Thursday, September 27, 2012

PAD2O Frontenac Park Hiking Trip - Sept. 24-26, 2012

The grade 10's headed to Frontenac Provincial Park this week for their 3-day hiking trip. For many their first experience carrying all their gear, camping in the wilderness and using an outhouse, but it was obvious there were a few among the group that had been out camping before.


The group was outstanding and the weather was great. We started our hike from the Arab Lake parking lot under a beautiful blue sky. We made our way quite quickly towards Birch Lake as the group was quite efficient in their navigating and travel as a group. We did have to deal with a few early blisters due to some new shoes being broken in, but that didn't slow this group down very much. We made it to the mica mines in good time and got into campsite #12 and #9 with plenty of time to get things set up, to collect wood for the fires and prepare our dinners. It was a bit windy at #9, which a few in the group found out when they didn't have enough pegs to hold down the tent.


The winds did settle down a bit by morning, but we did get a few of the drizzles that were promised. Lucky, it only kept to a few drizzles and that didn't stop us. The plan was to head to campsite #5 and the lookout for lunch. After a little guidance on how to improve the group working a little more as a team during the hike, this class perfected it. Students were looking out for one another, ensuring everyone could easily keep up and we were even faster than the day before. We were at the lookout in record time. This was also the spot where one of the groups would stay the night, while the other group had about an hour to campsite #4. The afternoon was spent relaxing, swimming, making walking sticks, smores by the fire, and finally watching the sunset from the top of the cliff. We even heard wolves that night or was that the girls from the other campsite?


The boys from campsite #5 were up and ready to go early. They wanted to break the speed record to campsite #4 and were successful. It turned out to be another great day. Rain was predicted, we could feel and see the rain clouds coming, but it was sunshine that we had. A great way to complete our trip, as we followed the shores of Big Salmon Lake back to Arab Lake parking lot where the bus was waiting to take us back to school. Great trip, good fall colours, great students, good food and great weather. What else could you ask for (I know some of my students would be saying "flush toilets and a shower")?


27 comments:

Unknown said...

Reflection
Jeremy Campbell

Throughout our hiking trip we had many challenges, successes, and learning experiences. At some points we thrived in the challenges and at others we couldn't perform the task very well. But by making mistakes, we learned what we must do in future situations so in a way, the mistakes made us stronger.

One of the main challenges we faced was to stay as a unified group while hiking. On the first day, this was very difficult, but on the second and third days we improved this a whole lot. This is something that we must remember to do throughout the whole trip, beginning to end if we end up hiking on another one of our trip. A success that my group had on the trip was our ability to improvise. We ran into some problems with meals that we had to overcome by problem solving to think of what we could do instead to make the meal. This was also a great learning experience to make sure everything we needed was with us and that all of the things we needed to do were taken into account which is something I’ll be sure to do next time. A learning experience that my group along with another learned was that we should all pack up and leave camp together. Most of us left early to go put our bags up ahead on the path, but we had left camp without it being fully packed up. The few who remained at camp had to put everything away by themselves, and if I were in that position, i wouldn't be very happy about it, so I’ll make sure that next time I’ll stay and help pack up camp and remind others to do it too.

Overall, I think the camp was a great success and I learned lots. The mistakes that I made on this trip will just help me be better for the next and hopefully make the next trip even better than this one!

Anonymous said...

Frontenac Trip Reflection
Eamonn Stinson O’Gorman

On our trip to Frontenac park, I left with many new things, such as valuable leadership skills and techniques that I had previously not known. These skills and techniques will come in handy for many things throughout my life, for they do not just apply to “what to do in the wilderness”. All-in-all it was amazing and I had a great time.

Throughout the course of the trip, things I learnt consisted of camping skills such as how to properly stuff my backpack or how to leave a campground in better condition than I found it. To be honest, I made a number of mistakes on the trip, starting with having quite a few meals with my group that took far too long to prepare. I was also slacking on keeping the campground clean for roughly half the trip and at one point in time, was in such a hurry to get moving, that I actually ended up slowing down the group by running off with most of the people and leaving one person behind to clean the camping area. But other than a few things like that, I figure I did quite well in taking on a responsible leadership role and if I made a mistake, then I assured it didn’t happen again.

The most enjoyable part of the trip for me would have to have been swimming in the cold water, then going up to the cliffside to watch the sunset. I enjoyed it so much just because I loved that feeling of really being away from cities, electronics, etc. and just really feeling like I was out in the wilderness with no contact to the outside world. It may be a bit weird for me to have loved that feeling, but I really still did. Thinking about all the good things makes it hard to think of something that I didn’t really enjoy... I guess if I had to pick something that I didn’t really enjoy... I’d go with the bathrooms. I love the wilderness way more than the city no doubt, but I still do prefer indoor plumbing to outhouses. Just a personal preference.

In conclusion, I would definitely do it again. It was an amazing trip and I would probably choose it over my daily city life anytime, and anywhere.

Unknown said...

