Winter Longhike
Introduction
Everything is different when you go into the backcountry in the winter; that's why there is Winter Longhike, an introductory trip for winter camping. This is usually a big trip with lots of keen people aboard who want to get out, learn some new skills, and sleep in their very own snow shelter while still managing to have fun too. It's an easy, beginner friendly trip, so if you've never even seen snow before you can still have a good time. Other fun activities that often happen at Winter Longhike are a cooking competition, sing alongs, costume competitions, and the occasional great ski run on Sunday.
Past destinations have included:
- Red Heather Meadows in Garibaldi Park
- Fat Dog Creek in Manning Park
- Falls Lake (Coquihalla)
- Mt. Seymour
For dates see Trip agenda.
Equipment List
Personal
In winter especially, none of your clothing should be made out of cotton. Anything synthetic is safe. Just remember, Cotton Kills.
- sleeping pad
- sleeping bag (rated for winter or 3 season if you sleep warm)
- garbage bags (2-3)
- warm jacket (fleece or down)
- warm pants (fleece or thick long underwear)
- long underwear
- layers (fleece or wool sweaters)
- toque, mitts (2 pairs, or a set of waterproof shells)
- goggles and avalanche beacon if skiing Sunday
- warm socks (2 pairs, wool/wool mix)
- waterproof jacket (goretex or coated nylon)
- waterproof pants (goretex or coated nylon)
- gaiters
- cup, bowl, spoon, knife
- good waterproof boots (wax them before the trip) or ski boots
- skis and skins if skiing, or snowshoes
- poles
- toothbrush etc.
- sunscreen and glasses (we can hope, right?)
- water bottle (1L)
- lunch, snacks, breakfast, dinner contribution (in winter you will need 2500-3500 calories per day, fat-rich stuff keeps you warm)
- headlamp
- gas money for your driver
- camera if you want
If you want to go skiing on Sunday before heading out to the cars, make sure to bring
- avalanche transceiver
- shovel
- probe (optional but recomended)
Small Group
3-4 people per group, organized at trip meeting along with car groups
- shovels (1-2)
- probe
- stove + fuel + lighter (you'd be surprised how often one of these stays home)
- pots
Big Group
Everyone
- first aid kits (2)
- song books (4)
- snow saw
- maps, compass, etc
Winter Longhike 2007
Date: January 13-14
There will also be a mandatory dry school on Wednesday Jan 10th at 6pm in the VOC clubroom to arrange rides, food, driving instructions, and go over some snowcave theory.
Location: Winter Longhike will be at Manning Park and Fat Dog Creek Mt. Seymour due to the weather.
Driving Instructions
Coming Across Lions Gate on HWY #1
- Take the Fern St exit 22 to Capilan College/Mt. Seymour Park/Deep Cove 0.3km
- Turn left at Fern St 0.4km
- Turn right at Mr. Seymour Pkwy 4.4km
- Turn left at Mt. Seymour Rd 13.4km
Coming Across Second Narrows on HWY #1
- Merge onto Fern St/ Capilan College via exit 22 to Mt. Seymour Pkwy 0.4km
- Turn right at Mt. Seymour Pkwy 4.4km
- Turn left at Mt. Seymour Rd 13.4km
We are meeting at the trailhead at 8:30am. The trailhead is located at the BC Parks Information Kiosk at the end of the upper parking lot.
Parking is available at the lowermost parking lot in a designated overnight parking area. You are supposed to check in at the Guest Services building and give them your licence plate number, when you're expected back, emergency contact number, etc...
We are taking the Mount Seymour Trail and Camping between the First and Second Pumps past Brockton Point.
