Introducing YOUR CDMC 2026 Board of Directors
At the Annual General Meeting in November 2025, your CDMC Board of Directors was decided. Your Board of Directors members are:
- President: Petra Strougal
- Vice-President: Juanita Wells
- Secretary: Dave Osmond
- Treasurer: Jürgen Harding*
- Directors-at-Large: Ken Rodonets, Ed Tickner, Cathy Beacham, Jody Frame*, Brian Flynn*
* New to the board!
Thank you all very much for volunteering your time and effort to the club!
International Year of Glaciers' Preservation
In December 2025, the Alpine Club of Canada annual State of the Mountains report focused on the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation. Check out the full report on the most significant changes taking place in Canada's mountains.
2025 Photo contest WINNERS!
For the January potluck, members submitted photos for the photo contest. At the potluck event, attendees voted on the submitted photos in the categories "Flora & Fauna", "People", "Summer", and "Winter".
Congratulations to the winners, they get bragging rights & their photos will be posted and featured on the CDMC website!
- Paige Knapman - Cedar Wax Wings at Century Sam Lake (Flora & Fauna)
- Bob Yip - Maud Island (Push.....I am almost out!) (People)
- Lex Klaassen - Sandberg Lake (Mt Myra) sunset (Summer)
- Jae Dea Jensen - Mt Menzies (Winter)
Check out the winning photos for this and the past years' here: https://comoxhiking.com/gallery/
Catch up on POTLUCK NEWS!
At the January potluck, we congratulated KEN FILLITER on his completion of the 2028 CDMC Challenge with a Challenge Completion T-shirt. Well done, Ken!
If you missed the January 2026 potluck event, but want to read the event report, sign in to the Member Resource page and scroll down to "Other Meetings" to find it and previous potluck event reports.
DID YOU KNOW??
The CDMC has a WhatsApp community for members to share info on trails, general info, Meetup info and receive club announcements. To see the group topics, sign in to the Member Resources area of the website and scroll down to the WhatsApp section. If you'd like to be added to the CDMC WhatsApp community, email cdmctripcoordinator@gmail.com and request to be added.
WE want to hear from you!
The CDMC Board is seeking feedback from members about their experience using the club’s website. It’s important to the Board that the website effectively provides the information members need about the club, membership, and hiking in general. Please take a few moments to complete the following survey—your input is important and appreciated.
Hiking opportunity in the Rocky Mountains this July
The Skyline Hikers of the Canadian Rockies have secured exclusive use of Icefall Lodge, one of British Columbia’s premier backcountry destinations, for three 4-night helicopter-in hiking adventures in July. Openings are available to join them. Located north of Golden, BC, Icefall Lodge is a rustic mountainside retreat offering fully catered meals, dramatic alpine terrain, glacier views, and steep, spectacular hiking right from the lodge doorstep. Interested CDMC members can visit https://skylinehikers.ca/2026-at-icefall-lodge/ to see a description of the trips and cost. Or for a sneak peak, and to enjoy a virtual hiking tour around the Icefall Lodge terrain, visit https://youtu.be/0aBm9G_LcP8?si=dCtuxsodLMBOaeie If you have any questions, you can contact CDMC member and Skyline registrar Dave Osmond at d.osmond@outlook.com or 204-269-2108.
What’s up in the Mountains?
…98, 99, 100, step aside, as the next CDMC member moves past to take their place up front, forging a trail through the soft powder snow on the way up to Lake Helen MacKenzie. Hard work, with lots of the proverbial “blood, sweat and tears”……maybe the sweat not being so proverbial….being shed in the process of breaking trail. That was on December 24th, all but a distant…almost fond…memory now. Nevertheless, despite the dismal winter conditions….lack of new snow, warm temperatures, trails dissolving from pristine white snow to mud, exposed roots and running melt water…..our club has been out and about. With a combination of hiking at the lower elevations and then switching to snowshoes when post-holing became an issue, we have reached Mt Elma….twice, Mount Becher, Croteau Lake, Mount Allan Brooks, and Hairtrigger Lake on club trips. Oh yes, and with one “Mystery Snowshoe” thrown in for good measure. Most of these trips were done on beautiful sunny days, ensuring wonderful views of the snow clad high peaks like Albert Edward, and of course high spirits amongst the participants. ~ Submitted by Brian F. ~
Strathcona Wilderness Institute - UPCOMING EVENTS
Strathcona Wilderness Institute is hosting some upcoming events that may be of interest to CDMC Members:
Request for CDMC newsletter Submissions
The CDMC newsletter needs your input! We’re now requesting submissions for the spring newsletter. If you have a story to tell or something you’d like to share with other members please forward your writeup to our new president at comoxdistrictmountaineering@gmail.com
A story about a recent hike or adventure you’ve enjoyed, or even a misadventure you’re willing to admit to would be great. How about an article about a piece of gear you won’t leave home without?