Day 15 of My Second Imprisonment

 I'm now just over 2 weeks into my second bit of post-surgical rehab.  Having been through the process once before, it was somewhat easier this time.  At least I knew what to expect and I had the "surgically altered" sneaker ready for hobbling around.  The crutches were abandoned after a couple of days and I was soon able to wear the old sneaker and move around more freely.  I even walked about 2 km on a nearby trail through the woods.  It was slow going, but nice, and since there was no snow, I only had to be careful that I didn't land on the injured foot the wrong way.  I can drive again.  Catherine's automatic is obviously easiest, but I can manage the truck as long as I'm careful how I push on the clutch.

Otherwise, I've had one day helping babysit the twins and it was only slightly more tiring than it usually is.  I spend my days working in the shop and reading by the fire.  We just got a thin layer of snow overnight and that may make getting around outside a wee bit more hazardous, but it should be manageable.  

Right now I'm planning on bandage removal in 5 weeks and then I can get into the ski season.  In the meantime, I have skis to wax, a number of woodworking projects and lots of books to read.  I'm trying not to spend any extra time on Facebook.....

Deja Vu All Over Again

Day 1 of my Imprisonment....

It was just over a year ago that I went through this the first time.  Hopefully this will be the last.  The Deja Vu is the same as last time, but of the left foot.

The process was much the same - they had me asleep around 1 pm and I woke up an hour later.  This time I had a few minutes to look around the OR and at the view out the big windows.  Everyone was friendly and nice; the surgeon made the usual black pointer marks on the toe joint that was to be operated on.  The only real difference was that there was no block at the ankle.  I'm still regretting that, but I guess it wasn't my choice....  The pain has been much more noticeable  but the drugs are keeping it under control and I had a very good night's sleep.  So far I've spent the day in bed, which is about all I feel like doing.  I don't even have an appetite, an unusual condition for me.

At least this time I have some idea what to expect.  I have my down hut bootie and that old sneaker all prepared so once I'm ready to get up and around I'll have something to wear.

I managed to have a quick visit with my grandsons before I was driven home.  I don't think I was being too much fun for them - no getting down on the floor and  crawling around to play with them.  Maybe in a couple of weeks....  Atley was happy to see me, though, and he came over for a cuddle on the couch.  Made me feel better.  :-)

So, the countdown is on.  Two months, which means I won't be skiing until the end of January.  I've made sure I have lots of projects to work on.  Once I can get around a bit better, I have things to work on in the shop, lots of books to read...  Other than having to slow down, it shouldn't be too boring....

The (Inadequate) Outcomes of Democracy?

The Myth of the Rational Voter (Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies) by Bryan Caplan.  Voters appear cynical and disillusioned about the whole process of democracy.  This book (written by an Economist) explores why democracies have the outcomes that they do, considering that most of the electorate is misinformed about what economic policies are best for them and the country.  Some brief clips of the author's main points:

"If you laid all economists end to end, they still wouldn't be able to reach a consensus"

Politicians' actions seem to be almost invisible to the general electorate.  This seems to mean that politicians can do what they want with impunity.  It's almost as if voters lived in isolation chambers.  Since they don't live in isolation chambers, they must be ignorant by choice.

One vote (your vote as an individual) is extraordinarily unlikely to decide the outcome of any election.  So, the marginal effect of voting randomly is zero.  If voters realize how little their own vote counts, it's not surprising that voters perceive their personal benefit of voting (especially informed voting) is about zero so they will choose the easiest solution and remain uninformed.

Most people probably want to be informed.  Aristotle called it a natural desire to know.  However, most people also don't want to know unpleasant facts.  This creates two, conflicting motives.  People want to learn about the world without sacrificing their worldview.  This is the root of the "don't confuse me with facts" human condition that we see so often.

"To get ahead in politics, leaders need a blend of naive populism and realistic cynicism.  No wonder the model politician has a law degree."

As we saw in the most recent US Election (and in almost everything we hear from our own Governments in Canada), if you repeat a series of points often enough, viewers will eventually come to accept them as truth.  "The receptivity of the great masses is very limited, their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting is enormous.  In consequence of these facts, all effective propaganda must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these in slogans until the last member of the public understands what you want him to understand by your slogan".  The sad fact is that this quote didn't come from a contemporary politician or political hack, as you might reasonably assume.  It came from Adolf Hitler.

"Voters have a visceral dislike for candidates who seem intellectual, let alone try to make the electorate do arithmetic".  This would likely explain why George Dubya was more popular with many voters (at least at the beginning) than someone like Obama.  Never mind that the US President is the "leader of the free world".  Who would you rather have a beer with?  Hey.  Let's make him president....

This volume isn't a particularly easy read and takes more the usual degree of concentration to follow the author's prose.  So, there you are.  If you want to tinker with your worldview, go for it.

Saving the Planet?

 I don't regularly read any newspapers, but I occasionally see interesting articles as I'm crumpling up paper when I'm building the fire in the morning.  One article from the Vancouver Sun (June 16, 2012) caught my eye.  "Ten Bold Ways to Save the Planet".  So, in case anyone needs some ideas about how to save our planet, here is a brief summary of the article's contents:

The article starts by reminding readers that our current course is unsustainable and that promises to change our ways made two decades ago remain unfulfilled.  Bold actions from our politicians probably won't happen, so...

1.  Start a Revolution - we've mined our way to growth and burned our way to prosperity.  What we now need is revolutionary thinking and action for global sustainability.

2.  Energy Game Change - Carbon-based fuels are the problem and there are few clear alternatives.  We aren't making signs of any kind of progress and are now pumping 45% more CO2 into the air than we were 20 years ago.

