Club Events 2010
| 2010-01-09: EOC - Photo Scavenger Hunt, EOC 2010 Celebration!, and CCC - Optimistic MAN | ||||||
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| EOC - Photo Scavenger Hunt - Old Strathcona\n Even though there were only seven of us for the event today, we had a great time. We paired up a newbie with an \"oldbie\" (or two) and set out to find the random and strange items that Brent and I dreamt up last fall. We had lots of prizes, with Geoff and Henry winning hands-down at getting the most items, and we considered it a toss-up between Erin, Linda and Charlotte for most creative. I was impressed with Charlotte's \"City Bus Sign\" photo (hopefully she'll e-mail that to me), and Linda and Erin's two-for photo of a Pay Phone with a bullet hole (Broken Window). Henry is a photo scavenger hunt maniac and I was most impressed with his team's photos of a Three-Inch+ Heel, Ghost, Plate of Spaghetti, 8-Track Tape, Theatre Ticket, and Satisfied Telus Customer. Lessons learned: - Don't use the Black Dog pub as a meeting place... it is always closed! - iPhones are awesome for photo scavenger hunts because of their thumbnail feature Thanks to everyone who came out - it was loads of fun! - Rhonda EOC - EOC 2010 Celebration!\n The EOC 2010 Celebration was a fantastic way to kick off the New Year. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces as well as the many upcoming new members. A good time was had by all! Great food, great company and great times! There was lots of mingling as everyone tried to guess their new identities and many found out that they weren't as smart as a hiking stick after all, let alone a 5th grader! The Silent Auction for Mike's Art raised $160.00 for a noteworthy cause, The World Wildlife Fund. Thanks to all who took part in the bidding and a special note of thanks to Cliff for his assistance in organizing the paintings. All of the misfit toys and unwanted gifts were assembled to be claimed by unsuspecting \"re-gifters.\" Highlights included a dancing snowman and a portable cardboard hiker's toilet for Larry. Thanks \"Vanna\" for assisting Mark with the gift exchange. The 2010 Celebration was a success due to the tremendous team effort and spirit of participation. Thanks to the co-coordinators of the event; Ryan, Sandie, Mark and Mae as well as the many volunteers who helped to organize and decorate the venue; Donna, Rhonda, Brent,and Ken. Apologies if we missed anyone. Thanks to all of the members for coming out and making it a Great Celebration, see you on another event soon! Happy Trails and Blue Skies, as always, Mae. | ||||||
| 2010-01-10: EOC - Find Your Ski Legs at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre | ||||||
| We came, we saw, we flailed. It was perfect. Temps were slightly above zero so there was some red wax used (for the couple of people who needed it... the rest of us were on waxless skis). There were four experienced folk who set out on their own to explore the blue and black trails, while I took the beginners out onto the green trails. We did Owl Loop counter-clockwise, then turned around and did Owl and Wagon Loop clockwise. We met up at the lodge at 2:30-ish *cough cough* for a snack break. Some of us took our leave after that, while the rest headed out for more skiing. Thanks to everyone who came out for a fantastic day, - Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-01-12: EOC - Walk@Lunch: 100 Ave Hill | ||||||
| 2010-01-15: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Railtown Park - Ribbon of Steel | ||||||
| 2010-01-17: CCC - Fire MAN | ||||||
| 2010-01-18: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Railtown Park - Victoria Promenade | ||||||
| 2010-01-21: EOC - Walk@Lunch: 100 Ave / Victoria Park Road Hill | ||||||
| This walk is shaping up to become my \"walk that never happens\": The first time I posted it, it was too cold to walk so I cancelled it. The second time I posted it, Ellen and I did the Victoria Promenade instead Today, Christine went to the wrong location, so instead of doing the proposed walk, I went down to the Legislature Grounds to scout out a new walk route. Future.....? -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-01-24: EOC - Multiple Events | ||||||
| EOC - Strathcona Wilderness Centre\n Although it was biting cold in town, it was quite pleasant out at Strathcona. We quickly split into two groups, with the faster folks going to check out some of the more challenging \"black diamond\" trails and the rest of us exploring around the blue and green trails. There was a lot of hoar frost and fluffy snow on the trees making for an absolutely gorgeous winter wonderland. Thanks to all who came out - it was a terrific outing! -- Rhonda EOC - Dim Sum at Golden Rice Bowl | ||||||
| 2010-01-26: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Tiny Park Tour | ||||||
| 2010-01-30: COC - XC Ski - Great Divide Trail - Slow Pace | ||||||
