2011/2012 Canadian Rockies Roll Call and StokeThread...

In future, tell your friend to deal with a ticket differently rather than contesting it in court. Alberta has it set-up so that you can talk to a Justice of the Peace anytime prior to your court date regarding your ticket rather than waiting for the court date. I would rather deal with a JOP than some judge who has just heard 12 cases before yours and can't wait for lunch. I find most often the JOP will either throw the ticket out (if you have a good reason and evidence) or at the very least give you a reduction and time to pay (even if you really were speeding just drop the old I know I wasn't going this fast and they'll knock it down a step or two (they have a chart of acceptable reductions). This even works for photo radar. Unfortunately no such system is in place in BC.

She told me she was going to be fighting the ticket on the grounds that the RCMP officer "was being a cunt".

This won't end well.

Edit: Her plan is to go see the JOP, but in Canmore there's only one available two days a month.

Good to know she knows the process i.e. JOP. If she recorded the conversation, perhaps, I guess only the two of them know what really happened. Her reason is not going to fly. Speaking of flies, I would want to be one on the wall when she gives that reason.

As an aside, I once tried to fight a ticket with spelling mistakes on it (my name, address and town were incorrect). The JOP looked at me, shook his head and said "you're here talking to me so that means that you know that you got the ticket" wink wink. What I take from this is that if there are mistakes on a ticket, do nothing, when questioned in the future say that you didn't think that ticket was for you as that's not your name/address/town etc.

In BC, apparently the strategy is to delay your court hearing. The courts are so bunged up that by the time they eventually get around to you they throw the case out as due process was not adhered too.

Edit: I also noticed the Golden RCMP highway is using some new technology to me. They have the gun mounted to a tripod hidden on the side of the road. They sit in their car (hidden from view) and operate the laser/radar wirelessly. Once you see the cop they already have their lights on chasing you. Sneaky.

Not that I'm out there to stick it to the man because I got caught but there are more options out there than many people know about.

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Originally Posted by Caucasian Asian

She told me she was going to be fighting the ticket on the grounds that the RCMP officer "was being a cunt".

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is the the blonde one still terrorizing the TCH?

Where's a good place in Calgary to purchase Avy gear? Someone suggested me to go to Mountain Equipment Co-Op. I've also shopped at Fresh and Ski Cellar before. I know that I need to get a beacon, probe and a shovel. Beyond that, my understanding is that training/knowledge is most important. Is there any good tutorials online for that sort of thing, or any backcountry lessons type thing, especially for learning to understand when to avoid certain type of snow, that sorta thing.

This is the one I was thinking of buying.

http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Member...che-beacon.jsp

The UofC outdoor centre has an AST1 session coming up in early April, and should cover what to look for in a beacon:

https://pr1web.ucalgary.ca/CamRecWeb...y=050O11O20O2A

That said the Tracker2 is a fine beacon (it has lower receive range than most other three-antennae beacons), the important part is practicing with your beacon.

I would recommend taking a course before venturing out. Online can be helpful however nothing replaces in the field experience from trained professionals which you should have if heading into avalanche terrain. Find one that operates in Rogers Pass, this way you can learn and discover an unfamiliar area. In my opinion, the more knowledge and experience you have the better off you are at risk management in the backcountry. Take the courses, practice (stability tests/pits, beacon searches, etc.), practice again, get local knowledge of the area to be skied and the history of the snowpack, go out with experienced and trained people, read the avy bulletins, and make informed decisions using a number of variables (i.e. not just 'safe' looking terrain), did I mention practice beacon searches, do one more. My wife will regularly throw a beacon at me while I'm watching tv or reading and tell me to find hers in the backyard somewhere, good under pressure practice.

That's just my two cents but with some of the cowboying that goes on in the backcountry it's surprising we don't lose more lives to avalanches every season.

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Originally Posted by goldenshowers

I would recommend taking a course before venturing out. Online can be helpful however nothing replaces in the field experience from trained professionals which you should have if heading into avalanche terrain. Find one that operates in Rogers Pass, this way you can learn and discover an unfamiliar area. In my opinion, the more knowledge and experience you have the better off you are at risk management in the backcountry. Take the courses, practice (stability tests/pits, beacon searches, etc.), practice again, get local knowledge of the area to be skied and the history of the snowpack, go out with experienced and trained people, read the avy bulletins, and make informed decisions using a number of variables (i.e. not just 'safe' looking terrain), did I mention practice beacon searches, do one more. My wife will regularly throw a beacon at me while I'm watching tv or reading and tell me to find hers in the backyard somewhere, good under pressure practice.

That's just my two cents but with some of the cowboying that goes on in the backcountry it's surprising we don't lose more lives to avalanches every season.

