Thursday, October 9, 2014

PAD20 FRONTENAC HIKING TRIP


Sleeping Bag, check!  Tent, check!   Food, check!  25 students equipped and ready for what they are hoping will be a fun and memorable trip. 

The weather was perfect for most of the week – maybe a bit too hot on the first day for the first group but it settled for the remainder of the week giving us a combination of sun and clouds with temperatures perfect for hiking and even swimming. 


Mr. Brouwers’ class tackled the trails first.  Despite looping around the parking lot, the group got off to a fairly quick start moving with eagerness and zeal.  In fact, they moved at such a rapid pace that some could barely keep up.  The heaviness of the packs did nothing to slow them down.   The hike to cluster 12 took only about 3.5 hours, which included several stops to re-hydrate and to re-convene as a group.  Some were happy to stop at 12 and call it a day, while the others moved on to cluster 9.  The sun was still shining by then so most of the students took advantage of the warm weather to soak in the lake (and to wash!).  Refreshing and revitalizing it was.  The rest of the evening was spent figuring out how to work the stoves, cook (some for the first time ever!) and set up sleeping quarters.  By night fall, most were exhausted from their first big day and crashed fairly early – while others were too excited to sleep. 


The next morning, we woke up to some fog and a bit of a chill.  It took about 2 hours for everyone to eat their breakfast and take down camp.  Once all packed up, the group from cluster 12 joined up and everyone was once again, ready for another exciting day on the trails.  The forecast called for some sun so we looked forward to arriving at our next campsite in hopes that another swim would be possible. 


The hike was a little shorter the second day and took us to a nice lookout point where we stopped for lunch.  The group moved exceptionally well this day, continuously making sure everyone was together and doing okay.  Still no sun at this point but no rain either so no one complained.  The lookout is located just above cluster 5, one of our campsites, so after lunch the group divided up again (after getting the short end of the straw), leaving a small group at 5 while the others moved on to cluster 4 (approximately 45 minutes away) – both sites are located on Big Salmon Lake. 


The wind was blowing and the air was a bit chilled that evening.  Those at cluster 5 were protected from the south easterly winds so were able to go swimming.  Those at cluster 4 were not as fortunate as they battled the winds.  Instead, they spent time looking for firewood and mingling with their friends.  There was lots of good chats and laughter around the campfire that evening.

Morning once again, came quickly.  A bit overcast with moderate temperatures.  Students were again efficient with breakfast and packing up camp.  Once the other group arrived, everyone hiked out to the parking lot where the second class would meet.  The hike took approximately 1.5 hours and went without any problems.  At the end, high fives were exchanged and some hoot and howlers could be heard from afar – a sign of relief and great accomplishment by everyone.  The first group definitely deserves high praise for their success on their first outdoor overnight trip.  Hopefully, this trip will encourage them to do more overnight trips in the future.




 

The classes had to exchange equipment, which tends to take a bit of time, but, to a pleasant surprise, group 2 was quick – obviously also quite eager to get started on their trip.

Trumpowers’ class moved along quite well at a steadier pace.  The weather was perfect that day for hiking – overcast in the low 20’s.  The first hour of the hike proved to be the most challenging in the trip as many struggled with proper fitting of their packs. Unfortunately for some, the packs never got more comfortable or lighter but that didn't stop anyone.  Just a short distance from the first campsite of the day, the sun came out and brightened everything up.  A small group remained at 12 (and happy to stop at this point) while the rest continued to 9.  The view at campsite 9 was breathtaking.  The lake was calm and the sunset over the ridge was magnificent.   Despite a long, hard first day, the mood was positive and the spirits were high.  Some swam while others set up their abodes.  Few managed to gather firewood but everyone seemed to be feasting on some hearty meals.  A nice campfire that evening allowed the group to get acquainted and share funny stories. 


The next day proved to be just as beautiful and perfect for both hiking and swimming.  Although a bit tired and achy from hiking the previous day, the group travelled well together on the second day all the way to the lookout point.  Eager to swim, the entire group rushed down to campsite 5 for lunch rather than eat at the top of the cliff where one can enjoy the view.  Dividing this class between the two campsites proved to be a bit more challenging as several students wanted to stay.  After some deliberation, the class split and half the group continued on their journey.    Although a bit tired, the second group was pleasantly surprised on the layout and the view of campsite 4.  After a super quick tent set up, everyone jumped in the lake.  The sun was still shining and the wind had subsided – making it a majestic early evening.  Luckily, the group had yet another successful day and evening. Now clean (and smelling better), bellies full and a decent amount of campfire gathered, the group ended their perfect day with a group fire and some games. 

Final day was even better than the previous.  The sun was out and the loons were singing.  The hike out was smooth and, fortunately, uneventful.  With the end in sight, most students were excited, happy, yet sad that it was already all over.  Nothing, however, can describe the feeling these students had when they spotted the yellow school bus at the end of the trail. 






Frontenac Hiking Trip – check!

68 comments:

Unknown said...

I really enjoyed the hiking trip that my outdoor ed class went on to Frontenac Provincial Park. It had its ups (such as great food and fun campfires) as well as its downs (hiking with an overstuffed pack and not being able to eat all of our food), but overall it was a great experience. I learned many things while hiking through the beautiful trails and I would love to go back again having improved both my hiking and my packing skills. I will remember this trip forever.

Over all three days, my group and I got to hike together and camp together in Frontenac Park. On the first day I realized just how heavy a backpack can be and how it can even make the simple task of walking extremely difficult. This day was the most challenging of all of them but it ended well. During our hike, one of the members of my group was injured, so we ended up staying at the closer, smaller campsite with Mr. Brouwer and Mrs. Coolen. We ate a big supper and then we sat around the campfire till around ten p.m. when we were starting to get tired and it had gotten very dark. We hung up our food pack in a tree (with help from both of the teachers staying with us) and we headed into our tents. The morning was a little bit rushed because our whole group slept in! We were awoken with only an hour to get ready, pack our stuff, eat and hike to the next campsite. This was a challenge. In the end we ended up not eating very much for breakfast and rushing out of the campsite fifteen minutes late. Thankfully, this day was shorter because we didn’t have as much energy to keep us going. This day was still difficult, but we were rewarded at the end of the day with a wonderful lookout and a nice lunch before we made our two kilometer hike to the further campground. That day we camped with most of the class as well as Mrs. Trumpower and Mrs. Lutes. We chose this campsite because it would make for a shorter walk the next day and it really made a difference. When my group got to the campsite, we still had enough time to go swimming before we made supper and got to sit around the campfire. I even got to learn for myself how to make a campfire. The next morning we had to rush again to clean up camp but we ended up being done early so we had time to relax before everyone started the final hike. The walk was only around five kilometers but it felt a lot longer. Around halfway through I was starting to get tired again but after a break I was able to push through to the end. Though this trip was a challenge, it was a lot of fun walking through the beautiful park that is Frontenac.

I also learned a lot from the trip to Frontenac Provincial Park. As soon as I started walking, I learned that it was not a good idea to bring as much food as we did. This possibility was confirmed when we got to the campground. We couldn’t finish any of our meals! Also, even though our group was made up of five people, I ended up carrying the heaviest load on the first day. After that we had learned that we should split the load more evenly and, for the rest of the trip, I didn’t have to carry as much. I would definitely bring less clothing as well, because that weighed a lot and I didn’t even end up wearing all of it. I mostly wore shorts and tee shirts but I wish I had brought a pair of leggings to lounge around in. Finally, the last lesson that I learned from this trip that a properly adjusted pack makes a huge difference. I was much less tired after my pack had been adjusted. These are all of the valuable lessons that I learned that could greatly improve my experience the next time I go on a hiking trip.

My experiences at Frontenac Provincial Park where mostly positive. Even the ones that were more negative had a purpose. The lessons that I learned on this trip as well as the experiences that I had will last me a lifetime.

Unknown said...

Reflection Part 1

The morning of the first day was a blur of excitement and a flurry of activity. Getting to school early, packing our food, finding out we had 58 tortillas between the four of us, loading our bags on the bus, and then stewing in my excitement while we waited for the bus to be packed and for everyone to be ready to go instead. I was really looking forward to this trip. It was my first Outdoor Ed trip of the year. The bus left at 8:30 am. We talked in a group about everything, from celebrity crushes to Veggies Tales. After two and a half hours, the bus made its way into the Frontenac Provincial Park and down to where the first group was waiting to be picked up. After a quick change of bags for the other students and receiving pots and pans from Mrs Trumpower, I was all set and ready to go. The weather was looking gray and rainy. We were given the go ahead by the teachers and we all took off on the trail. I quickly set into a constant pace. My butt was really hurting on that leg of the trip was because my waist belt was too far down. I learned form one of the supervisors how to adjust it and I was fine after. Halfway there, the sun came out and I started sweating buckets. With a couple of breaks, we made it to campsite 12 within three hours of walking. I sort of wanted to stay there, but I am glad my group convinced me to carry on. Another 20 minutes later, we finally made it. We travelled a good 8.2 kilometres that day. After finding our food hanging tree and setting up our stove, I went for a swim. How refreshing! It was freezing, but enjoyable. Feeling refreshed, I started to make supper; a reheated stir fry. The only problem was that our stove wouldn’t work. After 30 minutes of frustrating failure, I got Mrs Trumpower, and soon we were eating our reheated meal, but we started supper too late. We had to hang our food in the dark. I helped Mrs Trumpower and another group hang their food. Unsatisfied with my work for the other group, Mrs Trumpower made me redo it, but the pulley got caught on a branch. I had to climb up and get it down, but I was too short, so Big Owen climbed the tree like a monkey, unhooked the pulley, and scampered back down. Enough excitement for one night, I headed to the tent and was asleep within minutes.

Unknown said...

Reflection Part 2

Day 2 of the hiking trip began at 6:30 when my alarm went off. The weather was again cloudy, with mist rising off the lake. I got up, packed my things in the tent, and set off to get our food. Food bag rescued from the tree, I got breakfast ready, using the lighting method I learned the evening before. The scones Felix’s mom had prepared were amazing when reheated, along with our hot chocolat. After rushing around to finish packing up camp, I was ready for another day of staring at the ground ahead of me, trying not to be the first to trip and break or twist something. The weather cleared up after an hour and we were again walking in the glorious sunshine. The group from campsite 12 arrived and after a break for them, we left. We walked for two hours and came to a lookout. It was amazing! I could almost see the entire lake. It was so nice up there, I could have stayed there forever, but lunch was calling to me, so we went to campsite 5, which was just at the bottom of the cliff. After a satisfying lunch, we left for campsite 4, 40 minutes away. I’m glad I convinced the boys in my group to go to campsite 4. It was so nice! Dream campsite! After 4 hours of hiking and 7.6 km covered, another freezing dip in the lake was welcomed. Supper was great, beef burritos and vegetables. Mrs Trumpower, again, unimpressed by my food hanging skills, made me redo it because it was too close to her tent. Lesson learned. It took us 20 minutes of throwing a rope and another Big Owen tree climbing session to get our food up again. The highlight of the day was the campfire. It was so much fun. We played games and told jokes and just had a great time around a huge fire created by Felix. After, everyone quickly vanished into their tents. Soon, I was sleeping like a baby.

The third day was even more rushed than the other day due to me not hearing my alarm and waking up at 7:15. After quickly packing my items in the tent, I ran to get the food. Returning, I made a breakfast of bagels and oranges. We then finished packing up our campsite and amused ourselves with the acorns that were laying on the ground. Mr Brower and the Campsite 5 group arrived and after a short break, we left. The day was sunny from the beginning, almost telling me that it was a short day. Indeed it was. We walked 3.6 km in an hour and a half. We reached the bus and loaded up. As much fun as it was, I was happy to see the bus. It was a tiring trip and I was ready to go home and do nothing all afternoon. This trip was a good start to the year and I am looking forward to the canoe trip.

Unknown said...

Going into the Frontenac hiking trip, I didn’t know what to expect. I had been to cottages but had never done tent camping in a provincial park before. We were well prepared with the required amount of food and materials as a group. As for my personal packing, if anything, I might have over packed! I was uncertain of what to expect on the trip and whether I would enjoy it. I had a lot of fun and even though we were a large group, it still had a relaxed and peaceful feeling and it was awesome to spend so much time outside.

The three days consisted of quite a bit of hiking, but I really enjoyed it. On day one, during the first hour or so of hiking, it took me a while to get adjusted to carrying my pack. I wasn’t used to the weight of it and fitting it so that it sat comfortably took a bit of adjusting. After our first hour or so of hiking, there was a bit of confusion when a group of us were walking at too fast a pace, causing us to lose sight of many of our group members. As a result, it meant we had to hike a lot more than was expected searching for them. When we finally met up with them, we realized we were missing 3 people. Fortunately, because of the elevation we were on, we were able to call them and find out where they were. Unfortunately, when we got to their location, they weren’t there because they decided to keep going. Eventually, we met them at the campsite. This added tension to the day and it made me realize the importance of staying together in your group. And if your group does get split up, the smaller groups must remain together. After a discussion with the full class we all had a good understanding of what went wrong. We realized that when the faster group trailed sideways to find the slower group, three people kept going straight forward thinking we were ahead of them. Which lead them to make the decision to keep walking until they reached the campsite. We agreed that we should have made sure that everyone was together, and that it is always best to put the slowest or weakest hikers in the middle of the pack so that they are not given the responsibility or pressure of navigating or setting the pace, but also so that people behind them always know where they are.