3.  Put A Price on Carbon - The basic idea is to tax what you want to discourage.  Consumers and businesses will find more efficient or alternative ways to do business that produce less carbon dioxide.

4.  Overhaul Corporate Motives and mindsets - Our insecurities are being converted by advertising into endless needs, wants and excessive demands.  Various subsidies are supporting unsustainable practices, including an estimated $2 billion in Canada for the oil & gas industry and, $300 billion worldwide for unsustainable agriculture and fisheries practices.

5.  Green Canada's Blackened Record - The current Conservative government is weakening environmental laws and backing away from global initiatives to protect the environment.  We could start by being more efficient in our resource use.

6.  Transform Cities - Vancouver has "controversial" bike lanes; London has congestion taxes in the downtown core.  Canadians and Americans have among the highest per-capita consumption of energy.  We don't need to go back to living in caves just to be more efficient in our use of it.  Several other countries show that it is possible.

7.  Connect the Dots Before You Buy - There's been lots of talk about being more ecologically sensitive when we buy things - leaning about Live Cycle costs, for example.  Eco-labeling might help consumers make better choices.

8.  Eat Less Meat - Beef comes in for criticism as being pretty much the worst in terms of it's carbon foodprint.  We don't need to become vegetarians, but eating less beef and other meats would help.

9.  Embrace Education (and Contraception) - We have 7 billion on the planet now and each night 1 billion go to bed hungry.  We need to reduce fertility rates worldwide, something that has already happened in developed countries.  One excellent practice that will help reduce the size of families is education, particularly for young women.

10.  Get Politically Active - Politicians aren't going to do anything until they are forced to.  You can lead by example: reuse containers and grocery bags, buy local, ride a bike, drive a more fuel-efficient vehicle..., but the author claims that getting involved politically is the only way to force the environmental agenda forward.

There are things individuals can do.  This article points out some of the most important.

Trading Away Canada's Future??

As he so often does, Rick Mercer hits the nail on the head.  The best line?  "Call me old-fashioned, but I think Canadians have a right to know what their government is doing."

And the Seasons Go Round & Round....

 Yes, the calendar, the longer shadows and cooler temperatures at night are all telling me that summer is (sob..) pretty much over.

On Sunday, Catherine and I made the drive up the recently opened Glacier Creek FSR and hiked to Monica Meadows.  This is really an annual must-do trip, especially  (or at least) in the fall, when the larches have turned yellow and golden and the meadows have dried and seed heads are everywhere.  The colors were pretty much at their peak and we had an enjoyable wander over the alpine meadows.  The only downside was the lack of good visibility because of smoke from fires in Idaho and Washington.

So, even though temperatures have been warm and skies blue, it's time to recognize that summer is over and we're into another season.  We've finished collecting and storing all the firewood we need, there is some garden work that needs to be finished up and our grapes haven't ripened yet, but there is still time for a few more hikes in this wonderful place.  As Joni says: "We're living on a carousel of life..."

All the summer season's pictures are at: https://picasaweb.google.com/dave.mcc51/Summer2012

Fall Road Trip # 7 - Glacter National Park, Montana

 On our way home, we had decided to visit Glacier National Park in NW Montana.  Once, when the kids were little, we had driven through the Park, but we hadn't seen all that much and with massive snowbanks still at Logan Pass, we didn't do any hiking that visit.

Following one of the fastest border crossings we've had lately and a food resupply, we arrived at the eastern park gate only to discover that the Logan Pass road was to be closed for the season at midnight.  This was a bit of a surprise as we thought it kind of early in the season for the closer.  This kind of forced us to decide right away that we would cross Logan Pass right away and try some hiking on the west side of the Park.  We discovered along our way that the real reason for the road closure was all the construction going on, road repairs, paving, etc.

We spent 2 nights in about the only campground that was open, very near West Glacier.  We hiked a few of the short trails, enjoyed the nice weather, did a small bit of  biking and spent a couple of hours in Columbia Falls replacing the fuel pump which had just started to leak.  That's why I always carry a good selection of tools....

The we wanted to hike, however, were well east of the construction barricades and so were mostly impossible for us on this trip.  We were somewhat astonished with the amount of treed parkland that had been destroyed by a big forest fire a few years ago.  Anyhow, once the road closed, traffic became much quieter.  We did a few hikes and then moved on, heading west and home.

Fall Road Trip # 6 - Writing on Stone

 In the very far south of Alberta is a unique little provincial park: Writing-On-Stone.  It doesn't take long to explore, at least the part near the campground along the Milk River.  There were a whole collection of hoodoo-type of rock formations, kind of reminiscent of Chiricahua National Park in southern Arizona, although on a smaller scale.  We were tired, so we spend 2 nights, walked the trails, rested, cleaned up a bit...  Got a few interesting pictures which are in the Summer 2012 album.

Fall Road Trip # 5 - Grasslands National Park

 One part of Saskatchewan I really hadn't ever visited.  I can probably admit that I almost completely shunned southern SK.  It's just not the kind of scenery I appreciate....

That said, I found myself consenting to visit Grasslands National Park, about as far south in SK as one can go - just north of the USA/Canadian border.

There were grasslands, dusty roads, dusty towns, very little for trees (we did find a trail called "Two Trees" which was pretty accurate - although one of the trees was dead), prairie dogs, bison, deer, lots of birds....  We spent the night and enjoyed the wide expanse of star-studded sky.  Lots of sky and lots of stars.

Escaping from southern SK involved several hours on gravel roads as we headed towards our next stop: Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park in southern Alberta.

Fall Road Trip # 4 - Saskatoon

 I'd forgotten (or blanked from my mind) how long the drive is from Calgary to Saskatoon.  You'd think every bump would be imprinted in my bum, given the number of times we drove it, sometimes for a weekend trip to the mountains.... That one stretch of road had more miles of straight than I've seen in awhile.

