spongy wonder

A Note from the President
~ Albert Couture
The winter season has long past but not without leaving some
memories as one of the coldest we’ve experienced in this area for
some time. Along with the cold came the snow and cross country
skiing was the best it has been for some time.
Fern Noel and 6 other LOC members went on one of Fern’s annual
winter camping trip to the Montreal River area and although they
experienced some bitterly cold weather a good time was had by
all.
The annual hike to Parkhill was a big success as 32 members led
by David Druiett enjoyed a great day of hiking and was followed by
a great pancake lunch.
Check out our website to view pictures from both of these outings and thank you to those who took them.
If anyone is interested on hiking in the Canadian Rockies, I have
some brochures from Skyline Hikers and for a very reasonable
price, you get 6 days of hiking along with tent lodging and food.
My wife and I and some other members of the LOC have been on
trips there and it is truly a great experience. If you would like a
brochure just let me know and I will get one to you.
Many of our spring events have now past as we are heading into
the summer so if you have not had the chance to participate,
check our newsletter for any events that might be of interest to
you.
I am happy to inform you that the LOC now has an archivist. One
of our long standing members, Fern Noel has offered his services
to take on the daunting task of organizing our old records. I would
personally like to thank Fern for taking on this task.
Thank you and have a great summer!
Special Events
Date
Event
May 29 - 31
Bruce Trail Hike: Sydenham / Peninsula sections
June 21 - 27
Cycling on Manitoulin Island
July 17 - 19
Saugeen River Outing
Aug 14 - 16
Bruce Peninsula Weekend
Sept 20
Fall Fun Day & AGM
Sept 25 - 27
Bruce Trail Hike: Beaver Valley section
President
Albert Couture ~ 344-3809
Vice-President
Barb Batson ~ 337-3454
Past President
Rod Richmond ~ 344-9158
Secretary
Joanne West ~ 331-4072
Treasurer
Margaret Lovegrove ~ 542-8905
Newsletter Contributions
The Lambton Outdoor Club newsletter
is published four times per year and
distributed to paid up members as well
as other clubs, organizations and some
commercial outlets. Contributions are
welcome. The editor reserves the right to
make changes and use the contributions.
Submission Deadlines
Deadlines for receipt of contributions from
members or any committee heads are:
Feb 1 • May 1 • Aug 1 • Nov 1
The printed newsletters are usually in
the mail within 3 weeks of the deadline.
Please send submissions to:
Brett McMullin
Electric Crayon Graphic & Web Design
P.O. Box 2753, Sarnia N7T 7V9
brett@electriccrayon.ca
519-344-6327
Printed by
Brown’s Graphics & Printing Inc
on paper made with 100% post consumer
waste. Thanks, Scott and Sally!
See the Activities Schedule for more information.
Lambton Outdoor Club | Summer 2009
1
Fanshawe Lake Hike
Komoka Hike
Hiking Report
others choosing to enjoy the peace
Recently, thirty-two members of and serenity of the scenery. Some
the Lambton Outdoor Club partici- members are experts on birds,
pated in one of their favorite annual plants and wildlife so a walk with the
hikes, the famous “Pancake” Hike. club can also be very educational.
Following a long and very snowy win- After the hike the group headed to
ter, the day arrived with a clear, blue Fort Rose Maple Syrup festival for
sky and lots of glorious, long-await- an all-you-can-eat, mouth-watering
ed sunshine.
feast of pancakes, sausage, baked
The members met at two local ren- beans etc. with pure maple syrup.
dezvous spots and then carpooled Many purchased maple syrup from
to Parkhill Conservation Area where the farm to take home and left with
they assembled and met the hike a full belly and good memories of an
leader. New members and guests excellent day.
were introduced, a “sweep” was Participating in the hikes or other
designated to ensure that all walk- activities offer by the LOC is a great
ers are accounted for and the hik- way to stay in shape. Not too many
ers were off.
people would head to the gym, jump
The club offers hikes of varying du- on the treadmill and stay on for two
rations and levels of difficulty, with hours. But a walk in the forest on a
this hike being two hours of fairly beautiful day, with people to chat
easy walking. The most challenging with, makes the time just fly by!
thing at this time of year is being In walking with this club you will also
prepared for some possibly flooded find yourself in new and different
areas. The group did not encounter locales (some farther away, some
any impassable routes, but there close by) that you never knew existwas lots of mud!
ed. It’s a great way to see and expeThe scenery was not particularly rience some beautiful and different
colorful at this time of year, but areas that you might never get to
there is a certain beauty and sense on your own.
of anticipation in the air, know- It is also a great way to meet new
ing that the warmth of the sun will and very friendly folks and it is
soon bring forth the tree buds and sometimes said that the club does
plant life!
more talking and laughing than hikThe walkers settled into a comfort- ing. Of course there are longer, more
able pace with some choosing to challenging hikes offered where the
chat with old and new friends and hiking is taken more seriously, but
Pancake Hike March 28/09
2
Lambton Outdoor Club | Summer 2009
at all times the social aspect is still
important to members.
