Monday, May 20, 2013

PAD2O Frontenac Hiking Trip

The grade 10 outdoor ed classes were the first to head out on the spring trips. After a long winter and a late spring, the weather was perfect for a hiking trip to Frontenac Provincial Park. Surprisingly, the trails were fairly dry and the bugs had not yet appeared.


The first trip headed out on Monday. The temperature was nice enough for shorts and a t-shirt, but cool enough for hiking. The students had full control of the map and guided us perfectly to Birch Lake, which we followed quite efficiently to one of the old Mica mines. We checked out the mine and one of the remaining boilers. After this we headed to our campsites, because of the size of the group, we were divided over two sites, #9 & #12.

Once the tents were set, students searched for dead firewood, which was quite easy considering how dry everything was. The fires provided were a great atmosphere as the dinners were made and eaten. It seemed like everyone had excellent meals planned for this first night. After the bear hangs were set up, it was time to hang out around the campfire. Stories and songs were the call of the night, along with the loons and the Bart owl.


We woke up to a cloudy, but nice day. The hike for this day was not too hard and this group moved very quickly. We made it to our lunch spot quite quickly, which was also one of the campsites. Before lunch, we took our time to enjoy the view of Big Salmon Lake, from a magnificent lookout. After lunch, part of the group stayed at campsite #5, while the rest of the group continued down the trail for another hour to campsite #4. The evening was gorgeous as the sun came out and the wind calmed right down.

The final day for trip #1 was gorgeous. The temperatures were starting to rise, as the sun was very intense. A perfect way to end a great trip.

Now, Trip #2 was on the bus waiting at the trail head. A quick switch over of gear and trip #1 was gone and the 2nd trip had begun. It is always a bit of a worry for the 2nd trip to meet you at the Park. You can never be really sure that they have taken care of all the details. It was to my surprise that two students showed up with daypacks and there were a few students who were carrying extra bags in their hands, tents, extra clothes, food, just to name a few things. For the most part the students were well prepared and moved quite efficiently. There were a few at the back that really struggled and were slow.


After some switching of packs and some on the trail repacking, things went a bit smoother. That was until we arrived at camp and it was realized that one student was missing. We quickly found out the last known location and tracked him down. So much for the lesson of making sure everyone travels within the group and to always make sure that everyone knows which way to turn at trail junctions. After an eventful and interesting day, the night was calm with lots of stars to be seen. We did find out that the reason the two boys didn't bring a real hiking pack, was because they decided to go without sleeping bags. Apparently, during the night they were trying to sneak into other peoples' sleeping bags. Hopefully, lesson learned.

Thursday was again a beautiful, perfect blue sky, day. The packs were packed better this time around, although I am very interested to read the menu evaluations that the students will be doing. Again, a small group didn't plan out a great menu or the execution of the menu seemed to be lacking.


The hiking went very well today. It was much hotter than it had been the last couple of days. Students travelled more as a group and we were much quicker today. The lookout, for our lunch spot, was spectacular with the sun and blue sky. This was followed by a quick finish to campsite #4. Which provided a beautiful evening, where a number of students went swimming and the sunset was spectacular. The evening was topped of with some great laughs around the campfire as we played liars dice.

The final day had to be quick. The bus pick up was scheduled a little earlier than usual, as some of the students were planning to attend the Relay for Life event at the school. The students were ready to go on time, although some of the bags were not well packed and we needed to do a bit of repacking as we started on the trail. We made the bus in plenty of time, which was good, as the blackflys started to come out.


26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hiking Trip
The hiking trip was a great experience that I will never forget. It put me in situation I have never had to overcome which challenged me. I know if I were to go again, I would change many of my decisions.
The weather was better than I could have asked for. It never rained on us, it wasn`t too hot causing me to overheat, and it was never too cold causing me to freeze.
The main problem my group faced was decisions on food. We purchased from a grocery store what we thought would be more than what was needed, but by the last day we ran out of food and ate anything that was left. Another problem was that we didn`t use every food group. We spent the majority of our time eating oatmeal and hotdogs. This is the biggest change I would make for my next hiking experience.
Another thing I would change was how I packed my pack. I had barely any room in it and when we realized we had to put part of a tent in it, we worked 10 minutes on finding more room. It barely fit. With all this unneeded material in my bag, it made my trip that much more difficult. The pack was also too big on me, causing the straps to make it extremely uncomfortable. I had to stop several times to fix it and it never worked out at the end. The trails were difficult. At times we would go uphill for several minutes and realized that we covered next to no distance.
The chores around the camp were easy for the most part. We were able to wash our dishes and use the stove with no trouble. We collected an adequate amount of fire wood. The only one we found hard was hiding our food from bears. On the first night we waited until it was pitch black, and by that time we couldn`t see a thing. It took much longer than it should have. On our second night we corrected this mistake and put our bag up the moment we were done with everything.
The campsites were great. On our first night we stayed in a campsite with 4 groups. Our group wanted to stay a bit isolated so we wouldn`t get off track on our chores. This worked out well overall. On the second night we were at a campsite with just another group of 2. This worked out even better than the second night. Also our campsite was next to a great lookout. This gave us the opportunity to relax and see how amazing the nature was.
Our camping trip worked out better than I imagined it would. With the exception of several mistakes, it was a great first time experience!

Megan Foy said...