But we drove it again, spending the night at the campground just outside of Alsask.  It was kinda nice to be on the prairie again.

Saskatoon, however, was a bit of a shock.  After only 6 years, there were sections that I hardly recognized. New highways, under/over passes, bridges, whole neighbourhoods, malls, big-box stores....  It was fun, though, riding my bike around the city, around many of the old haunts, the river trail....meeting old friends for a visit.  It's a nice city with many nice memories.  Even though our stay was brief, we experienced one day of howling wind and cold temperatures, making bike riding a bit more of a challenge.

Our 3 days passed quickly and too soon it was time to leave, heading south to Grasslands NP and gradually wending our way back home.

Fall Road Trip # 3 - Kananaskis Country Revisited

 Kananaskis Country was another of our old mountain haunts, so we decided to spend a couple of days there.

Part of one day we spent hiking up to the top of Pocaterra Ridge, one of the nicest ridge walks we've ever done.  All the mountain hillsides were in full fall color and with the stellar weather, what more could you ask for?

We also hiked up Mt Indefatigable to the little sub-peak near the north summit.  The views out over the Kananaskis Lakes were wonderful, the water was mirror calm and the clear air afforded good views of all the peaks in the area.  The traverse of Mt Indefatigable from north peak to south peak was one of the first scrambles I ever did, back in about 1995, with Dan, one of my regular climbing/scrambling partners at the time.

We also had time for some bike riding south of Highwood Pass.  Our route north was from Longview up to Bragg Creek, a nice drive along the foothills.  Once we passed Cochrane, it was time to settle in for the long drive to Saskatoon, our next destination.

Fall Road Trip # 2 - Lake Louise

 Because of a family get-together to celebrate my parent-in-law's 70th wedding anniversary, we found ourselves in Lake Louise in early September.  What to, what to do....  After the party, after everyone else headed for home, Catherine and I decided to hike up to the Plain of the Six Glaciers.  I have to say I had some feelings of nostalgia, being around all those peaks that we'd drive all the way from Saskatoon to hike, scramble, climb.  It seems nutty now - a minimum of 14 hours of driving for a weekend of climbing, but that was the only option we had, other than curling and golf....

Anyhow, it was another in a long series of stellar days - blue skies from horizon to horizon and a perfect hiking temperature.  The trail wasn't very busy first thing in the morning, and the views ahead were wonderful...  I enjoyed seeing Mt Lefroy (that's the peak in this picture) with the most interesting "Fuhrmann Ledges" that we used as a descent route from Abbot Pass several times.  I was also able to pick out the route we once took on a beautiful July 1st one year when we attempted the north peak of Mt Victoria.  We were also very close to the scramble up Mt Temple, Mt Niblock....across the valley, the route into the Skoki area and Baker Lake, the setting for that infamous bear encounter back in 1994.  Such a great concentration of great peaks and memories in such a small area.

It was nice to be back in the Rockies, even if the visit was short.  I guess it's time I planned for a more extended visit, possibly next summer....

Fall Road Trip # 1 - The Approach

 I suppose you could call this the "2012 To Hell With the Bell Tour", something started by Catherine when she went on an earlier road when she was first retired and still full of fresh appreciation of the freedom that retirement brought.

This fall trip was partly for a family gathering in Lake Louise, to be followed by some Rockies hiking, a visit to Saskatoon, southern Saskatchewan and Glacier National Park in Montana as we headed home.

The first stop was in Kootenay National Park on Tuesday, where we admired the upper reaches of the Kootenay River and, a bit further on, went on a 2-hour hike up to the foot of the Stanley Glacier.  I recalled some years ago hiking up to this glacier, very early in the morning (by moonlight, actually), with Andrew, destination glacier and the summit of Mt Stanley.  That was in the first couple of years of my mountaineering initiation and we had almost every kind of mountain weather you cold imagine.  I particularly remember climbing down a long, steep, snowy gully in heavy snowfall, barely able to see Andrew a short distance above me on the rope.  The sun came out later and all the wet clothing was steaming as we hiked down the trail.

Today, the weather was much nicer.  Blue skies everywhere, a few puffy clouds, great views and a fast trip in to the glacier, then on to Lake Louise.

Pictures are part of the Summer 2012 Album.

Hiking the Ridges

Did a couple of nice hikes over the past few days....

One was in Jackson Basin where Stu and I hiked up Mt Reco, along the north ridge of that peak and scrambling down to a long, grassy continuation of that ridge.  The accompanying picture shows the route.  Nice weather, great views.

The other hike was just over the ridge from Jackson Basin where Catherine and I hiked in towards Mt Carlyle.  The access here is from Sandon and up the trail/old road past the old mining town of Cody.

We hiked far enough to get a view of the meadows on the north side of Carlyle as well as exploring an old mining site on the western flank of the mountain.

Nice hikes in the Kootenay hills.

North Creek and Mt Banquo

 One place our friend Gerald wanted to go explore was the high ridges at the headwaters of North Creek and the approaches to Mt Banquo, on the edges of the Macbeth Icefield.

Accordingly, we gathered early Monday morning for the drive north to Duncan Lake and east up the North Creek FSR, followed by several hours of hiking through the woods, setting up camp on the crest of a high ridge within sight of the main Icefield and Mt Banquo.

The next morning, we explored the approach to the peak, climbed up the small glacier on the ridge and finally decided that we didn't have time to complete the ascent of the peak and, without helmets, it just wasn't safe given our numbers and all the loose rock, so we retreated.  Some of us hiked out and some stayed another night, experiencing a vicious storm, especially exciting, being camped on the exposed ridge....