The meals we made were healthy and tasted awesome! I thought they tasted even better because we made them ourselves. I was feeling a tad nervous about the cooking part of the trip because I don’t do much cooking at home. We worked together and managed to have hot meals that weren’t burnt and tasted great! Trying to hang our food bag became a challenge because we left it too late into the evening and it was getting dark. I was starting to feel agitated because it is a lot more difficult to do than I thought it would be. On the second night we were faster at getting things done so we could get the bag up before it got too dark.

When it came time to set up our tent, I found it was not a stressful task but the wind caused short delays in setting it up. Other than the wind, it was just a matter of being patient and figuring out which polls fit in the right sections of the tent and canopy.

Unknown said...

I feel I matured a lot on this trip and certainly learned a lot about outdoor skills, but there are things I could have definitely done better. For example, on the first day, I had a bit of trouble packing my bag, and put some of my food near the top. Because the food weighed the most of everything I was packing, I should have made sure all of it was in the middle of my pack and farthest away from my back to make sure the weight was in the right places. Because of this, I had more weight on my shoulders than necessary, and it caused greater stress on my body. Another thing we should have done was hanging our food earlier before it got too dark. Hanging our food at 9 o’clock isn’t the wisest thing, because only having a flashlight isn’t enough lighting. Because we put it off so late, it took probably twice as long as it needed to, not to mention getting your food up high in the dark is harder, therefore causing potential danger during the night. Obviously, I also learned that staying together physically as a group is necessary to make sure nobody gets lost, especially in a group as big as ours.


On this trip, I really enjoyed hiking each day, exploring the park and seeing some vey interesting views and landforms. I enjoyed learning/improving my outdoor skills, such as cooking, pitching tents and hanging our food pack, as they are very valuable lessons to have when in the outdoors. The Frontenac hiking trip was a very enjoyable trip for me where I learned some very valuable lessons in the outdoors. I am really happy that I was able to take part in this experience.

Unknown said...

Part 1.)
Heading into the Frontenac hiking trip I thought I knew what to expect. We aren't "campers" in my family, but we make an effort to get out every so often. When we do this it certainly isn't for three nights, it's around one or two maximum, and I tend to just sit around and let my parents do the work. Obviously, this trip was a lot different! It was a lot of hard work, but very enjoyable and eye-opening at the same time. It was hard the first day, but I came out of this trip with experience, new skills, and wanting to do more!

First day. It was a beautiful morning and proved to stay beautiful throughout the day. The bus ride was approximately two hours and thirty minutes, but it felt very short. I think it is safe to say we were all anxious to get there and start hiking. We arrived at the spot where we would exchange our packs and supplies with the other class. They looked weary and tired, but happy they did it. There were a couple of packs to choose from since I didn't have my own. While the group members with packs gathered our pots and other supplies, I chose my pack. At the time I didn't really think it was a big deal, but that was because I hadn't walked around 21.4 kilometers with it on my back. The hip strap was broken. Which, ultimately meant I had the weight of my pack on my shoulders for the whole trip. Looking back at it, I wish I changed it, but I don't think it mattered that much. It just made the trip harder and more rewarding when I finished hiking. That day we walked around three hours and believe me, my shoulders were feeling it. It would've been a shorter hike, but my group walked to cluster nine. This made our journey on the first day about 9.4 kilometers. Long story short, we arrived at cluster nine and went straight into the water after setting up our tent. Unfortunately for us, we stayed in the water for a while and when we got out and mustered the courage to cook our dinner, it was pitch black. To make matters worse, our group's stove wasn't working. So, we called over Mrs. Trumpower and she fixed it half an hour later. Needless to say, we ate dinner very late. However, on the other days we didn't make this mistake. We got everything ready while it was still light out. After that we attempted to find firewood (in the dark again), we found some but not nearly enough. We eventually crawled into our tent and fell asleep. Personally, I didn't sleep very well, everything in the silence of the night sounds ten times louder then it would during the day. An acorn falling sounds like a bear cracking a twig right next to your tent and a Suryadev snoring sounds like a bear growling. Note to self, bring earplugs next time.

Unknown said...

Part 2.)
Second Day. I woke up on day two pretty tired and grumpy, but my mood improved as the day went on. It was another sunny day and again, it proved to be sunny for the rest of the day. I ventured out for fire wood after packing up all my sleeping supplies. One of my biggest regrets on the trip is not getting a picture of this sight. The campsite was completely silent and you couldn't even see the lake! Our campsite was completely enclosed by fog, it was strangely beautiful. After this, everyone packed up their personal belongings and then proceeded to help with the group responsibilities (food, cooking supplies, tent, etc). Then it was time for the dreaded hike. The last thing I felt like doing is putting that pack on my soar shoulders again. Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad and I just kept telling myself that the hike was shorter today. The hike was solid. Nothing of interest happened. We walked around eight kilometers. So, 1.4 kilometers less, this is because we decided to hike an extra 45 minutes to cluster four. The 45 minutes to cluster four felt longer then the original hike! The only reason we did it is so we didn't have to walk it in the morning. It proved to be quite worth it. The campsite was just as beautiful, but even bigger! To top it off we cut a third off our hike the next day. Once we arrived at our cluster, we wearily unpacked and set up before going swimming. It was so refreshing and revitalizing. After that Mrs. Trumpower taught some of us a lesson on not bringing trees or parts of trees that still looked alive into the camp for fire wood. Then she showed us the best spots to find fire wood and the best technique. Due to the fact that people had camped there before us, we had to go far out to find good stuff. When I thought we had enough I told Mrs. Trumpower and she said, to my disappointment "You'll need five times that amount to keep it going". After a while of fooling around and slowly making our food, we ate. It was great and along the way we packed up the things on our site that would attract wildlife. Once we had collected all of our things we went out to find a good tree (in the pitch blackness once again). It was quite fun, some people hid in bushes and scared others, it was a great time. Thanks to Big Owen we hung up our food just fine and headed off to the camp for the night. After trying and failing to play a game of murder mystery around the fire we headed off the bed. I woke up a while later to the sound of some wolves howling it was amazing! This was one of the first times I was happy to be woken up in the middle of the night. I asked around our tent group in the morning wondering if anyone else heard it, but no one did.

On our third and final day we woke up late. This was because we had walked 45 minutes ahead of the other group the day earlier. We packed up again, it was a lot easier because we had less stuff and we knew what to do. We waited around for a while throwing acorns at each other until the other group came. Again, it was another beautiful day and we were feeling very fortunate that it wasn't pouring on us. We happily started hiking again with the knowledge that our destination was only 4.2 kilometers away this time. After the half way point some of us were feeling kind of tired, but we trudged along singing about Khlorine Kyle. A bit of walking later we arrived at where we started the whole journey, feeling alive!

This has been my reflection/point of view on the Frontenac Hiking Trip. Overall I had a lot of fun with the group and nature. It was quite the experience and I doubt I will lose these memories as I get older. I am eager to get out there again!

Anonymous said...

Part 1:
I’ve gone camping before with scouts, but this was my first experience on a hiking trip. Going to this trip I didn’t really know how much hiking we would be doing. When we got to the school to load out stuff and get on the bus it became apparent that our group had brought way too much food, especially tortillas, I myself had brought 20 and our cooking group as a whole had brought 50. After a long bus ride that was around three hours we got to the park and met up with the other group before starting our journey. I started talking to people from the other group and even though I didn’t know what to expect, I must admit when they said they hiked 5 hours one day I was a bit surprised. I continued talking to them and they told me about the best places to go and what they did on their trip, they told me of the two best campsites (9 and 5) so I took a mental note of those two camps.

The first day we got really nice weather for hiking, not too hot, not too cold. After everyone was done packing we started our hike and I took on the responsibility of a map… and put it in my backpack because I didn’t know what to do with it as I was in the middle/end of the pack. We started our hike at around 11:30 and I had no idea how long it would be. Once we got to a lookout I finally decided to take on the responsibilities of the map, I took a look at where we were, where we were heading, and how far we’d come and it became apparent that we still had a lot to do to get to the highly praised campsite nine. Shortly after that lookout I found one of the most perfect walking sticks you will ever see on the side of the trail, it was beautiful. It had some dirt on the end of it and it looked like someone had already used it as a walking stick and then left it there. Soon after we got to another lookout, step by step, we were getting closer to our destination. The point of this stop was to refill on water, unfortunately for myself I never had any water to begin with as I forgot to fill my bottle at the school at I had to borrow some from Josh. Before the trip I was wondering how we were going to be getting water and here it all became clear. Mrs. Trumpower and Mr. Brower had these drops that we put in lake water to get rid of the bacteria, it was quite fascinating and since my bottle was used as an example by Mr. Brower, it meant that I got to drink my water a whole minute before others, although I later decided to save my water until later on in the trip. We got to campsite 12 and took a breather, the campsite looked quite small but still nice, I would’ve been fine with staying there but I took the past groups suggestions and headed to campsite 9 which was just a short distance away, I would have preferred doing the hike at that moment than the next morning. On our way to campsite 9 I started wondering if they were just joking about the greatness of the campsite. That was not the case. We got to the site and everything was amazing, we found a platform, set up our tent and immediately jumped into the rocky ice bath they call a lake. Although the water was cold I enjoyed the swim but the downside was that when we got out, it was getting dark and we needed to get out food ready. We started getting everything out and Owen got his stove, which at that point decided it didn’t feel like working properly so we had to wait even longer to start dinner so we could get Mrs. Trumpower to help with our dilemma. We ate dinner and started a fire, unfortunately for us we had difficulty finding firewood and the fire did not last long. We then did our clean up and hung up our food in the dark. Before this trip I had gotten a therma-rest and it proved worthy on this trip. It didn’t take much room and i got to bed early and slept well.

Anonymous said...

Part 2:
On the second day I woke up at 4:00 in the morning but then got right back to sleep. I then woke up right on time at 6:30 without the help of an alarm. After each person woke up and stepped outside I could hear each of them say something about the lake, and when I finally finished packing up my belongings inside the tent, I stepped out and took a look at the lake. The island we could see the day before was covered up by fog like a teenage girls face is with makeup. For breakfast we had some scones that I had brought and we still had some time so we made a small fire just for the sake of having a fire. The scones were excellent and filling but the downfall was the container that I brought them in, if I had brought them in a plastic bag they would have been squished by the other things in our bags. Unfortunately our bathing suits had not fully dried and were still damp from the day before. We packed up our stuff and while waiting for the other group to arrive; I noticed my stick was not where I had left it. I searched for it but my most prized possession of the trip was lost. We started the hike and I took a place at the front of the pack this time. Fortunately for us we were going in a descending order and this hike seemed like half as much as the day before. For a snack this day we had a trail mix that I whipped up because some of the dried fruits were too expensive and I’m proud to say the trail mix turned out very well. When we got to a lake close to our destination to fill up our water supplies I pulled out the compact bags that each held two cups of trail mix and handed them out to the people in our group. The trail mix was a success. We got to campsite 5 and there was a lookout right next to it, I could see why the group before us had recommended it. We had lunch there, but then found out that there would not be enough room for us to stay there, we hiked an extra 45 minutes to campsite 4 and in hindsight, I think it was worth it, much like the previous day I would rather hike the extra bit that day, than the next morning. When we got to the campsite, there really wasn’t much of a difference between the two and I was happy that we had hiked the extra bit. We decided not to make the same mistake as before when we started cooking too late so since we got to the campsite earlier, we went for a swim, and then started on dinner right away. After dinner it was my day to clean up and I was glad I got to do it while it was still light out. We still had light left so we gathered all the guys at the campsite and everyone went out in search for firewood. We started a small fire to start with for light and then we went out to hang our food and it had suddenly gotten dark. We were having trouble hanging our food so we got big Owen to help us by climbing the tree. I then went and helped another group with their food. By the time we got back down to our campsite everyone was crowded around the fire so I added some logs and then joined the group. We played a game that involved me killing people in the night and then getting killed and then a lot of people went for a brief walk in the woods before turning back because it was too scary.

Anonymous said...

Part 3:
The third day was he shortest of the three and most definitely had the best weather for hiking, it was a warm day clear of any clouds with a cool breeze to go with it, it was perfect. Once again this day I woke up a 4:00 in the morning and I had no idea why but just like the other day I fell back asleep. Also much like the other day, I woke up at 6:30 as well, the perfect time, but for some reason I decided to keep on sleeping until 7:15. We had bagels with jam and fruits for breakfast and unfortunately we still had a lot of vegetables left that we had turned into a salad the day before. We took a break on this trip near a big rock so I decided to get out the salad… it was awful. I then proceeded to cleanse my mouth with the refreshing taste of an apple that had somehow not been eaten until then. We got to the bus and taking off my backpack had never felt so good (except maybe on the first day). We hopped back on the bus after purifying some water and sadly but in a way somewhat relieving it was all over.

Overall this trip was a fantastic experience and I’m so glad I was able to take a part in it. Although the hiking was very tiring and by the end of it I was extremely sore, I’m sure ill never forget this trip and all the good memories that can with it. I think I learned a lot about the wilderness on this trip and I cant wait until our next class trip.

Unknown said...