| Except for the part where Ken forgot his ski boots back in Calgary, this was a perfect day. The mountains were beautiful (of course), and the weather was great. It was an out-and-back trip, so everyone was able to go at their own pace and go as far as they wanted. Either it was a fantastic group today, or I'm a real task-master since every single person managed to get back within 15 minutes of my intended \"rally\" time. Yes, of course it's because it was a fantastic group. After we skid, we went up to the lake to have a quick look at the ice sculptures. The theme this year, the Olympics, of course. Thanks to all who came out - hope to see you all on more of our trips this year! -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-02-02: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Jasper - Legislature Grounds Loop | ||||||
| 2010-02-03: EOC - Walk n' Wings | ||||||
| 2010-02-08: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Railtown Park - Victoria Promenade | ||||||
| 2010-02-13: EOC - Ice Hike and Snow Shoeing - Maligne Canyon Area | ||||||
| Once again I flew by the seat of my pants, and once again it worked out just fine. Peter was very familiar with Maligne Canyon, and speculated that Bridge 5 would be a good place to get onto the canyon (as opposed to the main parking lot). Then, Amanda showed up and said that she heard that Bridge 5 was the launching point for ice hikes. And voila! We drove to Bridge 5 and started hiking. Although there was no ice for the first bit, and no promise of ice, what with all that free-flowing water, but after a short bit of hiking and thinking I owed everyone an apology for the iceless-ness of the canyone... Yay! There was the ice! It was frozen! It was thick! It was interesting! It was wonderful! It was the best of Johnston Canyon, and the best of Grotto Canyon, and a little bit of Troll Falls, some Nihahi Creek, a smidgen of Karst Spring, and even a little Rats Nest Cave all thrown into one amazing spot. We hiked Maligne Canyon, and then the group proceeded, without me (still recovering from a cold) to do Old Fort Point, which looked beautiful as well. Thanks to all who came out, and to Ben, our wonderful shuttle van driver - it was a great day. :) -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-02-15: EOC - Potluck and Board Game Night | ||||||
| A great evening. We had only nine people, so we all played together rather than splitting into groups. We played \"Outbursts\" and then \"Balderdash\" and enjoyed some great goodies from everyone. The Belmead room worked out great - we'll definitely do this again! Thanks to all for coming out. -- Rhonda & Brent | ||||||
| 2010-02-17: EOC - Walk@Lunch: 100 Ave / Victoria Park Road Hill | ||||||
| 2010-02-19: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Tiny Park Tour | ||||||
| Today was my lucky day. The only person who joined me was Angela, who had done one walk with me before - the \"Tiny Park Tour\". Rather than make her do a re-run, I suggested that we do the \"Ribbon of Steel\" walk instead, and for the rest of the event, Angela played tour guide and took me through Ezio Faraone park, showed me the plaque for the High Level Bridge, and suggested a return route past the Grandin School. Thanks Angela! -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-02-20: COC - Ski from Peter Lougheed Info Center, and CCC - Young MAN | ||||||
| COC - Ski from Peter Lougheed Info Center (Slow/Moderate Pace) This was an absolutely perfect day with great weather, excellent ski conditions, and a fantastic group. We split into faster and slower groups early on, and I never did find out if the faster group split again or not, but due to some \"low energy-ness\", the slower group split again. It was nice having such a big group, because we were able to split up and everyone still had people to do their stuff with. The pokiest, low-energy-est group did a short loop using Amos trail, while the next-to-pokiest group did a longer loop using Packers (my favorite). Thanks to all who came out - hope to see you again! -- Rhonda CCC - Young MAN | ||||||
| 2010-02-22: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Jasper - Legislature Grounds Loop | ||||||
| 2010-02-27: EOC - Blackfoot Recreation Area - Slow Paced X-C Ski | ||||||
| Due to a lack of planning on our parts, we were not able to get ski rentals for Brent on time for this event, so we moved the event to Strathcona Wilderness where we could rent skis on-site. Thanks to everyone for their patience and understanding with that. Oy. We split into three groups (fast, medium, slow) and enjoyed some beautiful weather along with icy and challenging ski conditions. All-in-all it was an enjoyable day, but a strong reminder to me of why I don't like x-c in the springtime. Thanks to everyone who came out! -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-03-02: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Railtown Park - Victoria Park Road Stairs | ||||||
| 2010-03-05: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Tiny Park Tour | ||||||
| 2010-03-10: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Railtown Park - Victoria Promenade | ||||||
| 2010-03-13: EOC and ANDWA - Mt. Yamnuska Shoulder Hike and Scree Run | ||||||