And as has been mentioned at
other times, the club members like
to think of themselves as being a
hiking club with an eating disorder.
Members love to go for lunch or dinner following a hike, and have several
annual social events involving lots
of good food.
If you would like to meet new people,
get some great exercise, explore
places you’ve never been to before
and have fun at the same time, the
LOC is for you. Feel free to join us
as a guest on a hike and you may
just find you are hooked! Best of
all membership fees of $15/single
or $20/family for a whole year are
a real bargain in these challenging
economic times.
~submitted by Chris Richmond,
March 7 Hike
Lambton Outdoor Club | Summer 2009
3
Cycling Report
Bicycle Seats / Saddles
Busy season in full swing...
Leave the discomfort behind...
Looking back at the previous newsletter, the cycling season was still
some way off; by the time this
newsletter arrives it will be well under way. Firstly, some updates on
the program for this year:
The trip to the Niagara Region was
an on again off again affair. Apparently the organizers originally cancelled because they thought the
economic situation would deter
people from going. They then had
calls from people who were disappointed and wanted to go – so they
re-instated the event. According to
Jack Beaton a couple of people from
the club were interested and are
now going.
News is a lot more positive on the
other “away” trip this year. Kathy
has been busy organizing the one
to Manitoulin and, barring any cancellations, it is now full. Clearly, the
economy has not deterred people
from going on the more expensive
outings. Our thanks go to Kathy for
her efforts in organizing the trip.
came across a very useful website:
www.traillink.com.
Just as a reminder; club rules are
that everyone participating in rides
organized through the club must
wear a bicycle safety helmet. Anyone who arrives without one will be
politely asked not to participate.
Suitable glasses/goggles are also
important to keep bugs and the
sun out of one’s eyes. Gloves are a
good idea as well. Don’t forget the
sun screen because the sun always
shines during rides organized by
the club - and plenty of water (because it never rains.) Hopefully, everyone has checked their bike over;
tested the brakes, pumped up the
tires, lubed the chain, adjusted the
gears, made sure the lights work
and checked that all the essential
items are in the emergency kit. (Being caught with a dried out tube of
cement in one’s patch kit can be
very embarrassing!)
The First Ride of the Year
Since input for the newsletter was
not needed until May 4th, it gave
the opportunity to include a photograph of the first ride club ride in
2009. This was to Reeces Corner
and led by Maria Vanderbeld. Thirteen of us were on the ride and, in
spite of the number, there were no
incidents and the weather stayed
fine. The photograph was taken just
after lunch so it is not clear whether the smiling faces are because
people were enjoying the ride or it
had been a good meal. (In case anyone is wondering - yes we all had helmets on while riding.) There was a
stiff breeze in our faces all the way
home so we burned off most of the
calories.
~submitted by John Lovegrove
~submitted by John Lovegrove
The rest of the schedule is essentially unchanged: The ride on July
5th will be from Goderich to Bayfield (Margaret had her gastric juices set on lunch at the Berry Farm.)
The schedule has also been updated to include the leaders for the
Thursday evening rides and other
details that have become available.
No leaders have been named for the
Wednesday morning rides – these
are run on a less formal basis.
For anyone interested in finding new trails for cycling, hiking
and even horseback riding, Jack
4
Lambton Outdoor Club | Summer 2009
The First Ride of the Year - Participants in Maria Vanderbeld’s ride to Reece’s Corners,
May 4th.
I am never sure who uses which term
for the thing on the bike that one
sits on. All I know is that getting the
right one makes all the difference
between cycling being a pleasure and
a pain in the, well ... you know where. I
rode a bike from ~5 years old to my
late teens then hardly at all until
about 8 years ago. I do not remember any real discomfort in those
earlier years but when I started
riding again it became a real issue.