The elevation gain was substantial, especially with our big packs.  The scenery was quite stupendous and the camp location was unique.  Maybe we'll go make another attempt on the peak next summer.  Pictures of this area are part of the Summer 2012 Album.

Fields of Gold

Which was the tune, sung by Eva Cassidy, running through my head most of the day...

Clear skies and warmer weather has returned to the Kootenays so we joined two friends and headed up Schroeder Creek FSR with the plan of hiking to the ski club's winter cabin.

It was a fine, almost-fall day, with great views higher up into Schroeder Creek, with Mts Schroeder and Jardine on the western skyline.  Part of the trail climbed through an old burned area and the fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) was in full bloom.  Not fields of gold, but fields of magenta, and equally as nice.

Old Glory

Up early to drive to Rossland where I was to meet my live-in hiking partner with the objective of doing the Plewman/Old Glory Trail circuit (part of the 7 Summits Trail) and include a hike up Old Glory as well.

One bit of a shock: it got quite cool last night and rained and as I headed down the Lake I looked over to Mt Loki - it was covered with snow!!  Yikes!!

The hike was nice.  About 1100 meters of elevation gain and back down to the road.  Skies were threatening, it was definitely COLD in the wind at the top and we did get a few minutes of snow pellets as we climbed Old Glory.

I'm definitely ready for some cooler fall weather, but I';m not so sure I'm ready for snow....

Crowsnest Mountain

An ex-Saskatoonian friend now living in Calgary sent me a note the other day expressing a keen desire to climb Crowsnest Mtn.  Since he was at his cottage in Fernie, I made the quick drive over and with a 6 am start, we headed for the Alberta border, leaving the car around 7 am.

It was a cool morning with cloud, two weather conditions I hadn't experienced for almost a month.  It was quite pleasant.

I'd forgotten a bit of the nature of Rockies limestone, especially how sharp it's eroded edges are.  We ground uphill, picked our way around and through various gullies in the rock bands and ended up following a mountain goat most of the way to the summit.  After a brief survey of the surrounding scenery and the obligatory photo-ops, we headed back down.  About 5 hours from the car return.  Somewhat over 1000 meters of elevation gain (and loss...).  Back at the cottage for a late lunch and a snooze....

Pictures of the climb and the attempt the next day of Ghostrider Peak are in the Summer 2012 album.

Kootenay Joe Ramblin'

There are many great areas to explore up in the mountains around Kootenay Lake.  In typical fashion, I received an e-mail a couple of days ago mentioning that 3 of my skiing/hiking friends were planning a 2-day trip around past Heart Lake and beyond and over to Kootenay Joe Ridge before descending to Fry Creek and hiking out to Johnson's Landing.

It was the work of only an hour or two to get ready.  We met early on Thursday morning, drove up the Lake, climbed the Salisbury FSR, met with 4 other hikers and continued on foot to Heart Lake.  Once there, meadows beyond beckoned, with explorations of small cave systems, small alpine streams and great views.

The next day we hiked on an old, Depression-era road, through some old-growth forest in the Pucrell Wilderness down to Carney Creek and then out to Fry Creek and on to Johnson's Landing.  A very interesting round trip.  Pictures are part of the Summer 2012 album.

Lies, Dammed Lies and Politics

One of my occasional blog reads, Wonkette, was recently "reporting" on some mud-slinging between Mittens and Newt about lies.  Apparently, Newt believes that lies are to be expected as part of political discourse.  Nothin' new there, but the comments, once again trump the article.  A few samples:

It's not a lie if you believe it
Mitt Romney doesn't lie. It's just a problem with the coding of his truthalgorithm.exe file....
It's not lying if it helps you, right?
Lies are people, too, my friends.
"Restore Our Future?" Time travel notwithstanding, I'm not sure they thought that one through.
“Somebody who will lie to you to be president will lie to you as president.”   The projection is strong with this one.
Half the country only wants to hear lies. Unfortunately mitt is their man.
"If you tell a lie often enough, it becomes the truth"   Motto of the Republican Party
The only truth Romney knows is the feeling he has after having a big bowl of his favorite cereal, Loopholes. It's chock full of fiber, because we all know that Romney is not a regular guy.
It's not a lie if the idiot base believes it and no one in major media markets calls you on it. 
Or if you just repeat it enough....    Hands over ears, "La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, I can't hear you".

And the sideshow continues....

Bickmore's Laws

There's some science and some good old common sense in these:


http://bbickmore.wordpress.com/bickmores-laws/

What Does it Take to Impress Climate Change Deniers?

Apparently not much, according to a recent blog post:


http://bbickmore.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/marc_moranos_ipcc_dissenters/


US Senator Orrin Hatch has made it clear that he rejects the scientific consensus that climate change is real and is mostly caused by human activity, specifically the burning of fossil fuels.  In making this claim, Senator Hatch floats the old trick of saying that "...so many IPCC lead authors...voice very strong skepticism about the IPCC's conclusions".

It's an old tactic but it doesn't carry much weight.  Sorry Senator.

Kokanee Glacier

At the end of July, a small group of us flew in to Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park to help stain the Kokanee Cabin.  This is a "hut" that was built in about 2002 in memory of the Trudeau son who was killed in an avalanche in that area.

This is a building owned by BC Parks but operated and maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.  It's popular during the summer and heavily used in winter as a ski destination.  

With good weather and an industrious group, we were able to stain the whole cabin in about 3 days with time for a hike before we left for home.  Still lots of snow up in the high country.

More pictures are in my Summer 2012 album.

BC Premier Speaks - Yawn....

Over in Lotus Land (aka: The Island and the Lower Mainland), the Premier has finally made a statement about the Gateway Pipeline Project.  


