Five Winds News

Gibson River/McCrae Lake -- ACCESS HAS NOW BEEN RESTRICTED -- and why this has come about

The trails around the Gibson River and McCrae Lake have been in existence for close to 60 years  and have been enjoyed by many outdoor enthusiasts with its pristine environment , but over the last few years (and McCrae over a longer period of time), these areas have seen significant overuse, total disregard on where people park, garbage, property damage,  increased calls to emergency personnel by lost hikers/campers (these are wilderness areas--no "You Are Here" signs; no one picks up your garbage at campsites, along trails or parking areas; there are no outdoor facilities), cutting down of live trees, unauthorized trails and uses, setting up campsites wherever people feel like it (There are designated campsites around McCrae Lake, many with thunder boxes, and only a couple of campsites found close to the trail.  Please don't camp at the lookout at Crowe's Cliff.  Camping is not allowed along the river of the Gibson River Reserve).  McCrae Lake  and the Gibson area are Conservation Reserves which have additional restrictions on use.  Township, OPP, Fire, Emergency Services, Parks Canada/MNR and area residents have all raised concerns which have led to these restrictions. 

Our club welcome these changes which are designed to protect the land, water and wildlife.

NO PARKING" signs have been posted in the following areas:

McCrae Lake:  You can only park "in" the parking lot, not along the sides of the roads leading down.  There is limited space.

South Gibson Lake Road:  Leads towards Gibson Wilderness Trail ("Long Falls").  No parking, period.

Fines start at $85.00 along with towing and storage fees beginning at $310; and once you find your car towed, don't forget to add the cost of a taxi to Midland or Parry Sound to get your vehicle back.  This is being monitored aggressively.

NOTE:  These restrictions do not affect the club's ability to run our bus as parking has never been a requirement since we drop off groups along roadways, and the bus comes back at the end of the day to collect people along the road.

The 5 Winds board has currently suspended all club sponsored in-person outings scheduled for this 2020/2021 season.  This step was originally taken in light of government guidance aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19. 

The 5 Winds board reviewed these major areas of concern;

• evolving public guidance on risks of COVID-19 transmission between individuals from different households   in a 4 hour winter bus environment.
• high mean age of our members and their potential higher health risk
• changes in the clubs liability insurance policy

The 5Winds board has decided to suspend all in-person outings for the 2020/2021 ski/snowshoe season.  This policy will be reassessed at the 2021 AGM.

Gary Ataman   Five Winds President

We will be having snowshoes every week on the bus along with our ski bus dates.  Winter bus starts January 6th, 2019, and runs each week until the end of March.

Five Winds Training Workshop 2018

When: 15 Nov 2018 6:15 PM
Where: Northern District Library (Yonge/Eglinton)

Register here:  https://skifivewinds.wildapricot.org/event-3101824

EVENT DETAILS:

Just in time for our ski/snowshoe season start, we urge all Five Winds members, bring a friend, anyone interested in backwoods safety and techniques, for skiing, hiking, snowshoeing to attend this safety training session.

Topics to be covered include:  

• How to use your iPhone and Android phone navigation apps to figure out where you are even if you do not have cell signal.  How to forward your coordinate position via text message.

• Planning and decision making process in the group and time management

• How to reduce risk and best practices

• What you should have in your backpack
• Safe skiing and walking on ice
• A brief overview of club safety info on our website
  

As this will be a short, information-packed session, we urge you to arrive at 6:15 pm

If you want to be on top of your skills have a look at the Five Winds  website safety related documents before our get together

(https://skifivewinds.wildapricot.org/Forms-&-Documents)

Please note no food or drink will be provided. 

Please REGISTER  by November 8, 2018 so we can estimate how many people we should expect.   

To Register:

1.  Login with your Member Account > Fill Out Form > Next > Confirm
2.  You will receive a confirming e-mail back.

Click here;  https://skifivewinds.wildapricot.org/event-3101824

Cancelling Your Registration

1.  Login and return to the Event
2.  Under the Register button, click Already registered
3.  Click the  Cancel Registration button.   You will receive an e-mail confirming the cancellation

Best regards,
Five Winds Backcountry Ski Club

Snow has consolidated a bit to form a base with lots of new snow on top.   Trail skiing with really good conditions.   Although we're experiencing this cold snap, many lakes are still open or unsafe as the snow acts as an insulating layer, so there is still a possibility to break through the ice.  Marshes may/may not be slushy, as well as the possibility to break through.

It's time to get your day pack, and ski/snowshoe equipment organized for the Winter Season. REMEMBER:  We are out all day.  There areno chalets or warming huts, just the great outdoors, so you need to be prepared in carrying extra clothing and essentials in your backpack.  We are not the "lycra and fanny pack" crowd.

• Health Form - filled out and stored within easy access in your pack that group members can retrieve in case of emergency

• Typical Sunday Bus Ski/Snowshoe Day - What to expect on your Sunday bus outing

• Ski Equipment or Snowshoe Equipment (as applicable)

• Winter Clothing - What to wear and why these things are important e.g. gaitors
• 
  
• Daypack Essentials (Full list)
• • Safety equipment
  • Extra clothing
  • Lunch, water bottle, thermos (nice to have a warm drink out on the trails)
    
  • Map, compass, and gps (optional)
    
  • Ski wax or glide wax for waxless skis, ski scraper

• Extra clothing, food and drink can be left on the bus for your return home

• Bus Fare, if still owing (cash, exact change preferable)

Do we have snow? Is there a bus? Where can I find this information? Information can all be found on the web site.

And yes, we do have snow, currently snowing!

FIVE WINDS BACKCOUNTRY SKI CLUB

NEW EVENTS POSTED

1.  Winter Bus #2 - Sunday, January 15 - registration open

• One snowshoe group has been added for this week
• One Ski Navigation group (Iva leading)
• Regular ski groups as usual

2.  Overnight Snowshoe/Hot Tenting in Queen Elizabeth 2
     Sat/Sun January 21-22

• Information is located here
• Registration deadline is Jan. 13

3.  Winter Bus #3 -  Sunday, January 22 - registration for this week is now open

4.  Overnight Snowshoe/Hot Tenting in Queen Elizabeth 2

     Sat/Sun February 4-5

• Information is located here
• Registration deadline is Jan. 27

Please REGISTER  by January 2, 2017 so we can estimate how many people we should expect.   Fill out the Form > Next > Confirm.  You will receive a confirming e-mail back.

If you need to cancel, please re-register, and select Cancel my Registration.

Just in time for our ski/snowshoe season start, we urge all Five Winds tour leaders to attend this safety training session. We also invite all other club members as we each play a role in ensuring safety during our ski and snowshoe days together.

Topics to be covered include:

• When and why incident and accident reports assist in safety. 
  
• New 5 Winds Emergency Response and communication plan
  
• What info on your map Emergency personnel need and how to find it
  
• A brief overview of club safety info on our website
  

As this will be a short, information-packed session, we urge you to eat before you come or bring snacks with you.  Bring your Five Winds Map.