about my feet being ground down by the heels of my boots. I had hiked before in the boots but never with a 4 day pack on, up and intense hill with a fast crew of hikers. This was a test that I had not completed yet and it was not going well. The shape of my feet, my Wigwam wool socks and my Scarpa Baron boots were not a good combination and my feet were paying the price.

My grand aspirations for the weekend of getting to the top of Marble Peak and Mount McBride were slipping away with every step that I took on my very unhappy feet. My goals turned from running around in the mountains for 4 days to getting up to the meadows and still being able to walk out after. I assumed I would be having some issues with my boots so I packed a bunch of blister prevention but even with a few layers on, I was still having issues. Once the damage is done, you’re toast. Complete prevention is the way go to. My advice? Don’t baby your boots when you’re testing them out. Work those things in as hard as you possible can while you’re testing and before you’re out in the mountains. No one wants to find out it hurts to take every step while they’re out for 4 days in an amazing place.

Only a few switchbacks....

Little by little with a truckload of positive talk from the little guy in my head, we finally broke through the tree cover and crested up onto the meadows. What a place. You could see further up into the mountains one way and down onto Buttle Lake the other. A very worthwhile objective itself. Just after getting up onto the meadows we found ourselves a little lake to set our gear around. We had thought about hiking it all the way in to the cabin at the lake but after thinking the additional distance we’d have to go just to get near the cabin, we decided to set up our tents around the little lake. After taking the nice obvious spots right next to the water, Dave and I were forced to look a little further for a good one. We ended up finding the nicest spot of all, sheltered, flat, dry and near a small firepit.

The spot we picked for our tent ended up being a little closer than I would have liked to the fire we started later. I didn’t want anything to land on the tent a burn a hole right through it. Turns out I did remember the tent poles so we were actually able to set up the tent!

With camp set up and even more padding on the blisters I already had from climbing up to the meadows, we set up off for the top of Marble Peak.

Meandering Marble
I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to the top of Marble. My feet were very sore from the climb up. My legs and back were as well. I hadn’t had a pack on much this year and this was a heavy start to the year for big backpacking. However far I made would be worth it. The weather was good. I could see all the mountains around and i was very happy wandering around on the hill up toward the rocky peak taking photos. I made it about three quarters of the way up through the trees and a little bit of snow. After that the trail got rocky and steep with a bit of scrambling and exposure and I didn’t feel up to going any further. I would be pushing my luck on any steep scrambling at this point.

Buttle Lake from Marble Peak

Fire time
I took the time near the summit to take in the view, rest my legs and snap a few photos. On the way down, there was just too make to take photos of. I wasn’t sure how much I was going to take on the way up to McBride the next day so I was being conservative with my photos. Looking back on the trip, I didn’t even go through one of my 4 SD cards so I could have spent a lot more time taking photos. I meant to take some video as well but just ran out of sitting time. It felt like we were moving the whole trip and I was the caboose on people train so I didn’t have any time to stop and set up a video.

Once I was back in camp, I set off to find what wood I could in the area to get a fire going. It wasn’t terribly cold but a fire is always nice to cook on and give a focus to our mountain-top gathering. Even though my tent was quite close to the fire, we had no problems with debris from the fire. The wood we were able to find was nice and dry and burned up completely without launching much into the air toward my helpless tent.

After some good stories and camping antics near the fire, we hit the sac to rest for the long day ahead of us.

Time to summit McBride. Sort of.
We rose early the next day. We were eager to see what the weather was like and summit Mount McBride. It was only 7 or 8 kilometers away but the route would wind it’s way over the hills to get there. We certainly couldn’t take the flying crow route and would have to find our own. Since the weather was treating us well, we could see McBride in the distance. That didn’t make it any closer to walk to but it made route finding much easier. I doubt we would have made the speed we did if the weather had closed in. I had my GPS with me but it was more just to take the track and as an emergency measure. I try to rely on it as little as possible. Electronics are so fragile and a bit of water or a little slip would render it useless.

We had split into two groups by that point. The eager beavers were up ahead and the second group was hanging out taking it a little easier. 2 of the guys in the first group had wanted to make it up McBride and all the way back to the car that day so they were itching to keep moving. I’m glad I hadn’t been in that group. Even with a lighter pack on, I don’t think I would have been able to keep up.

As we got closer to McBride, I wondered what would happen as they day wore on. My feet looked terrible and were still sore from the day before but because of all the padding I had put on and removing the insoles in my boots, they felt much better. I didn’t want to miss out on an awesome summit because I had sore feet but didn’t want to hold the group back by being slow.