Gateway pipeline risks exceed rewards, B.C. Premier says - The Globe and Mail


I hate to appear cynical, but my feeling is that Ms Clark is playing to an upcoming election here in BC, now only 9 months or so away. This is an election she and her duplicitous party is sure to lose. Ms Clark, however, is perceptive enough to realize that most people in BC are against this project, hence her present "stand". I'm trying to feel interested in her comments, but it's just not working. Maybe I'll wait for a couple of months and see how the political winds are blowing and then I'll make a statement.

Climate Change - Another Perspective

Not that there is really much debate about this any more, but this short video does make a very quick and graphic point.


Watch 131 Years of Global Warming in 26 Seconds | Climate Central


It's also worth reading the comments that follow.  Some are quite well thought out.

Old Baldy Bushwhack

When Gerald told us that he'd spent 30 years looking at this peak from his classroom window, how could we not be a part of fulfilling his desire to stand on it's summit?  There is, however, always a risk wandering around in someone else's dreams....

Hindsight being what it usually is, Stu and I agreed to be a part of this and picked up Gerald on Wednesday afternoon, caught the ferry across the Lake and spent nearly 3 hours driving up the Kootenay East Forest Service Road and up the logging roads to the "trailhead" at 1400 meters where we camped for the night.  The lights of home twinkled just across the Lake several km away and 800 meters below us.

Morning came at 4 am.  The day was expected to be hot (+30C) so we wanted an early start.  Once fed and watered, we headed up across the upper part of the clearcut at 5 am, shortly encountering the first bit of forest and bushwhacking.  In about an hour we reached the first ridge where walking was fine and breezes cool.  We had determined earlier from our maps and a study of Google Earth that we would have to hike far to the north to avoid ridiculously steep gullies so we ended up gaining much of the elevation of the first "hill" only to lose all that elevation by descending steep avalanche slopes just to get to the base of the peak we had traveled to climb.

After a snack and cool water from the stream, we thrashed and pulled ourselves up a heinously steep alder and rhododendron gully (mercifully short) to reach the SE ridge which we plodded up to the top.  A quick measurement showed that this was a nearly 40 degree slope, but it wasn't scree at least....

The summit ( at around 2570 meters) was excellent, as most summits are after your uphill labours.  Views in all directions, home now even further below us, sunshine, a light breeze, the occasional blackfly....  After some repairs to my glasses which I managed to partially crush (note: it's good to wrap some duct-tape to your ski pole, just in case), we headed back down.  Slowly.  Managed to find the turn into the heinous steep bush, where we practiced more of what I refer to as West Kootenay aid climbing (aid climbing, for the uninitiated, is where you pull, hang or stand on gear attached to the rock), where you pull, hang or stand on any bush or tree that will help you get up or down.  There is NO style to this kind of climbing....  Results are all that matters,

Another rest at the stream, then back up the avalanche slope (now in full, hot sun), a traverse across slopes around to the ridge, back down that, off into the trees for more bushwhacking (much longer than we remembered it from morning) and then, the coup de grace, 200 meters of the worst possible thrash down the clearcut - chest-high bushes, hidden logs and holes, all in the hot sun.  Back at the truck in 11 hours round trip.  Thankfully the cola was cool.  Nothing left except the drive home and the ride back across the Lake to Home Recovery Base.

More pictures of the day are at: https://picasaweb.google.com/dave.mcc51/Baldy

The lesson from this story is when someone tells you that they've been thinking of some trip for 30 years, sometimes it's best NOT to know what you're getting yourself into.

The Earth Moved

People in this area have been absorbing the news of a major landslide on Thursday that crushed part of a small community located along the shores of Kootenay Lake.  The settlement of Johnson's Landing has been cut in two and it appears that 4 people area dead after mud, huge trees and other debris roared down the mountain.  One of many news reports is available here:


http://www.globaltvbc.com/global+news+crew+caught+up+in+second+bc+landslide/6442678872/story.html


We were out last night with a number of friends and the slide, of course, was the major topic of conversation.  Sobering news, indeed.  

Season Opener - Mt Brennan 9500 feet

 Although the amounts of snow up high would seem to preclude hiking, three of us decided to climb Mt Brennan today, at 9500 feet, one of the "big peaks" around here.

Temperatures were forecast to be +30C so an early start was called for.  Accordingly, Gerald drove by my place just before 5 am, we picked up Stu and were out of town shortly after.  At the trailhead by 6 am and  on the summit by 10:30 am.  After enjoying the views and some food, we took out the crazy carpets we'd brought along and used them to slide back down to Lyle Lakes in 35 minutes (what took us 3.5 hours to climb).  It was cooler being on the snow slopes and as we descended into the forested slopes below the heat wave was back in full force.  A few cool ones in a stream were appreciated before we headed back home.

Flood Waters

 One of the consequences of the unusually high water levels in Kooetnay Lake is all the floating debris in the Lake.  Even in this picture, looking south, you can see the trail of logs and other floating wood that has either been washed into the Lake from the rivers or set free from whatever shore it was stranded on.  Certainly a hazard for boaters.

The Monsoon Ends

 The rain gauge says it all.  In the last week of the West Kootenay Monsoon, this is what was collected by the trusty rain gauge.  That week marked the end of at least a month of cool, cloudy, foggy, rainy weather and left garden plants shivering in their beds.  I resolve to double the size of the greenhouse for next year.


We've now had a few days of hot, sunny weather and already things are drying out.  Won't be surprised to see burning restrictions in place soon.  The cool weather has left a huge amount of snow higher up in the mountains so it may be weeks before we can hike and travel up there.

Raising Kain

 As part of my regular volunteer activities with the Alpine Club of Canada, I spent 9 days at the Conrad Kain Hut in the Bugaboos, in the Purcell Mountains south of Golden.  The main part of the project was to replace the siding on the front and back of the hut and install 9 new windows.


