Tuesday, October 11, 2011

PAD2O Frontenac Hiking Trip #1

October 5 - 7, 2011

The amazing weather set the tone for an excellent Fall hiking trip. Although the colours on the trees were just starting, the perfect blue skies and temperatures in the mid-twenties were a rare treat in October. When was the last time you said that you went swimming while on a hiking trip in Frontenac Provincial Park in October?

Our trip began at the Arab Lake Parking lot and the group was excited to get going. We took the northern route via Birch Lake and the old mica mines to our campsite on Little Clear Lake. We made excellent time as the group moved really well together and the navigating done by the students was excellent. Well, I guess almost excellent, as Ben did try to take the group up a crazy steep hill. With a few quick stops at some nice lookouts and a bit of exploring of the mica mines, we reached our camp around 5 pm. Just enough time to collect firewood for our dinners and to watch the sun go down.

Once the sun went down, you could really feel the Fall chill. The night was really chilly, as I am sure we were close to the freezing point, but that was well worth the beautiful display of the moon and the stars. It also meant that the next day was going to be another sunny one. By the time we were ready to start moving, the layers of clothing came off quickly, with most of us hiking in shorts and t-shirts.

The 2nd day saw us hiking from campsite #9, around Big Salmon Lake to campsite #4. The route was part old cart track, as we passed a few old homestead ruins, and part small windy hiking trails. The group moved at a record pace, which gave us plenty of time for lunch. We had lunch at the Big Salmon Lake lookout, which was one of the big highlights of the trip, as the students had plenty of time to check out the amazing view and take a swim in the beautiful clear water. Even though we spent a good 2 hours enjoying the sunshine at lunch, we were still at our campsite by 4 pm, giving us plenty of time to collect (good) firewood for our evening. Campsite #4 also gave us the perfect vantage point for the beautiful sunset delivered to us across Big Salmon Lake.

The night was not as chilly this time and things seemed to warm up really quickly in the morning, they did predict that temperatures would be in the high twenties for this day. That said, we were looking to get going a little earlier today and for some of us (Ms. Lacroix and I) that worked, but for the rest of the group they were left to organize themselves (as we hid in the trees about 100 m away). It took the group an extra half an hour to finish cleaning up and decide that they should start moving, but they left the campsite spotless and were moving up the trail in the right direction as a group. That says a lot about this trip and this group, they worked well together, they moved as a group, they listened to the instructions and teachings, and they had a lot of fun together. That combined with the perfect weather, the group sang all the way to the end of the trail.

29 comments:

Haley Lorenz said...

Hiking Trip Reflection

I never thought that I would be swimming in a lake in the middle of no-man’s land in the month of October. I never thought I would change in a bush, ever! There’s a lot of things I never thought I’d be able to do but I did. Not everyone gets a chance like this.

Backpacking in Frontenac Park was absolutely beautiful! All the colours of the leaves were stunning. The view from the rock cliff onto Big Salmon Lake was like no other. Although hiking up an 85 degree hill wasn’t in my books, it was worth it. I felt like it was a life or death situation. If you fell, which one person did, you slid ALL the way to the bottom. The first day was the hardest. My shoulders were aching and my hips were burning from my pack, which was half the size of me. This made me work that much harder to get to the campsite.

I bet anyone can say that chores weren’t their favorite, but they had to be done. I was part of a great group, everyone participated in work and fun stuff. Trying to clean the pots and pans was a challenge, especially when your hands turned all black.

We had perfect whether all three days and I am thankful. I appreciated the hot sun during the day to keep me warm because the nights were cool.

Pranks are a necessary part of any camping trip, so of course my group had to pull one that ended with the words “SILENCE, CHILDREN OF THE FOREST!”

I learned new skills for sure, like how to set up your wood in the fire place, and what was the “good” type of fire wood. My group learned the hard way. I also learned that fresh muffins and a tightly packed backpack don’t mix, although muffin crumbs still taste good. Despite almost burning the whole picnic table down while cooking, I had the best time. This trip was a blast!

Thank you for a great opportunity Mr. Brouwer.

Sarah Jenni said...

Hiking Trip Reflection / October, 15th

I have never done any hiking trip with a backpack as big as that. It was pretty hard for me to know what I will use during this trip and to be sure that I didn't forget anything! It was a good idea to pack the bag in class because I could get some advice! We shared the group material, and finally I carried a good part of the food and small other stuff. That was really good for me because on the second day my bag was less heavy and that was really more comfortable!

The group was really nice and I spent good time on the bus when we sang together Canadian Songs.

Hiking in Frontenac Park was wonderful! The weather was perfect, and the color of the trees creates a really good ambiance. I discovered the Canadian nature and I really liked the view on Big Salmon Lake. The first day, I was so surprised to see that the temperature could change so fast and I was happy to have my toque, my scarf and my gloves because nights were freezing!

My favorite day was the second one, because we could swim in the lake and that was a really fun part of the day and we had more time at the campsite to collect wood and be ready to eat. I had good time around the fire place; just talking with people was amazing for me!

I learned and discovered so many things during this trip. I learned how we could clean the water with special liquid and I was surprised to see that after the water still has an excellent taste. Now, I could choose good kind of wood for the fire and organize it to have a good result. I learned that we need to hang up food and TOOTHPASTE?! During the night to avoid meeting bears. I tried new dishes like: Kraft dinner, bagels with bacon, and Caesar salad wraps and I liked everything.

I really liked this trip and I had good time with everybody. I will be so happy to do the same thing again.

Thank you Mr. Brouwer and Mrs Lacroix for this great Canadian experience!

kelly :) said...

Hiking trip reflection

This was an extraordinary experience to be a part of. I learnt so many things and had a chance to meet many new people. It was so much fun to work with all my friends and try to accomplish tasks that were not easy. Such as making a campfire, it took us a long time to make one but in the end we were so proud of each other that we never gave up.

The first day I was so excited to get going, I loved singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall with all my friends. It was so much fun climbing up the 85 degree angle cliff, we all worked together and helped each other out to get to the top. It was a great experience.

Each day got easier because we had an idea of what we were doing that day. We all worked together to move from campsite to campsite. As the day went on I learnt how to use the map to find our destinations.

Of course everyone had to do chores and make sure there was nothing left that would attract animals but it was worth the fun. Every night I loved how everyone got together around one campfire and told scary stories! Everyone got a chance to see a side of people you normally wouldn't see and it especially gave me a chance to get to know people and meet my new fellow classmates.

I learnt so many things on this trip. For example what wood to use for campfires, how to survive in the wilderness... I also learnt that the boys that we pranked are really good singers!

This trip is going to be unforgettable, all the sights we got to see, and exploring the beautiful scenery that surrounded us each and every night! Also the freezing cold water when we went swimming, it was worth the pain!

I can't wait to be a part of more trips like this. I thank everyone for this amazing adventure, I'm so happy I got to share this experience with you!

Rae Woodhouse said...

Hiking Trip Review: Part 1

This trip was an amazing experience filled with laughter, learning and friendship. Over the course of the three day hiking trip through the beautiful Frontenac Provincial Park I leant a lot about life, nature and myself. Everything from the pre-camping preparations to the post-trip clean up was truly enjoyable and an experience that I won’t soon forget. With weather as gorgeous as we had, what’s not to like?