The hiking trip consisted of many ups and downs. It was an excellent experience and a great bonding time with my classmates. Many lessons I learned that I will use on my own. We really learn to appreciate what we have and usually take for granted for example, indoor plumbing. We had to cook our own food, do our own dishes and clean up after ourselves. We made a few mistakes that we will learn from.
We had some troubles while cooking but we can always improve for next time. While cooking our first breakfast, we ended up making the pancakes wrong. We added mix to water instead of adding water to the mix. We added too much water making the mix very runny and hard to cook. It was a good thing that we had porridge (oatmeal) as our back up breakfast because we ended up needing it. If I were to make it again I’d make sure to start with the mix and add water to it accordingly. We should have also brought instructions on how to make it instead of trying to remember based on our memory. For our lunch on the second day we had an idea of having grilled cheese. So we bought two loaves of bread. We didn’t think about how fragile they are and that they could get squished easily so by the time we were cooking them they were all squished. We ended up eating a few of the slices that were still pretty flat and it did still taste pretty good. We should have taken into consideration the gentleness and brainstormed other ideas that could have worked in place of the bread.
If I went on the trip again, I would consider bringing a pair of hiking boots. Even though my running shoes worked very well, I probably would’ve wanted a pair to make it easier on my ankles. The students that had them said they worked well. My running shoes were ideal at the time since I had already broke them in. the downside to my running shoes were that they didn’t support my ankles well and I rolled my left ankle a couple of times. I was lucky enough to be able to walk it of in a few minutes but it most likely wouldn’t have happened if I had a pair of stabilized shoes.
At night many students brought their own self-inflating mat. I didn’t have one of my own and wasn’t planning on bringing one but at the last second I added it on my bag because I still had room. I think it really didn’t do much to make it more comfy but I think it helped insulate since I wasn’t directly on the cold ground. I might try the self- inflating ones next time since it might give me more comfort and warmth.
One thing I did good while on this trip was that I packed light. I only packed the minimum required items. This way my pack would be light, balanced and will not hurt my back. By packing such a little amount as a load, I thought I might've forgotten something. Surprisingly I only needed as much as I packed!
The first day, as we started walking the boys leading the group had a very fast pace. Some of the students towards the back of the group found it hard to keep up. At the end of the day Mr. Brouwer stopped the group and talked about strategy. Put our strong students at the front but also at the end so that the weaker, slower students wouldn’t fall to far behind. This speed up our pace covering more distance in shorter amount of time. This also brought us together as a group because everyone was looking out for each other.
The hiking trip taught us to care and always help out everyone in the group. Make sure they feel comfortable and not rushed. We also learned many different techniques we can use on our own while camping like hanging our bags, navigating with a map, searching for firewood and working together to get tasks done. Everyone in our group helped out in some way possible. The weather co-operated with us as it only drizzled early in the morning on the first day. I hope I get the chance to go on another trip like this one!

Hailey Bell

Anonymous said...

PAD2O
Hiking Trip Reflection

Before the hiking trip I learned how to pack a pack. This made packing my pack a lot easier. It allowed me to have easy accessibility to important things, like food while we were hiking, utilities (flash light, binoculars, and a knife), and a raincoat and pants in case it rains. I also learned how to read a map. This ensured me that I can help other classmates out if they did not know where to go or even if I was reading the map.

On the first day, I really enjoyed learning how to use the bear-bag for our food, and learning how to set up a tent in windy weather. One main challenge for us was to stay unified as a group while hiking. On the second day, the hike was not as tough as the first day but it was challenging. This was not a challenging hike but it was not that easy either. We stayed more as a group this day while hiking then the first day. I really enjoyed this day but I do regret not bringing a larger water bottle. On the third and final day, we had a nice sunny day to hike back. it was not a long hike but it was a challenging one. We really stayed as a group while hiking. This was a main key to travelling at a faster pace and getting to our destination before the time we were supposed to be there. This hike to me was fast, and not too challenging due to the group staying unified while hiking.

I really enjoyed this trip and i plan on continuing in Outdoor Ed. next year. One thing that I regret not bringing is a larger water bottle then the one I had. We made some mistakes but not many but we only learn from our mistakes, which makes the next time that much easier.

Kyle Benak

Anonymous said...

I’ve never been on an actual hiking trip before and I was nervous going for the first time and experiencing what it’s like. I learned many new things and got to experience stuff that I never would have if I didn’t take this course! Before going on the trip, we learned how to pack a pack and what resources to bring and where to place everything inside to make it more comfortable. But the day before leaving, I was rushed to get packed because I was busy the entire day. And didn’t have much of my supplies ready yet but eventually got it done!
I learned already my first mistake before we even started because in the morning I was yet in another rush to get to school only arriving at 8:30 to have time to get to class and leave for my bus leaving me with a sense of guilt because I had no time help my group and get all supplies sorted out making me feel bad. But fortunately I had a few minutes to transfer a couple supplies to help organize our group. Again, I had huge space in between my pack and my back] from not packing it as good as I could’ve and creating the center of gravity, but eventually I was able to overcome that and find a comfortable spot for the straps to equal out the weight on my shoulders and hips.
For dinner, to make things a bit faster we cooked half of it on the fire and half on a stove we made fish and crab which might not of been the best choice since it took awhile to cook/clean up afterward and needed to be kept cold. So it eliminated some time from other necessities to do like collect firewood but luckily thanks to Mr. Brower he told us where all the wood/birch bark was to help us get a fire going as soon as possible.
Later on in the trip, I was able to reflect on what I could improve on from the times before and that helped me alot so I was able to pack my bag easier, and not have a huge space in between the pack and my back. I also learnt that if you have extra wood don’t burn everything and keep it for another camp or emergency just incase.
One morning, when we woke up we just found out that we forgot our breakfast at school and had to eat Mr. Noodles instead which wasn't all that terrible. After we finished we all decided (the students) to put our pack further down the trail then head back. But after getting there, we thought that there was no reason to go back because we had everything packed and then realising that we just left Mr. Brower back at camp to do all the clean up and tend the fire which actually slowed us down. Eventually we were able to keep a good pace and make it back on time!
If i’m ever to do this trip again (which I hope I will) there a few things that I will consider doing/bringing for example, I forgot probably one of the most important things which was light so I was unable to navigate as easily at night unless I was with someone else. Also, if I knew I might not have time the day before to pack, pack even two days before trip rather than rush the night before and have an uncomfortable first day.
This trip taught me that we really have to work good as a class and friends if we want to get to an objective on time and stay as a class so everybody is treated equally and have a fun time so they don’t feel like they’re the one slowing or speeding us up. Though some times were tough and had my muscles aching this had to of been on of the best times of my years throuhout school and it is an unforgettable experience that I hopefully plan on doing again! All thanks to Mr. Brower!