Hiking Trip Reflection
The Frontenac Hiking Trip was a fun, new and exciting experience for me. I found the hiking tough at times but I really enjoyed walking through the forest and breathing the fresh air around me. This trip was a part of high school that I’ll never forget about and always remember each exact memory that came from it.
On the first day of the trip the hike to the first camp site felt like three days itself but once you get use to the forty pound pack on your back you enjoy hiking in the woods and the experience. The first night we stayed at camp site #12, and the second night we stayed at campsite #4. Both nights when we arrived at the campsites the first thing we would do was set up our tents then begin making dinner right away. Our meals weren’t what we were expecting but we ate them anyways. After dinner on the first night we clean up, hung up our bag of food on a branch then relaxed in front of a campfire until it was time for bed. The second night was similar but we played games like capture the flag (t shirt) and grave yard. Graveyard was fun up until my unexpected asthma attack and I’m sorry for scaring everyone especially Mr. Brouwer.
The mornings were always the most confusing part of the day where I would wake up, wonder where I am and then remember in a couple seconds. Special thanks to James for scaring us awake the second morning by running around our tent hitting it. Our breakfasts were quick and easy but looking back on it we should’ve have had more to eat to make sure we had more energy throughout the day instead of relying on granola bars.
If there was something I’d change about the trip was to pack better meals and pay more attention to our menu. Eating the proper nutritional food is very important on a hiking trip and I think we took the importance of that a little lightly.
The last day I was sad to go home because even though I was tired, sore and hungry I didn’t want the trip to end. I had an amazing experience and I’ll never forget it. The fact that I got to spend it all with my friends was the best part. Special thank you to Mr. Brower for planning this amazing trip.

Unknown said...

Hiking Trip Reflection

This hiking trip was like nothing I have ever experienced before, it forced me to challenge myself and keep going even when it seemed impossible. Because my dad is an avid hiker and outdoorsman, I had next to no trouble with my decisions of what to pack because he had a lot of good equipment that me and my group could use, and also helped me with packing techniques such as packing our equipment and food.

I wouldn't say that my group and I made very many mistakes and if we did, they were minimal because I can't think of anything at the top of my head. I think that our menu was overall pretty good and contained meals that were nutritious and delicious! There weren't any issues regarding our food except for the pre-cooked bacon that we packed for the second day, after warming it up over the stove and trying it, it tasted nasty so we had to unfortunately throw it away. We eded up only eating oatmeal hat morning but t was enough to keep our belly's full until we had a chance to have a snack and then lunch.

I have to say that one trouble that my group had was finding enough firewood to keep a fire going because it was either wet or we couldn't find good sized pieces.

The first night, Taylor and I were camped at the second campground with less people. We found that the platforms for the tents were far apart so in the middle of the night we got kind of scared because we thought we heard a bear or racoon or something, it was pretty isolated and the only people close to us were the three people in the tent beside us.

I preferred our second night's campsite much more because we were surrounded by people and didn't feel so isolated. Also, the location was absolutely beautiful because it was on a lake and the layout was just perfect because we could actually hear other people in their tents so we didn't feel as scared and got a much better sleep.

As for the hiking itself, the thing that I was really worried for was my knees because I have really bad knees and having the extra weight on my back didn't help. I was lucky enough to not have experienced any major pains thank goodness. I also used hiking poles which helped a lot with taking the pressure off my knees during downhills. The one thing that bothered me was how strenuous the packs were on my back, at one point I could barely breath because of the positioning of the pack on my back or something, but that was a only a little part in the whole amazing experience!

Overall I wouldn't change a thing that happened because it was a first time learning experience, and we will learn from our mistakes for the next time.

I can't wait for the canoe trip next year!

0xJeh said...

The camping trip was a great experience in general. There were a lot of ups and downs but we made it out alive so I think it was a success. Everyone bonded with one another at the campfires and even during tent talk. We hiked about 25 kilometers in the 3 days.
The first day was definitely the hardest of days. We had to hike the longest of all days with the least amount of time to do it. We arrived at campsite 12 in the early evening. We had dinner done and cleaned up before sun went down which made everything a lot easier because we didn’t have to do everything in the dark. Hanging our food was a lot more of a challenge. It took us a good 30 minutes trying to untangle the rope or attempting to throw the rope to the proper branch. It probably could have gone much more productively if we didn’t act like complete goof balls the entire time.
When you think of sleep it should be a good quiet rest period for you to relax and doze. Our tent was the exact opposite! In our tent group there was Jack, James, Jack, Ryan, and the loon man Amaresh. Our tent was no secure at all. The side caved in on us and there was this awful breeze that kept me up the first night. Once we got the chance to sleep it was a great sleep, sleeping bag was nice and warm plus we didn’t have any other distraction because we went to bed so late.
The second day of hiking was a million times easier than the first. We got used to the packs and there was a lot less weight because we ate the food the prior night and the distance was A LOT shorter than day 1. We arrived at our 2nd campsite about midafternoon. This gave us time to relax, have a swim, play some cards and enjoy the nice wildlife and beautiful weather.
This Trip taught me a lot of stuff. Surviving in the wild for 3 days isn’t easy. What makes it easy is good preparation, a Good attitude and funny partners to get you through the long hikes! With all three of these things you should have a blast.

James Aufleger

connor said...

Frontenac trip
Day 1

On the day of the hiking trip I woke up very tired. I stayed up too late. Wish I went to bed earlier. The bus arrived a little late, but when we got on we were all excited to get there.

When we got to Frontenac the other group was not there yet. The bus circled around, and then Mr. Brouwer came running up behind us to come back. The other group looked a little tired. We ate before starting to hike. At first my group planned to stick together, but that didn’t last. Our speeds were different. I tried to stay with the front and did okay for awhile, but then the tent attached fell off. So I had to fix it so I fell into the middle group. Looking back I wish I had packed it better. The rest of the walk was long, it seemed to go on for ever. There were no historical events that happened until we reached the camp site. We arrived at the camp site earlier than I expected. I first ate some chicken wings. But when it got later I had a ham burger for dinner. The first night I tried to fall asleep earlier but stayed up speaking to my group and the group next to our tent. If I was in this situation again I would have stressed how I wanted to sleep.