Though the official start date for the trip was Wednesday, the excursion really began about a week prior to that; needless to say that this “trip” was more than just the three days in the wilderness, it was all the organizing, packing and cleaning that came along with it. We began planning our meals and deciding who would bring what far before we even starting packing our bags, which for me was an equally important and exciting part. For my group, composed of Alexia, Rachel, Kelly and I, planning our menu was the most problematic part of our pre-trip prep, given our numerous dietary restrictions: Kelly is allergic to chocolate, Alexia is lactose intolerant, Rachel doesn’t fancy whole wheat and I am a vegetarian. That being said, I am very proud of the meals we were able to produce, shockingly edible! Little did we know, but the planning done prior to the trip was just the beginning of a series of small mountains we were soon to climb.


Filled with excitement and bursting with the sense of adventure, all 21 of us climbed down from the bus after 2 and a half hours of “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” and other various camp songs. The first day was wonderful, though at some points seemed like it would never end. The hiking accomplished that day was long and physically demanding. It required everyone to get into a zone and just keep trudging along at a steady pace, which was to be set by our peers. One exhausting hike, four hours and many breath taking views later, we arrived at our campsite. Right away my group jumped into action, setting up the tent, fetching firewood, purifying water and starting supper. The work never stopped and nightfall came just 20 minutes too early, which left us in a slight panic to clean dishes, which was difficult to begin with, and properly store our food. That night, once all was settled, we all gathered around a campfire for a fun night. We laughed and joked, and got to know each other a little better. Come bedtime, sleep came easily and stayed with me until the next morning, when we were to do it all again.

Rae Woodhouse said...

Part 2

Waking up that chilly morning was a feat in itself! Immediately I rolled my sleeping bag and my therma rest before even going to the outhouse. Since I was the first one out, I began preparing our second trip meal and hot beverages. Shortly after that my group took down our tent and busied themselves with little campsite cleansers. Quicker than I thought, we had eaten, done dishes, packed and repacked. Well fed and reenergized we began our second leg of the trip. Though we all groaned as we hoister our humongous bags onto our aching backs, we moved at a great speed, slowing only to enjoy the fabulous views that we were fortunate enough to encounter. Our lunch destination was absolutely gorgeous, a real treat. It was there that I got to do something completely crazy in my opinion, we swam in October! This was quite the experience but was really a load of fun, one of the highlights of the trip. Unfortunately it was there that I ran into difficulties with my blisters, which thankfully Mr. Brouwer was able to fix. Chilled but clean was how we started off after lunch. Making record time we reached the second campsite in what seemed like no time at all, compared to the previous day’s hiking. This time we were surer of what needed to be done and how long it would take to perform these tasks. We set up, cooked, ate and cleaned before retiring for another night of joy, singing and hot chocolate. It was in those moments by the campfire, when I got to sit down for the first time since waking, that I realized just how fortunate I have been given the opportunity to experience nature in such an incredible way.

The following morning, still high off the night before, we moved like a well oiled machine and we were consequently the first team ready to go. After climbing a tree time and time again, and being abandoned by our leaders, we eventually were all set well on our way to showers and a washing machine. The climb that day went far too quickly for my liking. Arriving at the bus stop brought feelings of relief as well as sorrow. The trip was truly a unique and riveting experience that none of us wanted to end.

It is amazing how much you can learn about life over the course a just a few days, for example: even when you’re in pain continuing is the best thing you can do, and the sun sets quickly so never waist a minute of its’ light. I learnt that when working in groups someone’s got to lead or else some people may end up getting lost in the ciaos or forgotten behind. Also, I learnt that germs aren’t the end of the world and some things are so beautiful that they’re worth the journey, even if that journey includes a traitorous climb up a cliff! I loved bonding with my classmates and cooking the meals because it was so different then cooking at home, yet in some ways exactly the same. I could have lived without the dirtiness and the heavy weight, but I suppose that it was all part of the adventure. When I do this again, and I intend to, I will try to have more of a system in place so that the camp jobs get done more efficiently. Also, I will not bring even close to the amount of food that my group brought! The only good thing that came of all that extra food weight was that we never went hungry.

I don’t come from a family that loves the outdoors; in fact my mom owns a cup that says, “I love not camping”, so this trip was not the kind of thing I experienced as a young kid. The trip was so much fun and I am so glad that I got to experience it with such a hard working and pleasant group of people. Though I learnt plenty during last week’s perfect trip, I believe that the most important lesson that I learnt is that we, even at the age of 14, are actually capable of taking care of ourselves, which is incredibly important. This realization is incredibly empowering since it gives you the idea that we, as a generation, are possible of anything that we put our minds to.

Rachel said...

Hiking Trip Reflection

Passing by the ‘Frontenac Provincial Park’ sign I could feel the excitement build in my stomach. Looking outside all you could see was blue sky and trees of many different colors. I knew that this was going to be a fun trip.

This trip was the first time I have ever been hiking to a campsite. I have camped before but never had the chance to walk to my site. It was a brand new experience for me that was fun and exciting. After taking group shots Mr.Brouwer said something that surprised us all. That we were going to navigate our way to the campsite. The first thought in my mind were going to get lost. But Mr.Brouwer believed we could do it so I trusted him.

The first days hike felt the longest and hardest out of the three days. I had not expected the backpacks to be so heavy and it seemed that as the time passed the backpacks just got heavier. Alexia and I volunteered to navigate for the last bit of the first days hike. We ended up leading the group a longer way but in the end ended up at the campsite. Once at the campsite we were all just happy to be there. I even let out a little yell of joy to finally be able to put my pack down and not have to wear it.

The next day was my favorite hike that we took. Alexia and I lead the way and went the right way this time! It was a beautiful day and I was in my shorts and t-shirt after about a half an hour of hiking. The terrain the second day was crazy. Sometimes it felt like we weren’t even on a path because we would go over steep rocky hills. Hiking over those hills were all worth it once we got to the lookout. The view was incredible and I felt such I rush when I stood close to the edge. If that was fun enough we decided to all go swimming. Swimming in the middle of October! It was a fun experience and a great memory!

The last day was the easiest hike. It was short and fairly flat terrain. But we were still all tired from the last few days we had and were going a bit slow. We all encouraged each other and told some stories along the way and finished our hike in no time.

I’ll never forget this trip. I had such a great time and had so many laughs along the way. My favorite time was spent at the end of the day out by the campfire. Even though on the first night we had some trouble starting our fire the second night we got a really nice fire going. We learned that the most important part of a fire is good firewood! Once we got our fire going we could to just relax and talk with friends around the fire. It was the best thing to do after a long day of hiking. We took turns telling ghost stories and some people even made up their own stories right on the spot. I think I ate about 20 marshmallows and roasted about 40.

This trip was full of many laughs and memories that I will never forget. I was fortunate enough to get to go with a great group of people which made for a great time. I learned plenty of new skills and have tons of new stories to tell. I am happy I got to go on this trip and I look forward to going on the trip next year!

Anonymous said...

Hiking Trip Reflection Part 1

This trip could not have been better. Perfect weather, a great group, awesome sights and we made great time!

This trip started even before our first day of hiking and camping with all of our planning. The first thing to figure out was our tent/cooking groups. It would have been too heavy to carry a 5 person tent, so Sam, Nick, Yannick, Peter and I had to split in to 2 groups. Our groups ended up being Nick and I, and Sam, Yannick and Peter together. Next came planning the menu and our packs. Since Nick had already had most of his pack packed, I ended up taking most of our food and he got the tent.

The first day started out and it seemed like it was going to take forever to get to camp with my pack being so heavy and the route looking so long on the map. Although, throughout the day my pack seemed to get lighter and lighter and the minutes going by very quickly; we were already at the first beautiful lookout, about half way there! It’s too bad the colors in the trees hadn’t started changing more, but the view was still amazing. We got fuelled up with a quick snack and were on our way again, visiting the mica mines after I accidentally took most of us up a very steep hill, although it seems like most people enjoyed it from reading their reflections on the blog!