Marble Meadows from the ridge on McBride

Crossing the meadows and up onto the ridge between McBride and the Red Pillar, my feet were getting more sore. The steep uphill sections were tough as they pulled on my heels more and more. Along the ridge just before heading up the last stretch to the summit, we had to make a decision. We had a dog with us and she wasn’t doing well either and my feet weren’t good for much longer. I wanted to hang out in the col while the rest of the group bags the summit and then picks me up on the way back. There was more than enough to take photos of so I’d be content for an hour while they hit the summit and hiked back down. They didn’t want to leave me there and were hesitant to push on as a group. In the end we decided to call it a day. We could head back early and hike all the way out to the boats and cars.

Wheaton Hut on our return trip

Longest downhill every
The weather was perfect on the way out to McBride but couldn’t make up it’s mind on the way back. It would rain for a bit and then dry up. Then it would start raining again. We had all the gear we needed so it wasn’t a problem but it was a pain to take out the jackets every 5 minutes and then take them off 5 minutes later. I need a go go gadget jacket that pops out of my bag on command.

The route back was a bit different than the one we had taken that morning. We were trying to skirt the ridge we had gone over on the way out to save a bit of energy. I think the bushwacking and sidehilling we did on our “easier” route took more energy than the initial trip. I can never complain about a trip with 2 different routes though. When you’ve spent all this energy to get out to a beautiful place like Marble Meadows and the last thing you really should do is take the same route out and back. That said, it is safer to return the way you come since you know exactly how to get back where you started. Different routes are more interesting though. Knowing the lay of the land a little better than when we had arrived made it easier to find a more direct route, albeit a tougher hike.

After a bit of bushwacking and sidehilling we popped out at Wheaton Lake and then just up the hill beside it to the cabin. A youth group was staying in the cabin for the weekend and was just leaving for a hike out in the area. We talked with the leaders for a few minutes and tucked into some much-needed food. 2 in our group were out of food so I shared my copious amounts that I had packed for that day. If we were heading out that day, I wouldn’t need as much. The less I had in my bag the easier it was to carry.

I’d imagine on fresh legs our track back would have been the easier one but it didn’t feel that way. After the epic switchbacks the day before and our 3/4 hike up McBride, my legs were not happy with me. I made a quiet cheer when camp came back into view. We could rest for a bit before heading back down to the boats. I thought the downhill back to the boats would be a piece of cake after the epic climb just the day before. Downhill makes it easier, but it’s still quite the distance back to the lake!

I got into a good grove on the way down the hill as we passed a few more groups heading up into the meadows for a few days. With almost no stops for rest along the way, I was reduced to counting down from 500 for the last few kilometers to keep my mind occupied and not thinking about the mess I used to call my feet.

A wet paddle
I’ve never been so happy to see my kayak. After a quick dismantling of my pack, the boat was packed and I took great satisfaction when it came time to sit down. I felt like I hadn’t sat for weeks. Now all we had left an easy paddle across the lake and we’ll be in a nice warm car on the way home. Here’s where I wished I had my kayak skirt.

The wind had come up and a stiff breeze blowing down the lake. My legs were so tired by this point, if I had to paddle the boat with my legs, I would have been toast. It wasn’t so bad actually using my arms for something for once in the last few days. The wind and the small whitecaps made sure a steady stream of water was landing in my lap. I learned quickly to put my hips to the leeward side of the boat when a wave hit, tilting the side toward the wave up higher, preventing a big slosh with more water in my lap. Thankfully, it only took a couple of decent sized waves to figure that one out. I was mentally adding the kayak skirt to the list of required items for any trip that included a kayak. For some reason I thought it would be nice and calm for both paddles. Apparently I was thinking of paddling across a puddle instead of a large lake kilometers long.

After an awkward exchange of friendly waves with people on the beach who we thought were our friends that had landed just before we did, we had our gear packed up in the car and hit the water for a quick swim. It was definitely cold but felt good to be slightly cleaner than very dirty after sweating copious amounts the last 2 days. We mowed down some greasy fish and chips in Campbell River and we were on our way home. Aside from the sweet new blisters I had earned on that epic climb up to the meadows, it was another great trip in the bag.

Gear for this trip
Gear went well this trip. The only big thing I found I should have brought was the skirt for the kayak. If it had been windy on the way over to the campsite on the first day I would have got soaked and likely been chilled all night. We were lucky to have calm weather for the paddle over. It didn’t matter much that I got soaked on the way back. It would have still been more comfortable and warm to have had the skirt though.