Unknown said...

The Frontenac hiking trip was a lot of fun and left me with new knowledge and experiences. The experience of being able to do everything on our own was a lot of fun with different challenges each day.

The first day of hiking was the longest but was worth it all once we got to our campsite. But we needed to work on sticking together as a group on the trail and keep to the same pace so we did not get to spread out. The cooking that we did was ok but I think our group could have picked better choices towards food on the trip. On the last day we ended up having uncooked Mr. Noodles on the trail since we had nothing to eat and we ended up leaving with powdered mashed potatoes and rice we had yet to cook. One big mistake our group made while on the trip was that we forgot any fuel for our stove. So every time we wanted to cook we had to get a fire going and it was more work than we needed. We also had a dilemma as to who and where we would put our tent when hiking and was moved around our group while hiking. If I was to do this trip again I would make sure that my group has fuel for the stove and I would try to make better choices towards our food.

This trip was great and I had a lot of awesome experiences. I also left the trip with much more knowledge on hiking and camping.

Ryan Barnett

Unknown said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection
Matthew Bell

Due to the fact that this was my first actual over-night hiking trip, I was very excited, although I didn't really know how any of it would actually turn out. Whether it was packing or preparing the food, or the rigorous hiking with all my belongings on my back, the majority of this adventure was a new experience for me. During the preparation phase and throughout the trip itself, I did make some questionable decisions like many others. However, I feel that I have learned valuable lessons from these mistakes and I now have a better idea on how to better prepare for my next trip, and based upon this great experience, there will definitely be a next one!

On the first day of our hike, the group had trouble staying together as we seemed to constantly separate. As a result, constant reminders had to be conveyed to the people up front to slow down or to stop. Because of this, we realized that communications and teamwork had to improve amongst the group as a whole. The team started thinking about the whole group and ended up choosing a hiking pace that suited everyone. I feel the result was that the whole class moved more efficiently and faster overall. Although we greatly improved on the second and third day I still find that we could have done slightly better. Perhaps, we could have a better discussion before the hike about the value of teamwork and sticking together to help one another, would be a good idea. Another aspect I personally felt I need to improve upon in the future is the efficient management of my kit and pack while at the campsites. I consistently found myself unloading and reloading it simply because I needed something that was at the bottom. From some frustrations during the first day, I tried to anticipate things that I might need more often and packed accordingly. As a result, the second night it wasn't as bad because I organized my pack in a way where I wouldn't be required to unload my complete back pack all the time. Also throughout the trip I occasionally found myself, along with my group and other groups, sitting around and waiting for others to clean up and finish what they were doing. Again this reflects the need for teamwork within our class because everything really would have gone much faster if we were all working together as a team and helping other groups. Certainly it seemed that all groups could have used a little help from the others at different times during the hike. This is definitely something I will remember to do in the future and encourage others to do the same. One of my favourite parts was the memorable evening at the second campsite when we went swimming and sat up on the lookout cliff to look at the amazing view. I'm glad that we have some pictures to capture that great experience. I also enjoyed experimenting and making fun meals with all the food and ingredients we brought, especially if our initial meal plan didn't work out for some reason.

In the end I think that our hiking trip went very well despite some of the problems we encountered along the way. I definitely want to do it again; however, with some simple lessons that I took away from this first experience, I feel I will be much more prepared for the next one.

Anonymous said...

Packing my back pack was one of my big troubles in getting ready for the trip. We did not know 100% what the weather was going to be like, so we had to be prepared for anything. I brought too many extra items that were not necessary to bring and it just ended up being extra weight. Since I did not have a lot of room, I did not consider about packing everything from lightest going in one spot to heaviest going in another, but I just shoved everything in my bag at once. I was getting extremely frustrated and annoyed with the fact that not everything would fit. Next time I will try to be more prepared and pack everything in an orderly fashion, I will also try and pack only necessary items for the trip.
One of my least favorite parts of the trip would probably be the most important part, the hiking. Since my back pack was not packed properly, I had a very difficult time hiking up and down hills for long periods of time. I have injuries in my feet that cause my knees to hurt quite often. I was almost ready to just stop and I was getting really annoyed with the fact that every step was a jolt of pain. This part of the trip was the least pleasant. I would still do it again because the end result of being at a campsite with friends was a lot of fun.
My favorite part of the trip was being at the campsite. The first camping ground was not nearly as fun as the second. Since our bodies were very soar, it was a lot of fun to run into the freezing water and take a long swim. I had a great time setting up the fire and looking for wood. I would definitely do this again. Making food was easy since we had a well-balanced easy menu filled with already prepared items. We had many snacks at night and in the morning.
One challenge we had to face on the first night was hanging up our food. We decided to hang up the pack when it was already dark out and we needed to find a tree to hang it on. We couldn’t see very well and we had to throw a flashlight at the tree so that we could get the rope over. This got very frustrating after a while since we were very tired and just wanted to go to sleep. The second night, we picked out our tree and hung the rope in the day time. I ended up falling out of the tree while trying to get our garbage bag out.
Our group got along quite well, but we did have some issues. One of our main issues was figuring out whose bag we were going to use to hang up the garbage and who was going to carry what since we all wanted the lightest back packs. In the end we had some people volunteer or we just decided that the rest of the group would help the person that gave up their pack help to repack it in the morning. We all wanted the lightest pack so when we saw something lying around that wasn’t ours, we rarely took it. This slowed down our group because we had to continuously decide who was going to carry it.
Over all I think this trip taught me a couple lessons. One was team work, it is truly very hard to do all of this on your own and when you need help from someone you should always give them help when they need it in return. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and they should not be cast aside or told they can’t help if this is not their strength. You should include them because that is the only way that they are going to get better. You can’t get made at someone or get frustrated with them if they aren’t doing the task the same way u would, give them a chance because maybe their way is just as good or even better. I found this trip hard at times, but it was a lot of fun and will definitely be wanting to do it again.

