Hey folks, while we’re still in the early season, I want to take a moment to encourage everyone venturing out into the backcountry around Revelstoke and beyond to check avalanche bulletins, carry avalanche rescue gear, and use common sense. The Canadian Avalanche Centre will start posting public bulletins this week, so make sure to check the bulletin before you ride.
A persistent problem at the moment is a layer of surface hoar now buried approximately 60cm deep under our newest round of storm snow. There has been significant avalanche activity around the area, with many slides running full path. Choose appropriate terrain for the conditions, carry a transceiver, shovel and probe (and, just as important, know how to use them), check the bulletins, limit exposure to slide paths, don’t group up in runout zones, and remember that we’ve got a long, snowy season ahead of us.
There is great snow to be had, but make sure you do it safely. Get the gear and take an avalanche skills training course if you’ve never done it before.
Photo taken by Brent Malysh on November 13 at The Gorge, a popular touring destination west of Revelstoke.
Check out this inspiring episode of Salomon Freeski TV. Vernon skier Josh Dueck was paralyzed in a ski accident several years ago, but that hasn’t stopped him one bit. There is a group of wonderful folks in Revelstoke working to bring adaptive skiing to RMR this winter.
The Stoke is highlighted in the Stash section of the newest edition of Kootenay Mountain Culture, which many of you should already know and love. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, KMC is a free biannual magazine full of amazing photography, compelling, funny and interesting articles, and an all-around highlight of why life in the Koots and surrounding areas is the best in the world.
Pick it up at your local ski shop - you won’t be able to put it down. Flip through the pages and you’ll no doubt recognize names and lines. The cover features a snowy downtown Revy scene complete with buried car, all-too-familiar last winter; local photographer Bruno Long has a spectacular shot on p. 27; there’s a pretty l’il full-page ad for Revelstoke’s own Trapper Snowboards; legendary skimo athlete Melanie Bernier gets a mention in a story on ski mountaineering sufferfests; Gord Spurgeon has a two-page spread shredding RMR slackcountry and local snowboarding legend Joey Vosburgh is shown slashing a big turn in Rogers Pass, both shot by Ryan Creary.
RMR is featured throughout for being generally awesome; there’s a great article on a recent trip to Chile by all-star good-time-haver Chris Rubens; Trapper Snowboards and Big Bend Skis are both in an article on home-grown sticks, and the Canadian Avalanche Centre (based in Revy) gets a few mentions as well. Awesome. We’re a small town with a big mountain and and even bigger heart!
The weekly Farmers’ Market in Grizzly Plaza recently drew to a close, but today marks the first winter Farmers’ Market at the Revelstoke Community Centre. Every second Thursday from 2 - 5, head over to the Farmers’ Market to pick up organic veggies and fruit, homemade goodies, Stoke Roasted coffee, handcrafted items and more.
The next municipal election looms: November 19 is the day we’ll go to the polls to decide who will sit on Revelstoke’s city council.
The all candidates forum is tonight at the Revelstoke Community Centre. Bring concise questions and an open mind. This is your chance to learn about the issues, and about where all of the candidates stand. We’ve got a large group of candidates vying for a spot on Council, so get to know them. It’s your civic duty - the municipal elections are the ones that really count.
[EDIT] The Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce All Candidates Forum will be aired on RCTV 6 at the following times (2 hours length):
Friday November 4th – 5:00pm Saturday November 5th – 2:00pm Sunday November 6th – 8:00pm Monday November 7th – 9:00am Tuesday November 8th – 12 noon Wednesday November 9th – 5:00pm Thursday November 10th – 8:00pm
Please feel free to share so people that could not make the event are able to see the candidates in action!
Photo by Darren Shewchuck of Mica Heli Skiing. What a view!
The calendar clicked over to November yesterday, and with it comes a mounting anticipation for another winter season. Whether you ski, snowboard, sled, snowshoe or make angels in your front yard, as the rain turns to flakes it’s hard not to feel the stoke.
Frosty windshields are the harbingers to the mid-season, 20-cennie dumps we’ve got in our future. It may be early, but folks are already out there getting amongst it. I’ve got one day under my belt at Mt. McCrae, just south of Revelstoke and it felt good to strap on skins and walk up hill for a while. Where have you been? How are you fuelling your early season stoke?
This photo was taken by Leslie Hogg last week up at the Asulkan Hut in Rogers Pass. Not too shabby!
Enjoy a whole day of skateboarding, art and music this Saturday, July 30. Between 2 - 4 pm, head to Society Snow & Skate for the Artschool Skateboards Street Demo on Mackenzie Ave.
This Sunday, June 26 there will be another trail building day on Boulder Mountain. The last trail building day was a huge success, and organizers were thrilled with the turnout. With a good push on Sunday, the Bike Club Trail on Boulder could be complete and ready to ride. They particularly need carpenters to build some bridges, so if you’re handy with a hammer and nails bring some tools for building.
There will be a few contests as well, including your chance to name the trail and a chance for a lucky volunteer to win a sweet skateboard deck from Trapper Snowboards.
Bring your own lunch and meet at the main parking lot of Boulder Mountain at 8:00 am.
Everyone in Revelstoke (particularly youth!) are invited to a public open house onTuesday, July 5 at 7:00 pm at the Revelstoke Community Centre. The open house deals with options for a pump track and skateboard park for Revelstoke. The pump track and skateboard park may be located together or seperately, and considerations include costs, parking, washrooms, snow storage and removal, compatible uses, and security. Several groups will make presentations and feedback is encouraged. There has been a lot of debate about where these recreational sites will be, and unfortunately many neighbourhood groups are very vocal NIMBYists (not in my back yard!). Come out to the meeting to ensure that your voice is heard. I think an improved skate park and the addition of a pump track will be a welcome addition to Revelstoke.
Any questions? Contact John Guenther, Director of Planning for the City of Revelstoke: 250-837-3637 or jguenther@cityofrevelstoke.com.
Questions:
So…what is a skateboard park?
A skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment for skateboarders, inline skaters, scooter riders and BMX riders to ride and develop their technique. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, handrails, boxes, ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, bowls, stairs, and any number of other objects.
What is a pump track?
A pump track is a continuous loop that can be ridden on a bike without pedalling. Tracks consist of a series of rolling bumps (rollers) and banked corners (berms) that allow the rider to gain momentum and reach fairly high speeds. Basic pump tracks are an oval shape with a berm at each end and rollers in between to make the straights. More advanced pump tracks will be irregular shapes with lots of different lines and sections with several berms in a row, or even rollers that can be jumped over.