Here’s the list of things I brought:

MSR Hubba Hubba Tent
Mountain Hardware Lamina -7 sleeping bag
Exped Downmat 9 sleeping mat
Osprey Aether 70 pack
Black Diamond Contour Elliptic Shock Compact trekking poles
Snowpeak LiteMax stove and MSR iso-butane fuel
Platypus 3.0 Litre water bladder
Scarpa Barun hiking boots (These are being replaced as they don’t fit my feet and as I mentioned above. They gave me me sweet blisters.)
eVent Mirage Jacket
Mountain Hardwear Zonal synthetic jacket
North Face Venture waterproof pants
Icebreaker Merino Wool short and long sleeved shirts and full-length leggings
Necky Narpa 16.5 kayak
Salus Eddy life jacket

Food
I like the bag meals for ease of use and how light they are but I don’t feel so great after I eat some of them. I’m going to try and bring more real food on the next trip. It does require more planning but if I feel better because of it then it will be more than worth it. Here’s the food I brought:

3 Bag meals
Oatmeal for breakfast
Nuts
Cliff bars
Dried Fruit
Tea

My buddy had a spare bag of eggs that I had on the last day to try them out and they were surprisingly good. I might have to get some of these instead of boring old oatmeal.

Other trip reports from Marble Meadows
http://citizenclass.ca/entries/tales-from-the-trails/marble-meadows

To everyone else, have an awesome holidays and we’ll talk to you in the new year!

2012 is going to be another awesome year to get outside and participate in the great events all over the island. There are races of all size and description for you to participate in. You can run, mountain bike, ski, kayak, snowboard, road bike, canoe and sail.

Make sure you check back to this page as it will get better and better every month! I’ll be adding to it whenever I hear about a new awesome event. If you’ve got one for a different area let us know!

* There are currently lots of events still to be announced and a date set for, so check back often if we’ve not listed your favorite event yet!

If you know of any that aren’t on this list, email us at pureoutside [at] gmail.com or head over to the contact page.

January

1 – Bastion Running Club New Years Run and Dip, Nanaimo

8 - Prairie Inn Pioneer 8k, Saanichton (Island Series)

10 – 14 - Kokanee Winterfest at Mount Washington (Ski and Snowboard Festival)

22 - Cobble Hill 10k, Cobble Hill (Island Series)

28 - Mount Washinton Yeti Snowshoe Race, Mount Washington (Snowshoe Race)

February

5 - Cedar 12k, Cedar (Island Series)

19 - Hatley Castle 8k, Colwood (Island Series)

19 - Historic Half Marathon, 10k and 5k, Fort Langley (Road Run)

March

3-4  Outdoor VanIsle Backcountry Festival, Mount Cain (Ski and Snowboard Festival)

4 - Bazan Bay 5k, Sydney (Island Series, Road Running Race)

TBA -Victoria XC #1 Mountain Bike Race (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

18 - Comox Valley 1/2 Marathon, Courtenay (Island Series, Road Running Race)

TBA - Powell River XC (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Duncan XC #3 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Victoria Populaire Road Ride by BC Randonnuers 50/100k, Victoria (Road Ride)

April

1 - Merville 15k, Merville (Island Series) (Road Running Race)

TBA - Campbell River XC #4 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Tour of the Cowichan Valley 200k by BC Randonneurs (Road Ride)

TBA - Cumberland XC #5 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - “Eau de Hell” Week 300k by BC Randonneurs, Chemainus (Road Ride)

TBA - “Eau de Hell” Week 400k by BC Randonneurs, Chemainus (Road Ride)

TBA - “Eau de Hell” Week 600k by BC Randonneurs, Chemainus (Road Ride)

15 - Sooke River 10k, Sooke (Island Series) (Road Running Race)

TBA - Cumberland DH #1 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

21-22 - Outdoor Adventure Expo (Victoria)

TBA - Fletcher’s Challenge 12k Trail Run and 6k Family Walk, Nanaimo (Trail Running Race)

TBA - The Hills are Alive 300k by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

29 - Times Colonist 10k, Victoria ( Road Run)

29 - Comox Valley Snow to Surf, Courtenay (Multi Sport Relay)

May

TBA - Gutbuster Trail Run #1, Mt Tzouhalem, Duncan (Trail Run)

12 - Mud Run Ride, Campbell River (Mountain Bike)

TBA - Port Alberni XC #6 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA Vancouver Island Paddlefest, Ladysmith (Paddling Exhibition)

TBA - Highway to Hell 400k, by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

13 - Oak Bay Half Marathon, Oak Bay, Victoria (Road Run)

TBA - Port Alberni DH #2 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Hammerfest XC #7 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - 600 km by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

27 - New Balance Triathlon, Shawnigan Lake ( Triathlon)

TBA - Hammerfest DH #3 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Gutbuster 2 Westwood Lake, Nanaimo (Trail Running Race)

June

2 - The Great Walk 63 k, Gold River to Tahsis (Trail Walk/Run)

TBA - Sproat Lake Marathon (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Marathon)

TBA - Eureka 1000 (Diablo’s Triple 1000 Mini Series) by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