Unknown said...

Frontenac Park Hiking Trip was a very knowledgeable experience like learning how to put a tent back into its bag

On my first hiking trip it was not so bad except for the walking. My legs hurt so much but it was worth it seeing so many lovely things in the wilderness. During the trip i learned a lot from were you should hang your bag from bears and how to set up a tent. The one thing that i would change would have to be my groups menu, we didn't think their would be a problem with the food we got but we were wrong. The eggs we got tasted horrible my plate broke and on the third day we didn't have breakfast because we only had rice and powered potatoes. But over all I would do this again just not for three days.

After the trip I was so tired but it was fun because of the nature and experience that we learned.

Cameron McLean said...

What Isn’t to love about an Outdoor Ed trip? We are away from school for three days with a lot of freedom but also a lot of responsibility, which most people including myself overlooked. At times I would forget that this trip was directly involved with school. With all of our friends being there it can sometimes be difficult to stay on task and complete what we are supposed to do, arrive at a campsite, sleep, eat and overall just survive while finishing the route.

Especially at the beginning, I feel that most of us in the group were so focused on being sure that we knew what to do and that we weren’t that one person to ruin it for everyone else. So I would sometimes forget that I should always be looking out for other people so they don’t become that person either. And be sure that everything goes smoothly. To remember that not everyone in the group may be at the same position in the trip, whether it is by physical demands or experience in the wilderness away from society.

Now that I look back, I see how selfish I was at times. How I would always try to get myself prepared first and then would worry about others, I’m truthfully a little ashamed of myself that I didn't wake up to my senses and notice what was happening. I experienced the true expression of “your team is as weak as the weakest link” and now truly understand and accept that truth, that helping out someone else is always a positive way to work as a group, even if it is at your expense. It is always worth it to give them the helping hand.

I think the most enjoyment came when I had truly no stress level. Being away from everything we can forget about high school social norms -- there are no negatives to friendships out in the wilderness.

And in conclusion I wish that my time at high school was longer so I could enjoy that experience again. From making a menu plan to writing this conclusive sentence I can say that I would do it again without a doubt or hesitation in my mind.

Unknown said...


Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection

The Frontenac Trip was my first time staying out in the wildness overnight, in a tent yet it turned out to be one of the greatest opportunities I’ve ever experienced. Throughout our trip we learned many individual skills, but at the same time we learned skills as a group to make us more efficient and enjoyable. Being out there really showed us how much we take things for granted such as clean and hot water, electricity and the advantage of a flushing toilet!

The biggest lesson that I acquired as a group standpoint from the trip is that you never put your weakest members in the back as they are quickly burn out. However, the people in the back are just as important as the leaders in the front as they can observe the group and see if certain people are becoming tired or sore due to blisters or injuries. Personally, I learned many skills like how to pack a back pack properly as well as how to have a bag properly fitted. I also learned how to hang our bags of food so the animals couldn’t get to them which I thought was very fascinating! I even learned how to put the saw away!

One of the things I enjoyed the most was being in the outdoors. At the second camp site, John and I put our tent up on this little beach in the corner of the camp. It had the most beautiful view of the water and tree line in the back. The way the reddish sun reflected off the water made you feel so warm inside. I felt like I was in the perfect place. For once, I wasn’t looking at my phone every minute to check for incoming mail, which I loved. I really got to socialize with my cooking group and friends especially around the campfire. I also got to learn more about my classmates as they told stories and as I told mine (This being done with either hot chocolate or a fatty treat in your hand! Ha-ha.) I thought to myself “How could being in the woods be so peaceful and fun? It’s like every possible thing could go wrong and you still have a great laugh.” Another thing I appreciated was that we were on our own for making our food, starting our fires, putting up our tents, etc. These are many of the skills we need to acquire before we start our own life without our parents!

My overall thought about the trip was amazing! But if I had to pick one negative thing it would be the schedule. I wish that we could have had a day without hiking, just so we could have more time relaxing by the water or to be with your friends. But compared to all the positives it’s nothing!

I am happy that I bought hiking boots since I saw so many rolled and twisted ankles! As well a self-inflated mat because it really helped! The first night I slept I was on a rock and I didn’t even notice. Other things like a head light.

I made quite a few mistakes out in the wild but I hope I will learn from them and apply them for the next time I part for a trip. It was one of the best times in my life and I hope I can teach and bring my family and friends out on adventures like mine!

Andrew Peski

Anonymous said...

This hiking trip was one that will not be forgotten. I learned many things, made mistakes, grew closer with classmates, and realized the things I take advantage of every day.

The most reoccurring lesson that I learned throughout the trip was that it's better to be safe than sorry. For example, on the first night I decided to take one for the team, and hang our food in my pack. I took note of the pink sky, and "thought" it would be a nice night/ next day. Unfortunately for me I awoke to the sound of raindrops on our tent and spent the day with a wet pack on my back. Had only I waterproofed my bag, this wouldn't have happened. Another thing that I learned on this hiking trip was how to efficiently make a fire. When fetching firewood I learned not to take damp pieces of wood, and to take wood of all sizes (branches twigs and logs). Also, to form the wood into a tipi because it uses less would but still provides a lot of heat. One thing I liked was our amount of independence throughout the duration of the trip, which really helped me learn more about the outdoors. Being able to teach myself how to do stuff is much better than having a more knowledgeable person do it for you. For example making a fire. One of my favourite parts of the trip were the last two days of hiking. It seemed to fly by especially when playing games with the whole group so the hike was really enjoyable. The reason the first day of hiking wasn't as enjoyable was because: a) the packs were really heavy b) it was a long distance considering my skill and c) there was nothing to pass the time so it felt like a really long time. The one thing I truly didn't like about the hiking trip was that not all people were on the same campsite. There were many of the boys that I wish I could have interacted with more other than on the bus and during the hike. If there were to be anything I would change it would be to pack way less. Throughout the trip I changed my clothes about have as much as I had anticipated. The result: an unnecessary heavier load. I really didn't need two rain jackets, especially since it didn't rain heavily once to give one example.