Going into the Frontenac trip I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I'm not a camper, a hiker or a cook, and on this one trip I was challenged to be/do all three. I wasn't afraid of going on this trip I was actually excited, I imagined it would be like one of those reality t.v shows in the wild that would have Bear Gryllz as the host.


Day1: We arrived at the campsite around noon and began preparing for our hike immediately. Before the trip I knew that the weight of my pack would make a huge difference during our hikes, so I packed lightly with minimal clothing. This didn't make a difference as my group over packed leading to me carrying the tent and some items of my group members. Looking back we should have communicated better, preparing everyone better for the trip. The hike was difficult, our groups packs were heavy, my shoes weren't the best and there were tree roots or rock randomly hidden along the trail which would make you roll your ankles when you stepped on them. I remember at one point the trail was so steep we had to hold onto tree roots and plants to make it up. I got Owen's mom to fix my straps and all of a sudden I felt like I could fly, the dreadful hike was not that bad anymore. I wish I had fixed the strap earlier making the hike way easier. When we finally reached camp sight nine the feeling of happiness I felt is not even describable. It was the same feeling of happiness that you get when you get a chill substitute teacher. After that hike I'm never taking cars for granted. We set up our tents and rewarded ourselves by going for a swim. We came out of the water and it was nearly dark, we should have cooked our food earlier. Our group had uncooked chicken that we needed to prepare for our fajitas. It took us nearly an hour to cook that chicken, we had to make sure it was properly cooked to avoid getting salmonella. It was pitch black when we're eating our fajitas. We shouldn't have brought uncooked chicken and we should have started cooking as soon as we got there. I didn't sleep well, as a matter of fact I don't think I slept at all. The snoring of one of my group members as well as the nauseating scent of flatulence kept me up all night.

Day 2: It turns out I did sleep because I woke up to the sound of one of my group members snoring really loudly. We prepared our breakfast of some unappealing egg whites and some bacon. Unable to eat the bacon, I ate some of our day 3's breakfast: bagels. The egg whites were a bad idea. After we packed up we hiked for another hour. This time it wasn't that bad. The weather was nice and sunny and it was an overall pleasant hike. We hiked extra on this day because we had to go to camp sight 4 as camp site 5 was full. I thought an extra 50 minutes today is better than the extra 50 tomorrow. When we got to camp sight 5 we were better organised, despite going swimming first we set up our tents, cooked food and collected firewood before 5pm. We didn't eat lunch since we were hiking to campsite 4 so we instead had a big supper of noodles with vegetables and chicken with rice. The chicken with rice was very dry and didn't taste too good, so I filled up on the noodles. Looking back I wish we had planned better meals. Again on day 2 I had too cook the food as well as clean it up. The sleep was a lot better on this night as I managed to fall asleep before the snoring began.

Day 3 began poorly after packing everything I had some unappetizing oatmeal I was the only one who ate it as my group members didn't want it. Collectively we had a whole bunch of bagels instead. We started the hike once the other group came to our campsite. The hike on day 3 was so short. It was amazing seeing that goofy looking yellow bus.

Frontenac was an amazing experience, there were so many beautiful sites, and landmarks. I have made some new friends and have gotten to know some people better, it was a challenging and fulfilling experience to complete.

Unknown said...

I had been hiking several times before, however, not to this extent. Overnight hiking was a new concept to me, as it meant that my pack would be much heavier than a day hike. Being in a group with two others was easier than it would have been alone as we were able to share communal weight among us. We packed and prepared well and were able to function well as a group on the trip. The amount of work that had to be done preparing and hiking was well worth it considering the enjoyment we experienced. It was a marvelous opportunity to be with friends and spend time outdoors.

The first day of hiking was also the most difficult. One part of my pack was uneven which made for a painful hike. However, I repacked my bag later and this was no longer a problem. My pack did not seem heavy at first, but later in the day I became more tired. Weight was not a major problem on the trip for me, though, since I had my bag evenly packed and my straps adjusted properly. Although the pack can wear you down, hiking with it is doable and can be fun if it is done correctly. This is something the trip has taught me. Just past one hour into the first hike, our group was separated. One group was on the right path, behind everyone. Another was in the middle but took a wrong turn. A third group of three people went ahead. The middle group and last group were able to regroup, but three people were still missing. We were able to call the missing group and figure out their location, but when we arrived, we realised they had continued ahead. Luckily, they made it to the campsite. This problem taught the whole class the importance of staying together on a trip. If the missing group did not navigate correctly, the day may not have gone so well. We arrived at our campsite and had enough daylight left to enjoy a stir-fry dinner. Hanging food was a challenge in the dark, however, on the second day we were better prepared and hung our food before night.

The second day of hiking was easier than the first day, partly due to the fact that we were not time pressured. We had an easy morning preparing food and packing up the campsite. We were on the trail just after 9:00 and met up with the rest of the group. The scenery was beautiful and I was able to have one of the best lunches I’ve had: halal beef shawarmas overlooking the lake. (Even though we’re camping, we can’t skip shawarma Tuesday). My group and I decided to make the extra 45 minute hike to campsite 4 as we didn’t wish to make the trip the following day. The second day included the best scenery and a stress-free hike. We arrived at the campsite in the early afternoon with plenty of time to spare until darkness. We had a slow-paced evening, but still completed our tasks before we relaxed. I was even able to go swimming, although the water was frigid. A had the best possible sleep I could under the circumstances.

The third day’s hike was by far the easiest of the three. It was only about two hours, and we were able to leave later than usual since the other campsite had to walk to us before we departed. Like the other morning, we had an amazing bowl of oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. We packed chicken tortillas for lunch. We encountered very few difficulties on our final hike and arrived at the exit on time to meet the next class.

Unknown said...

Part 2

Our meals throughout the trip were nutritional and delicious. We planned the menu so that one person would be in charge of breakfast, one responsible for lunch, and one taking control of dinner. Certain people were also responsible for key ingredients or snacks. We made it work between the 3 of us and the meals turned out to be amazing. Whoever wasn’t cooking was either cleaning or packing up. I forgot to bring dish soap, which posed a problem for washing. Luckily, another group member brought a spare soap. The stir-fry that we made for dinner each night was probably our best meal, as it was delicious and included lots of vegetables which kept us feeling full until morning.

The Frontenac trip changed me in a positive way. Not only did I improve my hiking skills, but I also became better at navigation and was able to socialize with other students. The scenery is truly unforgettable and I’m glad I had the opportunity to enjoy nature for a few days, which is something I normally wouldn’t do on my own.

Unknown said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection

Going in to this hiking trip in Frontenac Provincial Park, I was fairly nervous. I had no idea what to expect because of my minimal experience with camping. Showing up Monday morning I was all prepared with the necessary food, clothes and hiking gear. Although I felt ready to go, I was uncertain on what to expect and how well I would enjoy myself.

The three days consisted of a lot more hiking than I thought it would. Although we hiked for hours on fairly hilly terrain with heavy packs, I very much enjoyed it. The hiking was a great chance to bond with friends while making your way through beautiful scenery.

The first day was probably the most challenging for me. My pack was the heaviest, and we ended up hiking a little more than we should have. My pace the first day felt very fast. I think it was caused by the nerves and not wanting to fall behind. A group of us ended up going way too far ahead, without stopping at any intersections. This resulted in us taking a different path, therefore having to do the walk of shame back with Mr. Brouwer to retrieve the rest of the group. This small incident taught me the importance of staying with the group, and to always stop at the intersections to avoid being split up.
Unfortunately, this small confusion wasn’t the only one for the first day. Once we had met up with the rest of the group, we noticed we were missing three people. They ended up hiking way ahead. After a good discussion the next morning on what went wrong, it was all cleared up and I learnt that if you ever do split up, it is important to remain in your small group, stay where you are and listen well to instructions in order to be found.

Something I found we struggled with during the hiking was keeping a good, constant and consistent pace. Many times, the people in the front would speed up resulting in the whole group having to stop to let the others catch up. This is something we could improve on if we were ever to go out again. We should have put some of the faster hikers towards the back to support those who were slower. I think we could’ve moved quicker as a group if everyone agreed to go a steady pace.

Something I wish I would’ve worked on a little harder individually was following our route on the map, and help with the directions. I made an effort to try to know where we were on the map at all times, but I also admit to mostly following those who were in the front.

The campsites we stayed at were very nice. They were a lot bigger than I had expected. Some of my favorite things we did during this trip was going swimming at the sites, and making a big fire at night while telling stories.
Our meals my cooking group prepared were very healthy and tasty. I rarely cook at home, so it was a good learning experience making all of our own meals and cleaning up afterwards.
Along with the food, came hanging our bags so that animals weren’t able to retrieve it. This was one of the many new techniques I learnt during this trip. (We quickly caught on that it is much easier hanging your bag while it is still bright outside.)

Overall, I truly enjoyed each day of our trip. I feel like I have learned so many useful skills regarding the outdoors, such as pitching tents, cooking and preparing our food, treating water, and hanging the food. I loved exploring the park, especially when we reached the lookouts. The scenery was amazing considering the leaves were just starting to change color.

During this trip I learnt so many new things about people that I would’ve never known, and so many lessons as well as valuable skills. I became close with people that I never even talked to, and made so many new friends. I am so happy I was able to take part in such a great experience, and if the opportunity to go out again ever came, I wouldn’t hesitate to go.

Unknown said...

The hiking trip was a great experience for me. I had next to no camping experience before this trip so I was a little bit worried about how it would go. I was pleasantly surprised with how smoothly things went for my group. We communicated well during the planning and I felt we organised ourselves very well. I also learned some things about myself along the way.
My main worry for this trip was whether I would be able to endure the hiking part of the trip with such a heavy backpack. I feel like I am in good shape in terms of my cardiovascular endurance but as a smaller person, I was quite worried that I would have trouble carrying the backpack for so long. However, although it was tiring I really did not have an issue with the hiking. My group kept up just fine and I realised I was much more resilient then I thought.
I felt we were well prepared for meals. Our meals were fast, easy and healthy. We anticipated that we would need more snacks in between meals then we did. I thought because we were going to be expending more calories than normal that we would need more food. I was wrong. I had to lug a lot of almonds, raisins, cucumber etc. home.
In general our group worked independently to do most of the required tasks. I was surprised how efficiently we managed to put up our tent, prepare our meals, and pack up quickly. However, one thing we needed help with on the first night was putting up our food. We were hanging our food with another group so it was much heavier. It took a while to find the right tree that could sustain the weight.
One thing I enjoyed the most was being able to swim outside on a beautiful fall day with my friends, Ms. Trumpower and Owen’s mom. It was really cold but it reminded me of my cottage because I enjoy swimming there well into the fall. Another thing I enjoyed was the fact that I brought such a small light-weight sleeping bag. I had thought about bringing a warmer heavier one but I am so glad that I did not because it made the hiking so much more enjoyable.
Overall, this was a great learning experience for me, partly because it made me realise that I can do this kind of trip without my parents. We were given a lot of responsibility on this trip and had to look after ourselves. Like a lot of people my age, most trips I make my parents plan and organise everything. This trip gave me a great sense of independence and helped me realise what I am capable of.
Amanda

Unknown said...

The hiking trip was a great experience for me. I had next to no camping experience before this trip so I was a little bit worried about how it would go. I was pleasantly surprised with how smoothly things went for my group. We communicated well during the planning and I felt we organised ourselves very well. I also learned some things about myself along the way.
My main worry for this trip was whether I would be able to endure the hiking part of the trip with such a heavy backpack. I feel like I am in good shape in terms of my cardiovascular endurance but as a smaller person, I was quite worried that I would have trouble carrying the backpack for so long. However, although it was tiring I really did not have an issue with the hiking. My group kept up just fine and I realised I was much more resilient then I thought.
I felt we were well prepared for meals. Our meals were fast, easy and healthy. We anticipated that we would need more snacks in between meals then we did. I thought because we were going to be expending more calories than normal that we would need more food. I was wrong. I had to lug a lot of almonds, raisins, cucumber etc. home.
In general our group worked independently to do most of the required tasks. I was surprised how efficiently we managed to put up our tent, prepare our meals, and pack up quickly. However, one thing we needed help with on the first night was putting up our food. We were hanging our food with another group so it was much heavier. It took a while to find the right tree that could sustain the weight.
One thing I enjoyed the most was being able to swim outside on a beautiful fall day with my friends, Ms. Trumpower and Owen’s mom. It was really cold but it reminded me of my cottage because I enjoy swimming there well into the fall. Another thing I enjoyed was the fact that I brought such a small light-weight sleeping bag. I had thought about bringing a warmer heavier one but I am so glad that I did not because it made the hiking so much more enjoyable.
Overall, this was a great learning experience for me, partly because it made me realise that I can do this kind of trip without my parents. We were given a lot of responsibility on this trip and had to look after ourselves. Like a lot of people my age, most trips I make my parents plan and organise everything. This trip gave me a great sense of independence and helped me realise what I am capable of.

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

Reflection Part 1)

I've been car camping with my family many years at provincial parks and elsewhere, but not to a hiking extent. Frontenac was a great way to introduce me to what hiking is like, and what may come in my later outdoor Ed. Years.