| The Yamnuska Scree Run is one of my personal favorite trips, and it is doubly fun to share it with people who've never done it before (but are adventurous enough to try). We had a glorious day, in spite of driving through a blizzard on the way out, and a bit of ice and snow on the trail, but the conditions, over all, were fantastic for this outing. We trudged up the total 700m (including ups and downs), even though I thought the trip was only 300-400m gain total (oops). Then, across the front of the cliff, including the scary clay part that wasn't really all that scary. I heard, a couple of times (cheers, Niti), \"Do we go down here?\" before it was time, and once I'd located our proper path, and said, \"Here's where we go down\", her response was \"But it's so steep!\". A few charged down the hill (mostly those of us with experience), and Krystian had an amazing run down (video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_OC_fHzO3s). Several others took the more cautious \"walking\" approach, but everyone seemed to have a wonderful scree-ming adventure. Thanks to all who came out! -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-03-14: ANDWA - Potluck Brunch, and Candy MAN | ||||||
| ANDWA - Potluck Brunch at R&Bs; Calgary Pad CCC - Candy MAN | ||||||
| 2010-03-16: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Jasper - Legislature Grounds Loop | ||||||
| 2010-03-19: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Railtown Park - Victoria Park Road Stairs | ||||||
| 2010-03-20: ANDWA - Mongolian Grill and then Mark Sterling at Festival Place | ||||||
| 2010-03-28: ANDWA - Sushi in MuuMuus | ||||||
| 2010-03-31: EOC - Walk@Lunch: Railtown Park - Ribbon of Steel | ||||||
| 2010-04-01: COC and EOC April Fool's Events, and CCC Farewell MAN | ||||||
| COC - Sweatin To The Oldies OutdoorPhil COC - Backpacker training: Relocate WEM to Balzac \n With the EOC's \"Spruce Up the Calgary Tower\" event getting all the attention today, we were able to quietly and methodically move the West Edmonton Mall from it's traditional home on the west end of Edmonton to its new home at CrossIron Mills without either the Edmonton Police Service or Calgary Police Service even noticing! The hardest parts were getting the mall to start moving. In spite of the 3M bungee cords we used to pull, it just wouldn't budge, but our ever-creative Lana got busy handing out spoons to the crew and we were able to un-stick the worst of the stuck spots and finally started making some progress. It also helped that David M single-handedly carried the Galaxyland rollercoaster down separately. Since dogs were allowed on this event, many attendees brought their poochies to help with the efforts, and some even took the liberty of bringing other animals too. Thank goodness Leslie brought a reindeer to provide traffic reports from the sky and Randy brought his llama. I don't know what we would have done without them! Shelley's burly marmots with their packs were also very helpful. All together, we had: - 100 Pit-Bulls who've won a truck-pulling contest (Geoff C) - 101 chihuahuas to keep the pit bulls in line (Hilary E) - Guard Dogs to keep Chihuahuas & Pit Bulls in line (Geoff C's guest, Chain G) - Border Collie to round up ALL the dogs. (Diane I) - 3/Boxer, collie and poodle (to help pull) (Angela H) - 12 - great danes - we need a team to pull (Lisa S) - 1, \"moon-calf \"a mixed breed = logistics expert (Roland H) - 1, a pointer, when above dog go's for tea (often) (Roland's guest, Obelisk) - 100 husky style...they'll help pull :) (Joanne N) - 1 My \"backpack\" Llama !!! (Randy J) - forget that, I am bringing cats to supervise (Mandy D) - Reindeer to provide traffic reports from the sky (Leslie N) - A pack of wild dogs from the zoo. (Valerie B) - 2 to help pull (Bruce F) - 100 Greyhounds (Garry Y) - a whole lot of big dogs (Elizabeth O) - Lazy Black labs, good overseers Newman & Blue (Allie B) - 2 very burly marmots (with packs) (Shelley R) - 6 Karelian Bear Dogs (Geoff C's guest, Grizzy B) - 37 heavy, wet saint bernards (Jodie S) - Hercules, the world's biggest digital dog (Ivan D) - Babe the Blue Ox (Ivan's guest, Paul B) - Terry Pratchett's Discworld Elephants (Ivan's guest, The Hulk) Thanks to all who came out to help, and for the donation of 1.3 million garden gnomes to fill the green space we left behind in Edmonton. -- Rhonda, Ann, Marg EOC - Spruce up the Calgary Tower\n Although we didn't actually get to go decorate the Calgary Tower, there was still a lot of excitement for EOC this day. The Calgary Police Service caught on to our evil plot and advised that the event posting was a bad idea because we'd be the prime suspects if someone actually vandalized the tower. EOC volunteer, Peter M, told the Calgary Herald about the conversation with CPS, and an article in that paper resulted. It must have been a slow news day because after the Herald article came out, I was asked for a TV interview with CTV and a radio interview with CBS. Thanks to all of you for humoring me in my annual antic. It's going to be hard to top this one! Now... does anyone have a use for 70 cases of sequins? I might have to put them on E-Bay... -- Rhonda I didn't make it to the Calgary tower. I managed to get hold of a long handled paint roller, scaffold, boa and glitter but could not get a balaclava. My wife had promised to take care of it for me but ordered dessert from a Greek restaurant by mistake. -- Alan CCC - Farewell MAN | ||||||