In the end this would be a trip I would definitely do again, and camping is now something I have a much greater appreciation for. Can't wait for future ODE trips!

John Macartney

Anonymous said...

Throughout the experience of the Frontenac Hiking Trip, I learned some important things that I will do next time and some things not to do. Our first trek to Campsites 9 and 12 made me realize the importance of sticking together as a group after seeing some people falling behind and maybe even getting discouraged. This trip also made me notice everyone’s different personalities and learning and listening styles. I found it difficult to work with some people around camp or on the trail and next time I will try to use different methods of teamwork and communication with some people. I also learned that you must use your daylight wisely and finish tasks efficiently as the daylight disappeared faster than I expected. Another thing I observed was that I felt everyone did a great job getting to sleep at a good time to be rested for the next day. I also remember that we did a good job at setting up our tent and getting organized. I also recall when you told my group that you noticed us swearing, it made me realize that sometimes people need to let things go and agree with others, even though you may not fully agree, in order to avoid complications or confrontation in the group. Although there may have been some challenging parts of the hiking trip, I would definitely enjoy doing this again.

Spencer Knowles

Unknown said...

I found that this hiking trip went very well. Part from forgetting the curry powder which was my fault, my groups meals went well. We managed to eat and clean up before the sun went down. We got the bear bag rope ready before dark so all we had to do after the sun went down was pull the rope up and tie it off. My group worked well together, so every one had a job and this made us efficient at setting up, preparing meals and other jobs. I found that we could have maybe gone a little faster when it came to taking down in the morning. For example we didn't start breakfast right away so that slowed us down considerably. What we did do right was packed all our personal things first and then our group equipment. For the hiking I found it to be a nice hike. On the first day we were spread out a fair bit and didn't slow down to help the others that where having trouble. By the second day however we did manage to fix this and always travelled as one big group. My pack was fairly heavy but nicely packed, so I usually found my self in the middle of the group which was nice because there were always people around me. I've been on a few hiking camps and overall this one was pretty good.

Anonymous said...

During the hiking trip to Frontenac Park, I learned a lot of things, including thigs that I will be able to apply to everyday situations, not just in the wilderness. Things such as team work, leadership, patience and problem-solving.
The trip was definately something new for me, I had only ever been camping for one night at a time before, not two along with three full days of hiking with all our gear. The physical part was kind of challenging but not nearly as much as the mental part of it. I found myself very frusterated at many points during the trip. I ended up frusterated when my group had brought too much stuff and we all were having trouble deciding who would bring what. Also, on the first night, our group hadn't hung a rope to hang the food so we had to do it in the dark when we were all very tired and just wanted to sleep. But I definately learned from these things and our group became much more efficient by the end of the trip.
The experience of this trip is very valuable, and even with the tough parts, all-in-all it was a fun trip and I even became friends with people that I would normally never have talked to.

jessica lind said...

This hiking trip was one of the things I was most looking forward to in my grade 10 year, and it was as fun as I’d hoped! In our three days I learned a lot, and had lots of fun. If I was to go on this hiking trip again I would definitely have bought hiking boots. I wore my running shoes all three days, and my the last day my ankles were hurting a lot. If I had worn hiking boots instead they would have taken some of the pressure off my ankles and made it a lot easier. I also would have packed less clothes. I packed too many clothes for the amount of times I really did change, and it added unnecessary weight and took up tons of room in my pack. While planning our meals I think we probably should have thought more about how long things would take to prepare, for example on the first morning we made bacon and eggs, which tasted good , but took a really long time to cook, and by the time the food was finally prepared other groups were already taking down their tents and getting packed, so we had to really scramble to eat and wash dishes and get everything packed. What I really liked about this trip was all the freedom we got. We really had freedom to do things on our own, and make our own mistakes and learn from them. Also I liked how we really worked as a group and had the chance to get to know people in our class really well, and made new friends. An example of our group work was when we were hiking on third day it felt really inclusive and fun because we had strong being on the front as well as the back to make sure the group stayed together, and help each other. We also played little games on the trail as a group which made it go by a lot faster, and made it feel like a big group instead of walking silently spread out in a line like the first day. This trip was a really good experience, I learned a lot, and had lots of fun, I am really looking forward to all our other outdoor ed trips!

Unknown said...

Although there were a few minor injuries I think that the trip was very successful. Our group had a menu which involved good food with minimal cooking and cleaning time. The group was traveling too fast for those at the back of the group during the beginning of the trip but when Mr.Brower told everyone that we should send some of the faster hikers to the back we moved much quicker as a group. We hung our bear bag rope up during daylight so that we could see what we were doing. One of the other groups waited until it was dark because their dinner clean up ran late. They didn’t know how to hang their bag so we showed them and after a “few” tries they finally got it up. Overall it was a very enjoyable camp.

Anonymous said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip
PAD2O Dylan Jesso

This hiking trip was a very successful experience and left me with new knowledge and thirst for the outdoors. The walks were long and very stressful on my back and shoulders. It was great to finally have them over with. Camp life was very fun, but It was definitely no easy task. There was a lot of running around to do and wood to collect. The food was very easy to prepare, clean-up, and very tasty. There were lots of ups and downs, but ended as a great trip with lots of memories.


Throughout the whole trip we walked a lot and it really took a tole on everyone's bodies. I personally had a horrible pack with weird back bars. During the whole hike on Monday I had a metal rod banging into my back causing me to get bruises. As a quick fix I wrapped a towel around it and carried on. The weight on my pack wasn't to much, but after about half an hour It started to get worse. My shoulder's started to hurt and The straps were constricting my breathing. Every second of the hike I was waiting for that moment when we would finally reach camp. Every break seemed to last one second then we were off again, but they helped a lot. The hikes were definitely my least favorite part of the whole trip.