Mount Seymour: Length: 4 km. Suggested time: 2.5 hours. Elevation change, 450 m. A busy trail that starts near the north end of the top parking lot, traversing Brockton Point and First and Second Pump Peaks. From the summit there is a panoramic view of Vancouver, the Lower Mainland and, on a clear day, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. Moderate to difficult. From Parking Lot 4 along the Mount Seymour Trail to Second Pump Peak serves as a winter route.
trail map http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/mt_seymr/mtseymour.pdf
Sign-up
- Instructor Sign-up
- Andrew Pare
- Christian Veenstra (can't do dryschool)
- Sandra Nicol
- Craig Alfredson
- Student Sign-up
- Aurore Ponvienne
- Christian Sampaleanu
- Christian Champagne
- Piotr Forysinski
- Bronwyn Jarvis
- Kaitlin Vandenbosch
- Trevor Scudamore
- Ben Singleton-Polster
- Afton Halloran
- Clint Morgan
- Liz Cross
- Matthew Baker
- Jason Bedard
- Tracy Wilkinson
- Irena Kuca
- Leila Larson
- Holger Feser
- Rick Havlak
- Edward Estabrook
- Lara Thompson
- Mary Anne Thompson
- Alice Leppitt
- Rueben Schulz (will be a few minutes late to dryschool)
- Andrew McGechaen
- Gregory Stegeman
- Peter Eugster
- Daniel McLaren
- Sverre Frisch
- Bob Lai
- Alix MacKay
- Marcus Rohrbach (will be a few minutes late to dryschool)
- Stephanie Reczka
- Matthew Carroll
- Robyn Barnett
- Diane Moug
- Ashlee Jollymore (will be late to dryschool)
- Jamie Moskowitz
- Marco Faustmann
- Dylan Weil
- Emily Kwok
- Yanna Martinek
- Matthew Breakey
- Inho Choi
- Line Christiansen
- Nicholas Edgar
Rides
Since this is such a big trip, rides are usually coordinated at the dry school on Wednesday January 10th to match drivers with passengers who live close to them. However, please indicate here if you have a car, where you are leaving from and how many people you can transport.
- Drivers Name [email, location leaving from, # of passengers]
- Lara Thompson [thompson@phas.ubc.ca, MacD&Broadway, 3]
- Mom
- Alice
- someone else?
- Sandra Nicol [sandra.nicol@telus.net, 7th and Oak but will come to UBC, 4]
- Christian Veentra
- Piotr
- Matthew Carroll
- Stephen Mullen
- Clint Morgan [clint@cs.ubc.ca, Kits, 3 comfy/4 cozy]
- Bob Lai [tawcan@gmail.com, UBC, 5,skier or snowshoes] Looking for someone with a white gas stove. Pete only has a propane one which probably won't work too well in the cold.
- Pete Eugster
- Ashlee Jollymore
- Passenger #3
- Passenger #4
- Passenger #5
- Roland Burton [rwburton@interchange.ubc.ca, UBC, 3 w/snowshoes, 2 w/skis] We will go home on Sunday as soon as we are ready.
- Afton
- Aurore
- Dave (Roland's son)
- Megan
- Tracy Wilkinson [tbw_2@hotmail.com, full car ]
- Full
- Matthew Breakey [hairycow@gmail.com, Mac&4th, 3: like to get a few turns in]
- Nick Edgar
- passenger 2 (skier or snowshoes)
- passenger 3 (skier or snowshoes)
- Jennifer Ness [jenmcthechic@hotmail.com, UBC, 4 leaving early sun morning]
- Moi
- Kristina Shu
- Dan Eagen
- Greg Stegeman
- Edward Estabrook [edward.estabrook@gmail.com, 3rd&Arbutus, 4 w/ seat belts or ~8 without ; [will ski Sunday]
- passenger 1
- passenger 2
- passenger 3
- passenger 4
- Andrew Pare [a_pare@hotmail.com, East Van, 3]
- Stephanie Reczka
- Bronwyn
- Christian Sampaleanu
- Flether Stevens [retch7@hotmail.com, Kits, 3]
- Marcus Rohrback
- Christian Champagne
- passenger 3
Past Events
Winter Longhike 2006
Winter Longhike 2006 was held at Red Heather Meadows, January 28-29
Winter Longhike 2005
Held at the Falls Lake Area. While going north on the Coquihalla highway, take the Falls Lake exit (last one before the toll booth) and go under the highway to the west side. You should be able to see VOC people there, and it is a short two to three kilometer hike to the campsite by the lake.