| 2010-04-04: COC - Slow Sundays - Confederation Park & Neighbourhoods (Slow Pace) | ||||||
| We had a good day exploring the neighbourhoods surrounding Confederation Park as well as the Park. I am happy that I changed that as stated in the book concerning the venture across John Laurie to Nose Hill since this cut down some of the kilometers as well kept us sheltered from the wind. At the end of the day all had less clothing on so thus it was a good workout. Here is the stats for our walk from my GPS unit: A visual is provided in the picture album. The one and only since I did not bring my camera. Please though note that we did not go north on 14 Street but remained on John Laurie where we meet up with Huron Avenue which was east of 14 Street. Thanks for all for coming out:>). Hoppy Easter. Janet | ||||||
| 2010-04-15: ANDWA - Korean Dinner at Bulgogi House (Edmonton) | ||||||
| 2010-04-17: ANDWA - Canyon Creek Ice Cave - cycle/hike | ||||||
| 2010-04-18: ANDWA - Lunch at Milestones, and CCC Best MAN | ||||||
| 2010-04-26: ANDWA - Sushi at Sakana Grill - Chinatown | ||||||
| 2010-05-01: DPV Event Blitz | ||||||
In honor of our friend, Peter Vu, COC volunteers hosted a \"Dat Peter Vu Event Blitz\" day today. Peter attended his first COC event in January 2007, and was at the top of our \"Most Active Members\" list for close to a year. All together, Peter attended 377 events, and (among other things that Peter was famous for), he was famous for attending multiple events in one day, with his most impressive multi-event accomplishment being attending four events on June 14, 2009. We lost our dear friend to cancer on February 6th 2010, and will always miss his warmth and energy on events. To participate in celebrating the life and spirit of Peter, COC members were encouraged to attend as many events on DPV Event Blitz Day as possible. Everyone who participated and attended 3+ events is noted on our \"Dat Peter Vu Wall of Fame\" below. Thanks to all who came out, to all who participated in DPV Event Blitz Day, and to all those who donated to the VuLocity team's Ride to Conquer Cancer. If your name is not here, but it should be, please contact me to let me know which 3+ events you did so I can add you! -- Rhonda
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| 2010-05-02: ANDWA - Potluck Brunch at R&Bs; Calgary Pad, and CCC Mondegreen MAN 2 | ||||||
| 2010-05-06: ANDWA - LOCATION AND TIME CHANGE Sushi Tour: Wasabi (Edmonton) | ||||||
| 2010-05-09: ANDWA - Sushi in MuuMuus | ||||||
| 2010-05-15: CCC - Instrumental MAN | ||||||
| 2010-05-22: COC - Highwood Pass (Hwy 40) from North Winter Gate | ||||||
| I held out 'til the last minute for decent conditions, but this ride was not to be for today. Not at Highwood Pass, anyway. Ten of us decided to do an urban ride instead and did a little over 50km from Shouldice down to Inglewood, on to Carburn, west into town and up to the reservoir, then north into downtown and back to Shouldice. Then, true to her promise, Lori plied us with hamburgers at her place. It was a pretty great day in spite of not doing what we set out to do. There are still a few chances left to get there this year. There was some confusion about when the winter gate opens, and turns out I was wrong... it does open on June 15th (not June 1st). Hope some of you can make it... I will have to wait 'til next year. -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-05-23: COC - Inline Skating - Edworthy to Downtown - Slow/Moderate Pace | ||||||
| 2010-05-26: EOC - Lovely River Valley Cycle - McKinnon Ravine to Forrest Heights Park - Slow Pace (16km/hour max) | ||||||
| Well yes, yes it was a Lovely River Valley Cycle. Vadim had the time and meeting place mixed up, and took off like a rocket at 6:10 hoping to catch up with us on our journey... only problem was our journey didn't start 'til close to 7:00. By the time he called me, he was already at the Shaw Conference Center, turned around, and was almost back to the meeting spot before we trundled along to meet him. But meet him we did, and we had a fantastic evening. We kept to the putt-putt pace and everyone seemed satisfied with that - we stayed together well and everyone climbed every hill (ok, two of them), without having to get off and *ahem* \"cross train\" (especially not Serge). It was a perfect evening - warm-ish and clear-ish. The pathways reflected that - there must have been thousands of people on the trails tonight. Thanks to everyone who came out, and thanks to Brent for leading us on this lovely river valley cycle. It was fantastic! -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-05-31: ANDWA - Sushi Tour Side Trip to Guru Indian Restaurant | ||||||
| 2010-06-04: EOC - Lovely River Valley Cycle - Edmonton Queen East to ?? - Slow Pace (16km/hour) | ||||||
| 2010-06-05: EOC - Eco Home Tour - Open House | ||||||