Camp Life was hard work, but very rewarding. My favorite part of the trip was sitting around the fire at night hearing faint noises in the distance of wildlife. There were many tasks to do such as collect lots of wood and birch bark, make fire and boil water, set up tents, organize and cook food, and collect water. Although it doesn't seem like much it keeps you busy. Upon arriving at camp on day one I was so relieved to know that the walking was over. That night I was so tired I went to bed at around 8:00. We all woke up fairly early and had no rush to pack up our stuff. We ate our breakfast and had lots of time to relax. It was great just sitting around. On the second day I was feeling a little more energized. I collected a ton of wood and bark almost every few hours. I decided to go for a swim in the freezing cold lake water and ended up cutting my stomach and finger. I lost a lot of blood that evening. All in all camp was great and well worth the work we put in.


Food was a fun time and didn't take as much work as I expected. I learned a lot from Nick who knew the most about cooking in our whole group. It was nice to sit down and eat a hot meal. It all tasted great especially lunch on Wednesday. We ate leftovers and pitas. I pigged out on all the food I could find and was bloated by the time my pack was food free. Our group quickly prepared all of our meals and ended up having a very successful trip. Our food planning was very good and had a large variety of tastes. Two things I wish we would have remembered to bring are curry powder and sprinkles. That would have made are rice so much better and the sprinkles are a perfect addition to any snacks.


In conclusion I am very happy with how my group performed. We cooperated very well, packed our things quick, helped each other around camp, had fun on the hikes, and ate amazing food. On a scale of one to ten I would rank this trip a ten being the best possible.




Anonymous said...

The Frontenac Hiking Trip that took place in the end of September was quite an interesting experience. I have been camping before, but usually just for one or two nights. Although, my parents usually take control and do all the work. However, this time there were no parents to even direct me in the proper direction.
I realize that I may not have been the quickest, or the easiest to deal with; and I'm sure teachers and leaders were not too pleased with my complaining, or lack of knowledge, but I still had fun. I also learned a lot.
I didn't realize how heavy the pack was going to be, but I soon found out. I myself didn't bring many unnecessary items, although I know I could have done without a few of the clothes and food that I/we brought.
The biggest regret I have for the whole trip is that I was not wearing proper shoes. Due to this, I no longer have nails on my big toes. The shoes I brought were two sizes too small. It was mostly uncomfortable at first, but by the end I was in utter pain. While not hiking, I refused to put my shoes on. I walked and ran around the campsites barefoot; even in the dark. This partially ruined the trip for me, because you can't enjoy much when you're in that much pain. However, it was still an interesting and learning experience.
All-in-all, I wouldn't have changed much about the trip (accept for my shoes). I had fun, made new friends, and learned a lot.
-Melissa Fournier

Anonymous said...

The first time hiking was a blast, even though it was very tiring, i had lots of fun. It was a great opportunity to learn. Since this was my first time going camping, even the simplest tasks were confusing. Starting off with the bag, i had to pack the things i needed for the trip and make it all fit, unfortunately when i was home i didn't know where the tent was suppose to be placed. so i just carried it to school and had someone teach me. It was a good learning experience though. When we had planned our food out and then went shopping, i discovered all the foods that can last on a 3 day camping trip. I had lots of fun just trying to find foods that will last us for the whole trip. When we first started the trip, i had already made my first mistake. I had brought a small water bottle. bad idea, it made me very thirsty and slightly whiney. As we got to our campsite, we set up the tent. also another skill i picked up while practicing. We had the tent up well, but when it came to food, it was a disaster we had no fuel for our stove, even though we didn't use our stove, using the actual fire was exciting as well, especially all the ash that kept falling in our food. I find that we had devoured our food pretty recklessly, we didn't plan out the amount of time we had to cook our foods. Because of this mistake, we had no time to cook on the third day leaving us starving as we finished our last day of hiking. During our trip i also learned what was necessary to start a fire, besides the matches of course. I learned how to hang a bag on a tree while barely being able to see anything at night. But most of all i learned that if our group continuously argues, you'll get nowhere. We did do a lot of arguing over the trip but i think we shaped up by the end of the trip. Even though me made a lot of mistakes it helped us to learn new things. So overall this was an amazing trip and if i could go back i wouldn't have done anything differently, except bring a larger water bottle.

Ellen said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection: Ellen Kinsey

PART 1)

Throughout this semester I was thoroughly looking forward to this camping trip. It definitely was a memorable and a great learning experience. Not only did we get to have an amazing time with our classmates and being in the outdoors, but we learnt so much that will benefit us for future trips to come.

The first day was amazing, we hiked through the forest and had lots of laughs although, if I were to redo that day I would correct my mistakes. Firstly being that when I pack my bag I would rearrange some of the items I had packed to distribute the weight better as majority of the weight went on my shoulders instead of my hips making me struggle a bit. At night I found my group worked well together, we got our meal done before dark and we were full. The first day ran pretty smoothly and I found our class worked well as a team although during the hike some of the class members walked faster than others which caused some people to fall back and we didn’t stick together. Mr Brouwer told us a strategy being that some of the faster and stronger people should move to the back so that when the pace gets too fast or people started getting tired we could insure that we take a break or slow down.

On the second day, we woke up early at 6:30 to insure that we pack up our things and ate breakfast to be on time. Although, we ended up running late, the cause of this being that we all were working on the same thing at once meaning that things got done slowly and sometimes inefficiently. When we realized we were running late we started splitting up jobs so that we got things done faster. Some of us put down the tent and got things ready and others did the dishes and finished with breakfast. Although we were running a bit late by the end of the morning we had learnt how to do things more efficiently.

