rhihn
New member
Snow Walkers’ Rendezvous
This report is of a conference, not a hiking trip to a specific area, so moderators please feel free to move it to wherever seems appropriate.
A friend of ours encouraged us to go to the Snow Walkers’ Rendezvous this past weekend at the Hulbert Outdoor Center in Fairlee, Vermont. This was an annual informal “conference” event that brought together a variety of people, ideas, and topics, with the overall focus on recreating in the winter outdoors. Most of the attendees were from Canada and the northeast. Topics included: author Will Lange (readings); Skiing with the Cree; Winter Camping with Teens with Cancer; Snow Crystal Composition (with practical application to avalanche avoidance, and to snowshoeing); Dogs & Outward Bound Experience; Trapping with the Diamond Family at Opasatica; Needle Binding – An ancient form of Knitting; Winter Travel – Connecting more Deeply with the Natural World; Odabawin: Traditional Skills of Toboggan & Sled Hauling; Winter Stove Round Table – pros/cons of different stoves; Axemanship & Firebuilding – Core Skills of the North (hands-on); Tents and Fire!!!; Skiing and Snowshoe Cultures in Norway; Inuit Sled Dog Revival in Nunavik; Carve your own Mora Knife Handle; Carve your own Spoon; Hike to Winships Bluff; Build your own Toboggan.
Presenters were often acknowledged experts in their field, authors, and people who have spent more time in northern outdoor winters than I could possibly imagine, and included mostly names I didn’t know: Seth Gibson, Andy Williams, Will Lange, Bill Pollack, Helena Longpre, Dave Gilligan, Craig Lawrence, Craig MacDonald, Sarah Isberg, Alexandra Conover, Tim Smith, Allan Brown, Jane Barron, Zabe MacEachern, Mark Brazeau, Roger and Sarah Isberg, Geoffrey Burke, and Jane Barron. Too long to print here, but the bios would inspire.
Lots of food, wine, cheese, ribs, snacks, etc., excellent meals, impromptu music making, drawings for donated items, tailgate vendors, displays, demos, swap table.
Weather gods frowned upon us the whole weekend, with rain and fog predominating. Lodging was either in the building or your own tent (we opted for tenting)
The “tents and fire” session culminated in the burning of two tents: a large Cabela winter canvas tent with stove (burned to the ground!) and a smaller Marmot nylon tent (didn’t burn from a “normal” accident, but finally a blowtorch melted holes in it). Swatches of Kifaru and other tent materials, all purported to be fireproof or resistant, burned quite nicely.
A showing of the movie “PASSAGE” by John Walker (2008) was available throughout the weekend. This is a “multi-layered” story of John Rae and the Franklin Expedition to map out the Northwest Passage. Challenges the way we look at history.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable and informative experience, and one that I will repeat next year, hoping to connect with some we met. Upcoming events include a Winter Skills Day on January 10; Lake Morey Winterfest and Skate-a-thon on January 11. We will miss these, as “unfortunately” we will be in Patagonia for most of January. But the “Wilderness Paddlers Gathering” is on March 6-8, which we will attend.
Details for all: http://www.alohafoundation.org/article/view/6808/1/952/#YES
Edelweiss may have a picture or two.
Dick
This report is of a conference, not a hiking trip to a specific area, so moderators please feel free to move it to wherever seems appropriate.
A friend of ours encouraged us to go to the Snow Walkers’ Rendezvous this past weekend at the Hulbert Outdoor Center in Fairlee, Vermont. This was an annual informal “conference” event that brought together a variety of people, ideas, and topics, with the overall focus on recreating in the winter outdoors. Most of the attendees were from Canada and the northeast. Topics included: author Will Lange (readings); Skiing with the Cree; Winter Camping with Teens with Cancer; Snow Crystal Composition (with practical application to avalanche avoidance, and to snowshoeing); Dogs & Outward Bound Experience; Trapping with the Diamond Family at Opasatica; Needle Binding – An ancient form of Knitting; Winter Travel – Connecting more Deeply with the Natural World; Odabawin: Traditional Skills of Toboggan & Sled Hauling; Winter Stove Round Table – pros/cons of different stoves; Axemanship & Firebuilding – Core Skills of the North (hands-on); Tents and Fire!!!; Skiing and Snowshoe Cultures in Norway; Inuit Sled Dog Revival in Nunavik; Carve your own Mora Knife Handle; Carve your own Spoon; Hike to Winships Bluff; Build your own Toboggan.
Presenters were often acknowledged experts in their field, authors, and people who have spent more time in northern outdoor winters than I could possibly imagine, and included mostly names I didn’t know: Seth Gibson, Andy Williams, Will Lange, Bill Pollack, Helena Longpre, Dave Gilligan, Craig Lawrence, Craig MacDonald, Sarah Isberg, Alexandra Conover, Tim Smith, Allan Brown, Jane Barron, Zabe MacEachern, Mark Brazeau, Roger and Sarah Isberg, Geoffrey Burke, and Jane Barron. Too long to print here, but the bios would inspire.
Lots of food, wine, cheese, ribs, snacks, etc., excellent meals, impromptu music making, drawings for donated items, tailgate vendors, displays, demos, swap table.
Weather gods frowned upon us the whole weekend, with rain and fog predominating. Lodging was either in the building or your own tent (we opted for tenting)
The “tents and fire” session culminated in the burning of two tents: a large Cabela winter canvas tent with stove (burned to the ground!) and a smaller Marmot nylon tent (didn’t burn from a “normal” accident, but finally a blowtorch melted holes in it). Swatches of Kifaru and other tent materials, all purported to be fireproof or resistant, burned quite nicely.
A showing of the movie “PASSAGE” by John Walker (2008) was available throughout the weekend. This is a “multi-layered” story of John Rae and the Franklin Expedition to map out the Northwest Passage. Challenges the way we look at history.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable and informative experience, and one that I will repeat next year, hoping to connect with some we met. Upcoming events include a Winter Skills Day on January 10; Lake Morey Winterfest and Skate-a-thon on January 11. We will miss these, as “unfortunately” we will be in Patagonia for most of January. But the “Wilderness Paddlers Gathering” is on March 6-8, which we will attend.
Details for all: http://www.alohafoundation.org/article/view/6808/1/952/#YES
Edelweiss may have a picture or two.
Dick