| This was a fantastic day. The weather was great - we had a brief period of cloud and wind, but for the most part, a blue-sky, warm sunny day. We rode about 27.5km (not the 16km that Brent promised us) to do the entire tour, seeing four eco-friendly homes, and the school which had, among other things, solar-cooked cookies and a bike-powered slushie maker. On the return trip, we stopped for ice cream at What's The Scoop in Old Strathcona. I enjoyed showing of Mu, my folding bike, to a few folks. Thanks for a wonderful day, Brent, and thanks to Christine for forwarding us the info about the Eco Home tour which we wouldn't have considered otherwise. -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-06-08: EOC - Lovely River Valley Cycle - Rail Line (Max. 16 KPH) | ||||||
| It was great to be able to get out tonight - the weather didn't look very promising this morning. But, true to the forecast (!), it cleared more and more throughout the day and we did end up with a lovely evening. It was a slow-paced 20km with a couple of new folks (welcome, new folks!) and a stop at Tim Horton's for an Iced Cap' in the middle. Thanks, Brent, for another Lovely River Valley ride! -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-06-12: ANDWA - Nihahi Ridge Approach - Rhonda Pace (SLOWWWW... Ed, this means YOU) | ||||||
| 2010-06-13: ANDWA - Potluck Brunch at R&Bs; Calgary Pad, and CCC Dream MAN | ||||||
| 2010-06-14: EOC - Bikeology Movies at the Metro | ||||||
| 2010-06-15: EOC - Multiple Events | ||||||
| EOC - Easy / Novice Rollerblade\n EOC - Beginner Easy Mountain Biking\n We decided to shake things up and do something different this evening. Instead of our usual biking or hiking, we decided to do a double-header... easy roller-blading followed by easy mountain biking. Although it was not an officially \"lovely\" event, it was a lovely evening. We had lots of fun watching Linda fall, almost fall, and skate into the bushes. Andrew and Eldon joined us for both events, and Andrew helped with extending the mountain biking fun when we ran out of trails in McKinnon Ravine to play on (he took us across the river to some easy trails over there). Neil was with us for skating, and kept skating afterwards and we saw him a few times on the paths (although we aren't stalking him). Thanks to everyone who came out for either, or both, event. We had a lot of fun! -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-06-19: EOC - River Valley Ride and Bikeology Day Festival, and CCC PI3 MAN | ||||||
| 'Twas a beautiful day as the promised thunder showers did not arrive and a small group of hardy souls took to the trails and streets to visit the Bikeology Park'ed Street Party. Bikes, pedestrians, street performers, a farmers market, educational booths and food stalls took over parts of 102 Ave and 104 St downtown. Our group had free chocolate on 102 Ave, free smoothies and free bike repairs at Beaver Hills Park as we wandered about the site checking out the sights, sounds, smells and goings-on. A thoroughly pleasant day for all involved. Thanks riders. -- Brent | ||||||
| 2010-06-20: Multiple Events | ||||||
| EOC - WEM to Clifford E Lee Nature Area (Moderate pace) 18 - 21 KpH A great day, and a great ride. Thankfully, Andrew stuck with us, and although we didn't meet the event minimum, the three of us decided to head out anyway and had a great time. A bit of a head wind on the way out, and a bit of a tail wind on the way back. Andrew and I felt pretty done by the end, and although Brent never admitted to being done as well, he did whine a little bit climbing the stairs after we got home. Traffic was heavy but patient. The slough at Clifford E Lee is almost non-existent... evidence of the 7-year-drought we were hearing about from EOC member, Pete, at Ian's get-together last night. Thanks, Brent, for a fantastic day! -- Rhonda ANDWA - Back Yard Durian Party (Edmonton) | ||||||
| 2010-06-24: EOC - Lovely River Valley Cycle - East Ender- Slow Pace (16km/hour) | ||||||
| Sometimes the weather gods are kind, and sometimes not so much. Sometimes it pays to heed the forecast, and sometimes it's better to pay attention to your own eyes and instincts. They were calling for thunder showers from 4PM on, and escalating starting at 10PM, but aside from a very few drops right around 9:15 (as we were walking into the pub after the ride), there was NO RAIN. Brent and I waffled about cancelling the event because the forecasts were so adamant that we'd be rained out, but we weren't. And, as usual, it was a very lovely lovely river valley cycle. Thanks to all who came out, and welcome to the club, Tony and King (I was very impressed that King did the 20kms with his rear tire wobbling like that)! -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-06-28: ANDWA - Sushi Tour: Miso (Edmonton) | ||||||
| 2010-07-07: EOC - Moderate Bike Ride: Groat Road to Castle Downs Park Return | ||||||
| After the torential rainfall of the late afternoon the sky cleared off and we had a beautiful, warm evening for a ride and a wonderful group of riders. Our route took us from Government House Park to Beaumaris Lake and back along some of the city's designated bicycle routes. For me, the most pleasant was the Park Bikeway Path (127 St.). Thanks to everyone who came out: Andrew, who was forced to drop out (very) early with mechanical problems. Lori, our brave (and defeated) bicycle mechanic from Calgary. Gay, who was on her first ride with Rhonda and I. \"Hi, Gay.\" King, as enthusiastic as ever, on his shiny new loaner bike. (Will he want to give it back?) Shane, new to the club, on his first event. Welcome. Sunny, who rejoined us for a cycle after participating in other activities for the last year. Welcome back. I hope everyone had a good time. I know Rhonda & I did. | ||||||