It seemed like no time before we were at our first camp site. We had to get everything set up quickly before nightfall. We all unpacked quickly and got our tents set up, started a nice fire and we were eating right away…Peter even went for a swim! After eating and cleaning all our dishes and fetching some more firewood, we got to wind down in front of the fire and get to know each other a little more. We then all went to our tents and it seemed my sleep came quickly with my warm sleeping bag, even if the temperatures were near freezing.

The second day I woke up to a beautiful morning with the water as clear as glass. We had to get to work quickly on eating, getting water and packing everything up again. This is where I learned how valuable it is to plan for your garbage and make sure you burn your extra fresh food ASAP. Before leaving, we had to actually pick things out of our fire pit to bring to our next campsite.

This day was again a perfect day where the hike seemed to go by very quickly. We stopped for lunch at a great lookout, and just down the path from the lookout was a beach and a very beautiful lake. This is where I tried something I’ve never done before, swimming in October! Needless to say, it was very cold but lots of fun. The rest of the hike was great after being refreshed in the cold water.

Anonymous said...

Hiking Trip Reflection Part 2

Getting to camp, we decided each person in our campsite would have specific jobs to do so we were set up very efficiently. We had lots of time to get our dinners ready and we even learned how to make a great cooking fire (the log house) from Mr. Brouwer which I definitely like more then the TP version. The way we camped on the second day would be the way I would want to do it when I camp again with a group. The chores around the camp didn’t seem as tedious when everyone knew exactly what they were doing. Again, this night I had a great sleep even though the temperatures dropped to near freezing again.

The last morning,we all woke up knowing we would be going home today. This last morning was filled with picking up garbage, burning the extra fresh food and making sure everything got in to our packs. The hike back seemed longer since we didn’t have the excitement of reaching a new camp at the end of the hike, but the weather was awesome again and I have no complaints about the hike.

This trip was a great experience for me since I never really got to go camping growing up. I mean sure I got to sleep in a tent in my backyard…but that’s not camping at all. I learned a lot about building fires, planning for my trip, planning for packing, the chores to do around camps and most of all leaving no trace. This knowledge will help me through the rest of my life whenever I go camping. I will definitely make sure to plan well for my garbage and my pack, I will know the chores to do around camp and I will leave no trace. I look forward to going camping again next year and all the years to come.

mackburnsie said...

When I went to pick up my pack the morning we left, I couldn't get it onto my back without help. My first thought was "How in the world am I going to be able to carry this for hours on end?!". I carried it onto the bus and off we went to the Frontenac Park!

We got off the 2 hour bus ride ready to go! The weather was nice and we were all in good spirits. I had the map first, so I guess that I meant I was to lead. I really learnt a lot of how to read a map because on the map it showed water, trees and trails. I had to know where we were at all times to keep the group on the right path. I learnt a lot about leadership skills and keeping track of if anyone needed a rest or not. While I was the navigator I didn't really feel how heavy my pack was until I gave the map to someone else and had nothing else to think about.

Every once in a while we would stop to take a drink, look at the nice scenery around us and to give everyone a break from their packs.

We got to campsite one and immediatly started to set up camp. Some of us went for fire wood, some set up tents and some got started on supper. It got cold and dark, fast. Once we finished eating we emptied someones pack and put all the food in it and hoisted it up into a tree. We got a fire started and had the girls from the next campsite over and we talked and laughed till god only knows what time! Once everyone went back into their tents and we were away from the fire was when I realized how cold it really was.

I didn't really sleep well the first night because I was cold. I woke up half way through the night and had to put a tuque on and another pair of socks. When we woke up we wanted to get a fire started immediatly so we could warm up a bit, eat then pack up camp and head out to the next campsite.

We got out half an hour later than wanted but we hiked like we were on a mission. We thought it was going to take us 5 hours of hiking but we did it in 3. We made a few stops on day two. My favorite stop was at the big rock lookout. It was so pretty and we had lunch there. Some crazies went swimming off the beach there in OCTOBER! I did not go in because I didn't want to get sick. When you are watching people swim though I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be in sweatpants and a sweater!

When we got to campsite two it was so nice! Definatly my favorite of the two we stayed at. Once again we all split off into our little jobs and got food made, camp set up, fire started and dishes cleaned. We could have used a bit more day light, but we survived. We had to hang out food in the dark, but flash lights helped us out!

mackburnsie said...

Once again we had a campfire with our "neighbours" over and then we all went off into tents just to hang out. Having 12 people in a 4 man tent makes it pretty warm, then going into a 3 person tent with 3 people...It's cold! I actually slept really well the second night though because I knew it was going to be cold so I put on all my warm clothes.

The last day of hiking was not long at all, it was only probably an hour and a half. It was short but we also hiked pretty fast that day too.

When we were told this was the end we all cheered, but more less because we didn't have to carry the packs anymore not because we were going home. A shower would be nice, but other than that it was a blast.

Considering we were camping and didn't really have "fancy" meals, we ate pretty well. We also learnt how to purify water with a few drops of this and that and after 15 minutes you had clean water to drink. We just kept mixing gatorade or kool-aid pouder into our drinks and we had good drinks too!

I learnt a lot on this trip. I learnt how to read a map, be a good leader, make a good fire, purify water, pack a pack properly, set up a tent without instructions and most of all, how much I love my shower.

This trip was so much fun! We had beautiful weather and I made new friendships that I didn't have before the trip. The only thing I would change is that I would go in the summer so that we could swim and not freeze and be fairly warm at night.

Thank you so much Mr. Brouwer and Mrs. Lacroix for making this trip possible. I had a blast and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Jordan Lundin said...

Hiking Trip Reflection Part 1

I love the outdoors and i love camping. This trip brought the outdoors and surviving in the outdoors to a whole new level... And i loved it even more!

The hype of going on this trip didn't just start when we got to Frontenac Park. It started days before the hiking trip while we were preparing and paking. The atmosphere around me only got more excited as the days closed into the final hours on the bus on the way to the camp grounds. All of the excitement and anxiety of having the right stuff finally came to a halt when we got onto the bus.


Hiking in Frontenac Park was unexplainable. The colours of artifacts mother nature offered were beautiful, the views where unbearably extravagant, and the people I got to experience all of these life changing things with were amazing. On top of all of this, the weather was perfect.


Of course who could forget the 85 degree hill shortcut? It wasn't a very good shortcut and threatened our lives, but it was an amazing achievement. Nothing felt better than getting to the top of that hill!


The first campsite was gorgeous! But I was mainly happy to get the hiking bag off! But like every other camping group, I had my jobs to do as soon as we arrived. We set up the tents, got the food sorted out and so on. When we showed up at the first campsite what happened was of course was Mackenzie Dubuc and I ran around like we were 5 year olds on a sugar high. We were doing chores and being responsible, but we tried to make everything fun and warm hearted, and thats not hard when your loud and have laugh attacks every two minutes!


I had an amazing time during the day, but I am a country girl. I live for the night. I love it because its dark and you can have a fire going, and the stars will be out and the deep colours of the sky bring you a sense of peace and security, like a huge blanket keeping you safe.


I loved how everyone could have been strangers, but as soon as you add a campfire and marshmallows, it suddenly doesn't matter. Its like being a kid and meeting someone for the first time then being best friends minutes later, just because you liked the same game on the school yard.