Day 2

The next morning was slow to start hiking, Because of the cleaning. I ate some fruits (apple, orange) also I had a burned pancake. After we took down our tent and got ready to go. It took longer than I hoped because some bags weren't packed well. Once we started off strong, the walk was easier that the first day. While walking we stopped less than the previous day. After maybe what felt like an hour we had a stop for everyone to catch up and for a break. During I had my last apple, looking back I would have packed more. We started again and in my opinion I find it gets harder to hike after a long break. But we pushed on to the stop where we were going to have lunch. At which time I was day dreaming of my couch. I find thinking of other thing when your tired helps me keep going, also think of a position ahead of me and going to that than spot then resting. But when I got there I didn't stop I just stated over again. When we reached the site there was a look out, I didn't stay there to long because I was attacked by bugs. So I refilled my water bottle and ate some sliced meat with bread. We relaxed for a good 45 minutes before heading to the camp site. We began well then ran into Mr. Brouwer and some other students who took a short cut. We waited there for people to catch up and then kept going. After that there wasn't any stopping until we got to the camp site. I liked that spot better than the first one because there was less bugs. As soon as we got there we set up our tent then gathered fire wood. My group and I ate well that night because we had all brought hotdogs. That night I slept much better that the night before.






Day 3

Hiking started quicker that the day before. I had a small breakfast because I ran low on food. Thankfully Mr. Brouwer shared some of his food. Hiking was very easy that because my pack was light. I and two other students lead the group. During the walk I was thinking of the food I wanted to eat when I got home. We stopped three times to wait for people. After it all I enjoyed hiking.

If I would have changed anything it would be more food less water bottles. Also less clothing.

Anonymous said...

The hiking trip was a really fun experience and I would gladly do it again.
The first day of hiking was pretty easy and my bag didn’t feel that heavy so it was a pretty easy hike for me. It took a little longer then expected though but it was I nice day so that didn’t really bother me. When we got to the campsite my group members and I set up our tent and we started a fire for our supper. That night we had hamburgers with salsa and a few snacks like jerky and bits and bites. After that we had a great time playing man hunt and card games like crazy eights. That night we probably stayed up too late and didn’t get nearly as much sleep as we should have.
The second day was a long and tiring day for me. We all woke up we then proceeded to make a fire for breakfast and we then made pancakes and bacon. The pancakes cooked up really nice but the bacon not so much some pieces ended up really crisp part way and then close to raw on the other half. I would not recommend to bring raw bacon instead to bring precooked or ready crisp bacon which would cook faster and more evenly. The hike after breakfast seemed like the longest and most difficult for me because I was really tried and not exactly in the mood to be carrying a heavy backpack. I do have to say my mood changed once we stopped for lunch. We stopped and went up on the rock ledge and the view was amazing that’s when I realised that the hike was totally worth it. The second campsite was awesome it was so much nicer to go swimming there then at the first campsite. The second night we made noodles and hotdogs we brought way to many noodles and had a tone of extra noodles next time I would not bring as many. That night we all sat by the fire and played liars dice I didn’t even play but I still had a tone of fun watching the game, it got really interesting and intense near the end. We were all pretty tired so we didn’t stay up too late which was probably a good thing because we needed our sleep for the hike in the morning.
The third day was alright we didn’t spend too much time that morning in the campsite we cooked a quick batch of pancakes over a fire. Shortly after that we took down our tent, packed all are stuff and we were off. It did not take use long to get to the parking lot and before we knew it the trip was over and we were back at school.
The hiking trip was really fun and I would gladly go on that trip again however next time I would do a few things differently. I would probably bring more vegetables and fruits and make better meal plans but also pack a little better because I found that by the second day things were not fitting back into my backpack and I also found it very heavy. So too those in the future who are going on this trip I would recommend you pack as light as possible without missing your essentials and also really plan out what kind of meals you want to make. This way you can maximize your overall hiking trip experience.

Anonymous said...

I was very excited for the hiking trip and it ended up being a great experience! It was a great learning experience and gave me many great memories.

The first day was the longest and most challenging hike. We struggled to work together as a group, and we often ended up having large gaps between groups of people, to the point where some people couldn’t be seen or heard. This definitely was a problem, as there could have been an injury, or someone may have wandered from the path. Next time we have to work better as a group. Instead of having people going at a slower pace in the back, falling behind, have them spread out throughout the group with the ones going faster. The people at the front also should avoid getting too far ahead and instead go at the pace of the entire group.

Another problem I encountered, was the weight of my backpack. I was still able to hike normally, but the pack was uncomfortable and I ended up always trying to adjust it. In the end I was able to fix it by raising the straps on my hips and tightening them. I feel I did a good job of packing and I had everything I needed. The only thing I would change next time would be to bring fewer items of clothing and distribute the food items amongst our group according to when we need them. I enjoyed the hiking, but I was also relieved to make it to our first campsite.

My group (James, Amaresh, Ryan, and Jack F.) elected to remain at campsite, 12. We split up to work on things that needed to be done. Two people stayed behind to set up the tent, two went to collect firewood, and one went to purify our water. We were fairly efficient and got our fire going early. For dinner we had a delicious stir-fry that was very healthy. Dinner was filling, but in the end I think we all wished we had more. We were slow getting to the dishes. Eventually we finished, but it really should have been done much quicker.

We then went to hang the remainder of our food from a tree. We didn’t do a good job of this and it took us a while. First we hung it by a branch that was too short and we were forced to try again. Eventually, we were successful but it took longer than necessary. We returned to the campsite and spent a few hours relaxing and telling stories around the fire until everyone got tired. The first night we didn’t sleep very well. When setting up our sleeping bags, a couple of people had a lot of room and everyone else was squished together. Eventually everyone fell asleep, but it wasn’t the longest or greatest sleep.

The next morning we rose bright and early. We packed up our things, took down the food, and prepared a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, and oatmeal. The cleaning up went a bit smoother this time, and we were packed and prepared to leave on time. It seemed that by the second day I had gotten used to the extra weight from the backpack and it wasn’t as much of a load. The hiking went much better the second day. The group was more compact and we worked more as a unit. There weren’t any navigation problems and we arrived at the camp after a few hours. Then everyone prepared lunch. We ended up having grilled cheese sandwiches. Again it turned out well but I think everyone left wanting a bit more.