The hike was extremely enjoyable once more and I am sure everyone felt tired but we did what Mr Brouwer taught us the day before by putting some of the stronger classmates in the back and it made a huge difference as it brought the whole group together. At lunch time we realized that we had a bit of a problem as the bread that we had packed at squished inside the bag so we could only use some slices to make our grilled cheese. Next time we know not to pack bread as it is too gentle and not an appropriate item to bring as it is too fragile.

Ellen said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection: Ellen Kinsey

PART 2)

When we arrived at our campsite that evening everything ran smoothly. We found a part of the forest that had great firewood, we made supper easily, we got to go in the lake to freshen up, we had a huge fire and the sunset was beautiful. We only had a minor problem with our tent as our pegs where extremely bent making it really hard to put into the ground. Next time when we test our tent before we go I think we should check to see if all the pegs are useable and that they are all there as we were missing one and the other pegs wouldn’t cooperate well. Just as we were going to bed, we realized that we had left the pancake mix outside instead of hanging it in a tree. So we got out our tent and decided to tie it up a tree. It was exposed outside and however unlikely it was that an animal would get it next time I think we better check that we have everything before we hang our bag up the tree!

The next morning we had some laughs with our breakfast disaster. We didn’t manage to make our pancakes as we didn’t bring our instructions and we made the mixture too runny and we were unable to make our breakfast. Although luckily we came really prepared and brought a backup breakfast of porridge. We packed up efficiently and we were ready at a good time. On our way back to the bus I think all of us were getting restless for a nice hot shower and sleep but we still kept cheery. On the last day our group was completely together and we had a good pace for everyone and we played telephone which made the last hike fly by.

This camping experience has taught me a lot of things that will benefit future trips to come, helped all of our class-mates bond and put life at home into perspective for example indoor plumbing, although I was very impressed with outhouse as it was no where near as gross as I expected it to be. Due to the fact that we packed efficiently by packing only the essentials and the great company, this camping trip has been extremely memorable and a highlight of my High School life so far!

Anonymous said...

PAD20
Hiking Trip Evaluation
Maya Halevy
PART 1
During our two-day Frontenac Provincial Park hiking excursion friendships were created and lessons were learned. I learned that it was possible to provide for myself without damaging my surroundings and creating an enormous impact. I also learned that in order to function as a group one must recognize their own strengths and weaknesses as well as others. I am not a very strong navigator, so I took the opportunity to be taught by those more knowledgeable than myself, and to follow and carry out instructions. I realized that I am good at creating and sustaining fires, preparing food, and washing dishes so those were my main roles during the hiking trip.
I really enjoyed sitting by the fire and laughing and listening to everyone’s stories after a long day of hiking. I also found the group dynamics interesting and how people came together to help a struggling group or individual. I found the long hikes extremely challenging, especially when combined with the immense weight on my back from my pack, but I did not give up and I am proud of that. The most helpful distraction from my exhaustion was the mesmerizing beauty of the park; the leaves up in the trees and below our feet were vibrant shades of red, green, and yellow, and the lakes turned an iridescent green in the sunshine. I stayed motivated and encouraged others. I ended up making great friends and discovering my potential.
The first night at campsite 12 was probably the most difficult. We arrived at the campsite with not many hours of light left and very little experience. After learning how to purify water, and hang up our food, we began to collect firewood and prepare our meal. Dinner that night was tasty and filling, but by the time we were finished eating we had about twenty more minutes of sunlight left. Evidently our group did not see this as a sign to complete as many chores as possible, and instead we sat around the dinner table and talked. The sun was setting and Amanda and Melissa set off to wash our dishes but within minutes all was dark and the simple task had now become one far too challenging to complete. We decided to wait till morning to properly clean our dishes and proceeded to make a fire. We did not gather nearly as much firewood as we needed and our fire quickly turned to ashes.

Anonymous said...

PAD20
Hiking Trip Evaluation
Maya Halevy
PART 2

After coming back from the properly sustained campfire of our neighbours we gathered all our food and anything that gave off a scent and placed in my emptied pack. We had not previously set up the apparatus to hang up the bag, so we wandered in the pitch black forest with our inadequate flashlights and a full pack of food looking for a suitable tree. We finally came across a tree that seemed as if our bag could potentially be hung on one of its branches. Without any way to see the end of the rope, we came up with the solution to tie a flashlight to the end of it and fling the secured flashlight over the branch. After an extensive amount of attempts from each group member, many arguments, and a broken flashlight, our bag of food was secured in the tree.
I awoke from a far from satisfying sleep and sought my cell phone for the sole purpose it was to serve during the trip; it was 7:30am. We had to be on our way to campsite 9 by 9:00am. I awoke the other members of our tent and everybody sprung into action. Sleeping bags were stuffed and teeth were brushed, and everyone was packing but me; my bag was still in a tree. Melissa came with me to retrieve my bag and hasty breakfast of whole grain bagels and nutella was consumed.
It was 8:30. My pack was finally available to me, and I started to hurriedly shove things in trying in vain to follow the rules of proper weight distribution.

By 9:00am the tent was disassembled and everybody was packed and ready to go. The only problem was the state of our campsite; it was a MESS. Our fire wasn’t not hot enough to burn any leftover food, and unclaimed wrappers and other pieces of trash cluttered the ground. Since the trash didn’t belong to any one of us specifically and our packs were already unbearably heavy there was a lot of arguing, but no volunteering.
By 9:15 Mrs. Trumpower settled the matter and assigned to each of us items to carry. We sheepishly placed the items in our packs and were lectured on promptness, responsibility, and group dynamics, and our mistakes were evident.
That was certainly a challenging night but also a major learning experience. The next night ran unbelievably smooth, we even had some down time to leisurely swim, or just relax by the tent.
Even though at the next campsite firewood was harder to obtain, we gathered four times as much as we did the first night, and had enough fuel to cook all our meals (even breakfast the next day) and keep us warm as we talked and laughed into the night.
The apparatus to hang our food was set up the second our tent was up so as not to repeat last night’s “adventure”, and dishes were washed promptly and followed the “Leave No Trace” procedures.
In the morning I was first to wake again, so I replenished everyone’s water supply and prepared breakfast. We were all packed and ready to go early, so I took the time to offer my assistance to other groups still disassembling their tents and cleaning up. The only problem was that our fireplace still had some food in it that we didn’t notice in the dark last night when we extinguished our fire, but it was quickly cleaned and were on our way to the bus home.
I ended up getting terribly sick from the combination of drop in temperatures during the nights and not enough sleep, but overall it was a wonderful and extraordinary experience and I would definitely do it again.