| 2010-07-17: COC - SEVENTH ANNUAL Pirates on the Bow - River Float: Bowness Park to Inglewood | ||||||
| Yarrr, mateys, 'twas a fine day for pillaging and plundering on the Bow River. Wars were waged, booty scored and havoc wreaked. We had a perfect day in amongst the relentless rain, hail and snow of late, and many fine fine themed pirate boats. It's hard to say which boat was best this year because they were all amazing - themes, costumes, props. We have photographic evidence of two minor injuries involving blood. Yarrrrr! Good thing there's no crying in pirates! Sadly, I won't say \"see you all next year\" as this is the last time that Marc and I will be hosting pirates. If you're interested in helping with a future event, please contact me and I will try to connect those folks who are interested. Thanks to all who came out; all who helped; and all who added to the fun! Bloody Anne Bonny (Rhonda) | ||||||
| 2010-07-18: ANDWA - Sushi in MuuMuus | ||||||
| 2010-07-21: EOC - Little Lebanon to Bikeworks Grocery/Bakery Tour | ||||||
| This event just got off to a bad start right out of the chute when Brent discovered that he'd left his pedal and wrench on the roof of the car when we left home for the event. Sunny thought he might have a spare bike to lend, but turned out his dad already had the spare. So, with great disappointment, Brent left the event to go in search of the missing pedal and wrench. The rest of us set out as planned, but it didn't take us long to just toss the planned route away and do our own thing. With road construction and heavy/crazy traffic, it was shaping up to be no fun at all. So, when we got to Little Italy, we tried to take La Dolce Vida up on their offer of \"Italian Ice Cream\" only to discover... it is a seedy bar with no \"Italian Ice Cream\" to be found. Christine suggested gellato on the far side of the High Level Bridge, which sounded good to us, so we headed through downtown on Sunny's Edmonton Ghetto Tour (although no one would let me stop for a \"25c Peep\" - party poopers) and across the High-Level Bridge. It was at the gellato place (good gellato, but it costs A MILLION DOLLARS and they only accept cash) that Brent actually caught up with us, after having found the pedal and wrench about seven blocks from where we live. Yay! We returned to our cars via Groat Road and 127, which I love. So, it turned out to be a great evening after all, with a good improvisation route, and Brent joining halfway through. Thanks to all who came out! -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-07-24: ANDWA - Picklejar Lakes from Lantern Creek - Rhonda Pace (SLOWWWW... Ed, this means YOU) | ||||||
| 2010-07-25: CCC - Food MAN | ||||||
| 2010-07-28: EOC - Lovely River Valley - River Valley Road to Terwillegar Park Return (16 KpH avg.) | ||||||
| It was a beautiful night for a ride as our hardy group set forth to explore the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River. This was a new route for the Lovely River Valley series and the coordinators hadn't pre-ridden it. There was a little exploring involved and everyone took a turn at the front of the pack as we made our way along the pathes. Our Route kept us close to the river as we took the rollercoaster-like gravel path to the top of Kiellor Rd. then back down again and passed the York Boat moored in the river near Fort Edmonton Park. We continued following the river until our path ended on the street near the new pedestrian foot bridge over the North Saskatchewan. Remaining on the south side, we climbed the hill into the neighbourhoods and paused for a spectacular view across the river from a truncated driveway; all that remains of a home that slipped into the river a few years ago. With our wristwatches telling us that we had used half of our allotted time, we eschewed the final drop down to Terwillegar Park, our intended destination, and headed back the way we had come. Terwillegar Park will have to wait for another opportunity. Thanks to everyone who came out. I had a great time. Brent (PolePole) | ||||||
| 2010-07-30: EOC - Brent's Stupid Hill and Cameron Heights Explorer | ||||||
| 2010-08-05: ANDWA - Sushi Tour: Furusato (Edmonton) | ||||||
| 2010-08-07: ANDWA - Backpack Berg Lake ***SLOWPOKE*** | ||||||
| 2010-08-14: COC - Novice Inline Skating - Edworthy to Downtown | ||||||
| 2010-08-15: COC - Grassi Lakes: Uber-Slowpoke, Beginner and Family Hike | ||||||