Our group decided to head to the next campsite that was about an hour away. We made good progress and arrived at the campsite with plenty of time to relax, play games, and go for an ice-cold swim. We prepared a spaghetti dinner. I think this is the first meal where we all felt full and happy with how much we had. The cleanup again took longer than it should, but in the end, it got done. Hanging up our food went much smoother this night. I’m glad to say the sleep that night went a lot better and I woke the next morning refreshed and energized.

The next morning we got our food from the tree and prepared a quick breakfast of bagels and oatmeal, and we were on our way. The hike that day went quickly and before we knew it we were on the bus heading back. I had a great time on the camping trip and learned lots of lessons. I would do this again any time!


Unknown said...

The hiking trip was definitely the highlight of my semester. I had heard so many good things about it, and people were getting me excited for the trip. It was an amazing experience, and many memories were created.

On arrival to the area, we had time to spare due to the fact that we had lost Mr. Brouwer. We took that opportunity to eat our lunch and snacks considering we were not moving anyways. After he came back, we started our journey. That day was the longer, more difficult hike due to the fact that we were not together. A part of the group went on their own, much ahead of the rest of the group and separated them from us. Also, there were people who were slow as well, and we had to wait for those people to join us. This could have been dangerous because there may have been injuries, and there would not have been a way to inform the people ahead of us. We should have paced ourselves better.

After reaching the main site, my group (Jack G, Ryan, Jack F, and James) decided to stay at camp 12. Seeing how it was already getting late, we decided to start getting our meals prepared right away. Amongst the five of us, we split the work! Two people were sent to collect firewood, another two were assigned to set up the tent, and finally, our last person’s job was to purify water. That night, we enjoyed a delicious and healthy stir fry.

After we had all finished, we started to clean pots, and washing the dishes should have been a job that did not take long to do. Unfortunately, it took a longer amount of time.

We then proceeded to go hang our food. This took much longer than it should have. To begin with, we hung it on a branch that was not high enough, and it was also too short. Fortunately, we were able to suspend it without anymore difficulties. We then returned to the campfire, where we told different stories and relaxed. We all went inside the tent when we began to feel tired, and that night, we did not sleep well. People were squished together because we did not space ourselves properly. We all fell asleep eventually, and woke the next morning without problem.

After waking up, we went to the tree and we collected the bag containing the food. We then prepared a tasteful breakfast of scrambled eggs and oatmeal. This time, cleaning was a lot quicker and more efficient. We packed up our things and our tent, and we were all ready to leave on time. After leaving, we reached the main site at a very good time. Here, we enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches and beautiful scenery.

We decided to go the other campsite so we did not have to wake up much earlier the next morning. It was still early, leaving us to do many activities such as play games, swim, and set up our camp. That night, we had a spaghetti dinner, and unfortunately for me, the sauce that was brought was a meat sauce. Fortunately, another group were kind enough to share their meal with me, because I gave them “my portion” of the meat sauce.

Hanging our food this time was easier but longer. When we took the rope out of the bag, it was very tangled. It almost took a half an hour to untangle the rope completely, but after it was untangled, we hung the food and finished within 15 minutes.We returned where we once again relaxed by the campfire telling stories and entertaining each other.

When we decided to sleep, we forgot that we had forgotten to put our sleeping bags in the tent, so we ended up trying to set things up in absolute darkness. This night however, was a much more comfortable rest, and we woke up happy and refreshed.

After enjoying a bagel and oatmeal breakfast, we cleaned up our camp. The packs were all much lighter, and we only had a short distance to hike. Before we knew it, the bus was insight and we were all on our way home. This was an unforgettable experience, and I would do this again without hesitation!


Unknown said...

PAD20 Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection

The Frontenac Provincial Park hiking trip was very fun, exciting, and relaxing all at the same time. It was really nice to have a few days break from school, while having a fun and relaxing time with nature.

Overall, we had terrific weather on the trip. It was a little warm during the day but it was not too hot. At night and in the morning it was cooler. Lucky we did not have any rain or snow on the trip and the sun was out almost all the time. The bugs got a little annoying at times but we just had to deal with them one way or another.

When we got there on the first day, I honestly thought that we were lost while getting to the parking lot. Once we got there though, everything was fine and we unloaded the bus and got all of our gear together. We then decided on who was carrying what for the first part of the hike. Some group members carried some other people’s equipment to make it easier for them and share the load. We arrived at the park around 11:30 a.m. and started the hike into the park about one hour after arriving. Once we got to our first camp site (#9) around late afternoon, we set up our tents and got everything organized for the night. When we finished that, we just hung out around the campsite, made our supper, played some games and went to sleep. We had a tent for five people and it was a little crowded with five guys but it worked out okay.

On the second day, I got up along with the rest of my group and we got ready to make breakfast. Before breakfast, we had to go over and get all of our food down from the bear hang. After a good breakfast, we packed up and left the campsite at around 9:30 a.m. We hiked for a few hours and then we stopped for lunch at campsite #5. There was a beautiful lookout over Big Salmon Lake. We sat there for about half an hour, then went down to make and eat our lunch. We spent about an hour at the campsite then started to hike again. We ended our journey for that day at campsite #4 and arrived there at around 3:00 p.m. When we got to campsite #4, we set up for the night similar to the night before – putting up the tent, getting organized, making and cleaning up supper, hanging our food in the bear hang, and sitting around having fun. A few people went swimming Thursday night because the water was a little nicer and cleaner. It was still pretty cold though in my opinion. That night we just played cards and sat around the campfire.

On Friday morning, our last day, we got up and had the rest of the food that we had left for breakfast, which wasn’t very much. We got on the trail at about 8:30 a.m. since we had to get out to the parking lot to catch the bus for 10:00 a.m. This part of the hike was pretty direct with minimal stops. When we got there, we waited for about an hour since the bus was late.

This was only my second experience camping in a provincial park using tents. I learned a lot and two things I would have done differently was pack lighter and change up the food we brought. I had many more clothes than I needed. In doing the menu reflection, I would have also brought a little different variety of food. Overall, the hiking trip was very fun and I saw a lot of beautiful scenery and lakes – this was what I liked the best. The part I didn’t enjoy was the amount of bugs. I am looking forward to PAD30 and going camping with my teachers and group of friends again next year.
By: David Watson

Sarah.Fitzy♥ said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection

The hiking trip was a great experience that I would love to have again. I must say, it was a lot more difficult than I had expected, but when we were finished I felt very accomplished.