Unknown said...

Frontenac Provincial Park Hiking Trip Reflection

Part 1: Considering it was my first time taking part in a hike, I didn't know what to expect. I've been camping many times in the past, so I had all of the equipment I would need. But I had to pack strategically so that everything I was going to bring would fit in my pack. A million things were going through my head at that time. I was worried it was going to be too heavy, or that I wouldn't have everything I would need while we were there. So I ended up packing more than necessary, just in case. When we got off the bus at Frontenac park, I was very excited to start our first day of hiking. It wasn't until after some time that I thought of how much of a challenge it was going to be to carry such a heavy load on your back while walking all that distance. It was only then that I realized that packing things just in case, wasn't such a good decision. Luckily it wasn't blazing hot, and we did have some winds which made it a lot easier. Towards the end of the first day, it had been almost five hours of hiking, and I just wanted to get to the camp site and rest. The first day was the longest and the hardest day of them all, mostly because I didn't know what to expect. By the time we reached camp site 12 I was frustrated and completely out of breath. We took some time to rest and fill our water bottles, and then set up our tent. We had plenty of time to collect firewood and prepare for dinner that night before it got dark. One of the things I learned the first night was how to tie the food pack to the tree with the rope. My group was awesome in the sense that we all took turns doing different jobs, so everyone got the chance to try and experience new things. We all worked really well together to get things done quickly and efficiently. The next day we were up early to hike to campsite 9 and meet up with the boys.

Unknown said...

Part 2: We had some troubles repacking our packs that morning, and trying to figure out who would take which items, but we worked it out and were quickly on our way. When we met up with the rest of the class we had a quick discussion about what the plan was for that day, and how we needed to work harder to stick together, and look out for each other so we could move as a group. The second day of hiking was a lot easier. I knew what to expect so it felt like a shorter distance. We stopped at a beautiful look out spot for lunch that was only a short way from our next campsite. Today was the girls turn to hike to the farther camp site, so the boys stopped at 4 and we continued on to campsite 5. After about an hour of hiking we reached the campsite and it absolutely beautiful. Frontenac park was a gorgeous area, and very well kept. We were hot and tired after the hike so we all got our bathing suits on and went for a swim. The water was very refreshing and fairly clean. Then we set up our tent again, and did the rest of the preparations. That night for dinner we made a great fire and cooked our meal over the fire. When it started to get dark we all made hot chocolate and had giant marshmallows around the fire. That is when I realized that all the walking, and hard work was really worth it. Sitting there around the warm, glowing fire with your close friends made the trip all the more special. We got to sleep in a bit more the next morning, because it was the boys turn to come to our campsite and meet up with us. The forecast predicted some showers but luckily we got no rain the whole day. This was our last day of hiking, so we had to hike back to the bus. The last day felt like the easiest and shortest day of the whole trip, because that's when I finally figured things out, and got to know my pack better. We also got rid of most of the food we were carrying so that made my pack a lot lighter. It wasn't long before we were on the bus, and on our way back to Cairine Wilson. I was so tired from all the hiking I slept the whole bus ride back, but despite the pain and exhaustion, the Frontenac Park Hiking trip was an unforgettable experience, and I would definitely like to do it again.
- Anna H

Anonymous said...

When I first heard of the hiking trip i was little nervous. I have a cottage so i spend a lot of time in the woods, but i haven’t been camping in a very long time. Mr. Brouwer had showed us all the newer types of gear used in camping today. I thought i had enough stuff to go camping already but i was wrong. I decided to get some of the new gear and some new clothes. I found it a lot lighter and easier to pack.

I guess i should have started getting on my treadmill or something because just a little bit into the hike my legs started to hurt and we were no where near camp yet. Luckily my pack a little bit more comfortable then the school packs so i found it easy on my shoulders and hips. I should have also packed a bigger water bottle because i ran out of water pretty fast.

When we arrived at our first campsite there weren’t enough spots for our tents so we had to put 2 tents on 1 platform and there was next to no space. For dinner my group decided to have fish and crab. I didn’t get all that much sleep because the people i was sharing a tent with don’t know how to share. Luckily we were at the campsite father away so we got to sleep in longer than the others. After practicing packing our tent at school and using Mr. Brouwer’s techniques on packing our bags it took us no time to pack up and start our hike. Luckily this was going to be our shortest hike out of all of them and everyone getting used to the hiking from the first day we made great time on getting to our next sight.

My groups campsite was right next to a great lookout point on a cliff so we had a lot of fun exploring around, we even ended up going swimming even though it was freezing. It was really windy that day so we had a lot of trouble with our tent. It kept blowing away while we were trying to set it up. This time i decided to take my own part of the tent so i could actually get some sleep because since we were the father campsite we had to walk an extra 2k than all the others. Finally getting to what everyone thought was the end was actually the start of another couple km hike up a road to meet our bus.

As I was hiking up the road i kept thinking the bus was right around the next corner but i was wrong every time so i decided to give up until i saw the spot where we started the hike from day 1.

I was glad to get to the bus and be on my way, but when i think about it i had a lot of fun. I started wishing there was just a few more days left cause the experience was unbelievable and I now know for sure i’ll be taking outdoor ed for grade 11 and 12 and I encourage everyone to do the same.