On the second day of hiking I was afraid because it was supposed to be a long hike. It turns out it was only long because we took the the longest break at the most beautiful look out ever. It honestly was like seeing the world in a whole different way. It almost takes away all the pain, drama and whatnot and truly makes you realize there is something beautiful in the world to look up to.

Jordan Lundin said...

Hiking Trip Reflection Part 2

I am afraid of heights, and even though the rock at the look out was really high and if I fell I would die, it was worth trying to get as close to the edge as I could. I did not want to look back on this trip and be able to ask myself the "what ifs" and "could've's" and that was my motive to bring myself to a deathly situation and stare at it straight in the face.


The best part was swimming in the lake. The fact that the girls and I went swimming in October, and still lived to tell the tale, sent smiling chills up my spine and gave me a sense of pride and playfulness. It gave me a chance to get to know those girls in a way I'm not too sure many other people will get to.


The best part about swimming was knowing two of the girls had never swam in a Canadian lake before and they were the two happiest people alive to do so. Even though it wasn't a new experience for me, they're excitement bloomed off them and onto me and it was amazing that I got to experience something that has impacted their lives and made them happy, with them.


The second campsite was just as beautiful as the first. My job was to get fire wood. That didn't turn out to be the best job for me because I was too short to reach the branches most of the time!




The fire seemed brighter and illuminated its lively spirits onto people. The stars glanced down at us from the deep, ocean blue sky like a parents eyes watching over their child to make sure they don't get hurt. The water was a blinding beauty sheet of glass that was shimmering under the glimmering moon. Everything just seemed like that much more. People seemed different too.


It was like we now were not afraid to be who we really are. By this point we had probably seen you at your worst so it didn't matter what you looked like. We told scary stories and laughed ferociously at jokes. The person next to you was now part of your family.


The only way I can describe the nights is like I were dreaming. That kind of atmosphere is almost like something you would see in a movie and only wish would happen, and then it was there, but it didn't feel real. It was the most amazing thing in the world. I liked the fact that my tent shared a platform with two groups of boys, because normally that would seem wrong, but it was actually something that just showed people that we can all be a part of something bigger if we all come together.


I wish I never woke up the next day. I wish the trip was still happening right now. But reality comes into place, and we had to leave.


For some reason the group of students we had on this trip liked to run to where they wanted to go. It helped on the other days but on the way back to the bus, I wanted it to go as slow as possible. I did not want to leave.


On the way Mr. Brouwer found out some rumours that may or may not be true, but it was good to know that the teachers were also involved with the "coming together" of the group.


The bus ride back was full of memories that we made on the hiking trip that will never be replaced. It wasn't just closure of the trip, but it was the opening of new opportunities for friendships, future plans and so many more things that everyone who was there will eventually realize. The hiking trip taught us life lessons and classroom lessons, friendships and memories were created, and it all around changed my outlook on my life.


Thank you so much Mr. Brouwer and Ms. Lacriox for making the Hiking Trip to Frontenac Park one I will always remember!

SpeedPaddler said...

Hiking Trip Reflection

The hiking trip was a huge success and I had a lot of fun. I say it was a success because we had no injuries, we didn't get lost, there were no bear sightings and we all had fun while on the trip.

When we first got off the bus I knew the trip was going to be very amusing because everyone was very hyped up to be going out in the wilderness. After about an hour on the trail I think people started to get tired because we weren't at the camp site yet, but the leaders at the time keep telling them we weren't that far and we only had a little bit to go, this made people continue on even though in reality we weren't anywhere close to the campsite. Along the way I think people didn't really complain because they were caught up and mesmerized by the beauty of the changing colour leaves, the natural beauty of the environment really caught people off guard I find. When we finally did make it to the campsite I think everyone was relieved that we were actually done for the day because they all started chatting about what they saw during the hike and were really happy. That night was a fun night because everyone had gotten a hearty meal and were happy and talkative. That energy started waning out the later it got because it got colder and people were getting tired, Finally everyone crashed out of tiredness.

The next morning wasn't the best because it was cold out and everyone wanted to huddle around our meager fire and didn't want to do anything, but eventually they started to get warmer and started helping out with breakfast. When we finally did roll out on the trail everyone was exuberant to see more of the beautiful environment. When we rested at lunch everyone seemed tired but the view from the cliffs and the wonderful swim we had had everyone up and ready to hike more. When we arrived at the second campsite people didn't seem as tired as the day before and we more active in the camp setup. With everyone's help we were able to setup camp very fast and have more time preparing dinner in the daylight than the day before. That night we were all very sociable and talking around the campfire, finally the energy everyone had died out and we went to bed.

The next morning everyone knew that they needed to help out instead of sit around the campfire so we had a quick breakfast, I thought our tear down was very slow because the two days of hiking was finally wearing people down. Once we finally got on the trail(after the little prank Mr. Brouwer pulled on us) we made great time to get to the meet up point with the bus, I think we made such good time because everyone were excited and happy to finally be done. The bus ride home was very dull for me because most people were sleeping.

All in all I think the trip was a huge success and very enjoyable.

Yannick said...

Hiking Trip Reflection

Wow! What an amazing experience the perfect weather could not have been better and hing and spending time with friends really was unforgettable.

It all started back in in school when Peter, Sam, Ben, Nick, and I had to split up into two groups. Nick and Ben and Sam, Peter, and I. It didn't mater if we were in separate tents because we figured we would have our tents close to each other.

The excitement really hit me the bus ride to Frontenac I was so thrilled to be with all my friends and looking forward to a great week. Once we got there we got all the bags off the bus and as soon as possible we started the hike. Looking around at the amazing colors and stunning views it was spectacular. We made very good time . By the end of the first hike I was exhausted. I have to say making the tent was so fun. I don't know why but with all my friends and having an extra tent on our platform was great. The food was amazing the first night we had buttered chicken and rice. The cleaning up was not so great although it had to be done.

When we woke up the next morning it was a little slower than what Mr. Brower had hoped we sat around the fire then made breakfast and eventually got around to packing up. Once we were all ready to go we set off. It was much easier the second hike because I didn't have the tent or the rice so it went by much faster.About half way through the hike we stopped to have lunch at an amazing cliff with a beautiful lake. A bunch of us went swing in the lake, not for that long but it was so fun I will never forget that.

Once we got to the second campsite Ben and I sprinted up ahead to get the best spot. I liked he second site much more. Luckily waiting for us was two big 8 liter bottles of purified water. Once we got set up with the tents and fire we started to eat we had chili and pasta it was amazing. Once the sun went down we had everyone come to our campsite and so started the scary stories. I didn't hear most of them though because my ears were plugged as I hate scary stories.

Once we woke the next day things were done much quicker as the tent was down before the fire was up. We had good pancakes for breakfast and then we set off. What felt like a half an hour hike was really a two hour hike. Everyone was finishing there snacks and lunches as we were waiting for the bus. When the bus finally came I was so sad the amazing trip was over, but I will never forget the amazing camping trip I had with everyone.

Thank you so much for a truly amazing experience.

Deb F. said...

Frontenac Provincial Park Hiking Trip Reflection

From Wednesday to Friday (5th to 7th October) I had the great opportunity to participate in an amazing hiking trip together with half of our grade 10 Outdoor Ed students. When I say amazing, I really mean it! I loved this hiking trip because I learnt and laughed a lot. I met many new people, I saw the beautiful Canadian nature for the first time, and I had so many great experiences that I will remember all my lifetime.