When arriving at our starting point, I was very excited. To start off our hike, I was given a map. I was not very excited about that since I did not have much skill for maps, but I learned along the way and at the end of the day I had improved quite a bit. This hike was the longest one of the entire trip and it was quite tough! My group, along with three others went to the second campsite and set up camp and made dinner. To make things go faster, half of us set up the tent while the others started with the fire and dinner. We had a precooked meal which we just had to heat up which was quite convenient. After setting up and eating, we cleaned up from dinner and headed into our tent for the night.

In the morning, since we were at the second campsite, we got to wake up a little later than the other group as they had to hike over to meet us. For breakfast we had planned to have eggs, toast and sausages. Sadly our eggs tipped and fell all over the ground so we were left with toast and sausages which was still enough to get us through the day. We then cleaned up our camp and purified our water as we waited for the other group to meet up with us. The second day I now knew what to expect so I was better prepared for the day. I packed more snacks and had my water in a more accessible spot that was easy to grab throughout the hike. This hike was not quite as long. The first hike I was mostly at the back but this time I was more determined and I was able to be near the middle of the pack. The hike went by quite quickly and we made it to the first campsite around lunch.

We had a more quiet evening with seven of us at one site. Kelsea and I were separated from our food group so we had to get creative with our meals. We tried our best to divide up our food before we were separated but I ended up eating some of the boy’s food as well as Kelseas. Since our site had the lookout, at sunset we decided to go up there. The nature was amazing. You could hear the wolves howling to each other from different islands, and the loons and lots of other wild life. It was raining a little bit that day but luckily by the night, it cleared up and we were able to see the stars. We star gazed for a while and the view was incredible. The second night was the night I would love to be able to experience again. The nature and the people I was surrounded by made it a very enjoyable, quiet night that I truly appreciated.

Finally the last day came. We were the group who had to wake up early and hike for about an hour to reach the other site. Then we proceeded into our final hike. Since it was the last day, I was very set on being at the front, and I was able to fulfill that goal. This hike seemed to be the easiest and did not take too long for us to get to the bus. It began to get sunny, a perfect way to end a perfect trip.

All in all, this experience has taught me that it is better to push through the pain because when it’s all over, you will feel so accomplished. I would do it again in a heartbeat! I learned that team work is the best way to get things done and if you persevere you will get the results you want.

Anonymous said...

The Hiking trip was an amazing experience that I will never forget. The hike on the first day was the longest and was the hardest, especially since we were not used to the weight of our packs yet; however it was still an enjoyable hike since we were able to see great scenery and breathe in the fresh air. That night, we stayed at campsite 9, with just 10 of us and two chaperones. Our only problem was finding good firewood that wasn't wet, and when it was dark we had run out, so we all went to find some in the dark which can be extremely difficult.

The second day was much easier and was my favourite day on the trip. We had finally adjusted to the weight of the packs and I was one of 7 or 8 students at the front of the class. I felt much better and became more comfortable with navigating. By the time we reached campsite 5, Sarah and I decided to stay, but were separated from the rest of our food group, so we managed to split up what we could and share with the boys' group as well. We set up our tents early and had plenty of free time to relax and enjoy the nature around us. Since there was a lookout right next to us, the 7 of us spent a lot of time up there and we even watched the sunset as a group and listened to the wildlife around us. That night we star gazed and enjoyed the peace and quiet since there were just 7 of us, and we really got to know each other better. That night was my favourite part of the trip and I wish that we could have had plenty more like that.

The last day we woke very early since we had to travel to the other campsite. However even without a lot of sleep the night before, I still managed to stay in the front on our last hike of a great trip. As soon as we were on the bus, I finally had a chance to rest after such a tiring trip; however I was sad that I had to leave. The hiking trip was an unforgettable time that I wish that I could relive and I am already very excited for the canoe trip next year!

Unknown said...

Part: 1
PAD20
Hiking trip
Henry Nguyen

I had mixed feelings for the hiking trip at first. First of all, I had one of my group members was separated due to technicalities because everyone else was moved to go the second trip(including me). The main reason I was so negative towards it at first was because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get a ride to relay for life. Both my parents work, as well with my sister who works most of the week, and has work. A few nights before my sister said that she would be able to get me a ride, so I was able take a nice shower afterwards, and have a nice meal. (And by nice food I mean two A and W combos)

As for the trip, everything seemed to be fine and we were ready to begin. Ten minutes later I soon realized that there would be a lot of walking and waiting. It got to a point where we weren't even sure if some people were lost or not. I decided to stay in the back that day when hiking because I didn't want to lose anyone. We had finally got to the first campsite, and everything was alot more “laid back” After eating, and setting up tents I even went into the water with a few people even though it was very cold. I had one of my group members ask to switch hiking bags because claimed that it was uncomfortable. In my group I probably had the most comfortable bag. There were no malfunctions the first night and everyone slept comfortably.

Unknown said...