The crew of 11 people included 5 volunteers and 6 ACC staff.  The weather didn't cooperate all that well; we had rain/fog most days, but little that really prevented us from working almost non-stop for the 9 days.


I've posted elsewhere about how these ACC work parties operate http://accsasksection.blogspot.ca/2012/07/acc-huts-another-way-to-have-fun-in.html so my only other comment is that we were fed so well that I gained about 4 or 5 pounds.


There was lots of snow still on the ground, making it impossible to find the various parts of the micro-hydro system that provides the hut's electricity.  Maybe in a couple of weeks, if it stays hot....


Pictures are available at: https://picasaweb.google.com/dave.mcc51/ConradKainHutProject


The Conrad Kain Hut is named after mountain guide Conrad Kain who climbed many of the peaks in the Bugaboos and elsewhere (Mt Robson, etc), in the early 1900s.  A real mountain legend.


(Thanks to Guido Mennes for the group picture.)

How to Respond to Terrorist Threats

BY JOHN CLEESE

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events inLibya , Egypt, and Syria and have therefore raised their securitylevel from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may beraised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The Englishhave not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea suppliesnearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome"to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "BloodyNuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the SpanishArmada.
The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let'sget the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is thereason they have been used on the front line of the British army forthe last 300 years.
The French government announced yesterday that it has raised itsterror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levelsin France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise wasprecipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flagfactory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.
Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly"to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain:"Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."
The Germans have increased their alert state from "DisdainfulArrogance" to "Dress in Uniforms and Sing Marching Songs." They alsohave two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbor" and "Lose."
Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the onlythreat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready todeploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the newSpanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
Australia , meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries"to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain:"Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and"The barbie is cancelled." So far, no situation has ever warranteduse of the final escalation level.

A final thought: Greece is collapsing, the Iranians are getting
aggressive, and Rome is in disarray. Welcome back to 430 BC.

Freedom Fries: And Other Stupidity......

It's a long video - about 50 minutes, but a worthwhile documentary.

This documentary relates in an interesting way to a quote from a book I just finished: Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller.  A different war on a different continent...:

"We accepted the war as one of the pieces that had to be paid for Our Freedom, although it was a funny sort of Freedom that didn't include being able to say what you wanted about the Rhodesian government or being able to write books that were critical of it.  And for the majority of the country, Freedom did not include access to the sidewalks, the best schools and hospitals, decent farming land or the right to vote.  It now seems completely clear to me, looking back, that when a government talks about "fighting for Freedom" almost every Freedom you can imagine disappears for ordinary people and expands limitlessly for a handful of people in power." (p 29).

It's the main problem with knee-jerk nationalistic fervor.  It's fine to like your country, but, as with most other things, a critical eye is important to avoid blindly accepting everything we're told.

Undefended Border Crossings? Not Any More.

With the prospect of several days of rain in the forecast, we inexplicably decided it would be a good time to take a short road trip to explore a bit more of Washington, a small area just south of Trail.  We rationalized that if it did rain the whole time, we had the camper, the furnace worked, the beer would be cold, the chips crunchy and we had lots of books to read.

Accordingly, we loaded up with reading material and headed south.

The first little surprise was getting stalled at the crossing south of Salmo.  This is a small, presumably pretty quiet crossing, and we've been through it many times in the past few years.  This time, however, after the usual questions about where and for how long (camping, about 2 days, and no we don't have a specific campground in mind....I've started to wonder if everyone they see who intends to camp knows exactly which campground they plan to stay at....are they unfamiliar with the concept of exploring?...), we get questions about possible recent medical tests, do we have any old gauges on board (like from an old airplane)....?  Huh???

Apparently one of their sensors picked up something, and for the next hour, we waited around while they held some kind of detector to us and our vintage Big Horn camper van, trying to find out .... well, we're not really sure, but I gathered that they were looking for radio-isotopes, possibly?  I had a ceramic tile saw in the van.  Maybe something from the tiles???  Who knows?  In any case, after they completed some paperwork, and apparently not finding anything interesting, we were allowed to proceed.  So, was this a case of some new toy to play with?  A training exercise?  Some equipment gone amuck?  They weren't exactly forthcoming but since they let us in, I'm assuming we were considered to be safe....  (At no time on our trip did I see the van glowing in the dark....).  I did hear the agent mention some isotope of Thorium....

One interesting sidebar: we were asked twice to keep our hands out of our pockets since the agent in question "...didn't know what was in our pockets".  (Ummm...my wallet and a dirty hanky....but I guess you can't be too careful....).

After a couple of days of reading, crossing Sherman Pass in a blizzard, finding one sunny morning for a short bike ride, we headed back north.  As we approached the border south of Christina Lake (BC), we noticed that there was a gauntlet to pass just to leave the Republic and return to our Socialist homeland.  Departing vehicles were being lined up so they could be X-Rayed.  So we had to get out, go hang out by the fence  while a truck drove up and down along the line of vehicles.  Our van is of early 1980s vintage, so I hope they spotted the rust, the joint arthritis and other artifacts of our van's old age.  I was tempted to ask, but given the small army of guys there in bullet-proof vests and guns, I decided that they might not appreciate my attempt at levity.  Who says I don't know when to keep my yap shut??

Thinking back, I do recall other minor annoyances crossing the border in past years, but one is tempted to put them down to individual crankiness or authority-wielding overkill.  I'm starting to wonder, however, if what we're seeing is a crescendo of paranoia, where everyone is to be treated like a potential enemy, out to cause harm.  I also wonder, though, if the inevitable result of treating everyone like a potential enemy eventually results in not having any friends.