| Thanks everyone for joining Michelle, Rhonda and I on our super-slow hike and your patience while Rhonda teaches the ropes of being a great coordinator. We started out absolutely on time and everyone had company on their ride out to Canmore from the carpool. We met Belinda there who had driven out to meet us with her pooch, Oliver (my apologies if I got the name wrong Belinda!). The hike was short but spectacular. We had a chance meeting with an interpretive ranger person who gave us warnings that bears had been spotted in the area feeding on berries. She showed us the skull of a black bear and answered lots of questions. The views on the way up are not to be missed and the little lakes shine with jewel like brilliance. Who knew colours like that could occur in nature? After an extended snack stop (and a little wade in the cold water by Justin) we made our way back down to the trail head. Some of the group took the shorter route back the way we came while the members accompanied by dogs and a couple of others took the longer but easier fire road down. A few of us decided to head into downtown Canmore to have an ice cream cone since it was still very early. But we still made it back to Calgary by 2:00PM. Thanks again everyone! Rhonda, Michelle and Angela | ||||||
| 2010-09-04: EOC - Pigeon Lake Circuit - Slow/Moderate Pace (16km/hour avg) | ||||||
| 2010-09-09: ANDWA - Sushi Tour Side Trip to Mexico Lindo Restaurant | ||||||
| 2010-09-11: EOC - Bike and Camp: Collingwood Cove, Strathcona Wilderness | ||||||
| This event was a perfect model for the \"don't trust the forecasts\" rule in Alberta. The forecast was for 10-15mm of rain on Saturday and 5mm on Sunday. On Friday, they changed their minds and said \"Oh, no rain for the weekend\". Thank goodness we didn't cancel because it was a FANTASTIC weekend. Wonderful cycling conditions, great camping - including plenty warm tenting. Woo hoo! This was a first practice for self-supported cycle touring for a few of us, and we were all happy with the preparations we'd done. The only mishap, if you can call it a mishap, was that Kathy forgot to bring a thermarest. Strathcona Wilderness Centre is a wonderful facility. They let us walk our bikes up to the camp site so that we didn't have to worry about them being locked up elsewhere (or carry all our gear in on foot). They brought us four large jugs of water, provided firewood, an axe, and four heavy-duty weiner sticks. It doesn't get any better than that - we will be back!! Thanks to everyone who came out... especially Saeed who, eschewed the \"touring with gear\" and to atone for driving his gear out provided smores (my first ever in my life), smokies, and even a hot-water bottle for Kathy's feet. -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-09-12: EOC - Bike and Camp: Collingwood Cove, Strathcona Wilderness | ||||||
| 2010-09-25: ANDWA - Powderface Creek Consolation Hike (no Wenkch Pass) - Marg and Rhonda Group | ||||||
| 2010-09-26: ANDWA - Sushi in MuuMuus | ||||||
| 2010-09-30: ANDWA - Edmonton Restaurant Tour to Cosmos Greek Restaurant | ||||||
| 2010-10-09: ANDWA - Banff Legacy Trail | ||||||
| 2010-10-10: COC - Uber-Slowpoke Beginner and Family Hike: Big Hill Springs Provincial Park | ||||||
| Thanks everyone for a wonderful morning! Six of us drove from the carpool location and arrived in plenty of time to meet up with the rest of our group. Included in the hike were a few four legged friends - Ginger, J.J. and, well, another Ginger. We had a tag along we called Bear who we found out later was actually named Moose. A local dog who likes to hike with folks was gathered by his owner at the end of the hike. It was a coolish morning but not too cool for an easy morning hike. As close as this is to the city, I don't know why I've never been there before. The potential for all seasons is definitely there and I'm now curious as to what the scenery is like at other times. The trees were very bare at this time. Some of the group briefly explored the naturally occuring Tufa dam as well. It was a short hike but very enjoyable. We were all back in our cars by 11:30 AM. By that time the parking lot was quite full so this is definitely a popular family destination. Some of us weren't ready to go back to the city so we headed to Cochrane for a bit. The potential is definitely there to make this a combination in the future. Happy trails folks! Angela and Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-10-15: ANDWA - The Sojourners at Festival Place | ||||||
| 2010-10-16: EOC - Lovely River Valley Cycle - Rail Line (Max. 16 KPH) | ||||||
| On a day that felt much more pleasant than the predicted 8'C, a group of 11 cylists set out for a ride in Edmonton's lovely river valley. The pace was relaxed and the conversation was friendly. A break at Tim's for a snack at the mid-way point kept all of us happy and energized as we rode through the warm autumn air. Welcome to the E.O.C. Beth and Larry. And welcome to your first club rides Scott and Maria. I hope to see all of you again on some future events. | ||||||
| 2010-10-21: EOC - Movies at the Metro - \"Cool It\" | ||||||
| 2010-10-23: ANDWA - Burstall Pass - Marg & Rhonda Slow Pace! | ||||||
| 2010-10-24: ANDWA - Sushi in MuuMuus | ||||||
| 2010-10-28: ANDWA - Edmonton Restaurant Tour: Ernest's at NAIT | ||||||
| 2010-11-05: COC - Pigeon Lake - Camping / Walking / Cycling | ||||||
| 2010-11-06: COC - Pigeon Lake - Camping / Walking / Cycling | ||||||
| 2010-11-07: COC - Pigeon Lake - Camping / Walking / Cycling | ||||||