The saddle that came with the bike
I bought was fairly skinny and I tried
another that looked more comfortable, but any improvement was
marginal. Talking to experienced riders, the overwhelming consensus
is that that broader saddles do
not work. Several people swear by
the Brookes leather saddles that
have some potential to mould to
your shape but overall it seemed
that just about everyone has experienced discomfort but it eventually goes away. (Maybe some nerve
endings just die.) I did some reading
and there seems to be a lot of concern about the longer term effects
of supporting a significant part of
one’s weight in the middle of what
is quite a sensitive part of the body.
I will not get into further detail in
case the “too much information”
clause is invoked but the information is not hard to find on the web.
used in polite conversation.) This
saddle leaves the middle area completely free. I sent off for one - they
are only available mail order- and it
really was a step change in comfort
level. Nothing on a bike is going to
be as comfortable as your favourite
arm chair but my experience is that
this really is a move in the right direction. It is also re-assuring that
any discomfort that does arise is in
parts of the body that will not suffer any permanent harm.
interested in learning the details
so that I can pass them on to give
a more balanced view. Incidentally,
we tried advertizing our saddle collection in an earlier newsletter and
there were no takers. If anyone is interested in trying out any of them
they are free to a good home, otherwise they will just gather dust in
the shed. Also, since we now have
four Spongy Wonder seats between
us, if anyone would like to try one
for a few days before spending their
Margaret has also had real prob- hard earned money, give us a call.
lems getting a comfortable ride and The second photograph shows 3 of
the collection of saddles she has our seats on bicycles.
~submitted by John Lovegrove
tried is now quite famous around
the club. The ones we have tried between us are shown in the first photograph. She tried a Spongy Wonder and experienced a similar step
change in comfort level. I assure everyone that I have no financial interest in the company and do not stand
to gain personally in any way from
promoting these things. My main
concern is that people should have
a comfortable ride and minimize the
risk of damaging bits of the body
not spoken about very often. That
applies both to male and female riders. Although the design is a radical
departure from the norm, the only
time I have had a problem is going
down a steep bumpy incline when
one tends to be shaken off the seat.
The research I did pointed me in the It would really be of little use on
direction of the Spongy Wonder mountain bikes but for most others
Search for Comfort Top: The Lovegroves’
(www.spongywonder.com). It looks including road bikes it is OK. It would Afamous
collection of tried and discarded
weird because it basically com- even work on a granny bike!
bicycle seats. Bottom (sorry, it couldn’t be
prises two pads that support the I have heard that some people have helped): The Spongy Wonder
respective parts of one’s glutimus tried these seats, then gone back
maximus (the Anglo Saxon termi- to a conventional one. If anyone has
nology is simpler but not generally had a negative experience I would be
Lambton Outdoor Club | Summer 2009
5
LOC Member Wally
Henne Inducted Into
Sarnia Lambton
Sports Hall of Fame
Social Committee Report
Spring Social, 2009
Swimmer and LOC member Wally Henne was
one of fourteen individuals and two teams
inducted into the Sarnia Lambton Sports
Hall of Fame on October 11, 2008.
He has shone at the masters swimming level for several years. Competing in Sao Paulo,
Brazil in 2005, Henne captured three gold
and two silver medals. He also won five gold
and one silver in Holland, Mich. in 2000 and
two gold at Lugano, Switzerland in 1998.
Henne currently holds four provincial records in 50 metre, 100 metre and 200
metre breaststroke and one national record in the 1,500 metre breaststroke.
~submitted by Rod Richmond
Can alligator’s read? This sign was sighted on a
road in Florida.
6
Lambton Outdoor Club | Summer 2009
Eighty–four people attended
the Spring Social on May 1,
2009. There was a good mix of
existing and new members enjoying each other, the food and
the fun at Huron Oaks Golf Club.
Chris Richmond designed “Bring
on Spring” LOC Crossword Puzzle that tested our knowledge
of LOC executive, past and upcoming club activities. It was
ingenious and helped President
Al in introducing executive and
committee members. Thanks
to Pat Polley for her wonderful
presentation about “Cycling in
the UK”. The Cycling Committee
made “Bluewater Trails” the
winning recipient of the 50/50
draw.
I am pleased to inform you the
Social Committee is working on
your next two social events.
The Fall Fun Day/Annual General
Meeting will be held on Sunday
September 20, 2009 and the
Christmas Social will be at Olives Restaurant on Sunday November 29, 2009. Mark your
calendars!
Get outdoors and join in some
of the scheduled activities offered by LOC. Have a great
summer.
Till next time!