The morning of our first day began with anticipation; we arrived to school, packed our food, and loaded onto the bus (although we had left around 30 tortillas at school because we had brought 50 as a group). On the bus, we had played games, and talked to pass the time. After around 2 hours, we had finally arrived in Frontenac. As we had began the handoff of bags and equipment, the tired faces of the other class had given me a slight idea on what might become of me after this trip. I then chose my pack and packed. I was glad all my stuff fit, as I even had room after to pack some extra stuff from our group. When I had put my pack on for the first time, the weight was okay for me to handle. Then, after a couple minutes, we were off on the trails. As I looked around, the weather and the fall colors had a ravishing look. Halfway there, the pain started, it was mostly in my shoulders, but I had learned to adjust my pack to shift the weight to my hips, which had helped a lot. After 3 hours of hiking, we had arrived at the first campsite (12). Our group had decided to go the farther campsite for more sleep the next day, as it was a further hike. After 20 minutes, we had arrived at the campsite (5). I was glad we had made the extra hike as it looked beautiful and had great campgrounds. We pitched our tents, and went for a quick swim in the freezing river. We had a late dinner after because Owen was having trouble starting the stove and we were unprepared. But, Mrs. Trumpower was able to help him and get it started. We had a great tasting stir-fry for dinner. But having our dinner fairly late, resulted in us hanging our food in the dark, it was troublesome, but we had got it done. I ended the night talking with mike about the day, and fell asleep soundly.

Part 2)

I woke up to laughter of the group beside us, and packed up my sleeping bag and Thermarest (which I was glad for packing with me). As I stepped out the tent, I saw the mysterious fog coming off the lake in front of us. I helped Owen prepare the scones and hot chocolate for breakfast, and the lunch, then packed the tent. We cleaned up around the place, and put our packs on. The shoulder pain from yesterday was reminiscent to what would come. But, during the hike, my pack felt fairly manageable. After 40 minutes, we stopped at a stunning lookout just above the next campsite. We ate lunch, and then decided to take the extra hike to the next campground. It was a far hike, but when we got there. I had felt it was worth it. The campsite had a beautiful view of the lake, and great sceneries. We decided to do everything as quick as possible before going for a swim because we wanted to use as much daylight as possible to prepare dinner, and to not repeat what happened the night before. After the refreshing swim, we had some delicious burritos, and then at night, we put up our food. We ended the day with some games around the fire and some more conversations in the tent.

We woke up a bit later than usual, and prepared for the last day. We had our breakfast and packed up. I took down the tent and packed my pack. We then met up with the other group and left on the final trail. We reached the bus, and loaded up. I was tired, and relieved to have ended the trip.

It was a very memorable experience, and something I will not forget. I've learned to use daylight wisely and help others when needing to get things done.

Unknown said...

The Frontenac Hiking trip was a very well planned and executed hiking trip that left all participants happy and exhausted after a hefty 3 day hiking adventure threw this beautiful park. Though the days were long hey where no short of some of the best days i've had. It was a wonderful experience that I truly did enjoy.

The first day was a slow but exciting start. The bus ride seemed to take ages due to the anticipation of what lie ahead. Once we arrived in the park we saw our sister class preparing to leave and there exhaustion alone was proof enough of what lie ahead. They told us stories of wonderful views and intense sections of the hike. they also told of stories of camaraderie and friendships that will last a lifetime. Best friends had learned more about each other in the course of three days then the last 6 years they had been friends. As we waved goodbye to our peers we started on our own adventure into the bush. It was made very clear quite quickly that this trip was no easy task. After the first hour we had already had one minor injury and 2 breaks. But after we got into a rhythm of things we were able to march on. We continued for the last 2 hours with little to no trouble at all after. the packs seemed to get lighter as time went on. we eventually adapted to our new situation and accepted that the packs were there and that we had to carry them, the less we complained the better it got. Once we reached campsite 9 we were thrilled. everything we had worked for was all worth it once we saw how beautiful our campsite was. We quickly divvied up the campsites and went to work. As my peers set up their tent and fiddled with trying to reorganize their bag i had started to collect firewood and set up my makeshift shelter. Once my friends had finished i had already go the fire started and was preparing our dinner. After our dinner it came the task of hanging our food. This is where the first problems had arrised. I volunteered earlier to find a tree, the tree however was not up to the weight of our food bag. This was made clear after about 45 minutes of futile attempts to raise our food bag. So we had to try and find another suitable tree under the cover of night and then hang it. it seemed like quite the daunting task but thanks to some volunteers from other campsites within our class we were able to do it. After that we settled down for the night and got some well deserved rest.

Unknown said...

part 2
The second day was an early morning followed by a quick tear down of our campsite. Though we were rushed and breakfast was a bit of a mishap i enjoyed my final hours at campsite 9. For one night it was our home, one that i won't soon forget. After the campers that were bedded down at campsite 12 had reached us we loaded up and shipped out unto our next campsite. By today we had become self learned experts at carrying our bags and what seemed like minutes we were already at our lunch destination which also was adjoined to the campsite I would call home for tonight. I thought that our last site had an amazing view but I was happily mistaken once I laid eyes upon our new campsite. It had a beautiful beach and was right next to a lookout that commanded respect to all who were graced to look from it. Once we had divvied up the groups in a similar fashion as yesterday we decided that food could wait and we took a dip in the lake that was in front of our site. Though the water was cold to the touch we quickly became acquainted with it. Soon we barely noticed the temperature due to the amount of fun we were having. We found a point that was perfect for diving and skipping stones. After we dried off and ate some delicious food we all sat around the campfire and got to know one another a bit better. After that we packed it in for the night. After learning from our mistakes on the prior day we chose a much more suitable tree to hang our food. Once we completed that we all went to bed.

The third and final day was an easy but memorable day. After another early morning and an even earlier teardown we made our way to regroup with the residents of campsite 12. After quick reunion and some sharing of the past nights events we made our eager trip back to the bus. The route seemed the easiest of the days but also the most anxious. Just knowing that how close we were to the bus made everyone even more anxious. I still remember cresting the hill and the excitement i felt when seeing that big yellow bus. But excitement was not the only feeling I felt, i felt a sense of accomplishment. I felt that i had accomplished something worth doing and these feelings alone made this trip one of the best i've ever been on.

Unknown said...

Part 1:
The Frontenac Provincial Park Hiking Trip was a new, though very enjoyable, experience for me. I had never gone hiking or camping before the trip and I now understand the appeal of these kinds of outdoor activities. Hiking through the park was difficult at first, but as I got used to the weight of my pack and the somewhat unstable ground, I was fine. It became enjoyable to simply walk through forest under the cover of the trees. Since we went tin the fall, the forest had a very warm and colourful look with all the yellow, red and brown leaves on the ground and in then trees. However, the amount of eaves of the trail made it difficult to know where roots, rocks, divots, and other tripping hazards were. I rolled my ankle several times throughout the trip, but luckily none took my ability to keep up away.
On the first day, the moment I got out of the bus and meet up with the other group, I thought it was going to be a bad trip. Almost all of them looked like they were exhausted and fed up, but when I talked to them they told me that they had a great time. While we were waiting to leave, my cooking group meet up and we decided what we would need to take from the supplies. Once we had everything we thought we needed, we distributed them out for packing. This made we a bit worried because I really didn’t want to forget to bring something essential. Luckily we had everything we needed. Right before we left, I was helping Kyle with the tent, our group realized that he brought a football. This ball was taking up a huge amount of space so we forced Kyle to leave it behind, along with his foldable chair. This is when I realized that packing was going to be hard for us all. Everybody took their tent pieces and luckily mine fit in my bag. When we left, I realized how heavy the bags were, eventually I got my bag adjusted properly, and it made all the difference.
At the end of the hike on the first day, I was still extremely tired. The camp that we were at, 9, was beautiful. Soon after we had our supplies set up and tents erected, we decided to go for I swim. This was my first time swimming in a lake, and it was very cold. The seaweed made it hard to tread water, but otherwise it was refreshing. At the nest camp site we went to, 5, had an even more stunning view and the lake was far superior. The lookout at campsite 5 was probably the highlight of the entire trip. The view was simply breathtaking. At sunset, our camp group went up there to see the view and it was even better. I had never seen something so picturesque. The sky reflected perfectly of the water and it made the lake look like a giant cloud without a single imperfection. That was when I realized that I was very lucky to have stayed at campsite 5.
My group was very pleasant throughout the trip, and that made it that much more enjoyable. We did have some problems though. On the first night, while we were cleaning up, we noticed that Kyle was missing. After about 10 minutes of yelling and searching we found him about a kilometre away, hanging our food. When we came back to camp, we noticed that we had forgotten some spices, so we went back to put them in our food bag. After that annoyance, we remembered that our toothpaste and deodorant had to be placed there as well. So after another kilometre hike in the dark, we finally had everything put away. Luckily, we had a much easier time hanging our food the second night.

Unknown said...

Part 2
Sleeping was also something that was slightly frustrating. Acorns kept falling on the tent and startling me, and the snoring form my tent group was annoying to say the least. Next time I am certainly packing earplugs so I can actually get a reasonable sleep. I also realized that a quick shove at a snoring person usually delays the problem enough to fall asleep.
All of our meals worked out very well, except our B.L.T. wraps. When we took them out of our bags, they had unravelled and became more of a salad than wrap. They tasted no different, so it was a minor mistake. We did have some arguments about who is responsible for making the food, who would clean the dishes, but we figured that out in the end. At the end of our trip, we had absolutely no food left, so I was very hungry during the last hike and bus ride home. Next time I will definitely pack much more snack food.
Overall, the trip was extremely fun and a great new experience for me. If I had known that hiking and camping were this fun, I would have suggested to my parents that we go a long time ago. I can’t wait for the next trip and am so excited to see what else we learn in class. The reason I took Outdoor Ed was to try new things and see what they are like, and so far, it has been very fun. I can’t wait for the canoe trip and all the other activities that are foreign to me. Hopefully they will be as enjoyable as this trip was for me.

Unknown said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection
I really enjoyed the trip this year: the atmosphere, the fall colours, and the lessons I learned on the way; however there are a few things that I would do differently if I had the chance.
In general I am really happy with how the trip went this year. I wasn’t very nervous at all because I had done things like this before, however it was very different from how I imagined it. Although it wasn’t easy: the organization process, the execution, and the aftermath it was definitely a learning experience. My overall feelings towards the trip was satisfaction, because not only did I have fun and see breathtaking sights, I got something out of the trip, that I believe can help me if I ever do something like this again.
Personally the first day I found the most difficult, in regards to not knowing the terrain, and the weight of the food and equipment in my pack, but it was also one of the best days I had. We were all pushing hard as a group to reach campsite 12 and we were all helping out each other. Once we arrived to the campsite, I could see how much my group was struggling and we all helped each other feel better, and if anyone was upset we cheered them up. I learned a lot on the first day, in regards of how we should work to make things more efficient and faster, and how it isn’t all about you it’s about your group. Not everyone wanted to stay at campsite 12 in our group but it was best for the people in our group who wanted too. That night was so refreshing as well. We did not have anyone else in the class with us so it was very quiet and serene. We got to experience the nature around us and listen to the wind and the leaves as we slept. I would go hike to campsite 12 again just to experience it all over again, and I wouldn’t change anything.
Day two was definitely the longest of the days. We struggled in the morning to rush and finish everything, and it was clear that everyone was sore, as we were all slower that day, even so that day I learned that you shouldn’t worry about the speed that everyone else was going, but worry about what speed you could handle, and although it’s good to push yourself now and then, you should never push yourself too hard especially when you are carrying a heavy pack and its hot outside. I felt good however even though it was hard, because once you are finished a steep hill, or a terrain that is especially rocky, you get to relax after and think back and say to yourself. “Wow, I can’t believe I actually did that” and that was one of my favorite parts of this trip. Once we arrived at the lookout it was one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. My favorite season is fall because of the colours, but when you live in the city you don’t get so see the array of colours in the distance like you do in the park. It was absolutely breathtaking. Once at site five I could tell that my entire group was getting tired. We were all focused on different tasks some of which were not relevant to what actually had to be done. I have to say that in that moment I was frustrated and I wished I reacted differently. I found that I put a lot of the work on myself to make that lunch and organize it rather than asking for help. I would change that moment and look at the scene from a different perspective perhaps. As soon as we finished lunch we decided that it was best for our group to go on to site 4. We did not want to feel as rushed as the day

Unknown said...

part 2

We did not want to feel as rushed as the day before and we wanted to finish that hike because it looked up hill. I think that we absolutely made the right decision because we did that hike at a state where we all really had to push ourselves and we were in a smaller group so we communicated more. The best part about that hike was that I helped lead it. This was something new for me because although I’ve been involved in leadership roles in the past, I usually avoid them because I am so shy sometimes, and I think it prevents me from doing a lot of things that could be potentially fun. I think that that hike helped me adjust more with the people I was with and be more comfortable with them, and that is really important. My favorite part by far of that day was when we went swimming in a freezing cold lake. Anyone who I explained this too thought I was crazy but it was so much fun and so exuberating. Although it was cold it relieved the soreness that I had from my pack, and it made me forget about all the stressfulness. I would do that again for sure. When we made supper that night I think was one of the hardest meals we made. We were all tired, and sore, and supper was not something all of us wanted to think about. I would take back how I reacted in this situation if I had the chance as well. I found that the same people were doing all the work, and I wish I took a leadership role and involved people in different things so that we could all experience some things. The lesson I learned that night was that if you are doing more work than you should, involve people in it, ask them for help rather than just letting them sit there. That night was very fun as well; a highlight of the trip. We all sat around the campfire together and I got to know people better and I really appreciate that experience. Life away from technology and the city is so much clearer; your mind isn’t so clouded by the things that surround you, and in this generation it is priceless.
The third day was relatively easy. My pack wasn’t as heavy and I was anxious to get home and shower. I also took a chance and helped lead that day as well and I enjoyed it. We packed up a lot faster than day 2 and we were more organized. I felt excited and tired, and I really paid attention to the nature around me on this hike. As soon as we arrived to the school bus I felt both relieved and upset because I was happy to go home but I was sad that I had to leave such a wonderful atmosphere. The lesson I learned that day was that sometimes you just need to forget about the stressfulness that you live every day, and appreciate what’s around you.
To conclude I learned many lessons and experienced things I would never take back. These are the moments that you remember and I’m glad I got to live them with such a wonderful group and class in general. I would definitely do this trip again if I had the chance.

