Reflections on the SK Section Mountaineering Camp

by Bill & Terrye Bullers, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Little Yoho Valley, July 18-23, 2008:

Thanks go to trip leaders Dave, Bob, Ivan, and Jesse and to the other victims (er, participants) who so warmly welcomed Bill and Terrye, a couple of old folks from New Mexico. Terrye & I agreed that you “Saskatchewanians” are definitely in shape, the lack of many significant topological features in your province notwithstanding. We estimate we did about 14K feet of elevation in 5 days (now that’s 14,000 feet multiplied by .3048 meters per foot equals a bunch of meters gained as well). We both enjoyed being pushed beyond our normal hiking comfort level, but never with any trepidation about our safety (just a little trepidation about our stamina).

We’d like to thank Dave for his compassionate “guide pace” with his short-rope team up Mt. Kerr. We know it wasn’t necessary for Jeff and JJ’s sake, but Bill and Terrye appreciated it so we weren’t worn out the 1st day – that didn't happen until the 2nd or 3rd day. We’ll remember bum sliding down Mt. Kerr (and all this time we thought we were glissading – we now know the difference).

We’ll also remember Bob’s UTM graphic aids and the benefits of metric northing and easting coordinates for distance estimates. Now if only us yanks can get used to thinking in metric units rather than continuing as the last major holdout of English units of measurement. But whether the hike out from the Stanley Mitchell Hut is measured in miles or kilometers, we couldn’t match Bob’s time of 1:32.

We won’t forget Ivan’s comments at the Lake Louise Alpine Center after the camp was over. He’d encountered a staff member of the hostel who asked him in passing “how’s it going”. Ivan responded “4 summits in 4 days”. And when the staff member replied “holy s**t”, Ivan commented to us later “now that’s the kind of comment I like to hear!” We agree.

We hope that Jesse has been able to catch up on food intake since the camp ended. It seems he devoted most of his backpack space and weight to packing in climbing ropes instead of food. He needs to bulk up if he’s going to anchor a rope team with folks like Brenda, Dana, and Bill on future glacier crossings. After slowly inching our way across the traverse above the bergschrund on the President, Jesse became concerned about our slow progress beneath the huge overhanging cornice. So he instructed our rope team: “can we pick up the pace a bit, this cornice is popping and making funny noises”. So as Brenda, Dana, and Bill proceeded to quickstep down the glacier at that point, nearly pulling Jesse off his feet, Jesse added “not quite so fast”.

We definitely got to try some things out during the mountaineering camp, just like Ivan’s monkey in the bar. Now if only somebody can fill us in with the pirate joke, we won’t have to keep repeating “Aaaarrrrgh” about our time at the Saskatchewan Section Mountaineering Camp.