~submitted by Susan Carey,
Committee Chair
Special thanks goes to the following merchants who donated
prizes: The Bicycle Shop, Sarnia,
Novack’s, London, Wawanosh
Watercraft, Camlachie and
Sharkskins, Sarnia. Our club
apparel line has expanded to
include golf shirts and one of
these was won. Also I thank
Jill and Brian Farr for donating
their metal crafted key holders
as prizes.
Lambton Outdoor Club | Summer 2009
7
Snowshoe & Campout
MONTREAL RIVER - February, 2009
Chilly Chili Kitchen utensils included a saw for
slicing bread and an axe for cutting blocks of frozen
chili.
eating quickly before the food froze
on our plates. Lunch was always out
somewhere. Dinners were always
The train trip from Sault Ste Ma- Two items were a big help. One was special and yummy. Of course we
rie is an experience in itself. Once a special hot water generator; the also had happy hours. We have some
the baggage cars are open, there is other a collapsible oven. Having ac- great pics showing the use of a saw
pandemonium as each group loads cess to warm water is very impor- to slice frozen bread, and an axe to
up their supplies into the car: snow- tant in winter camping. The oven cut up blocks of frozen chili.
mobilers, cross country skiers, made it easier to cook meals.
Each evening we had a sliver of
snowshoers, weekend cottagers,
Each day we went on day trips, some moonlight and an awesome display
students going to Searchmount,
on the river and some in the woods of starlight. Something we just
tourists going to Hearst or Hawks
along rivers and lakes. The scenery don’t see around here.
Junction. There is an air of excitealong the river was spectacular with On the fourth day we broke up camp
ment as passengers settle down
500ft high outcrops staring down and headed back to the pick up point
for the train trip. Where are you goat us. The snow was very deep mak- along the train tracks. The train aring? What will you be doing?
ing snowshoes mandatory. The river rived late but welcome. Once aboard
After a three hour ride we arrived at level had changed dramatically at we met many new friends also reMontreal River, dam and rail trestle. various times leaving huge chunks turning home from their own winter
From there it was 2 ½ hr of snow- of ice stranded along the shoreline. experiences. Lots of chatting and
shoeing and pulling our pulks up the
Each morning we would have a full comparisons. Another successful
river to base camp. Setting up camp
hearty warm meal, even if it was winter experience!
has a variety of special routines:
~submitted by Fern Noel
-25 to -30C, while standing around
getting firewood, digging down to
Brian Seabrook, Bud Kent, Doug Winch,
Fern Noel, Ron Laflair, Stan Piskorowski,
Tony Arnold
8
Lambton Outdoor Club | Summer 2009
ground for the kitchen area, setting
up tents, where’s the loo going to
be, etc.
Lambton Outdoor Club | Summer 2009
9
Ausable
Snowshoe Day
January 31, 2009
For the 3rd year in a row the
weather
cooperated
and
blessed us with cool temperatures and lots of snow for a
day’s snowshoeing. Twelve participants donned warm clothing and snowshoes for a day’s
outing along the Ausable river
near Arkona. We started out
with a winter view of the Rock
Glen falls – very different from
the summer view and nobody
around. We then worked our
way down the valley to link up
with the river. From there we
ambled on the river’s edge and
sometimes on the river ice,
and ended up at Hungry Hollow.
Someone remarked that in the
summer you can’t do that. The
ice and snow and diminished foliage does make it possible to
travel along areas inaccessible
in the summer.
Once having finished this 2 ½ hr
trip some hardy souls wanted
more. So off we went for a quick
trip to Fuller’s Falls. Only this
time, in contrast to last year,
we approached it from up top,
via #7 highway. But it was a
very cold wind that challenged
us on the way back to the cars.
~submitted by Fern Noel
Paddling Report
Something for everyone...
The paddling committee has
tried again this year to provide
something to suit everyone.
There are day trips, weekend
outings and a week long canoe
trip. The day paddles are both
local and to areas a couple of
hours away. These are scenic
and fun. The weekend trips are
a little further away and you
spend the weekend camping as
well. Fern Noel’s week long Killarney trip is for those who like
a little more adventure.
pate in one of the events, the
club has an aluminum canoe for
the members to borrow. Call
Tony Arnold and make arrangements to borrow it. The canoe is
stored at Tony’s house. We also
have a canoe trailer that we will
use to transport the boats.
For those who don’t have a canoe and would like to partici-
~submitted by Brian Seabrook,
Committee Chair
10 Lambton Outdoor Club | Summer 2009
Remember, many unnecessary
deaths occur every year from
people not wearing PFDs. Wear
your PFD and always carry the
required safety equipment in
your boat.