Part: 2
PAD20
Hiking trip
Henry Nguyen

We woke up the next day on schedule. Breakfast was pretty good, and we refilled our water bottles. (Ross's water pump made everything so much faster and efficient) We soon realized that the reason why some people were lagging behind due to bag malfunctions, and what forced them to carry a tent by hand was because one of them decided to carry thirteen plastic water bottles, a travelling pillow, and packed the night before. Although the first thing I asked on of them when they were jumping to conclusions about the rest of the group was to “calm down” the took it the wrong way, so I had issues with him. Cleaning up before we left was a pain since there was assorted plastic water bottles and littered pancake mix by the water. I soon realized that I misinterpreted one of my group members when he complained about his pack, so we switched some items so his would be lighter. On the way to the next campsite for lunch the same people were lagging behind, but we finally made it. There was a nice view point at the top of a cliff face which was very nice. Lunch was easy to make, and the break was nice. I soon realized that my group member had his pots and pans jabbing into his back, so I also took that and more off of his pack. My pack was still comfortable for the rest of the walk. I had almost lost a strap clip for my pack, so I backtracked with Ross, but no luck. I walked back towards the next campsite empty handed, but Mr Brouwer had it the entire time. I had and still have no clue how I lost it since all I did was sit down at a break and continued to walk. When we made it to the next campsite, we set up our tents, and prepared for the night. A lot more people went in the water unlike the previous night, and we even had a sketchy looking tadpole aquarium for tadpoles. ( In the end Speed Gonzales escaped :'( ) For dinner we had just add hot water, dehydrated chicken and mash potato which was a lot more delicious than I expected. The last thing we did was play liars dice around a campfire. I only lost a few times in the very beginning but as it went on I managed to survive through the game. The game escalated pretty quickly, which made it that much more memorable. On the last day, we got to leave a lot more efficiently than the previous. The actual hiking was a lot better since we took less breaks. We got to the pick up a lot more quickly, but we ended up waiting another half hour. There were a lot of bugs, and I had then regretting bringing kool-aid packets. The bus had finally arrived, and the ride was very comfortable since everyone got a seat to themselves. Many people slept on the ride home (including myself) and nobody was bothered, I was able to sleep for almost 3 hours.

In the end, the trip was very memorable and I am not going to be forgetting it anytime soon since It is the first time I went on any outdoor trip with personal friends and didn't have a organization providing pre-made tents and food which is all transported for you.

Unknown said...

On this trip i find that it was a great experience in many aspects, such as: Being able to swim in the water to cool off, and the great view shown on the cliff overlooking campsite 5, etc.. The planning for the trip was well thought out for them most part, excluding the meals and the size of the tent. Our group consisted of Cameron K-P, and myself. On the first day of hiking we were supposed to hike to campsite 9, however i had underestimated the amount of water i needed for staying hydrated, therefore in my dizzy state, i had walked far past the campsite, eventually Mr. Brouwer found me and we headed back to camp. The following morning, we both woke up at a fairly reasonable time, it had given us just enough time to get completely packed. Todays campsite that we were hiking to was number 4. When we arrived at the campsite, we mainly focused on setting up the tent and purifying water for the group. We went to sleep later on after hanging our food in a tree by a rope, and playing a rather adventurous game, invented by none other than Mr. McDougall himself. The next morning we woke up earlier to account for the tight amount of time we had to pack up the previous morning. On the third day we made very good time in getting to the parking lot where we were supposed to get picked up half an hour before it ended up happening. On the bus ride home many people seemed fed up and very tired while I simply enjoyed the ride. When we arrived back, I made sure all of my items were in my pack and made sure i had no school gear or any of the group's gear in my pack, when I was done making sure of it, I left to walk home. Overall the experience made me realize that when packing next time for a trip, if I think I have all that I need, Bring more.

Unknown said...

PAD20
Hiking Trip Reflection

The hiking trip was one of the most memorable trips I have ever experienced. Although we missed 3 days of school, I wouldn’t have remembered any of the work… but I will for sure remember this trip! I am always going to remember my group and other members along with it. It definitely brought everyone a little closer than we were before.

I don’t think I packed light, but it was heavy enough to know that I packed just the right amount of things. I had enough room for my sleeping bag, thermal-rest, tent tarp, as well as my clothes and food. It was heavy at first as most of us were beginners, but it didn’t take long to adjust to the weight. The first day for me was the hardest because we didn’t know what to expect, and we hadn’t eaten any of our food which was adding more weight to our packs.

For me one of the toughest things was to wake up, because we were exhausted and ached all over. The second morning wasn’t to hard to wake up because a special thanks to James, scared us all have to death waking us up by banging our tent with a stick! After James woke us up, we all were anxious to go home but at the same time wanted to stay longer.

We burned as much food and things along with that as we could so we wouldn’t have to carry it and some actually made great fire starter (paper plates, etc). Garbage for us was no problem because we had a plastic bag that we would put all our belongings in.

I loved the campsite with the lookout above the beautiful lake. I didn’t like the argument that went on between what campsites we were going to stay at. In the end, we arranged it out, and I think both Campsites had a great night. I also had a little scare when I saw that black snake… we all had a great laugh from the snake though. The bonfires are always great for cooking things, providing heat, and even bonding. I had fun both nights sitting around the campfire, although some comments were unnecessary!

I don’t think I could of asked for better weather on this trip, it wasn't too hot or too cold. It only rained the first night, but didn’t rain after that. Thankfully, we covered our pack before hanging it up with a garbage bag, and we brought in all our equipment and any other things to keep it from the rain. Both nights, I slept like a rock. I don’t believe that I even woke up once from the time I hit my pillow (bunched sweater) to the time I got up.

If I had the choice to change anything on this trip, I don’t think I would change anything. I loved every part of it! Not many people have had the experience to go camp out with their friends in only grade 10, it was awesome and I cant wait for next year!



Unknown said...

PAD20 HIKING TRIP REFLECTION
The Frontenac Provincial Park Hiking Trip was a lot of fun, exciting, things that happened were funny, and it was tiring at times. The weather was warm and cold.
It was fun to spend time with my friends. The swimming was very cold at times but it was nice to cool us down from the long hiking trips from day to day. It was hard to sleep with five people in the tent with all their equipment. It was like having 10 people in a five person tent. From now on I know to be more respectful of people trying to sleep. We need to be quieter in the tent.
Next time I’m just going to bring clothing that I would wear. I brought too many clothes but if you think about it if it did rain, I would have been happy that I did bring the extra clothes like pants, t-shirts, socks underwear and a jacket and sweater.
On the first day at first I had two tents in my backpack and I found my backpack was too small so I switched with a friend and we carried each other’s stuff. Then I switched with another person because his bag was too heavy for him.
One thing I didn’t like about the hike is that we had to wait for some kids every now and again. We should have helped them more. I did carry Matt’s bag to help him out part of the way.
I understand that one kid got lost which was all our fault because we should have been looking after each other seeing that one of us was having trouble. We should have helped the people that were struggling.
I learned that we shouldn’t through compostable stuff into the lake so we don’t pollute the environment.
Around the campsite I helped out by collecting wood, starting and feeding the fire and cooking food. The food was good. Next time I’m going to bring some healthier choices of food.
I caught some tadpoles on the second day and I also went swimming at Frontenac Provincial Park. I would definitely go on a hiking trip again because it was a lot of fun.