Closer to home, I would have to say that as we see signs of our government ratcheting up its own level and brand of paranoia and fear, it's in our best interests to demand better.  Our traditional (?) low-key behaviour at home and around the world seems much less likely to attract trouble.  Harassing the ordinary, traveling public seems quite likely to result in more questions about your sanity, and intimidation tactics probably don't make anyone feel much safer.

Mr Speaker....

‎"Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order to make a procedural argument concerning the omnibus nature of this piece of legislation... I really would like to call the attention of the Chair to the nature of this particular bill and to urge the Chair to re-examine a practice we have fallen into. The particular bill before us ... is of an omnibus nature. I put it to you, Mr. Speaker, that you should rule it out of order and it should not be considered by the House in the form in which it has been presented... Mr. Speaker, I would argue that the subject matter of the bill is so diverse that a single vote on the content would put members in conflict with their own principles.
First, there is a lack of relevancy of these issues. The omnibus bills we have before us attempt to amend several different existing laws. Second, in the interest of democracy I ask: How can members represent their constituents on these various areas when they are forced to vote in a block on such legislation and on such concerns?
We can agree with some of the measures but oppose others. How do we express our views and the views of our constituents when the matters are so diverse? Dividing the bill into several components would allow members to represent views of their constituents on each of the different components in the bill. The bill contains many distinct proposals and principles and asking members to provide simple answers to such complex questions is in contradiction to the conventions and practices of the House.
As well this will cause fairly serious difficulties in committee. This bill will ultimately go to only one committee of the House, a committee that will inevitably lack the breadth of expertise required for consideration of a bill of this scope. Furthermore, the workload of that committee will be onerous and it will be very difficult to give due consideration to all relevant opinion."

-- Steven Harper, 1994.

Gap Peak

 It's been awhile since I've done any peaks in the Rockies.  It seems that once you settle into a mountain valley in the Kootenays it gets harder and harder to leave, especially just to go to an area that is busier and more crowded.

The Saskatchewan Section's beginners' rock climbing weekend (a multi-year tradition) provided the excuse I needed this time, so I packed up the camper and headed east.

 A friend of mine and myself offered to lead any participants who didn't want to do rock climbing the opportunity to scramble to the summit of a couple of peaks.

Today's peak experience was Gap Peak, a small summit directly east of Grotto Mtn, featuring 1100 meters of elevation gain, some bushwhacking and a long, narrow ridge connecting to the summit.  We left the parking lot at 8:30 am and were on the summit just before noon.  Since it was a bit chilly, we inhaled our food and returned, finding a nice sunny spot on the way down for a short rest. This peak is not directly referenced in Kain's scrambles book, only as an extension of a long ridge scramble from Mt Fable.  The route we took climbs up a ridge directly behind the BayMag plant on Hwy 1A east of Canmore.  There were two major rock bands to get around, some of the usual Rockies scree to chew  our way up and down, but the views were nice, the cool temperatures made the efforts of the ascent easier, and we found (so far) only one wood tick.

Hiking to the Bottom

Our main objective for this trip south was to organize a backpacking trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.

By the time we arrived in Grand Canyon Village, my cold had subsided enough so I was able to enjoy myself. Accordingly, we got a campsite and headed for the Backcountry Office to see what could be done. We were surprised to be able to get on the wait list as #4 for service the next morning. Friday morning we were able to get our campsites at the Bright Angel Campsite for Saturday and Sunday nights. Having Friday to wait, we hiked part of the Hermit Creek trail, enjoying a nice warm, sunny day.

Saturday morning, we parked the van near the exit trailhead and caught the shuttle bus to the South Kaibab trailhead. We were on the trail by 9:45 am. This trail is one of the shortest (and therefore one of the steepest) routes to the Colorado. It wasn't that bad at all and we were at the river in about 4 hours. As we descended closer to the river, it got warmer and at the bottom, it was somewhat like being in an oven. Hot. Dry. We picked out a campsite and went exploring.

One of the local "attractions" is Phantom Ranch, dating from the early 1900s. Then there is the scenery at the bottom of the canyon.

The next day, our "rest day", we hiked a couple of miles up the Clear Creek Trail for the views down over the Colorado. We also walked several miles up the North Kaibab Trail towards the North Rim (over 13 miles away).

On Monday morning, we were up early to take advantage of shade and cooler weather for the hike back up to the South Rim. A weather system had moved through that evening, leaving some snow on the South Rim and cooler temperatures overall. The hike up the Bright Angel Trail through Indian Gardens was easy and fast, taking only 5.25 hours in total, plus a few rest breaks, and we hardly broke a sweat.

Pictures of the Grand Canyon hikes are on Picasa.

Traveling the Borderlands - Utah & Arizona

One writer commented that this part of the USA should just be turned into a National Park. It's certainly an area that we've visited many times over the past few years and we do enjoy the National Parks that are there: Capital Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon.... Then there are vast swaths of National Forest in southern Utah. And more reddish sandstone than you can imagine.

On this trip, we visited briefly on our way to the "real" objective: hiking in the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, I had picked up a massive head cold on the flight back west from New Jersey, so I felt a bit mopey for a couple of days. However, we did spend a night at Bryce Canyon and did a few short walks in that area.

We also spent a day walking up the Paria River valley starting at Lees Ferry, a historical crossing area of the Colorado River. After the snow and cold of our frozen north, the heat and sunshine was most welcome. We also spent a couple of days in Page, AZ and took in a river rafting trip for part of a day and learned more about the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell than we ever thought we'd learn.

Pictures live in a Picasa album here.

RoboGate - the Saga Continues

It appears that the Harper Government still hasn't understood the feeling of Canada on this issue. This article in the Huffington Post puts it quite well. It's past time to have an inquiry. You have to wonder, though....if the Conservatives have nothing to hide, what do they have to fear?

