Friday, March 21, 2014

BANFF - CVF CONVENTION 2014 UPDATES

CANADIAN VOLKSSPORT FEDERATION - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND CONVENTION - 2014

Host Club: St Albert Trekkers

Convention Chairperson: David Hall

http://cvfconvention2014.ca/Home.php

Latest up dated message from David Hall:

When our club decided to hold the convention in Banff we knew we had to set up some extra walks.  There was just one walk sanctioned in Banff.  So under the direction of our trail master – Niels Breum, we set up the following walks:
President’s Walk   This guided walk led by 18 leaders goes out to the Bow Falls and famous Banff Springs Hotel. The 10 km part of the walk also walks through the campus of Banff Centre – a school of  Fine Arts and business leadership.
Convention Walk  This guided walk goes up to  the historic Cave and Basin Sulphur Hot Springs and Cascade Gardens.
Seasonal and YRE Walks   YRE Central, located in the Black Bear room, is where you can register for all the YREs and Seasonal walks in the Banff and surrounding area.  After walking, come back once to get your books stamped.   We think it will work well.  These walks include:
Starting from the Banff Park Lodge Hotel
Banff YRE, Banff Historical, Hoodoos,  Tunnel Mountain, Vermilion Lakes and Sundance Canyon.
Starting from the Sulphur Mountain Gondola parking lot  (reachable by bus or a short car ride) 
    The Sulphur Mountain 6 or  11 km walk is a hike up about 12 switchbacks to the top of Sulphur Mountain.  Not for the faint of heart but nice to say you have done it!!  Views!!
Within an hours drive of the Banff town site there are the following walks:
Canmore 5 & 11 km YRE, Johnston Canyon, Boom Lake, Emerald Lake  5 & 11 km, Lake Louise  5 and 12 km, and Moraine Lake  5 and  10 km  (the 12 km Lake Louise and 10 km Moraine Lake routes might be iffy at this time of year, so we will update you just before the convention),
And of course there are walks in Calgary, Airdrie and Okotoks, not very far to the East.  If you are into Dinosaurs there is a walk in Drumheller, Dinosaur capital of the world.
Favourite Walks   I get asked what is your favourite walk David?  That is tough.  In the Banff town site I would say it is a tie between the Hoodoos and Tunnel Mountain.  Outside the town site it is also a tie between Johnston Canyon, Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. Oops, maybe Emerald Lake is also tied!!  All these mountain walks are terrific. 
If you are staying longer in Alberta then it is best you check out the walks on the Alberta website as well as the convention website:
Spring is in the air.  The first bear of the season has been seen in Banff.  A 225 Kg male grizzly!  (I hope I don’t see him!)     Look forward to seeing you in just over 2 months.
David

Monday, March 17, 2014

MIRA PARK 16 MARCH 2014

THANK YOU TO DIANE CLARKE FOR THIS PHOTO AND THE REMAINDER OF THE PICTURES IN THIS SERIES OF PHOTOS IN MIRA PARK 16 MARCH 2014

Click on Photo Gallery to the right of this page for more pictures of this walk event




The snow is not that deep!! Judy Lorway & Lucy Nardini in the foreground

The Cape Breton Island Hoppers out on the trails in Mira Provincial Park, Albert Bridge, Mira, Cape Breton.
Excellent weather conditions, the sun kept coming out from behind the clouds and most of the snow had been reduced to only ankle deep in some places.
We decided to track out on to the trail without snowshoes as we encountered  bare conditions and mud and only a few places where the snow was actually over our ankles.
Turned out to be a great work out for those wanting a little more exercise!!
More photos are available in "Photo Gallery Section" Right hand-side of this page.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

WALK/SNOWSHOE EVENT - MIRA PROVINCIAL PARK

According to long term weather forecast we should have a mixture of light rain/sunny day this coming Sunday 16 March.

NO MATTER THE WEATHER its time to get out and walk with your club members, shake off the winter blues and start thinking about spring.

Albert Bridge, Mira
Mira Provincial Park, Brickyard Road, Sunday 16 March 1:30pm Registration 2:00pm Guided Walk begins

More then likely this will be a WALK EVENT through the park lanes and trails.
The heavy rains we are experiencing at this time will more then likely get rid of most of the heavy snow. 

However:Keep the snowshoes handy!Keep the rain gear even handier!Its Cape Breton weather, be prepared for anything!

No matter how slow you walk, your moving faster then a couch potato. Lets get out and Walk for the Health of it!