| 2010-11-10: ANDWA - Birthday pint at Flaire Lounge - Brent and Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-11-11: EOC - Afternoon hike - River Valley | ||||||
| We enjoyed a nice hike on a sunny but cold day in the River Valley via the McKinnon Ravine, Hawlerak Park and Emily Murphy Park. Afterwards, a few of us went to Brewsters for well-deserved food and drinks. Thanks very much to everyone for coming out today, and for being a great group to walk with! | ||||||
| 2010-11-13: ANDWA - Barrier Fire Lookout via Prairie View Trail - Slow Marg and Rhonda Pace | ||||||
| 2010-11-14: ANDWA - Lunch at Milestones - Brent and Rhonda, and CCC - Metaphor MAN | ||||||
| 2010-11-20: EOC - Oil City Derby Girls Bout: 4th Annual Sk8mare before Christmas | ||||||
| 2010-11-27: ANDWA - Multiple Events | ||||||
| ANDWA - House Concert with Ben Sures ANDWA - XC Ski at West Bragg Creek - Slow Pace | ||||||
| 2010-12-04: ANDWA - Jasper Winter Explorer | ||||||
| 2010-12-09: ANDWA - Edmonton Restaurant Tour: Brits Fish and Chips | ||||||
| 2010-12-10: CCC - Easy MAN | ||||||
| 2010-12-12: ANDWA - Dim Sum at Jumbo on the West End (Edmonton) | ||||||
| 2010-12-16: ANDWA - In These Shoes Day | ||||||
| 2010-12-21: EOC - Multiple Events | ||||||
| EOC - Blackfoot Recreation Area - Slow Paced X-C Ski\n Some mistakes just turn out SO GREAT! Since it was just me, Gord, Gord's wife and Gord's sister going skiing today, we decided to change our meeting location to something more convenient for them coming from St. Albert. We met up on the Yellowhead for a coffee, where we discovered that Carla had forgotten her ski poles in St. Albert. Oops. While discussing options - go to my place to get Brent's poles (which would be too long for Carla)... renting a pair of poles somewhere along the way... buying a pair of poles along the way... the suggestion came up that we could go skiing in St. Albert rather than going out to Blackfoot. I had no idea that the Kingswood Park and Riverlot 56 trail systems existed... but now I do, and am I ever glad that I do!! These trails are fantastic, and so close to town! I will be back. Here are the specs for what we did today, which was NOT Blackfoot, as scheduled: Draft Future Event for Kingswood and Riverlot 56. Thanks, Carla, for forgetting your ski poles at home!! -- Rhonda EOC - Candy Cane Lane\n With temperatures hovering in the high teens (with a minus!) we ventured out bundled up against the cold (one of us with a big furry hat and a long, warm coat). With some luck, we were given a reprieve from the wind and as we breathed in the fresh winter air, we briskly walked along Candy Cane Lane, taking in the beautiful displays celebrating this beautiful time of year. We enjoyed this urban hike with our hands wrapped around cooling cups of hot chocolate and other tasty hot drinks. And as our eyelashes became frosty, they just helped us to better fit in with our surroundings. Candy Cane Lane once again impressed the hearty EOCers who ventured out and braved a cold winter night. Merry Christmas and all the best in 2011! Narmin | ||||||
| 2010-12-26: EOC - Pembina River Showshoe - Slow/Photographer Pace | ||||||
| Just three of us headed out today for our explorer snow shoe at Pembina River Provincial Park. We parked at the Overflow parking (the road down to the day use area was closed). From the overflow parking, you can hook onto the official hiking trail, which follows the river, from the day use area to the end of the campground. We stayed on the path just for a short time (heading away from the day use area) and dropped down onto the river at the boat launch. The river was frozen solid and had some snowmobile and other snow shoe tracks on it. We could see the Lobstick River coming in (it flows from Chip Lake into Pembina River) across the river and decided to hike up it to see what was up there. It has some great cliffs and a frozen waterfall. From Lobstick River, we re-joined the shore on the other side of the Pembina River and bush-whacked our way to the top of the ridge. Along the way we saw an old old vehicle buried in the forest. Following the ridge, which is the boundary of the provincial park, we found a trail down off the ridge and re-crossed the Pembina river, returning to the boat launch. We took the official trail back towards the Overflow parking, and beyond to the Day Use area. From there it was a short walk up the road back to the Overflow parking. Thanks, Conan, for joining us today - it was great to get out!! -- Rhonda and Brent | ||||||
| 2010-12-28: EOC - Elk Island Snowshoe Amisk Wuche-Beaver Pond Trails | ||||||
| This was my first time ever to Elk Island Park, and it was great. We did the Amisk Wuche trail, twice - once counter-clockwise, then a break for lunch, then once clockwise. It was really the epitome of winter wonderland today - the snow and frost on everything was amazing. We didn't need snow shoes - the trail was pretty much hard-packed the whole way, although we finished up the trip with a slog across the meadow rather than staying on trail. Thanks to everyone who came out today - it was fantastic (and we're all sorry Joanne had to miss it). -- Rhonda | ||||||
| 2010-12-31: ANDWA - Polyjesters at the Ironwood | ||||||