Unknown said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip
By:Suryadev.A 2014/10/10

Pt.1

Outdoors? I've never heard of such a place. This was the first ever hiking/camping trip I have ever done. My family isn't big on the whole spend time outdoors thing. In my house it's study and study only. Though it doesn't happen a whole lot. This was definitely an experience I needed to have. I have learned so much over the 3 days that were spent hiking and camping it is incredible. If I had to describe my feelings towards this trip I would say fun. The whole trip was fun even the parts where we had to hike.

Day One: I think I arrived at school at around 7:50, after that everyone that was already there was packing stuff at school or just waiting around because they had already done so. Salman and I had arrived on time and were ready to leave as soon as the bus came. Our 3rd partner Owen decided to sleep in on possibly the most important day of the school year. So he arrived late and we had to help him pack his bag. After all the packing was done my group was the last out of the school due to Owen. The bus left around 8:35 a.m.. and arrived at the park at around 11:45. The whole bus ride was fun and games until the last 45 minutes or so. We had ran out of games to play so we just waited till we arrived. The location we arrived was beside a lake and the other class that went before us was already there eagerly waiting to go back home. It took us about 15 to 20 mins in order to exchange the bags and ready them for hiking. I had finished packing earlier so I decided to eat my lunch that I couldn't eat during the bus ride because I forgot that we were allowed to eat on the bus so I had safely tucked away my lunch from any moochers ( Owen/Salman ). As I was eating my lunch owen asks me for a slice of pizza that I had left from my previous night. I being the nice guy I am decide to give him some and he in return puts my slice of pizza on my back when I am bent over picking something up. I had to stand there until he picked it up from my back because the group had started to hike now. The hiking on day one was absolutely the worst. It was about 3 hours of walking with a overpacked bag. I am so glad we had breaks along the way or I was gonna collapse ¾ of the way through. After the hike we all arrived at campsite 12 and to be honest it was not what I expected at all. The campsite in my opinion did not look nice at all. The sun also set on the opposite side so at campsite 12 you were not able to see the sunset. Even though my legs were saying no I wanted to check out the other campsite and my group agreed to continue on. After about another 20 mins of walking we arrived at Campsite 9 and it was worth it. The view on this Campsite was so much better and overall the place was more open with more places to roam around in. We traveled around 8 km that day. It doesn’t sound a lot but holy crap it is a lot. After we chose our platform to stay on at the campsite we all decided to reward ourselves with a swim in the lake but my mind changed as soon as I realized how slippery and cold the water was. So I decided to stay at the side of the lake and relax. My group stayed in the water way way way too long. By the time my group was ready to make dinner the sun had almost set. I figured that it wouldn’t be that big of a problem but I soon realized how important light was to actually see the food you are cooking. Though it was hard we managed to make some chicken fajitas. They were so good I couldn’t believe that we had made them. After we ate another problem rose.

Unknown said...

Surys pt2

We still hadn’t hung the food and it was pitch black. So using all of the flashlights that were available we lit up our campsite and threw all of the food and stuff that needed to be hanged into owen’s bag because he had split pancake mix on his bag. None of knew how to hang the bag so we just tagged along with Useful owen’s group thinking that we could hang with their bag. Mrs.Trumpower came along and told us that there was no way the clips could handle both of your groups bags. So useful owen decided to help us with hanging our bag and without him the bears would have feasted on some really tasty chicken and pancake mix. After we were done hanging our bag we decided to go over to the other group and shit by their campfire. We just talked about a bunch of random stuff. I have to say the night was literally perfect. Not one cloud was to be seen and the moonlight was reflecting off on the lake while the stars lit up the pitch black sky. It was one of those sites that you could not see from the city. Around 11 p.m everyone went into their tents and Mrs.Trumpower had set a no noise curfew at 11 so my group decided to head back towards our tent. After using the washroom we headed into our tent and continued to talk about a bunch of stuff until we were interrupted by Josh who was wandering around till 1 apparently. After a while we all went to sleep. I slept really well, I can’t say the same for the others.

Day Two: We all woke up around 2 and immediately set out to get firewood. I couldn’t believe how cold it could get in the morning. After we all had gathered firewood we set to making breakfast while the other group made the fire since we got the firewood. We all had bagels and water. We couldn’t have the Kool-Aid water since it tasted really sour even though the pack that I got said sweet. My guess is that it was expired. After we were done eating, I decided to be the first one to start packing up my stuff and the tent. Owen joined in second after he put away some of the food and at last Salman joined in after putting the food away. Then we all helped each other pack and prepare our bags. Even though Salmans bag weighed the least he started to complain about the weight. I could lift his bag with one hand. I can’t do that with my own bag…. After we were all ready we joined the rest of the group and waited until everyone else was ready and the people that were leading were familiar with the map. We headed out again, thankfully the hike this day was shorter than the hike from the previous day. We hiked about 7 k.m in 2 hrs and arrived at a lookout that was directly beside our destination campsite 5. The view from the lookout was amazing and dangerous at the same time. It was a cliff and as Mr.Brouwer quoted it is “Every teacher’s nightmare”. So we were all careful and didn’t fool around. After about 10 mins we decided to check out campsite 5. My first expressions were small. Campsite 5 was the smallest out of all the campsites we visited and I wanted to move to campsite 4. My group wanted to stay at campsite 5 though. We couldn’t stay at campsite 5 though because everyone already staying there was one big cooking group so there was no room for us. So we moved along to campsite 4 with useful owen’s group. It took us about 40 mins to get there and It was so worth it. It was way way bigger and literally had the perfect spot to swim in. Since we had arrived way earlier to the site than yesterday we all figured it would be appropriate to swim.

Unknown said...

Surys pt3

The lake was slippery and wasn’t as cold as the previous one so we all swam. After we came out of the water we had plenty of time to do stuff so the first time I did was made sure that I was going to be comfortable tonight while sleeping. So I removed all of the acorns that were under my side of the tent and left some on owens side of the tent. After that we decided to eat rice and chicken with a side dish of noodles. They all tasted amazing. After another great dinner we decided to gather a bunch of firewood for a long fire. The same problem rose again. We still hadn’t hung our food yet and since our packs weighed less since we ate the past day we decided to hang both my groups and useful owen’s groups bags together. For a long time it was only me, useful owen and felix trying to hang them but then felix went to yell at everyone for not helping so they finally came and it was done in no time. We all decided to sit down at the fire but this time it was our campsites fire. Eventually people ran out of things to talk about so my group member Salman decided we should all play “lou garou”. It looked really fun and I would have played but I was on fire duty. If a part of the burnt or burning wood came out of the fire pit I had to put in out by repeatedly banging on it with my walking stick that was given to me by the other group when we exchanged the bags. After that Felix and I decided to scare people in the woods as they came back to the firepit. Then it got late and everyone left to go into their tents so my group and felix decided to scare the girls in their tent until Mrs.Trumpower decided to yell at us for doing it a number of times. After that we all went back to our tents and decided to call it a day. After some talking we all went to sleep. We all slept better than the previous night.

Day Three: I woke up at around 7 but was too tired to move so I got out of my tent at around 8. After that I was rushing to pack everything. We told salman to make the breakfast as we will pack everything but he didn’t know how to properly make oatmeal so we decided to have bagels again for breakfast. After I was done packing we all went to the rest of the group and waited for the other group to catch up. When they did we all walked about an hour and a half to arrive at the same spot we had started on. The journey was about 3.8 km. When we arrived the bus was already waiting for us. After placing our bags at the back of the bus I sat down in my seat and we went back to playing games on the bus for the rest of the ride. In all this trip has changed my view on camping and hiking. At first I thought it would be boring to camp but now I realize it is so much fun. I still have many things to improve on like packing stuff that you will use and not overpacking. Also I need to manage my time better in order to be more productive. This trip has helped me and a person to improve on my self. I am so looking forward to the next trip.

Anonymous said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection

This year’s Frontenac hiking trip was a great experience, that I am glad to have been a part of. There were many things that could have been done differently, that would have made the experience a lot more pleasant, however we learned from these mistakes. As a result, the next time I go on a hiking trip I will be better prepared, and know what to avoid doing, or what to remember to do for the trip.

Frontenac Provincial Park was a beautiful place. I loved seeing nature all around me, and the trees turning colour. The campsites we stayed at were also gorgeous. We were on two different lakes on the two different nights. On the first night, the lake wasn’t very good to swim in, but it was very pretty to see the fog on it in the morning. On the second night, the lake was fantastic to swim in. There were trees all around us, and the water was clear. Although we didn’t see much wildlife, we still enjoyed the little bit we saw of birds, chipmunks, squirrels, fish and water bugs.

Many things went well during the trip despite the hardships we also suffered. Our food was delicious and nutritious, as well as fun to make. We also enjoyed swimming, which helped cool us off after hiking all day. We had fun spending time with our class members, as well as sitting around the campfire at night, playing Mafia and talking.

During the trip, I learned a lot about many different things. I learned through trial and error with my group how to set up our tent. I learned how to hang up food to keep it from animals. I learned how to start a fire, and cook on it . I learned how to cook on a camping stove, and I learned how to properly adjust your pack when hiking.

The things that went well on our trip worked out because we planned in advance. We used teamwork and cooperation to make time for them, and therefore the result was a good experience that was filled with learning opportunities.

Although many things on our trip went well, not everything did. We packed way too much food, so our packs were too heavy. Some of our packs were heavier than the others, which caused trouble during the hiking. Not only was packing too much food a waste of food, but also a waste of money. In future hiking trips, I will make sure to not bring as much food. I can achieve this by preparing food ahead of time in exact portions, and then reheating them at camp, not bringing the extra ingredients with me camping.

The temperatures were forecasted to be pretty warm, therefore I didn’t bring extremely warm clothes. I didn’t take into account however, that the temperature drops in the morning evening. In the future, I will definitely bring a warm sweater or warmer pants, just in case I get cold during these times of day when I am not moving as much.

Dinner also proved to be a part of the trip that could have been improved. Our group did not work together or as efficiently as we should have. As a result, we took a lot longer than it should have to make it, delaying everything afterwards (hanging up our food, spending time by the campfire, cleaning up… etc.). Breakfast was also a problem. Because we were woken up with only a short amount of time to get ready, we rushed through our breakfast, not having time to properly eat it. In future hiking trips, I believe that more teamwork and cooperation will result in getting our meals ready faster. We could also wake up earlier, and remember to not get sidetracked when we’re performing a task.

The hiking trip was a very fun, and exciting experience that I am glad to have been a part of. There were many things that turned out well because of organisation and teamwork, however it did have some downsides. We learned from our mistakes though, and they now won’t be made again. We have experienced the consequences and know better now.

Gillian Forbes

Anonymous said...

Before heading out on the Frontenac Hiking trip, I was quite nervous since I had never been on a hiking or camping trip before. I wasn’t sure what to expect on this trip, and had no idea how I would handle the long hikes with such a heavy bag. Although I was a bit nervous, I was still very excited to experience my first camping trip.

On the first day, we started our first hike towards campsites 12 and 9. It was very hard for me being the first time I had ever carried such a heavy bag like that for a long period of time. The straps weren’t exactly adjusted properly. That made it hurt more and it took a while to get it adjusted correctly. It was nice when we stopped at different locations along the way to take breaks as a group. We finally arrived at our first campsite sometime during mid afternoon. I was surprised at how effectively my group and I worked together as we managed to set up our tent and began and finished cooking within the first hour. Our meal plan was very easy and healthy, and it gave us time afterwards to make s’mores on the fire. The first problem we encountered on the first night was when we decided to put all of our food in one bag with the group we were sharing a platform with. We ended up choosing a tree that was way too small to support the weight of our bag. When it was completely dark out, we had to go out and try to find a better tree. We eventually did.

The next day, my group and I woke up fairly early and were able to take down our tent and start breakfast right away. Our first problem of the day was our attempt at making pancakes. They ended up sticking to the pan and we couldn’t flip them because they were too thin. We had to replace that breakfast with snacks and fruits. We had a gorgeous hike that was much easier and shorter the second day and were able to stop at a beautiful lookout. Once we arrived at our campsite, my group immediately started to set up our tent and then went swimming in the lake. That was very nice and refreshing. We then started cooking our meal, that was a little more complex, but still tasted good in the end. We made way too much for the three of us and had to burn it in the fire. This time, we made sure to find a tree and hang up our food while it was still fairly sunny out. We ended the night with a nice campfire and games along with everyone.

