IAN STIRLING - MEMORIES FROM THE 1960s - GARIBALDI

I was saddened to hear that a chap I knew at university has died. He was one of the people we looked up to in the Varsity Outdoor Club at UBC [University of British Columbia, Canada] when I was there in the 60s. He was a couple of years older than me and was very much a highly respected member of the Club.  I have many memories of him as a fun-loving fellow who had a good head on his shoulders.  * Memorial service information below.

He studied Zoology and I got to know him a bit more as he and my friend Dave King (with whom I am still in touch) shared an office when they were studying blue grouse. Dave went on to spend his life in Wildlife Managment in northern BC; Iain devoted his life to the study of polar bears.

Throughout my life I have had occasions where I have been very grateful to someone who 'made a difference' to me in some way or another.  Mostly it was in relation to people e.g. teachers, old boyfriends, people in my social circle).  I have never had to be rescued in any dramatic way but there was one occasion at university when I had to be helped out of a difficult situation and it involved Ian!

VOC had planned at trip into Garibaldi Park in the Easter Holidays in 1965. (Garibaldi Provincial Park is near Whistler ski area. Needless to say, there was no Whistler ski area in the 60s!) It was a ski-mountaineering trip and the lodge (Diamond Head?) was booked for VOC use. The route in was by a 9 km trail from (Rubble Creek area) up the road from Squamish.  However the day I was due to hike in there was the offer of a lift in a helicopter which was taking in supplies at the beginning of the holiday.  I took up that place and so was spared the day long, very uphill, hike in, on skis, with a back-pack.

After several days there I was faced with skiing out. Well... it was a huge undertaking and I simply had no idea what was ahead of me! Deep powder, pack on my back, miles of snow through trees.  Ian came to my rescue ... a perfect gentleman.... he simply led me out, snow-plowing all the way down... miles and miles of it! Such a decent fellow!  I will never forget how bad I felt having ruined his great ski out!

What should have been this...

was more like this...

* * * * * * * * FROM THE ARCHIVES * * * * * * * 

A year later...

I found this photo of Iain and I (with Erling X? on the left and Bob Cuthbert on the right) which would be the winter of 1966, just a few months after Iain had arrived in Vancouver.  And, oddly enough, this is Garibaldi Lake. We four hiked in and camped for one night near the lodge at Diamond Head.  

(The only reason I remember where we camped is because we visited the couple who lived in the lodge. Wedged in behind a conduit pipe at the back of the stove in their kitchen was a very large hand-carved wooden spoon.  Bob made me a similar one and gave it to me that Christmas!)

This photo was also in the mid-sixties but taken in Larch Hills near Salmon Arm where they had made a ski-touring trail.

Finally this is one of a  solitary ski-mountaineering figure was taken either by Dick Culbert or possibly Alice: 'Waddington in Winter from Bravo Col'.

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Garibaldi photos credit:  Josy A. 'A Walk and a Lark' website (2018)

https://www.awalkandalark.com/garibaldi-lake-trail-whistler-hikes/

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* From email of May 23 from Darlene of VOC:

A memorial service will be held Thursday, June 6, starting at 2 p.m., at Connelly-McKinley Funeral Home, 10011 114th St. N.W., Edmonton. To live-stream the service, find the link under Ian Stirling's event information at connelly-mckinley.com

80th BIRTHDAY PARTY: AULD AQUAINTANCES AND NEW FACES

If you can't beat'em, join'em. On Sunday we had a party in the garden.  The weather held which was a real bonus as so many friends attending had been unable to get out much since the pandemic or, in some cases, unwilling to go out because they were self-isolating for medical reasons.

It's been awhile since we've gathered; some made it to Iain's funeral, some did not. So it was a good opportunity for all of us to catch up; meeting and greeting was the order of the day.  

As I explain to the grandchildren "We're under new management' which means the guest list is different: old friends (from baby-sitting and playgroup days) along with people I spend time with now that I am on my own.... all good stuff!

Mairi's Meringues

My preference: carrot cake and plenty of candles (Bridget Bird's recipe and the cake tin must be 1960's!)

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Before ...

Harriet putting up the bunting

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Afterwards ...

Family photo round-up ...

Ellie aged 9

Ellie in her 'beauty salon' mode

Mairi

Alastair (16) wild swimming (a break from exams)

Ishbel (17) at the opera having a break from exams.  She is now finished school and will be heading off to uni this autumn.

John and Ish at 'La Traviata'

Alastair and Melanie taken this week. (No recent photo of Indy.)

THE BIG 80 BIRTHDAY and A YEAR OF CATCH-UP

Another milestone this year.  A year has elapsed; it's time to resume this blog and get back to the habit of posting the occasional story of life in this part of the world.

Yes, I am alive and well and, as so many of my generation report, "I'm still above the ground".  Yes, the hills get steeper and the ground is harder but, on the whole I enjoy good health and am surrounded by very good friends and family. C'est tout!

I still live in the same house in Milngavie, Glasgow. The  hall table hasn't changed much. I still enjoy Narcissus flowers and this is the time of year when they are out along with the Bluebells, the small blue Omphalodes cappodocica and the green Euphorbia.

Wonderful cards arrived in the post.  Ken was over to coffee this morning so we lit one large candle and toasted our health (especially in his case as he is recently out of hospital).

Maggie and I attended the opera 'LaTraviata' on Wednesday as Ken's guests (as he was unable to go).  I dropped in to the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society Clubroom  on 5 Bath Street (members only) restaurant/bar/tasting room. I use it from time to time when I am in town for a quick meal before heading off to the evening's event (usually a concert). I absolutely love it: quiet, subdued conversation, and I know the staff ... "Would you like your usual place (at the end of the bar!)?"!!!

We were delighted to find we had the best seats in the house. As is my habit I got chatting to the man beside me and found there were people we both knew.  I guess when you have lived anywhere long enough this is bound to happen.  Glaswegian audiences are always a delight and this audience was no different. Always enthusiastically enjoying and applauding at the end of the evening.

Scottish Opera mounted a fabulous production; I counted 40 in the main chorus. The stage was sumptuous; the orchestra on top form and I was able to recognise a few people (stage and orchestra) who I recall from being students in their 20s are now salt-and-pepper haired 40 year olds! (It has just occurred to me that there must be others in the audience who know someone in cast, production side or orchestra. There are a large number of people in involved in putting this on and I notice there is also a 'stability' i.e. they're still there from years ago.)

Last week was a trip to Cumbrae just to have a walk around the upper part of the island.  The gorse was glorious yellow and the Clyde was all the shaded of blue.

Two recent photos of the grandchildren:  Alastair (16), Harriet (nearly 11), Ellie (9) and Ishbel on the window ledge (17).

Mairi

John and Alastair recently.

Alastair and Indy (12) in area north of Los Angeles (their home).