After we had finished all our preparations for the trip, such as packing the backpack, learning how to use a mini stove, planning our meals, going shopping for all the foods we would need, or researching what to do if we would encounter some wild Canadian animals, all the students were ready to leave: Equipped with a huge backpack on their backs (probably the biggest bag I ever carried), a bottle of water, and a lot of motivation, the trip could finally start!
The first part of our hiking trip was a two and a half hour long bus drive. Spending two and a half hours in a bus sounds pretty boring, but I can ensure you of this: if you have so many motivated friends around you, you will never get bored! I learned a lot of funny Canadian songs and we played so many “handclapping games”. I had so much fun and I was happy that we had a great start for our hiking trip!
When we arrived, everyone jumped out of the bus to see where we will spend the next three days. It was beautiful, even though the colours of the “Indian Summer” were not at their climax. A group picture was taken and then we started to hike. The hiking part was amazing! I really enjoyed hiking through the Canadian forest, seeing all the lakes, and talking with my peers. Some routes seemed never ending, but after a short stop with a little snack, water and sometimes some breathtaking views, I felt refreshed and I was ready to continue. The hiking part of this day was not too long and exhausting, but anyway I was happy when we arrived at our camping place. While some of our group collected firewood and others cleaned our drinking water from the lake, Haley, Kelsey and I started to set up our tent. At first we had some troubles with that, but soon we figured out what we had done wrong and restarted our work. After the tent was set up, we cooked and ate our dinner. By using the little alcohol stove, we nearly burned down our campsite because the table caught fire. I was a little bit afraid when I saw the whole table burning, but nothing happened and after the fire was eliminated, we just laughed about it. After we washed the dishes (I was all black after doing that), the night came earlier than expected and with the darkness the degrees were falling rapidly. Sitting around the fire with all the others warmed me up. We had a lot of fun telling scary stories or just talking. Maybe we had too much fun, because after a while Mr. Brouwer came over to tell us to be quieter… (Sorry Mr. Brouwer). And then we remembered that our food still had to be hanged up. It is unbelievable how heavy food for eight girls for three days is! We needed 4 people to lift our food bag up into the trees. The night was very cold. Even though I was wrapped in my scarf, my mittens, my big jacket and my sleeping bag, I was freezing! Also, I was a little bit afraid of bears or moose because I lost our brownies and thought that maybe they were still somewhere in the tent… but I survived the night! ;)

Deb F. said...

In the morning I was a bit tired, but after we ate breakfast I felt better. Like the day before we had perfect weather. After we have hiked for a while we arrived at a beautiful lookout where we ate our lunch. As the weather was fantastic, many of us jumped into the beautiful lake. It was great! I never thought I could go swimming in Canada and do that in October!!! And if there is one thing that I can tell you: Canadian water is the best! The water was unbelievably clear and its taste is better than the taste of our school water. Swimming in Canadian water was definitely my favourite part of this trip! After some more hiking, we set up our tent right next to the water. It was a beautiful place. This evening I learned how to make a good fire with the perfect firewood, and I tasted Kraft Dinner for the first time. Very buttery… but good! Once again we sat around the fire telling stories. I jumped once again into the water but this time it was a bit colder. When we ran out of firewood we moved into a tent and “we” means 15 people! Fifteen people in a four person tent. Can you imagine that? It was so funny! Everyone was just squeezed together. That was an experience!
The following day we hiked the rest of our route. We had a lot of fun singing camp songs and playing games. After a short hike and break for lunch, the bus came to pick us up. I was happy that I would have my own big bed that night, but at the same time I was a bit sad because I knew that this was the end of an amazing hiking trip.

All in all I enjoyed the whole hiking trip and also the preparations for it. I had so many great experiences and I learned so much as this was the first real hiking trip I went on. We had a great group, we worked in a team and we learned how to care for ourselves for three whole days. That is what I also liked a lot about our trip. Would I do it again? Of course! It was a good trip but of course we also had some difficulties from time to time. This is the reason why for the next time we go hiking we should plan our meals better so that we do not have to carry so much food and garbage, and we should be more efficient in the tasks. However, I think that for our first hiking trip we did a good job. I loved the three days in nature but there is one last thing I would change in future: making the trip longer than three days! I just cannot get enough of hiking in Canada! :D

Thanks to everybody who made this trip an inimitable experience!

Mack Dubuc said...

Hiking Trip Reflection; Part One

I never once imagined I'd go on a hiking trip for three days in the middle of a wilderness, especially with my peers. I've told so many people about the things we do in Outdoor Ed and each one of them has told me how jealous they are that they don't get this class at there High School. Or adults who said that they are mad they didn't get the opportunity to take this class during High School. I never thought I would experience brushing my teeth in the wilderness without real water to rinse my mouth out with, or having to use an outhouse as a washroom for three days straight, having to purify my water before drinking it and many other things. I'm someone who thinks of the worst in every occasion, especially this camping trip. I thought that me, of all people would be the one person to come across a bear, and basically not come out of this trip alive. Thankfully I was wrong. All the guys I was camping with would tease me about bears. At one point they all ran out of the forest screaming and telling me that they saw a bear.. I didn't find that very funny! But everyone else seemed to think it was.

Packing for this trip was way harder than I expected. I ended up bringing way too many pairs of clothes. I didn't end up using more than half of it though. So it really was a big waste of space. I ended up carrying quite a bit of the food and I also carried the stove. It's harder then you think carrying a bag the size of you on your back for three days.

My favorite view was by far the Big Salmon Lake view. It was honestly amazing. The fact that we were standing on huge rocks and that you could see all the way across the lake was amazing. A lot of people ended up going, some people went swimming off the rocks but most of them decided to swim at the beach, which was probably the better idea. The first day was by far the hardest, we didn't know what to expect. I was fine when I started off, but within fifteen minutes, my shoulders started to hurt really bad. Someone ended up adjusting my strap around my waste which took a lot of the weight off my shoulders. Either the first or the second day, the person with the map decided to take this offroad trail.. We had to go up a hill that was literally 90 degrees. I made it pretty far, but I couldn't reach the next tree. So Rachel grabbed my arm, and accidently let go.. So I fell down the hell. I was really frustrated but now that I look back on it, I laugh at myself. I only got one blister throughout the whole camping trip which I was proud about.

The chores. Man, that was probably the hardest thing to stay on top of throughout this whole trip. The first day we arrived at our campsite we got pretty much everything finished. We didn't really work very well with chores, we all tried to do everything. Which we didn't really need to do. So the next day we decided to give each person a different chore. I was in charge of dishes with Nick. The second night was the worst time for dishes because none of us ended up eating until after dark. Which left all the dirty dishes left to clean in the dark. We had to have Yannick stand on the table and shine the light over our dishes. The worst part about dishes was that our hands were black and so was our dish towel because of the pots. So when your trying to dry the clean dishes, your really only making them dirtier with the black towel. In the end, we all worked really hard as a team, and the outcome of everything was really good.

Mack Dubuc said...

Hiking Trip Reflection; Part Two

The weather for the three days we were at Frontenac was amazing. I couldn't have asked for anything better. The color of the trees, the stars at night, waking up to seeing the fog on the top of the water. So many things you wouldn't take the time to look at when your at home. The mornings started off pretty cold as we started hiking, but then the sun came so we would have to stop to take off our heavy clothing. The nights were pretty cold but we always had a fire to keep us warm.