The next morning, we woke up right away and began to take down our camp again. Our time management on this trip was very effective and we were always prepared to leave at the designated departure time. We never ended up feeling rushed in the mornings and were always able to take our time. We went to get our food bag down and made an easy breakfast. We had lots of time to spare, after we cleaned up our campsite, before we had to leave for our final hike. The final hike was the easiest out of the three. That made it very pleasant and our class finished in the planned time.


I realised that I did end up over packing for this trip even though I thought that I hadn’t. My group and I thought we would be much hungrier than we were and ended up bringing double the amount of snacks that were needed. Overall, I believe we were very prepared and worked well as a group. It was the best weather I could have asked for, which made the hikes much more enjoyable. Overall, I had a great time and learned a lot of new things that I’ll be able to use in the future. I’m glad to have had this great opportunity and hope to attend another camping trip sometime soon.

Unknown said...

The Frontenac trip had a lot to offer from beautiful scenery - to horrible hiking distances. I went into this trip not expecting much besides blisters on my feet, and my back being soar, but this trip was definitely a memorable trip. The things I have seen and experienced on this trip were incredible.

Once on the bus ride the eagerness and nervousness kicked in. I couldn't wait to get off the bus, and start experiencing things, but also I knew I wasn't the most prepared for this trip. I was worried that I wouldn't be physically prepared for this trip, and once I started hiking I realized that yea I wasn't prepared for this trip. Five minutes into the hiking my bag straps were digging into my shoulders, and my bag weighed a ton. I wanted to turn around and go back home, but I'm glad I didn't, because the journey ahead was one I will never forget.

When we finally stopped at our first break spot I was happy, because it finally meant I could take layers down, and drop my bag, but what we didn't know is that this stop was going to cause 3 people getting separated from the group. After replenishing our thirst we headed off again we were separated for a little while till we decided to stop, and wait for the group behind us, because we didn't know where we had to go, but once we re-connected we headed towards salmon lake to refill our water bottles, and once everyone was together we realized that we were missing three people from the group. Once we got in contact with the separated group the journey to find them began. We didn't stop often. So when we did stop it was cherished.

Even though I did complain throughout the hiking part of the trip. The trails were beautiful, and once we did arrive at campsite 12 (the campsite my group was staying at for the first night) the scenery was beautiful. The temperature was perfect. My group and I wanted to go swimming, but by the time we got fire wood, figured out how to setup the tent, made supper, setup/hang the food bag, and finally start a fire it was too dark to do anything, but sit by the fire as a group, and roast marshmallows. Camping on our own was harder than I expected.

The night wasn’t the best animals were making noises, acorns were falling from the trees, and if that wasn’t bad enough Mr. Bruywer had us paranoid about bears or other animals coming into our tent at night. With everything that was happening I only got a few hours of sleep, but by 6:40 am I was awake, and ready to go. We started breakfast, put everything away, cleaned the site. By day 2 I knew what to expect for the hiking, but the temperature wasn’t the best it couldn’t decide between hot or windy, and cold, but this time we stopped more to make sure nobody got separated, and the lookout out at lunch was beautiful, but I was too cold to go look around. After lunch we had to walk another good hour to get to our next campsite. The campsite was freezing I had all my layers on, and I was still cold. My group made sure we had the campfire going, and tents up as soon as possible. Even thought the weather wasn’t the best I still had a great time at campsite 4. The water was beautiful, and so was the scenery. Also my group had more time to talk, and we relaxed more, because we knew we were going home the next day, and the hike wasn’t going to be as long.
Day 3; the last day. I woke excited, but also sad because we were leaving Frontenac Park. I was excited, because I wouldn’t have to hike anymore once I reached the parking lot, but I also didn’t want to leave, because I was having a great time. Overall spending 3 days in nature with friends was a blast. The scenery was beautiful, and the things I learnt throughout the trip were amazing. I wouldn’t change anything that happened on this trip.

Unknown said...

The Frontenac trip had a lot to offer from beautiful scenery - to horrible hiking distances. I went into this trip not expecting much besides blisters on my feet, and my back being soar, but this trip was definitely a memorable trip. The things I have seen and experienced on this trip were incredible.

Once on the bus ride the eagerness and nervousness kicked in. I couldn't wait to get off the bus, and start experiencing things, but also I knew I wasn't the most prepared for this trip. I was worried that I wouldn't be physically prepared for this trip, and once I started hiking I realized that yea I wasn't prepared for this trip. Five minutes into the hiking my bag straps were digging into my shoulders, and my bag weighed a ton. I wanted to turn around and go back home, but I'm glad I didn't, because the journey ahead was one I will never forget.

When we finally stopped at our first break spot I was happy, because it finally meant I could take layers down, and drop my bag, but what we didn't know is that this stop was going to cause 3 people getting separated from the group. After replenishing our thirst we headed off again we were separated for a little while till we decided to stop, and wait for the group behind us, because we didn't know where we had to go, but once we re-connected we headed towards salmon lake to refill our water bottles, and once everyone was together we realized that we were missing three people from the group. Once we got in contact with the separated group the journey to find them began. We didn't stop often. So when we did stop it was cherished.

Even though I did complain throughout the hiking part of the trip. The trails were beautiful, and once we did arrive at campsite 12 (the campsite my group was staying at for the first night) the scenery was beautiful. The temperature was perfect. My group and I wanted to go swimming, but by the time we got fire wood, figured out how to setup the tent, made supper, setup/hang the food bag, and finally start a fire it was too dark to do anything, but sit by the fire as a group, and roast marshmallows. Camping on our own was harder than I expected.

The night wasn’t the best animals were making noises, acorns were falling from the trees, and if that wasn’t bad enough Mr. Bruywer had us paranoid about bears or other animals coming into our tent at night. With everything that was happening I only got a few hours of sleep, but by 6:40 am I was awake, and ready to go. We started breakfast, put everything away, cleaned the site. By day 2 I knew what to expect for the hiking, but the temperature wasn’t the best it couldn’t decide between hot or windy, and cold, but this time we stopped more to make sure nobody got separated, and the lookout out at lunch was beautiful, but I was too cold to go look around. After lunch we had to walk another good hour to get to our next campsite. The campsite was freezing I had all my layers on, and I was still cold. My group made sure we had the campfire going, and tents up as soon as possible. Even thought the weather wasn’t the best I still had a great time at campsite 4. The water was beautiful, and so was the scenery. Also my group had more time to talk, and we relaxed more, because we knew we were going home the next day, and the hike wasn’t going to be as long.
Day 3; the last day. I woke excited, but also sad because we were leaving Frontenac Park. I was excited, because I wouldn’t have to hike anymore once I reached the parking lot, but I also didn’t want to leave, because I was having a great time. Overall spending 3 days in nature with friends was a blast. The scenery was beautiful, and the things I learnt throughout the trip were amazing. I wouldn’t change anything that happened on this trip.

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

Hiking summary
By: Felicity Chamberlain

My class went hiking for three days and had very nice weather, some days were colder than others but all the same when we started to move. The terrain was harder than I expected, but with encouragement we made it successfully to the end. This was a really good experience for everyone and I encourage people to try something like this to get a real taste of adventure and beauty at its fullest.
The hiking was good but the pack made it harder on me during the steep climbs and descents. We had to make sure that the weight was distributed properly in our packs because it can do a number on your balance. If the pack gets too hard on you, just ask if anyone is willing take some gear from you and I’m sure there are some that will be more than happy to help. Each group was well prepared with great communications among them. There were some problems with the hanging of food and the amount of it people brought, but it was a great experience if you’re willing to learn from it. As for the campsite selections, my group walked the extra distance for the first and second night and it was really worth it. One reason is less walking in the morning and two, the view and colors were breathtaking. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to swim in the lake because it was too cold by the time we arrived. However, my group loved to sit and eat dinner together and look out over the beautiful lake.
I really enjoyed the view of all the fall colours and their changes. Being with friends was also great because we really got to bond and grow closer as a group after only a few days in the woods. We learned a lot about ourselves, others and the wilderness, which was challenging but fun at the same time. Unfortunately, I did not really enjoy the sleeps. It was cold, and I could never get into a deep sleep because every once in a while there would be a howling in the distance and it would really scare me. My back pack was a big problem as well because mine was broken at the waist strap so all the weight was on my shoulders for most of the trip. As for communication in groups , some people would get into arguments. This would really set off the balance of communication but you can learn how to control and prevent this from happening. I got to know more about the people I go to school with as well. I also learned that it’s really important to clean up after yourself because even the tiniest things can crucially harm any wildlife.
If I was to do this again I would definitely improve on some things, for example I would clean my lot better and help other people more as well as try to pack my bag better. One thing that I really should have done more is train by hiking with a bag filled with books. Otherwise, I would definitely participate in this kind of trip again in a heartbeat especially now that I have had the experience. I really had a good time, and I would always do something I enjoyed again.
Quick and easy tips for new comers to this program are that you really need to clean up your leftover food, distribute the weight among your group members, plan your meals ahead and most importantly train. If you’re not really the type of person who goes out and hikes every weekend, you need to start early if you plan on going on this trip.

Devin Mcinnis said...

Going into the frontenac hiking trip I was very excited. I had only gone camping once and this was a new experience for me. I had never been hiking before and had never been camping for this length of time.

I thought that our group was well prepared. We had a meal plan that looked solid, tents and all the gear we needed. When i got it all together i had never expected there to be so much. Looking back on it we could have chosen meals that would have been lighter and taken up less space. I managed to fit it all into my pack. It weighed quite a bit but i figured that i could manage. When we got on the trail the weather was quite nice. The first forty-five minutes were great but then i started to feel the weight of the pack. Despite my best attempts i could never get it to feel just right. After the group got split we took a break long enough to purify some water. I found that i had to purify water too much or was running low, weather it was around the campsite or on the trail. A simple way to fix this would be for me to bring a second water bottle. At the camp there were no real problems with setting up our tent. It could have been a bit smaller though. We also swam at the first campsite which was really fun and a good way to cool off after hiking all day. Our dinner and breakfast both worked out quite well, although it would have been nicer to have made things that would cause less mess and therefore less cleanup. There were no problems finding a good tree to hang our food from and after a few tries throwing the rope we got our food hung. I didn’t get a very good sleep but after breakfast i had enough energy to make the hike. Packing up in the morning was pretty fast and everyone in the group helped out.
The hike on the second day was a bit more boring, so i found myself looking at the scenery to pass the time. My group had been smart and made our lunches i the mornin so when we stopped at the lookout for lunch we could eat right away. After finishing lunch we made the hike to the second campsite. Upon arrival we got our tent setup and went out to get some firewood. We got the fire going but we had underestimated the amount of wood needed to keep a fire going so we had to make a second trip to get more. Dinner worked out nicely other than the the stove going out several times due to the wind coming off the lake. It was rather cold so our group stayed close to the fire. By the end of the night we had most of the campsite around the fire telling stories.

In the morning we made our breakfast and packed up quickly, expecting the other group to arrive shortly. I had slept really well and was ready to go when they arrived. They were a bit later than expected but it gave us a good amount of time to purify water. The hike was the shortest and my pack was the lightest it had been after eating all the food, but i still could have benefited from proper adjustment. The hike was nice. It was a bit cold at first but i warmed up fast. There was a great view as the trail followed a lake for most of the way. When we got to the exchange point we handed off school gear and boarded the bus.

I found the trip to be a great success. I would recommend doing something like this to anyone interested and would do it again myself if given the chance. It gave me a new appreciation for what is needed to prepare for a trip like this and all the planning that goes into it. I now know better what to bring and how to pack for my next trip.

Devin Mcinnis said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lucie S. said...

Part1:

The hiking trip in the Frontenac Provincial Park was my first hiking experience over several days and with a big backpack.
I have hiked before, mostly with my family, but just day trips without any bigger backpacks. Often it took my parents a bit of persuasive power to make me come with them, but afterwards I was always happy and proud of myself, that I mastered another beautiful trail. So was I this time, whereat no one had to convince me to come.
Hiking with the Outdoor Ed class was very different to what I am used to. For the first time I had to plan a food menu for several days. I really had never actually thought about the amount of food I eat in three days, so it was quite a challenge to figure out how much five people eat during this time, plus the extra food we would need because of the unusual amount of energy we spent for hiking.
Before I didn't think of it being that hard to figure out, but now I know how precise you actually have to be about it and that makes it a lot more difficult. My group totally overestimated the amount of food, so that we ended up with many left overs, which made our backpacks unnecessarily heavy.
Luckily I didn't take a lot of clothes, I left the extra pair of long pants at home and took only what was really necessary. That worked out pretty well, except on the first night where I wished I had a thicker pair of pants because the mosquitoes bit through my jogging pants.
At first not taking many clothes made my backpack not as heavy as the ones from others, which made me really happy and optimistic, but when we separated the food and the tent on everybody it gained a lot of weight and that made me fear the trip a little. When we finally put on the backpacks at the starting point of the trail the weight of the pack still surprised me and I realized how much harder and different it was to walk with that weight on my back. But I was still looking forward to the trip and I was right in thinking that I will get used to it.
(Although I doubted that during the first hour.)
Another thing I learned on the trip was adjusting my backpack properly. Even if my hips hurt it was better to carry my backpack on them instead of carrying most of the weight with my shoulders.