Unknown said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection
By Brandon Hartford

This hiking trip has been by far one of the most fun outdoor experiences that I had. During the trip I learned that hiking long distances can be difficult. I expected the Hiking trip to be really easy. I enjoyed the game around the campfire at the last night. It was fun to watch and I laughed a lot. I also liked making fires for food and just for fun. The best part of the trip was just being able to relax at the campsite after the hike. The most intense part of the trip was when we were actually hiking. It was tiring and very hot to hike for hours. What I would do differently is bring more food. The food that me and my group brought wasn’t enough for me personally. Also help out other classmates pack their bags more efficiently so that no one else has an unnecessary burden. I would definitely do it again.

I had prepared for rain a little bit, but if it rained I would probably still become soaked. I did not find the chores around the campsite for my items to be difficult but what I did not like was cleaning up for others. There were many wrappers, water bottles and miscellaneous items that had to be cleaned and picked up which I hated. My backpack was light which was really important since we had to hike about 9km a day. All of the campsites were clean and had a really good view. I didn’t like that the last campsite had poison ivy 4m from the bench.


Dominic said...

The Frontenac Park hiking trip was probably my most anticipated event in the Outdoor ed course. A three day hike through a provincial park in the spring is something that is bound to be great, and for me it turned out to be even better than I thought.

Before the trip we made a meal plan to cover our 3 day trip. Our meals were planned to be easy to prepare and easy to store. This made our trip much easier. The first day started out with a 3 hour hike to the campground. There were a couple hills but not very many big elevation changes. This made the hike fairly easy. We had to stop a couple times to allow for the rest of the group to catch up, and I think that we should have waited for them a bit more since at times we found ourselves a good 200m from the rest of the group. The conditions were great though- warm enough so it's comfortable but cold enough so there's no bugs.

When we arrived at the camp there was a lot to be done. I decided to put up our tent right away and go look for firewood. There was an abundant amount of wood on the ground but I had to cut it into pieces for it to fit in the fire pit. Although it had rained the day before, the wood was fairly dry. We started the fire and the alcohol stove at the same time which led to our entire group helping out to get the fire going and at the same time figure out how to use the stove. One tip that we didn't follow for this is to learn how to use your equipment beforehand- I wasn't sure how to use the alcohol stove. Luckily it was easy to figure out. That night we had quesadillas with cheese and ground beef. It tasted delicious. We passes the rest of the time talking around the fire eating more food. Sadly the night came quickly and we found ourselves in pitch black with all our food still at our camp. So, after tumbling over every stone imaginable we finally found a tree to hang our food on. I think that next time I'd do this earlier because we turned a 5 min task into a 45min task.

The morning passed quickly with us eating a hearty breakfast of eggs and pita bread. Soon we were all packed up and back on the trails. Our hike was slightly shorter but was otherwise almost identical. I spent a couple minutes with the map and compass but it was really easy to simply follow the signs.






The second camp site was amazing. Situated right on a lake with a big cliff right beside it, I couldn't ask for more. Again, we set up the tents and got everything ready for the night. Our menu was a lot less elaborate that day. We planned to make pasta but instead just filled pitas with cheese and hash browns. They turned out amazing and took almost no time to make. We had a bit of a scare when the alcohol flame got a bit high so we covered it, which in effect only heated the stove up even more, and it exploded a couple seconds later. Luckily nothing was damaged. Probably the best part of the night was looking at the stars at around 1am. The sky was clear and they were shining incredibly bright that night.

In the morning we packed up and headed out. This was the last day of hiking and the bugs were starting to come out. The clear skies and bright sun made it a great day to hike though.

This was an amazing experience and I'd do it again in an instant. It was a great bonus to be able to experience it all with my friends. Although we made a few mistakes along the way it didn't detract from the beautiful scenery, great food, and all the new things I learned. I definitely won't forget this trip for a very long time.

Unknown said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip
The hiking trip was one of the trips i was really looking forward to all year, but I was also a bit nervous because I had never been on a hike like that before in my life, I wasn't sure how fit and ready i was for this trip until it came. I had been camping many times before this trip but I knew that this would be the hardest one yet considering that we had to pack enough food supplies and clothes for 3 days in the wild.

Before the trip started there was a bit of confusion for me trying to figure which group I was in after my original group got moved over to the second trip which didn't work for me so I was trying too find a group to go with right until we got on the bus but it ended up great finding a group at the last second.

It turned out too be a great 3 days to go hiking, with no rain and no bugs it was great. I think that the best part of the trip that my group planned for was the meal aspect. Before the trip each person was assigned a meal or a snack to bring the ingredients for each. I would say that every meal that we had was a success, we made are meals so that we would have enough energy to get us through the day. We had proteins and vegetables and every meal we had was cooked over the fire or stove, so each meal was hot or warm.

There are some changes I would make if I was going again. One part of my material that i brought that made my bag much heavier was too much clothes, I realized that i did not need more that 2 or 3 shirts and even just 1 pair of shorts. So i know now that i can do a much better job of packing my gear more efficiently, but for my first time packing a real hiking pack I feel that I did alright.

The overall experience was great there was really nothing for me to complain about I had a great time no matter what we were doing. hiking and talking to friends or just sitting around the camp fire it was all great.

Debbie said...