We made many new memories together on this camping trip. Everyone got along and enjoyed the time we were having together. Jordan and I had our times that we'd laugh for no reason, or go out and do stupid things. One night we went over to another campsites tent, and brushed our teeth behind it.. Spat all behind there tent so the bears would go to there tent, and not ours.. another reason we did that was because we were too lazy to go all the way up to the stinky outhouse. I'm pretty sure everyone on that trip can say they've seen the worst of everyone who was there, I now know that those boys, and even the girls, have seen the worst of me. Me without makeup, me living in a forest. Not pretty.


I learnt a lot on this trip. I learnt how to place wood properly into the fire pit, how to make a good fire, what proper wood to use while trying to make a good fire, not to leave hanging your bag full of food until after it gets dark, how to purify water, and many other things.


Thank you so much Mr. Brouwer and Miss Lacroix for taking the time to take us to Frontenac Park. That was something I never would have done with my family. But I'm very thankful that I spent it with a amazing teachers, and amazing peers. Thanks again!

bossman said...

Hiking Trip Reflection

What I enjoyed the most about the hiking trip was being in the forest with no care in the world. It was a great experience having to prepare our own food and making our own shelter.

We prepared many delicious meals by the fire. I learned about how to start a fire with the proper kind of wood. I had a lot of fun sitting by the fire all night long.
I realized that for the next trip I would pack a lot less clothes. Most of the room in my bag was filled with shirts and pants which I did not need at all during the trip.

If I would embark on this trip again I would not even have to think about it, I would be on the bus.

The first day of hiking seemed to go on forever. It was long and painful with many rolled ankles. Once we arrived it was a great relief to get the backpack off our backs and relax, after having to fight over a spot to place our tent. We ate right away with some delicious beans and salad dressing but no salad. The beans didn’t taste that great with only salad dressing but better than nothing.

In the evening we had a terrific fire. Everyone had a lot of fun. Once we got to sleep, the night air felt cool but we were nice and warm in our sleeping bag.
The following morning I was the first one up. I sat by the water. It was a beautiful sight. The morning breakfast was fast and easy. A rare delicacy if I remember.

My impression of the second day was that it was supposed to be a lot longer than the first day. It ended up being very fast and a lot of fun. We stopped for lunch at a very beautiful look out. Not so beautiful if you are afraid of heights.

We went for a swim after a long lunch. I went swimming because I was peer pressured into going. When I swim, I like the water to be warm not freezing.

After drying off we had about an hour and a half hike to the camp site. Once again we made great time. Plenty of time to set up our tents gather fire wood and get supper prepared. We had a great meal and a very large fire that night. We had another night of staying up all night and telling scary stories. One more lovely sleep and then a hike to the bus and our trip was over in a flash.

Camel said...

Hiking Trip Reflection


After the hiking trip I can say I... fell down a "cliff", climbed an 85 degree hill, made my first fire and swam in Canada in October! Not to many can say that.


Hiking in Frontenac Provincial Park was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The weather was absolutely beautiful. The sun was shining and the leafs were changing colour. Although it was chilly at night we had an awesome camp fire to keep us toasty. Everyone was smiling and encouraging which made the trip 100 times better.


The first day had to be the hardest. My bag was so heavy from all the food. My hips, legs and shoulders were aching with pain and I wasn't sure if I'd make it to the camp site. Our first stop of the day was at a look onto the water. It was so pretty the water was clear and waves were crashing the shore. Later on we came to a stop what our navigators thought was the path was definitely seeing as the path was an 85 degree hill!!! It was tough but we made it, all of us panting and gasping for air but we made it. In the late afternoon we arrived at our camp site set up our tents and started cooking! I was so excited to get to the camp site so I could get that huge bag of me and relax. That night had to be my favourite Peter the most incredible camp fire where a bunch of us could just sit by the fire, talk, laugh and just hang out. My favourite camp fire moment had to be me tripping over a rock and falling down the mini cliff Mean while me Haley, Kelsey and Kelly went up to Tristan C's tent and scared them!


The second day was awesome! We got up at a decent hour took down and made breakfast. I think we actually got out of the camp site around 10am. Our hike on day 2 had to be the best everyone was in good spirit and we were just booking it! After an hour or so of hiking we stopped for lunch at the most amazing look at on Big Salmon Lake. We were at least 50-75 feet in the air just hanging off a cliff that leads into the water. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It really showed us how beautiful Canada really is. To top of lunch on the cliff a bunch of us decided to go down to the water and go for a swim. The water was gorgeous but so cold! But everyone sucked it up and jumped in. How many people can say the swam in Canada in the fall. Not many. That was probably the coolest part of the trip. We reached our campsite shortly after our break. Considering Mr. Brower expected the trip to take 4 hours and we did in 2 I think that was a big accomplishment. Campsite #2 was my favourite we were all closer together and there was a little island that looked out onto the water. Campsite #2 also had great access too great fire wood were we all learned were and what good fire wood is.


Day 3. Day three was probably the easiest. For one our paks were lighter because practically all the food was taken out. We got up at around 8 and quickly ate breakfast and packed up. We set off on our last day of hiking. The last day took us around an hour to and hour and a half. We Finally reached the finnish got a snack and got on a bus on the way home.


I think over all the trip was fantastic! Although no one enjoys camp chores they still got done with motivation and smiles. And even though everyone was aching through out the hike it was all worth it when we got to the camp site. I think to come home was bitter sweet. Everyone was tired and wanted to sleep in their own bed but everyone would miss the laughs and memories. This was a fantastic opportunity and I am so thankful I got to be a part of it. I met some new people learned some outdoor skills like how to make a fire and find firewood. It was so fun and I would do it again anytime.

kelsey said...

Our hiking trip was so much fun. Getting to spend 3 days out in the woods with my friends and watching the leaves change colors was like nothing I could have ever imagined. Every moment spent there was worth it! I got to do some things I never thought I would do, like go swimming in October or climb a hill that was so steep it was actually scary.

I learned so much on this trip and so many things I can use for the rest of my life like how to cook over an open fire or how to purify water. I really liked having a camp fire at night with everyone getting to tell scary stories and roast marshmallows. I loved the beautiful look outs we stopped at. By far my favourite would have to be the lookout looking over Big Salmon Lake and little did I know when I was looking at it that I would be swimming in it half an hour later. The only thing I didn’t like on the trip was having to do the dishes because I would always get covered with the dirt from the pots. Another thing was the outhouses smelt really bad.

There is nothing I would change about the trip and I would do it all again if I could. Our food was surprisingly good and I liked getting to make food over the fire I thought that was pretty cool. Our tent was nice and it felt good at night to know you had somewhere to go rest after a long day. I only wish the trip could have been longer. We moved through the hike fast, always finishing early, which left us more time to set up camp which was really nice. It also gave us all time to learn how to make a real fire and not one that would die in a minute.

There were some funny moments at the campsites like when, Haley, Alexia, Kelly and I scared one of the boys’ tents and when Alexia fell then disappeared because she fell down a mini cliff by the campfire. Another one was when Lex and I thought we fell in poison ivy or when Yannick scared us and Alexia dropped into the fetal position.

Overall the trip was fun, crazy, silly and I learned some new things. We had a great time and we really got to know each other. I will never forget the memories I made in Frontenac. Waking up each morning to Frontenac Provincial Park was truly beautiful. I only wish the trip could have been longer. I am most definitely doing Outdoor Ed next year. So thank you Mr. Brouwer and Miss Lacroix.

reesespiecesman said...

