Alpine Club of Canada - Ottawa Section

The summer of 2007 hiking schedule for the Ottawa Section of the ACC will be focused on mid-weekly training hikes at Luskville Falls, hikes of varying levels of difficulty each weekend in the Gatineau Park, weekend hikes and backpacking trips into the northeast states and finally a mountaineering camp and a sectional summer camp for hikers and budding mountaineers. Details for all of these events will be posted on the website and in the weekly e-letters.

Leaders , new and old, are always needed. So read the ideas below, or come up with some new ones and volunteer to organize and lead a trip or two. If you don’t feel like you are experienced enough to be a leader then join up with one of the past leaders and help out a few times. You will find out that it is not all that difficult at all. A few of the experienced leaders who you might be able to team up are Bill Scott. Jim Whitekker, Michelle Boulet, David Foster, Andy Adler, Yannick Loughheed, Robert Mohib, Dwight Yachuck, Elfrieda Bock and Darrel Newman.

The mid-week evening and Saturday morning training hikes will be lead by Michelle Boulet and/or David Foster and will start in early April as soon as the snow recedes. For the evening hikes climbers will meet as soon as is possible after work and head out to the Luskville Falls trail to do several ascents and descents. This yo-yoing on the trail is aimed at increasing the strength and durance of hikers in preparation for some of the more demanding hikes and camps planned for later in the summer.

Some ideas that are already in the concept phases are:

Bill Scott Recommendations

Traverse of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. A 3-4 day weekend light weight backpacking traverse of the Pemigewasset Wilderness in the White Mountains from Franconia Notch to Crawford Notch in mid-to-late summer, dates TBD. The trip will follow a rugged and scenic segment of the Applachian Trail with several segments above treeline. The route involves a lot of altitude gain and loss with sections of rough trail. Participants will be directly involved in planning trip details. Accommodation will be on tent platforms or lean-tos. Minimum three, maximum seven participants. This trip will be a good way to tune up fitness and trial light weight backpacking technique before more serious trips. Strong Intermediate level. If you are interested, please contact Bill Scott, wrscott@sympatico.ca early to get involved in trip planning.

Traverse of the Chic Choc Mountains. A one week light weight backpacking traverse of the Chic Choc Mountains in the Gaspe Peninsula in late summer or early fall, dates TBD. We will follow the most scenic and rugged part of the International Appalachian Trail, starting in the Matane Wildlife Reserve and ending in the Parc de la Gaspie. The route follows the height of land, passing over the summits of the principal mountains and includes several segments in stunningly beautiful alpine terrain. Several trip itineraries are possible. The selected itinerary will depend on the interests and abilities of the participants who will be directly involved in planning trip details. Accommodation will be a mix of tent platforms, lean-tos and cabins. Minimum three, maximum seven participants. Strong Intermediate level. If you are interested, please contact Bill Scott, wrscott@sympatico.ca early to get involved in trip planning.

Adirondak Adventures

Trap Dyke –Dwight Yachuck and Michelle Boulet both recommended the Trap Dyke as either a winter or summer trip. The trap Dyke is a classic mountaineering trip which consists of a hike (or ski) from the Adirondak Loj into Avalanche Lake, a grade II climb up the Trap Dyke ice or rock, and a traverse across the open angled slab and then a walk off and hike out. It's an intermediate winter hike/beginner ice climb. As such it cuts across both climbing and hiking.

Gothics - This is a three day winter hike starting at the Gardens parking lot, hiking in past Johns Brook Loj and then partway up Lower Wolfjaw mountain. There is a leanto partway which makes an excellent camp. The next day we go over Upper Wolfjaw, Armstrong and the Gothics before heading down to another leanto on Orebed Brook. This is mostly a hike but there is a section on the Gothics where ice covered rock must be negotiated. We rope up here and everyone has crampons on.

Some New Ideas from Darrel Newman for NY Fun

Instead of doing the usual Mt Marcy and Mt Algonquin trips in the Adirondaks Darrel recommends that we try something different.

Indian Pass & Mt Colden
Starting near the ADK Loj, this trail goes north around Heart Lake and then more or less parallels the Mt Algonquin trail about 1 mile to the west along Indian Pass brook. And leads to one of the highest rock walls in the north east.. After checking out the Indian pass itself you head over the Algonquin Pass between Iroquois Peak and Mt Marshall into the Lake Colden area.then climb Mt Colden – return to Marcy dam and ADK Loj via Lake Arnold.

Rooster Comb – Hedgehog – Lower Wolfjaw Loop
This loop is a minor section of the Great Range route. It starts from the Gardens Parking Lot road about ½ way to the aprking lot.. the route goes over Rooster Comb, Hedgehog, and Lower Wolfjaw ( +5 mi and a climb of 3670 feet). We then descend towards Johns Brook Lodge and return via Johns Brook to the Gardens parking lot (4.5 mi and a descent of 3000 feet)

SUMMER CAMPS IN THE ROCKIES

July 28 to August 4 – Ottawa Section Mountaineering Camp at Fairy Meadows - Dwight YachukDwight is organizing an Ottawa Section Mountaineering Camp at the ACC Bill Putnam Hut (Fairy Meadows) next summer. Dates are provisionally set for Saturday July 28th (arrival) to Saturday August 4th (departure). Due to the demanding nature of the terrain, this camp is by application and invitation only and only climbers with mountaineering experience on ice and snow will be invited to attend this event which will be in challenging terrain. This camp will be limited to 15 climbers.

August 5 to 12 – Ottawa Section “Summer Camp” at Lake O’Hara, Yoho National Park - Elfrieda Bock
This is a camp geared to both avid hikers and those looking for both moderate and classic mountaineering challenges. Camp participants will determine their own agenda and activities, based on their abilities and experience. An Introduction to Mountaineering day will also be offered to strong hikers interested in getting off the trails to try some moderate alpine scrambling, and perhaps some glacier travel.

More hiking ideas that may be looking for leaders

Gatineau Traverse – East to West - Spring & Fall ( Andy or Michelle )
Mini Gat Traverse – Creghuer Road to Luskville Falls - Spring & Fall
North Window via Farris Creek
North South Gatineau Trek – Lac Richard to Church Hill Gate
Curley Lake Loop
Luskville Falls – Yellow Box
Luskville Falls – Exploratory Hike west along the escarpment
Eardly-Masham Road Trailheads

• Church Hill gate to Hay Nob Loop
• Church Hill Gate – Off Trail Navigation to the west
• Two Pines – Hay Jen - Hay Nob – Bench Loop
• Lac Ramsay to Lac Clair – The Bench & return
• Lac Richard – Lac Racine – Vulture View – Lac Monette ( lots of off trail)

Yellow Box Options

• Return via creek route
• Dome – Split Rock – Hay Nob
• Work Party

ADK Hikes

• Mt Haystack
• Rocky Ridge Peak to Giant- a two car route
• Mt Algonquin Loop including Avalanche pass
• Mt Marcy – since it is the highest in NY state
  Algonquin Park Hikes & Weekend Camping
  • Achary
  • Eastern Highlands
  • Western Loops

  A weekend at Bon Echo with hiking in the area – hang around with the climbers
  3 to 5 day backpacking in Killarney Prov. Park
  Something near Mt Tremblant
  2 to 4 day backpacking - the north end of the Vermont Long Trail
  Weekend trip to New Hampshire – Franconia Notch