I had never gone camping before, so this hiking trip was a new and fun experience for me. On the day of the camping trip, everybody came bright and early to school with their hiking packs to the outdoor ed. Room. The bus ride was longer than I expected, but it was worth it. When we got there, everybody took the time to have a small snack. Then, we got ready to hike. It was a long, but fun hike. The hiking pack, was very heavy, but after readjusting the straps, the pack became a lot lighter.

On the first night, our group arrived at campsite 12. We shared the platform with another group. For our dinner we had chicken Alfredo Penne. It was a filling meal that also tasted very good. Hanging the backpacks took a while but we finally hung our bag in the trees. We went to bed earlier than everybody else did. For breakfast we had Cream Cheese Bagels & Scrambled Eggs.

The Hike the next day was as long as the first hike. We took short breaks in between to refresh, and set out to hike again. There were more hills this time than the first hike. We arrived at this beautiful campsite near a lake. Some people went in the water for a swim. Setting up camp, getting the water, cleaning, cooking went by much smoother than the last night. Hanging the bags took 3 tries, unlike the first time around. The menu that night was Chicken rice with Red Peppers. It tasted delicious. The night was quiet, so we enjoyed the scenery, until it got dark, we went back to our tents to sleep.

The next day, went by very quickly as we hiked to the bus. The 3-day hiking trip felt like a one-day hiking trip. This hiking trip was very memorable, and would definitely do it again next year.

Unknown said...

On our Frontenac hiking trip I learned a lot of things about myself that I didn't know before. This trip was full of hiking all day and camping in a tent all night and this is something that i had never done before. We had to cook our food and carry all of our gear and hike for three days, this gave lots of time to think.

During our time hiking, witch was the bulk of the time, there was lots of time to think and I learned that I'm a very determined person. Even when I was falling behind the group I forced myself to mach the pace of the person in front of me. I also found when I was getting tired that I was setting myself small goals of getting to and then when I made that I set myself another goal because when I have something to work towards I can push myself harder.

When we got to the camp sites I was happy that the walking was finished and that this was something I was comfortable with, I knew how to cook and set up a tent. The setting up of camp was mostly easy, but there were things I still didn't know how to do. When getting fire wood I was unaware that there was good fire wood and bad fire wood, after seeing the difference I now understand the importance of what fire wood you get. Also hanging the food in the tree turned out to be a bigger challenge than I had anticipated, I learned that my aim needs work.

I enjoyed this trip a lot, even though there were things that I wasn't necessarily good at all of them. If I were to do this trip again then I would have packed the food differently as it weren't very space efficient and I wouldn't have brought as many cloths because I didn't ware half of them.

This trip made me realize things about myself and the person I am and I would love to do something like this again

Unknown said...

The Frontenac Park hiking trip was one of the highlights of my grade 10 school year. Although it was difficult at times, and quite stressful, that is what this course is all about. As friends, we worked together and managed to survive the 3 day trek. With my tent group and with new friends, we had a blast hiking and especially at the campfires.
I was very happy with the planning that my group put in to the trip. We worked together to prepare all appropriate items and made sure we were all on the same page on what we ate and did. We took even turns carrying the heavy items that the group was sharing such as: Tent, food, stove etc. We were very efficient in the set up and take down of our campsite each day.
This was my first time ever camping. It was surprisingly better than I had anticipated. This was definitely because of the great people that I was with. We had great hot meals in the evenings, followed by a large bonfire which made way for a great sleep. We always woke up at a good time and I enjoyed the long hikes.
If I had the chance to go on this trip again, I would make a better menu. I was happy with most of the meals, but some of them could have had a bit more effort put into them. Other than that, I will always remember this trip and the great times we had!
I had a really great trip and look forward to doing many trips like this in my future years in Outdoor Education!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

PAD20 Hiking Trip Reflection
The hiking trip is obviously one of the most anticipated events in the outdoor ed class. This trip seems to either make or break your outdoor ed experience. Gladly, it lived up to the hype and was overall an easy and fun experience.
The weather, bugs, and trails were all perfect for the hike we had ahead of us. It was nice to have the trip in a year with a late spring. These conditions made everything so comfortable on the way to camp, around camp, and while sleeping. The first day of hiking did feel fairly long, but as it dragged on, we got used to it and found out how to make everything more fun. When we arrived at camp the first night, we were all quite ready for dinner. It was nice to finally sit down to eat and then relax around the fire. The next two days were much alike. By the last day when we got on the bus, my group had a sort of routine way of getting things done at camp and on the trail.
I felt as if we were well prepared, but maybe brought a little too much food. To be fair, we were planning for another person to have to feed, but we could’ve cut down on weight even then. The extra food and items I was carrying took up space that could’ve been put to use to pack more clothes. I would’ve liked to have more of every type of layer. I especially regret not bringing a hoodie or sweater because a thin spring jacket doesn’t always cut it on windy spring nights.
I look back on this hiking trip and realize how great of an experience it was. I know some things were not well planned or executed, but it was a great learning experience and eye opener as to how hard it can be to balance out all the factors of packing and preparing. I hope to have many more trips like this in the next few years and have a chance to perfect the skills I used on this trip.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

The hiking trip is an experience that I will never forgot. I got to enjoy great meals surrounded by friends and had many laughs while learning new skills.

The hiking part of the trip was challenging at sometimes. I found it was easier when you weren't thinking about it. I did this by talking to friends the whole way. Another thing that made the hiking challenging was the blisters i had on my foot. I had quite a few by the end of the trip. To help deal with the problem i put duck tape over the area. Something i would have changed there would be to wear better footwear.

The meals we made were very good. The Stir fry we made on the first night was amazing and i would of had more if we had more.The next morning we made scrambled eggs and oatmeal. The eggs came out better then we expected and so did the oatmeal. For lunch we wanted to make something quick and easy so we decided to make grill cheese. The grill cheese was also delicious. The second night of the trip we made pasta. Since some of the members in our group couldn't eat certain things, we had to make meals accordingly.The pasta was alright and it filled us through the night. I was really happy with the preparation our group had because our meals were great.

Overall had a great experience with my group and the others. I Hope that the canoeing trip will be just as fun or even more!