Hiking Trip reflection

My outdoor education class went on a hiking trip in the Frontenac Park. It was my first time ever going on a trip like that; I thought it was a fun and an exciting new experience. When I first learned about the trip I didn’t really know what to expect, or know how we would be camping over night. We started hiking on the first day and I found it to be challenging. I wasn’t used to walking while carrying all my supplies and gear. But after the first hour or so, I started to enjoy it. I found we all worked really well together, and made it to the first campsite in good time.
We were all really happy to finally get to the campsite after a long day. My group brought amazing food and we handled the mini stoves with care. My group was Yannick, Peter and I, and we all shared a tent. We had no problems setting our tent up because we worked together. My group also worked with Nick and Benson. We all shared a camping spot, and we hung our food in a tree in the same bag so it would be easier to find the food. We needed to hang the food in a tree so animals couldn’t reach it. The first night we did not do very good job cleaning up our camp site. We left food and candy wrappers lying around. In the morning we got picked everything up and got rid of the garbage and tried to do a better job in the next campsite. When we started hiking to get to the second destination I found the day exciting and interesting. There were so many cool things while we were walking through the park. We walked by an old mine, and went to the look-out point over the lake. The weather was great considering it was early October. It wasn’t too chilly outside, and the view at the look-out point was just amazing. The day was so nice everyone went swimming! The water was cold at first, but once your body got numb it didn’t seem that cold.
When we got to the next camping spot, we got our tents up very quickly and got started on making a fire. Once we got the fire going, some of us cooked on the stoves, and some cooked over the fire. It got dark out really fast in the evening, so we had to get our food hung in the tree quickly. We got everything in the bag fine, and it all worked out perfectly. The nights got very cold, so I will have to remember to bring a pair of warm socks next time. In the morning we did a much better job of cleaning up after ourselves around the campsite. We left no garbage, and all the half eaten food was thrown in the fire pit.
It was a short walk back to the bus which was a good thing because my feet were aching like crazy after all the hiking we did. Once we got on the bus it must have taken me just five minutes to fall asleep. This hiking trip was one of the best experiences I have ever had, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of going on the trip.

TristantheExpeditioner said...

Hiking Trip Reflection
By: Tristan Church

The hiking trip was awesome. It was a great time to hang out and hike with friends. It was definitely a a fun and memorable trip.

The first day went very fast. Unfortunately, my group didn't really want to carry the food, leaving me to pack the existing food and making me carry a heavy pack. The hike was great. There was great, weather, warm but not too warm, and great sights all around. The mica mine was very cool to see. It just made me think of when there was people actually in there working. The big hill we hiked up was definitely harder but faster than walking around would have taken. When we arrived at our campsite, our chosen tent location was perfect. As I started to cook, I realized we brought a lot more food than what we needed. Dinner consisted of chicken casserole with rice and sidekicks pasta on the side. Clean-up was a bit slow but at least we finished. The night ended with a great conversation around the fire. The very cold night limited comfort to everyone, even in a 4 season sleeping bag.

The second day started off with oatmeal and bagels for breakfast. The morning felt fairly slow until we left off on the hike. Hiking was a lot easier a lighter pack, as the night before we distributed the food. As we arrived at our lunch point, beautiful sights were awaiting at the top of the rock. Sitting on the rock eating lunch and looking at the vast view of the Park was amazing. As we headed off after to our campsite I felt that it went pretty slow. When we arrived, everyone in my group including me were reluctant to do anything, as they were tired. For dinner I cooked pasta and meat sauce with a side of sidekicks pasta, which energized all of us for the night. As our attempt at melting chocolate for pretzels failed, we decided to head off to bed.

As we woke up to clear blue skies, we slowly took down base camp and had our breakfast of oatmeal and vegetables. The hiking was very short that day leaving us waiting for the bus at our finishing point

The trip was an awesome experience, leaving me with great memories. I could not have such a great time without the people in my group. Special thanks to Mr. Brouwer and the staff that made this trip happen.

Justin Sass said...

As we set out in the morning i could tell it was going to be a great day. We had 3 of us in the canoe, me Matt and Phil, as we were paddling we noticed im not the best person for the back of the canoe, so me and matt end up switching spots, i go over matt and then lie down, and matt moves back slowly, i thought we were going to tip but turns out we did just fine. About an hour in we aproach a small waterfall and i thought it was picture perfect. Halfway throught the trip we stop for lunch and relaxed, i thought it was funny jumbling up all the canoe's together for a quick stop. after eating we continued canoeing till our arms practically fell of :P. once back we portaged canoe's back to school and relaxed for the night, all was a great day and i hope to have another as good as that one sometime soon

Day 1: as we board the buss i am filled with excitement, by the time we get off the buss i am filled with nausia ... :/ We take pics, set out to our trip and start to hike and talk, lots of fun was to come but being exausted wasint fun. after getting to the camp from day one, i got stung by a wasp but i was more worried about being too tired for day 2. as we go to sleep we get ambushed by other classmates attempting to scare us.
Day 2: when i woke up at 5am i was FREEZING and just wanted to go back to sleep in the warm. We end up getting up then leave camp for day 2 of hiking, it didnt help that i was running off of 6 hours of sleep but that didnt stop me. When we got to camp we set up out stuff and then made a fire. relaxed and fell to sleep.
Day 3: After having a great sleep i was happy to get on the road back to the parking lot when all of a sudden the teachers vanish -_-. They ended up being on the path back to the parking lot and hiding behind a hill. We make it back to the buss and i slept most of the way back.

overall i think that the hiking trip was very fun and i would love to do something like this again.

Justin Sass said...

As we set out in the morning i could tell it was going to be a great day. We had 3 of us in the canoe, me Matt and Phil, as we were paddling we noticed im not the best person for the back of the canoe, so me and matt end up switching spots, i go over matt and then lie down, and matt moves back slowly, i thought we were going to tip but turns out we did just fine. About an hour in we aproach a small waterfall and i thought it was picture perfect. Halfway throught the trip we stop for lunch and relaxed, i thought it was funny jumbling up all the canoe's together for a quick stop. after eating we continued canoeing till our arms practically fell of :P. once back we portaged canoe's back to school and relaxed for the night, all was a great day and i hope to have another as good as that one sometime soon

Day 1: as we board the buss i am filled with excitement, by the time we get off the buss i am filled with nausia ... :/ We take pics, set out to our trip and start to hike and talk, lots of fun was to come but being exausted wasint fun. after getting to the camp from day one, i got stung by a wasp but i was more worried about being too tired for day 2. as we go to sleep we get ambushed by other classmates attempting to scare us.
Day 2: when i woke up at 5am i was FREEZING and just wanted to go back to sleep in the warm. We end up getting up then leave camp for day 2 of hiking, it didnt help that i was running off of 6 hours of sleep but that didnt stop me. When we got to camp we set up out stuff and then made a fire. relaxed and fell to sleep.
Day 3: After having a great sleep i was happy to get on the road back to the parking lot when all of a sudden the teachers vanish -_-. They ended up being on the path back to the parking lot and hiding behind a hill. We make it back to the buss and i slept most of the way back.

overall i think that the hiking trip was very fun and i would love to do something like this again.

Sam C said...

PAD20 – Hiking Trip 2011 Reflection

From October 5th to 7th 2011 were probably three of my favorite days in the wilderness ever. It was such an amazing experience for me.

On the 5th my day started a little bit earlier than normal, but I didn't mind at all. I got to Cairine Wilson at around 8:45 AM. We then loaded the bus and left for Frontenac Provincial Park. When we got to the park, we unloaded all our packs and prepared ourselves for the hike. After a quick, preparatory lesson from Mr. Brouwer we started our journey. The first day was a long for sure. Every two or three kilometers we took a five or ten minute break which was very appreciated. When we got to the first campsite, I think I can speak for all the students, when I say that we sighed of relief. After we set up our campsite, we started making supper. The first night was tough for me because there was no room to spare in our tent and, as the smallest person in our group, I was forced to sleep in a very uncomfortable position.