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I don't actually plan to do any backcountry skiing any time soon, I'm more interested in learning some of the basics of terrain identification and how to use the gear (beacon/probe). A few pages ago for example, there was someone that showed a picture of some unstable snow at Lake Louise. I'm primarily interested in doing Wild West/Dive at SSV in the future (not sure if I'll get a chance this season) and some Cat skiing in Fernie. I don't have the necessary gear for backcountry though (I don't have any touring bindings, touring boots, skins, don't know anyone that does backcountry either). My understanding though is that even skiing in WW/Dive still needs some degree of good practice, carefulness and so on, and as you said, go out with experienced and trained people, hence my post from a few pages back. I'm hoping I'll catch up with Spooky one of these days and take him up on the offer, but I still need gear first to even go to those areas at Sunshine (which I currently don't have). :redface:

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I'm not sure if I have time for a special course this season, but I'll keep that in mind. My cat skiing trip that's coming up is supposed to involve 1 or 2 hours of training beforehand, and then presumably, I'm going up there with at least 1 other person that has some knowledge about avalanche terrain.

^^ If you are just looking to get into the Dive and WW I would recommend checking out the classifieds on here/kijiji etc for a cheaper analog beacon. They'd run you ~$100. Then once you decide to take the plunge and buy touring gear you upgrade the beacon with whatever technology is new.

Shovel and probe are pretty universal. Just dont buy an shovels with plastic blades and make sure your probe is >270cm. If your looking for a good "Dive pack" check out the Pilchuck kit from K2. Awesome shovel, probe and a small daypack for $219.00.

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Originally Posted by Caucasian Asian

A friend of mine needs to contest a speeding ticket, but she can't make it to the courthouse on Thursday. She needs somebody to go in and request a change of date in person.

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Ah ok... sorry, can't help... will be in YYC during court hours...

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Mustang.... MEC do a Black Diamond shovel/probe combo for 80 bucks... Check fresh during sale time, I picked up a BCA tracker 40% off which was less than cost.

Tracker 1 is a great starting point, if you have spare cash Tracker 2 for futureproofing...


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Mustang - I just took the AST1 course the other week in Canmore with Yamnuska (thanks to T2C's suggestion). Instructors were great and the course was priced well. One day classroom and one day in field at Bow Summit. Learned a lot, or more importantly learned just how ignorant I am. Definitely need a ton of more practice/study with all aspects...but it's a solid start.

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Originally Posted by himavan

Mustang - I just took the AST1 course the other week in Canmore with Yamnuska (thanks to T2C's suggestion). Instructors were great and the course was priced well. One day classroom and one day in field at Bow Summit. Learned a lot, or more importantly learned just how ignorant I am. Definitely need a ton of more practice/study with all aspects...but it's a solid start.

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that was my first thought the second i finished my ast1. " im a fucking idiot !!!!" That did motivated the hell out of me and now i can say i have a good idea of whats going.

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The UofC outdoor centre has an AST1 session coming up in early April

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Have not heard of any negative comments in regards to Yamnuska, and have had some good experiences with a few of their various courses.

when i did the UofC course it was taught by yamnuska guides out of canmore. both indoors and the practicum.

I took mine with mountain skills academy and they were really good, and the second day was touring up at bow summit.

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Originally Posted by Lamothe

that was my first thought the second i finished my ast1. " im a fucking idiot !!!!" That did motivated the hell out of me and now i can say i have a good idea of whats going.

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Been backcountry skiing the Rockies for three decades and I still don't flatter myself that I know what's going when it comes to snow safety. Be humble, and always keep learning. :)

I did my ast1 with yam last year and 3 days in Rogers pass with them this's year. Nothing but good things to say, I would highly recommend them.

As for u of c, they have a joint thing going with yam and sub them out when they don't have enough people in house to fill a trip. 2 people in our Rogers trip signed up through the u of c but everything was run by yam

this was posted today. no feedback on the quality of the course but i've heard from people that got some laps on boulder with this rig. kind of a cool idea with the mobile on hill classroom. http://list.thestoke.ca/posts/56487

Something to think about for the coming weekend...message fatigue.
http://www.avalanche.ca/cac/bulletins/forecaster-blog


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On another note, anyone have any ice climbing experience, and solid skiing ability? I have a line i've been looking at for a couple years...obviously not going to happen until / if things are really stable later. It's filled in really nice this year. Ice section is only WI3 and 2 pitches.

Another 10 cm overnight and snowing hard. 58 in the past three days. I think I'll go skiing today!

Red chair finally opened at Castle this morning. Windy and variable vis but awesome charge-able snow (wetter than usual, seems to be covering up many of the ski-eating sharks in the alpine). North aspects are loaded with silly amounts of snow, 20-30cm crowns abundant. Set off a scary one poking into the huckleberry cliffs - about 30cm deep, wall-to-wall in the ~30ft wide chute and cracking about 60ft downhill. Got the heart rate up. Might be up again tomorrow morning if the freezing level drops.

March Madness continues! This is the third year in a row that Ullr has delivered powy goodness in the first half of the month. Hopefully the second half follows suit. According to history it should.....

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Originally Posted by goldenshowers

March Madness continues! This is the third year in a row that Ullr has delivered powy goodness in the first half of the month. Hopefully the second half follows suit. According to history it should.....

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Nice!! Where was the snow level today? weather office was saying 1600

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Originally Posted by Fat Mike

Nice!! Where was the snow level today? weather office was saying 1600

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It was still snowing (legit snow, not slush shit) at base when I left at 2. I love how the KH snow report said 1cm in the past 12h this morning, when the dogtooth station said like 8.5cm and still nukin'.

I kind of assumed march and april would be rainy shitty weather. Happy to be wrong.