TBA - Port Alice XC #8 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

10 - Edge to Edge Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay, Tofino (Road Run)

TBA - Hare & Tortoise 1000 by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

23 - Kusam Klimb , Sayward (Trail Run/Walk)

TBA - 12 Hours of Cumberland (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Marathon)

17 - New Balance Triathlon, Victoria (Triathlon)

24 – Tour de Victoria (Road Bike)

TBA - Hornby Island XC Final (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Cross Country)

TBA - Hornby Island Super D (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Super D)

TBA - Gutbuster Trail Run #3, Ladysmith (Trail Run)

31 - BC Bike Race Day One (Mountain Bike Cross Country)

July

1 - BC Bike Race Day Two (Mountain Bike Cross Country)

TBA - Gutbuster Trail Run #4, Mount Washington (Trail Run)

TBA Vanisle 1200k by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

August

12 - New Balance Triathlon, Sooke (Triathlon)

TBA - Gabriola 360 Kayak Race, Gabriola Island (Ocean Kayak)

September

TBA - Campbell River 50k (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Marathon)

TBA - Fall Isle-Lander 200k by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

TBA - Run for the Mountain, Westwood Lake, Nanaimo (Trail Run)

15 - Great Lake Walk and Ultramarathon 56k, Lake Cowichan (Road Walk/Run

TBA - Terry Fox Run, Nanaimo (Road Run)

12 - Momar Adventure Race #2, Cumberland (Adventure Race)

October

TBA - The Ramble (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Marathon)

7 - Royal Victoria Marathon, Half Marathon and 8k, Victoria (Road Run)

TBA - Perseverance Trail Run, Cumberland (Trail Run)

TBA - Shawnigan – Kinsol Half Marathon, Shawnigan Lake (Road/Trail Run)

November

11 - 14th Annual Harriers Thetis Lake 20k Relay, Thetis Lake Park, Victoria (Trail Run)

TBA - 26th Annual Harriers Gunner Shaw Cross Country, Thetis Lake Park, Victoria (Trail Run)

December

TBA - 7th Annual Harriers Stewart Mountain Cross Country, Thetis Lake Park, Victoria (Trail Run)

***

Also look back on Vancouver Island’s 2010 events.

Looking for events in Vancouver? Check out the Outdoor Vancouver Event Calendar.

Other Awesome Events

The Victoria Track Series

Cancelled

Benson80 (Mountain Bike Race)

Harbour City Half Marathon and 10k, Nanaimo (Road Run)

Westwood Lake Relay, Nanaimo (Trail Run)

2013

June Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race (Sailing Race)

To celebrate the white fluffy stuff we’re giving a way a 2 for 1 backcountry ski touring trip to McGillivray Pass Lodge with WhiteCap Alpine.

The trip will be January 10-14. You’ll be flown in and out of the lodge by helicopter. It’s fully catered and they handle the guiding as well.

Being a 2 for 1 the cost of one trip that you’ll pay for is $1250 plus HST.

4 nights of full-catered, guided, helicopter-accessed goodness for $1250? SWEET!

December 23rd at 11am, we’ll draw a lucky name and you’ll be off to WhiteCap in January.

All you need to do is throw your email in here and you’ll be entered for a chance to win!

** Contest closed. Thanks everyone who entered and shared the contest! **

If there are links missing below and know it, let us know in the comments or send an email with the contact form.

I’m starting to work my way through the list to see what the best of the best is but it’s going to be hard to do it alone. What’s your favorite movie from 2011?

**

After Dark – Level 1 Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

All I can – The Sherpas
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Attack of La Nina – Matchstick Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Begging for Change – 4BI9 Media
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Being There – Field Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Breaking Trail – PowderWhore Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

If You Want to Fly – Vital Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Watch for Free

One For the Road – Teton Gravity Research
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Prime Cut Aged 10 Years – Meathead Films
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Retallack: The Movie – Inspired Media
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Set Your Sights – Toy Soldier Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Solitaire – Sweetgrass Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

That’s Fine – Voleurz
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

The Grand Bizarre – Poor Boyz Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

The Ordinary Skier – Oakley
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Wintervention – Warren Miller
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Weight – Stept Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Pa Vei – Air Time Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Nothing Else Matters – Legs of Steel
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Watch for Free

The Meltdown – Armada Skis
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Watch for Free

Snow Territory – Action Brothers
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Broken Record – Chaoz Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Not Released

Sack Lunch – Joystick
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Watch for Free

Loyalty – 4FRNT
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Watch for Free

On Top of the Hood – Nimbus Independent
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Buy

Amateur Hour – PYP
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Watch for Free

Animus – PVS Company
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Not Released

Ultim8 Separation – Illegal Productions
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Watch for Free

OMG – a freeski movie
Trailer | Producer | Film Page | Soundtrack | Watch for Free