The second day was a lot better than the first. The hiking was shorter and when we stopped for lunch the view was AMAZING!!! We stopped on top of a cliff that looked over a beautiful lake. I must be crazy, but I went swimming in the lake. As you might expect, the water was extremely cold. After lunch we continued on our journey towards the second camp site. When we got there, my group set up the tent and started to make a fire. Once we had a good quality fire going, we started to cook dinner. The dinner we had that night was pasta with meat sauce. This dinner tasted good and was easily prepared. Also the pasta was healthy. It incorporated most of the main food groups.

The third day of hiking was relieving for I think everybody. We walked less kilometers, and when we got to the final destination we were done our trip. As much as I wanted to leave due to physical exhaustion, I wanted to keep going and camp some more. While we waited for the bus, we ate lunch and just took a nice long break. When the bus got to the pick up detination, we loaded our gear and headed out. The bus ride home went well. I slept for most of the drive so it felt quite fast.

If I were given the opportunity to do another trip like this one I would certainly jump on the chance.

Sam C said...

PAD20 – Hiking Trip 2011 Reflection

From October 5th to 7th 2011 were probably three of my favorite days in the wilderness ever. It was such an amazing experience for me.

On the 5th my day started a little bit earlier than normal, but I didn't mind at all. I got to Cairine Wilson at around 8:45 AM. We then loaded the bus and left for Frontenac Provincial Park. When we got to the park, we unloaded all our packs and prepared ourselves for the hike. After a quick, preparatory lesson from Mr. Brouwer we started our journey. The first day was a long for sure. Every two or three kilometers we took a five or ten minute break which was very appreciated. When we got to the first campsite, I think I can speak for all the students, when I say that we sighed of relief. After we set up our campsite, we started making supper. The first night was tough for me because there was no room to spare in our tent and, as the smallest person in our group, I was forced to sleep in a very uncomfortable position.

The second day was a lot better than the first. The hiking was shorter and when we stopped for lunch the view was AMAZING!!! We stopped on top of a cliff that looked over a beautiful lake. I must be crazy, but I went swimming in the lake. As you might expect, the water was extremely cold. After lunch we continued on our journey towards the second camp site. When we got there, my group set up the tent and started to make a fire. Once we had a good quality fire going, we started to cook dinner. The dinner we had that night was pasta with meat sauce. This dinner tasted good and was easily prepared. Also the pasta was healthy. It incorporated most of the main food groups.

The third day of hiking was relieving for I think everybody. We walked less kilometers, and when we got to the final destination we were done our trip. As much as I wanted to leave due to physical exhaustion, I wanted to keep going and camp some more. While we waited for the bus, we ate lunch and just took a nice long break. When the bus got to the pick up detination, we loaded our gear and headed out. The bus ride home went well. I slept for most of the drive so it felt quite fast.

If I were given the opportunity to do another trip like this one I would certainly jump on the chance.

Drew Pitman said...

This hiking trip was truly an amazing experience. Getting to spend three days in the wilderness with friends around a campfire every night has nothing more I could ask for. Probably the best and most memorable part about this trip is getting to look up at the night sky and seeing it full of stars.

Even though it was a long bus ride to get to Frontenac Park music and talking with friends quickly made it pass. The first hike was probably the longest and most physically demanding but was still a great experience in all. One of the best experiences of the hiking trip was visiting the mica mines. The mineral rock was very interesting in how it presumed to look like it were glass. The most fun I had that day was successfully climbing up an almost ninety degrees hill. About an hour after that we had finally arrived at our camping grounds. That was the first time I had ever purified water and except for a mild odd taste it turned out pretty well. Another thing I learned how to do was make a fire properly. Making a fire the first night proved to be difficult but after many minutes of persistence we finally got it going. For the first night of camping it could have gone a lot smoother, there was just a bit too much arguing but that was probably just because everyone was tired from a long day of hiking. The arguing quickly stopped as everyone sat down around the fire at the end of the day.

The first night of sleeping in a tent was pretty cold and uncomfortable but that's probably because I hadn't been camping in quite a while. The morning was pretty fast pace, we made a fire, had breakfast, packed up and then we were hiking by nine. After about an hour or two of hiking we came across a cliff about fifty feet high with the most beautiful view of a lake and the rest of the park. Because the view was just so amazing we decided to stop and have lunch. After about an hour as people were finishing up there lunch and others were enjoying the water we continued hiking. Once we got to our next camp site we immediately started making our fire. Since we used dry pine wood and our wood was set up a lot better the fire making went but a lot smoother. After a couple of hours of eating supper, talking, and attempts at telling scary stories we had finally gone to sleep. The next morning feeling energized after a good night's sleep we had a more relaxed start to the day than the day before. As everyone had finished packing we noticed that Mr. Brouwer and Ms. Lacroix were no where to be seen. After about fifteen minutes of looking and calling their names we finally decided to go on without them. Soon after finding out that they had hid from us up the trail everyone had their laughs and we continued hiking. This was probably the shortest of the three hikes but a good relief after the two days before.

This was one of the best experiences I have had in the wilderness and if I had to do it again I would.

Drew Pitman said...

This hiking trip was truly an amazing experience. Getting to spend three days in the wilderness with friends around a campfire every night has nothing more I could ask for. Probably the best and most memorable part about this trip is getting to look up at the night sky and seeing it full of stars.

Even though it was a long bus ride to get to Frontenac Park music and talking with friends quickly made it pass. The first hike was probably the longest and most physically demanding but was still a great experience in all. One of the best experiences of the hiking trip was visiting the mica mines. The mineral rock was very interesting in how it presumed to look like it were glass. The most fun I had that day was successfully climbing up an almost ninety degrees hill. About an hour after that we had finally arrived at our camping grounds. That was the first time I had ever purified water and except for a mild odd taste it turned out pretty well. Another thing I learned how to do was make a fire properly. Making a fire the first night proved to be difficult but after many minutes of persistence we finally got it going. For the first night of camping it could have gone a lot smoother, there was just a bit too much arguing but that was probably just because everyone was tired from a long day of hiking. The arguing quickly stopped as everyone sat down around the fire at the end of the day.

The first night of sleeping in a tent was pretty cold and uncomfortable but that's probably because I hadn't been camping in quite a while. The morning was pretty fast pace, we made a fire, had breakfast, packed up and then we were hiking by nine. After about an hour or two of hiking we came across a cliff about fifty feet high with the most beautiful view of a lake and the rest of the park. Because the view was just so amazing we decided to stop and have lunch. After about an hour as people were finishing up there lunch and others were enjoying the water we continued hiking. Once we got to our next camp site we immediately started making our fire. Since we used dry pine wood and our wood was set up a lot better the fire making went but a lot smoother. After a couple of hours of eating supper, talking, and attempts at telling scary stories we had finally gone to sleep. The next morning feeling energized after a good night's sleep we had a more relaxed start to the day than the day before. As everyone had finished packing we noticed that Mr. Brouwer and Ms. Lacroix were no where to be seen. After about fifteen minutes of looking and calling their names we finally decided to go on without them. Soon after finding out that they had hid from us up the trail everyone had their laughs and we continued hiking. This was probably the shortest of the three hikes but a good relief after the two days before.

This was one of the best experiences I have had in the wilderness and if I had to do it again I would.