On a humorous note, CBC's The Current opened today with The Voice saying:

"It's Wednesday, March 14th. Members of Parliament passed the Harper government's controversial omnibus crime bill. Currently, there is absolutely no truth to the rumour that some opposition MP's were sent to the wrong House on voting day. This is The Current."

Oh Saskatchewan :-)

Smart Meters...Again

An updated version.

Sigh.

Dear Senators:

Dear Canadian Senators,

I am asking you to vote against Bill C-10. Crime is at its lowest since the 1970s. We do not need C-10; it is a solution to a non-existent problem. Mandatory minimums are a proven failure: Some States in the United States implemented mandatory minimums and now regret doing it. C-10 will force Canada to build more jails. Building more jails when (1) they are not necessary and (2) Canada has so much debt and other, important programs are being dismantled, is an irresponsible use of tax dollars.

It is far less expensive to treat people than to house them in jails at some $100,000 per prisoner.

I also agree with the points raised by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association: <http://ccla.org/omnibus-crime-bill-c-10/>.

Please, vote against C-10.

Harper's Snoop & Spy Bill - An Update

I wrote a letter to Vic Toews about the Government's proposed "Protecting Children from Internet Porn Bill" [sic] and the reply I received from his office is posted below, in full:

"Thank you for contacting my office regarding Bill C-30, the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act.

Canada's laws currently do not adequately protect Canadians from online exploitation and we think there is widespread agreement that this is a problem.

We want to update our laws while striking the right balance between combating crime and protecting privacy.

Let me be very clear: the police will not be able to read emails or view web activity unless they obtain a warrant issued by a judge and we have constructed safeguards to protect the privacy of Canadians, including audits by privacy commissioners.

What's needed most is an open discussion about how to better protect Canadians from online crime. We will therefore send this legislation directly to Parliamentary Committee for a full examination of the best ways to protect Canadians while respecting their privacy.

For your information, I have included some myths and facts below regarding Bill C-30 in its current state.

Sincerely,

Vic Toews

Member of Parliament for Provencher

Myth: Lawful Access legislation infringes on the privacy of Canadians.

Fact: Our Government puts a high priority on protecting the privacy of law-abiding Canadians. Current practices of accessing the actual content of communications with a legal authorization will not change.

Myth: Having access to basic subscriber information means that authorities can monitor personal communications and activities.

Fact: This has nothing to do with monitoring emails or web browsing. Basic subscriber information would be limited to a customer’s name, address, telephone number, email address, Internet Protocol (IP) address, and the name of the telecommunications service provider. It absolutely does not include the content of emails, phones calls or online activities.

Myth: This legislation does not benefit average Canadians and only gives authorities more power.

Fact: As a result of technological innovations, criminals and terrorists have found ways to hide their illegal activities. This legislation will keep Canadians safer by putting police on the same footing as those who seek to harm us.

Myth: Basic subscriber information is way beyond “phone book information”.

Fact: The basic subscriber information described in the proposed legislation is the modern day equivalent of information that is in the phone book. Individuals frequently freely share this information online and in many cases it is searchable and quite public.

Myth: Police and telecommunications service providers will now be required to maintain databases with information collected on Canadians.

Fact: This proposed legislation will not require either police or telecommunications service providers to create databases with information collected on Canadians.

Myth: “Warrantless access” to customer information will give police and government unregulated access to our personal information.

Fact: Federal legislation already allows telecommunications service providers to voluntarily release basic subscriber information to authorities without a warrant. This Bill acts as a counterbalance by adding a number of checks and balances which do not exist today, and clearly lists which basic subscriber identifiers authorities can access.

The Rant against "Snoop & Spy"

A Fair and Balanced Look....

I just finished reading Al Franken's book: Lies & the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair & Balanced Look at the Right. As I mentioned elsewhere, the problem with reading a book written by a satirist and a comedian is that you aren't always sure when the author is being serious and when he's having some fun. That and the fact that the book is definitely about the minutia of American political discourse (or what passes for discourse down there...).

However, there were many good lines and it was especially fun to try and apply them to Canada's current political situation. So, some tidbits:

1. Post-9/11 the balance between civil rights and national security became a wee bit more tenuous. Examples were given of the kinds of actions being contemplated or carried out in the name of national security. Those still advocating civil rights were called out by the US attorney general (Ashcroft) who said: "To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists - for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to America's enemies."

In Canada, Canadians who were asking for information about what happened to Afghan detainees a few years ago were accused of "standing with the Terrorists" and, more recently, privacy advocates have been accused of "standing with the pornographers".

2. The book did spend almost all of its words describing what the author feels were lies...egregious lies...made by members of the American Right. At the end of the last chapter, the author muses about whether the liars believe what they are saying or not. Although not certain about the answer to that question, the author does feel that the best action is to call such people on their dishonesty and eventually, their dishonesty will lose its effectiveness. Then, he says, "...[they] will have to resort to Plan B: name calling. Which, I think, will expose them for what they are. Stupid bastards."

No, the author doesn't hold back much. In Canada, of course, we've experienced, over the past few years, the spectacle of ordinary Canadians who don't agree with the government being called terrorists, child pornographers, Hitler, radical extremists, environmental extremists.... You get the picture.

So when our Dear Leader says that in four years you won't recognize Canada, and you wonder what he might be talking about, maybe have a read of this book to see what our future might be.

For those of you who still see the service of your country as a higher calling, there was one quote just for you:

"Politics is not about power. Politics is not about money. Politics is not about winning for the sake of winning. Politics is about the improvement of people's lives. It's about advancing the cause of peace and justice in our country and in our world. Politics is about doing well for people."

'Nuff said.