The second day of hiking was easier. I felt confident enough to take care of one of the maps and was always able to tell where to go by considering different points on the map and in the landscape. I learned that I canNOT trust Mr. Brouwer just because he’s a teacher and that it’s important to second guess other peoples choices. I also learned, that if you are in the leading part of the group you have to be more aware of the last people, because you’re responsible of the group staying together. So asking questions and checking if everybody caught up with the group is another exercise you have to consider if you are leading a group. For me taking care of the map was a fun experience and I tried to stay in the front during the rest of the day.

Lucie S. said...

When we arrived at the campsites after an exciting but long and exhausting day we still had to set up our tents, find fire wood and cook something for dinner. Even if it was all planed out it was hard for me to keep an overview over what was happening when it came to cooking. It might also have to do something with a lack of communication in my group, but for some reason it took us really long to get everything started and figure out who is doing what. All of that was really stressful for me because I felt like the time was just running by really fast and it made me feel a little abject seeing the others already being done with everything (sitting at a nice fire), while we were still waiting for our food to be done cooking on the stove.
Cooking was something I looked forward to the least on our trip.
For the next time I think that it might be better to cook in a smaller group, because it would be easier to figure out the amounts of food and to keep an overview. Also the communication might be easier if there are less people, but still you would have to assign tasks clearly to get started faster.

Even if there were some downsides like that, I have had a really fun time during those three days. Besides hiking we were able to go swimming after arriving at the campsite on the second day and I am proud that I was one of the first girls in the, for October pretty warm (but still very cold) Salmon Lake. We also discovered some awesome places in the woods while we were collecting firewood and had a beautiful view on the sun set in the evening. In the dark we all gathered around a campfire, talked and played games like “Mafia”. Moments like those gave me, as an exchange student, a great opportunity to get to know people better.
When we were finally in the tent we heard animals going around and scratching the tent. Probably just some little chipmunks, but when we were in the tent, the noises they produced made them seem a lot bigger.

Hiking through Frontenac gave me the opportunity to fully experience the Canadian Indian Summer, going through the fog in the morning and through the yellow, orange and red forest during the day. The trip showed me why Canada is called “Land der Seen”, even if I knew it before it was great to see and discover it on my own. Every second I was amazed by Canada’s beautiful nature and several times I would have liked just to stay there and look at it.
The Frontenac Park Trip included new experiences for me, such as planning a menu, carrying a backpack and to hang up our food in a tree. Some of these were a little challenging. I think what stood out the most for my group was planning the food menu and dealing with the big amounts of leftovers during the trip. But to improve that is another reason for me to do trips like this one again and, not to forget, the opportunity to get to know people closer.
I am happy that I figured this out.
I love hiking and I love nature.

Unknown said...

Part 1.
I had anticipated this trip for weeks and knew it would be the trip of a lifetime and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I had such a great time on this trip and I learned so much not only about the outdoors, cooking, camping and hiking but also about myself and my classmates. I created some great memories on this trip and overall it was an awesome experience.

The whole trip was a learning experience for me. I don't have much experience camping or hiking but I am quite comfortable being outside so this was an new and exciting challenge. Each aspect of the trip was a learning experience and I think it's safe to say that as a class we got better as we went on.

From the very start there was a very good dynamic within our class. It was easy to tell that everyone was very excited and eager to start the trip. The packing and planning phase went fairly smoothly. I wouldn't really change anything I had packed except maybe bring less food because as we quickly learned, lighter packs make hiking much easier. Once we started our hike with our full packs it was easy to see that this was going to be much more difficult than any of us had expected. This was a learning experience after all and after a while, hiking slowly became easier as we all figured out how to best adjust the straps and balance the weight within our packs. Hiking was not always easy, but once we were finished I felt very accomplished and proud of myself. Along the way I also learned about how much teamwork and communication is involved in hiking as a group. This was a challenge with such a big group but once we got the hang of it, hiking went much smoother.

Life at camp was a bit chaotic on the first night. Most of us had little to no experience with camping but we learned quickly. All of my groups meals were delicious and I think that our menu was very well planned. The Thai noodles with chicken, red peppers and onions were especially good and I would definitely make this again. Setting up my tent went smoothly and was quite easy. On the first night we collected very little firewood, our fire lasted only an hour or two. On the second night however we were able to learn from this and collected more than enough wood to burn all night and even the next morning. Hanging our food was much more challenging than anyone in my group had expected and caused some good laughs. From trying to get the rope up with a roll toilet paper to hanging our food 5m from then 400m, we were far from experts. As with everything else the second day went smoother because we went out earlier to hang our food, although somehow we still managed to struggle at actually getting our food up.

Unknown said...

Part 2.
One of the best parts of the trip was just being able to enjoy good company without the distraction of electronics. Many of the people in my cooking group and tent group I have known for several years but I have gotten even closer to them because of this trip. Sitting around the campfire just talking was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I really enjoyed that I got to connect with people I don't normally talk to as much. Everyone had a great attitude throughout the trip and I loved that throughout the trip there was a sense that we were all a team. We were all in this together and everyone helped each other out. Once again team work and communication were really important here, any struggles that we faced only ended up bringing us closer as a group.

Last but not least, the absolutely stunning scenery was definitely a highlight of the trip for me. My favourite parts of the trip happened at the lookout we visited on the second day. The view from up there was breathtakingly beautiful, even more so at sunset. My absolute favourite part of the whole trip was swimming out to the lookout on the second day at camp. I surprised myself a bit by doing this but it such a cool experience and I'm so happy that I did it. It's probably a once in a lifetime experience to be able to swim in a lake on October 2nd. The geography of that region was so amazing and at the base of the lookout in the lake there were some rocks to stand on and then there was another huge drop.

This was such a great trip. The feeling I had when I reached the yellow school bus on the last day was a mixture of pride, exhaustion, sadness (because it went by so quickly) and reflection (I had learned and experienced so much within such a short period of time). Lastly I remember also wondering when the next trip would be, because I didn't want it to be over.

Unknown said...

Part 1: The outdoor Ed hiking trip was a great and fun trip to spend with your friends. I myself learned a lot of things during the duration of the trip it was great to learn different things in order to stay safe and have a good time. Things I learned are how to properly hang your food and how to pack your hiking bag the right way which makes a big difference for when you hike.

Day one on our trip was pretty amazing do to all the views of the forest and the lakes. The hike on the first day was longest of the three hikes but it was a lot of fun for one of the hardest hikes I have ever done. The hike itself took probably took about four hours for the groups who went towards camp site 9 to do the fact that camp site 9 was further away than 12 was but camp site 9 is worth the longer walk because it is a lot nicer. When we got to the sight it was very nice to look at the lake and right when we got there we made dinner and we had a Thai dish which had chicken, onions, Thai noodles, red peppers and some sort of Thai sauce. In my opinion this was my favourite dinner of the trip. after dinner I went to go hang are food on tree and since I broke a tree down the first tree I found that was nice but it was dead I found a new one about 800m away from the tents so it was kind of a hike just to get our food up and down the tree. Later that night we had a camp fire as a group and by 11 o'clock everyone in are group was asleep so they can be ready for the second hike in the morning.

Unknown said...

Part 2: The second day of the trip was great the weather was perfect for the day it wasn't super hot out it was probably about 15 degrees Celsius and it was great hiking condition. This hike was the shorter of the three days of hiking and it was leading up to the best camp site of the trip. The hike was relatively easier than the first one just it was more uphill but still fun and entertaining. Near the end of the hike that day we decided as a class to stop on this awesome cliff to have lunch which was awesome because the view was amazing. Also camp site 5 was practically right beside it. Camp site 5 in my opinion was the best site of the trip because the lake was awesome and the cliff was so cool when the sun was setting. For dinner we made a stew which had beef onions carrots and curly noodles the stew was pretty good and it was a hardy meal. That night we had a big fire as a big group which included 2 others groups and we all had a great time together That night we stayed up later and it was a great Night.
In the morning We all woke up around 6:45 to 7:00am and then we had oatmeal in the morning which was all right oatmeal isn't really my favourite. The hike from 5 to 4 was about 2 km it was all right but we ended up walking another 3 km towards the bus but it was fine knowing that we were going home. that hike was all right I wish I could've stayed longer because I love camping and it was so much fun. The one thing I recommend is to get hiking boots and to break them in because it would make it so much easier to walk on that sort of terrain. At the end of the trip I was happy and upset that the trip was over because I just wanted to go home and sleep in my warm bed but I was upset that I wasn't camping any more.
I highly recommend taking this trip with you friends or family because it is a lot of fun.

Unknown said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip
By:Suryadev.A 2014/10/10

Pt.1

Outdoors? I've never heard of such a place. This was the first ever hiking/camping trip I have ever done. My family isn't big on the whole spend time outdoors thing. In my house it's study and study only. Though it doesn't happen a whole lot. This was definitely an experience I needed to have. I have learned so much over the 3 days that were spent hiking and camping it is incredible. If I had to describe my feelings towards this trip I would say fun. The whole trip was fun even the parts where we had to hike.

Day One: I think I arrived at school at around 7:50, after that everyone that was already there was packing stuff at school or just waiting around because they had already done so. Salman and I had arrived on time and were ready to leave as soon as the bus came. Our 3rd partner Owen decided to sleep in on possibly the most important day of the school year. So he arrived late and we had to help him pack his bag. After all the packing was done my group was the last out of the school due to Owen. The bus left around 8:35 a.m.. and arrived at the park at around 11:45. The whole bus ride was fun and games until the last 45 minutes or so. We had ran out of games to play so we just waited till we arrived. The location we arrived was beside a lake and the other class that went before us was already there eagerly waiting to go back home. It took us about 15 to 20 mins in order to exchange the bags and ready them for hiking. I had finished packing earlier so I decided to eat my lunch that I couldn't eat during the bus ride because I forgot that we were allowed to eat on the bus so I had safely tucked away my lunch from any moochers ( Owen/Salman ). As I was eating my lunch owen asks me for a slice of pizza that I had left from my previous night. I being the nice guy I am decide to give him some and he in return puts my slice of pizza on my back when I am bent over picking something up. I had to stand there until he picked it up from my back because the group had started to hike now. The hiking on day one was absolutely the worst. It was about 3 hours of walking with a overpacked bag. I am so glad we had breaks along the way or I was gonna collapse ¾ of the way through. After the hike we all arrived at campsite 12 and to be honest it was not what I expected at all. The campsite in my opinion did not look nice at all. The sun also set on the opposite side so at campsite 12 you were not able to see the sunset. Even though my legs were saying no I wanted to check out the other campsite and my group agreed to continue on. After about another 20 mins of walking we arrived at Campsite 9 and it was worth it. The view on this Campsite was so much better and overall the place was more open with more places to roam around in. We traveled around 8 km that day. It doesn’t sound a lot but holy crap it is a lot. After we chose our platform to stay on at the campsite we all decided to reward ourselves with a swim in the lake but my mind changed as soon as I realized how slippery and cold the water was. So I decided to stay at the side of the lake and relax. My group stayed in the water way way way too long. By the time my group was ready to make dinner the sun had almost set. I figured that it wouldn’t be that big of a problem but I soon realized how important light was to actually see the food you are cooking. Though it was hard we managed to make some chicken fajitas. They were so good I couldn’t believe that we had made them. After we ate another problem rose.

Unknown said...

Pt.2

We still hadn’t hung the food and it was pitch black. So using all of the flashlights that were available we lit up our campsite and threw all of the food and stuff that needed to be hanged into owen’s bag because he had split pancake mix on his bag. None of knew how to hang the bag so we just tagged along with Useful owen’s group thinking that we could hang with their bag. Mrs.Trumpower came along and told us that there was no way the clips could handle both of your groups bags. So useful owen decided to help us with hanging our bag and without him the bears would have feasted on some really tasty chicken and pancake mix. After we were done hanging our bag we decided to go over to the other group and shit by their campfire. We just talked about a bunch of random stuff. I have to say the night was literally perfect. Not one cloud was to be seen and the moonlight was reflecting off on the lake while the stars lit up the pitch black sky. It was one of those sites that you could not see from the city. Around 11 p.m everyone went into their tents and Mrs.Trumpower had set a no noise curfew at 11 so my group decided to head back towards our tent. After using the washroom we headed into our tent and continued to talk about a bunch of stuff until we were interrupted by Josh who was wandering around till 1 apparently. After a while we all went to sleep. I slept really well, I can’t say the same for the others.

Day Two: We all woke up around 2 and immediately set out to get firewood. I couldn’t believe how cold it could get in the morning. After we all had gathered firewood we set to making breakfast while the other group made the fire since we got the firewood. We all had bagels and water. We couldn’t have the Kool-Aid water since it tasted really sour even though the pack that I got said sweet. My guess is that it was expired. After we were done eating, I decided to be the first one to start packing up my stuff and the tent. Owen joined in second after he put away some of the food and at last Salman joined in after putting the food away. Then we all helped each other pack and prepare our bags. Even though Salmans bag weighed the least he started to complain about the weight. I could lift his bag with one hand. I can’t do that with my own bag…. After we were all ready we joined the rest of the group and waited until everyone else was ready and the people that were leading were familiar with the map. We headed out again, thankfully the hike this day was shorter than the hike from the previous day. We hiked about 7 k.m in 2 hrs and arrived at a lookout that was directly beside our destination campsite 5. The view from the lookout was amazing and dangerous at the same time. It was a cliff and as Mr.Brouwer quoted it is “Every teacher’s nightmare”. So we were all careful and didn’t fool around. After about 10 mins we decided to check out campsite 5. My first expressions were small. Campsite 5 was the smallest out of all the campsites we visited and I wanted to move to campsite 4. My group wanted to stay at campsite 5 though. We couldn’t stay at campsite 5 though because everyone already staying there was one big cooking group so there was no room for us. So we moved along to campsite 4 with useful owen’s group. It took us about 40 mins to get there and It was so worth it. It was way way bigger and literally had the perfect spot to swim in. Since we had arrived way earlier to the site than yesterday we all figured it would be appropriate to swim. The lake was slippery and wasn’t as cold as the previous one so we all swam. After we came out of the water we had plenty of time to do stuff so the first time I did was made sure that I was going to be comfortable tonight while sleeping.

Unknown said...

Pt.3

So I removed all of the acorns that were under my side of the tent and left some on owens side of the tent. After that we decided to eat rice and chicken with a side dish of noodles. They all tasted amazing. After another great dinner we decided to gather a bunch of firewood for a long fire. The same problem rose again. We still hadn’t hung our food yet and since our packs weighed less since we ate the past day we decided to hang both my groups and useful owen’s groups bags together. For a long time it was only me, useful owen and felix trying to hang them but then felix went to yell at everyone for not helping so they finally came and it was done in no time. We all decided to sit down at the fire but this time it was our campsites fire. Eventually people ran out of things to talk about so my group member Salman decided we should all play “lou garou”. It looked really fun and I would have played but I was on fire duty. If a part of the burnt or burning wood came out of the fire pit I had to put in out by repeatedly banging on it with my walking stick that was given to me by the other group when we exchanged the bags. After that Felix and I decided to scare people in the woods as they came back to the firepit. Then it got late and everyone left to go into their tents so my group and felix decided to scare the girls in their tent until Mrs.Trumpower decided to yell at us for doing it a number of times. After that we all went back to our tents and decided to call it a day. After some talking we all went to sleep. We all slept better than the previous night.

Day Three: I woke up at around 7 but was too tired to move so I got out of my tent at around 8. After that I was rushing to pack everything. We told salman to make the breakfast as we will pack everything but he didn’t know how to properly make oatmeal so we decided to have bagels again for breakfast. After I was done packing we all went to the rest of the group and waited for the other group to catch up. When they did we all walked about an hour and a half to arrive at the same spot we had started on. The journey was about 3.8 km. When we arrived the bus was already waiting for us. After placing our bags at the back of the bus I sat down in my seat and we went back to playing games on the bus for the rest of the ride. In all this trip has changed my view on camping and hiking. At first I thought it would be boring to camp but now I realize it is so much fun. I still have many things to improve on like packing stuff that you will use and not overpacking. Also I need to manage my time better in order to be more productive. This trip has helped me and a person to improve on my self. I am so looking forward to the next trip.

Unknown said...

Reflection Part 1

The first day was a rush of nerves and excitement. I had imagined all the ways the trip would go, both good and bad, and I felt ready for anything. Although a few concerns crossed my mind it was not camping that I was worried about. Feeling the weight of my backpack and knowing I still had a stove to pack got me anxious. I had never been backpacking before and I had no concept of how long it would be or how difficult the terrain was. I soon forgot those worries once I saw the bus pull up and knew my idealised vision of the trip would soon become a reality. I got on the bus and helped pack the bags and realized all the backpacks were as heavy or heavier than mine. I found comfort in the fact that the class would all be going through this together. The bus ride was long and with each passing minute my excitement grew. After two and a half hours of driving we finally arrived! The trade-off was simple since my group only needed a stove and pots.

The first hike was the most difficult. I found it hard to let my mind wonder when all I could think about was the weight on my back. I found out the second day that my backpack’s hip belt was positioned too low which offered little support. Throughout the hike we rested at the most beautiful lookouts which made everything we had to endure worth it! When we finally arrived at our campsite we set up our tent and separated our food right away. Our meal was quick and we were eating our supper about an hour after our arrival. We teamed up with another group to combine our food to hang since we were sharing a platform with them. We chose a tree far too weak to sustain the weight of the pack which resulted in late night tree finding.

Unknown said...

Part 2

The next day my group woke up at 7:00am to begin packing up. We packed our tent up right away and then made breakfast, or attempted to for that matter. We were eager to get the day moving and we packed everything fast not wanting to be last. By the second day I was sore but I knew what was up ahead which was comforting. With my pack adjusted, we headed out to the next campsite. The best spot by far was the cliff we stopped at. The view was breathtaking and I couldn’t wait to swim in the water beneath us. Now rested and ready to go my group walked on to the furthest campsite. Once we arrived, we set up everything and then went for a swim! The water was freezing but completely worth it. Day 2 went by even smoother than day 1, now feeling confident and even more prepared. We went to bed that night exhausted from the day with our bellies full from a delicious meal.

When we woke up the next day we echoed what we had done the previous morning. We were packed, sad but ready to leave this adventure behind. We took one final glance around our beautiful campsite and said goodbye. The final walk was easy; I had time to reflect back on our trip. I saw the bus up ahead and took one final glance back; this was the end of an amazing adventure.

Brendan Hubert said...

The outdoor ed Frontenac hiking trip was possibly on of the greatest experiences I have had in my life. The trip started early in the morning (at least for me) at 8:10 when I arrived at school. After the rest of the members from our group arrived, we put all our food on the table to begin to evenly distribute it. I remember seeing all that food on the table and just being in disbelief at how much we had thinking how much we would have to eat. After distributing the food, we all packed our packs on filed on the school bus. The trip there felt like forever. At least we were met with some comedic relief along the road such as josh's famous roadside pit stop. When we finally arrived at the park, I remember seeing the previous class waiting there for the bus and how beaten up they looked. As we unloaded, they gave us a few tips that would prove useful the length of the trip, then before we knew it, we were on our own. Since I did not have my personal pack, I had to use one of the school's that was used on the first class' trip. As I looked at my nearly full garbage bag and back at the backpack, I thought to myself that there was no way that I would get everything into my pack. To my surprise though, it wasn't my pack that was full, it was Kyle who had brought a football, a chair, 4 rolls of toilet paper among other not need resources. So after some management of supplies, we were able to fit everything in everyone's pack, barely. Once we were all packed, it was time to start hiking. For the first day we had the longest hike of them all. We were hiking from where we were dropped off to camp site 9 and 12. for the first day, I was the leader meaning I was the one who had the map and was in charge of making sure everyone got where we were supposed to go. The weather for the first day was perfect. It was not to hot, but not to cold. No rain and not much wind. The hike took us about 3 hours to complete with numerous stops along the way for snacks and to refill water. Our group decided that we would stay at campsite 9 rather than 1 so it was about an extra 15 minute hike for us to get to our camp. Upon arriving, we pretty much dropped our packs immediately and started cooking. Our dinner for the first night was a Thai stir fry that included red peppers, chicken, Thai sauce, onions and of course noodles. Since no one was really familiar with cooking on stove, our dinner was quite messy. But after the spillage of a couple of noods (our groups word for noodles) we had a very good, well balanced dinner. As we finished eating, we realized how little time we really had left. The sun was already going down and we hadn't done much to prepare for the night. So what did our group decide to do? Go swimming of course! So after swimming in near freezing water for a bit, we returned to our campsite to clean up and get changed in time for night. That night as we were sitting around, we suddenly realized that we had no idea where kyle was, we looked all around but couldn't find him anywhere. Finally after calling his name a couple of times, we heard a faint replay in the distant forest. It turns out that he was looking for a tree to hang our food on, a task he set out to do about a half an hour earlier. Once we met up with him about 500 meters from our camp, we found him throwing the rope into a tree with a roll of toilet paper at the end. Since this was the only decent tree near our camp, we had not choice but to help him and hang our food. After this whole dilemma, it was nice to finally return and sit by the fire until it was time to go to sleep.

Brendan Hubert said...

The outdoor ed Frontenac hiking trip was possibly on of the greatest experiences I have had in my life. The trip started early in the morning (at least for me) at 8:10 when I arrived at school. After the rest of the members from our group arrived, we put all our food on the table to begin to evenly distribute it. I remember seeing all that food on the table and just being in disbelief at how much we had thinking how much we would have to eat. After distributing the food, we all packed our packs on filed on the school bus. The trip there felt like forever. At least we were met with some comedic relief along the road such as josh's famous roadside pit stop. When we finally arrived at the park, I remember seeing the previous class waiting there for the bus and how beaten up they looked. As we unloaded, they gave us a few tips that would prove useful the length of the trip, then before we knew it, we were on our own. Since I did not have my personal pack, I had to use one of the school's that was used on the first class' trip. As I looked at my nearly full garbage bag and back at the backpack, I thought to myself that there was no way that I would get everything into my pack. To my surprise though, it wasn't my pack that was full, it was Kyle who had brought a football, a chair, 4 rolls of toilet paper among other not need resources. So after some management of supplies, we were able to fit everything in everyone's pack, barely. Once we were all packed, it was time to start hiking. For the first day we had the longest hike of them all. We were hiking from where we were dropped off to camp site 9 and 12. for the first day, I was the leader meaning I was the one who had the map and was in charge of making sure everyone got where we were supposed to go. The weather for the first day was perfect. It was not to hot, but not to cold. No rain and not much wind. The hike took us about 3 hours to complete with numerous stops along the way for snacks and to refill water. Our group decided that we would stay at campsite 9 rather than 1 so it was about an extra 15 minute hike for us to get to our camp. Upon arriving, we pretty much dropped our packs immediately and started cooking. Our dinner for the first night was a Thai stir fry that included red peppers, chicken, Thai sauce, onions and of course noodles. Since no one was really familiar with cooking on stove, our dinner was quite messy. But after the spillage of a couple of noods (our groups word for noodles) we had a very good, well balanced dinner. As we finished eating, we realized how little time we really had left. The sun was already going down and we hadn't done much to prepare for the night. So what did our group decide to do? Go swimming of course! So after swimming in near freezing water for a bit, we returned to our campsite to clean up and get changed in time for night. That night as we were sitting around, we suddenly realized that we had no idea where kyle was, we looked all around but couldn't find him anywhere. Finally after calling his name a couple of times, we heard a faint replay in the distant forest. It turns out that he was looking for a tree to hang our food on, a task he set out to do about a half an hour earlier. Once we met up with him about 500 meters from our camp, we found him throwing the rope into a tree with a roll of toilet paper at the end. Since this was the only decent tree near our camp, we had not choice but to help him and hang our food. After this whole dilemma, it was nice to finally return and sit by the fire until it was time to go to sleep.

Brendan Hubert said...

I woke up the next morning with possibly one of the worst sleeps I’ve had in a while. I kept waking u in the middle of the night and just couldn't find a comfortable position. When I put on my shoes and stepped out of the tent, I was met by the lake covered in fog. There was so much fog, in fact, that you could barely see 10 meters into the lake. That morning, we had bacon and eggs for breakfast. The meal was mediocre since we couldn't find the butter for the egg pan. After we ate and cleaned up, we were back on the road for our second day of hiking. The weather on the second day was almost identical to the first; perfect for hiking. The hike for the second day as marginally shorter than the first because of both distance and our experience. On the second day, w decided to stay at the closer and smaller camp 5. This camp was located right beside once of the most magnificent lookouts in all of Frontenac park. The lookout is a cliff, about 20 meters high, that overlooks the lake. We ate our lunch up there which was BLT's with the bacon from the morning and relaxed a bit with the great view. As the rest of the class made their way to camp site 4, we made our way down to the water to set up at site 5. After we set up our tent and got everything unpacked, we decided to take another swim. This lake was much nicer than the one we had swam in the previous day as it was sandy bottom and much deeper. We swam for a good hour before returning to shore to make dinner. For dinner the second night we had beef stew. This dinner was much easier to prepare and cook than the previous night's dinner and was overall a very good meal. The second night was much less eventful than the first, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After dinner, we took another trip up to the lookout for the sunset and this was one of the greatest experiences of the entire trip. We were also able to relax by the fire and enjoy the night to it's fullest. That night, once again, I didn't sleep well at all so when I woke up at 6:00, left the tent. Sine no one else was up yet, i decided to take one last trip up to the lookout. Being up there in the morning all by myself was one of the greatest feelings I've ever felt in my life. When I came back down after about an hour, people had began to stir so we retrieved our food and began breakfast. Breakfast was nothing fancy, just oatmeal, but it was simple and filling After we finished eating and packing up, we started our last hike of the trip back to where we were dropped off. The last day was rather uneventful and it was quite a relief when we finally saw that yellow bus.

Reflecting back on this trip, I now realize that it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Not only did we get to visit an amazing park filled with breathtaking views and scenery, but we also got to learn valuable skills and lessons along the way. In my opinion one of the best aspects of this trip was that we got to do all of this with our friends. Sitting by the fire or just cooking a meal gave us time to bond and discover people for who they really are. After this trip, I now see people in a different way because of the experiences I had with the; the good ones and the bad ones. Finally, it got us away from the stress and commotion of the real world. No longer were we worrying about what day we had to hand our projects in by or what day we had a test, but rather, who's going to get firewood and who's going to cook dinner. This brought out completely different sides of people that never come out in their daily routine in the city. This is why I think that not only this trip, but just the outdoors in general is such a great thing. It allows us to be who we are without worrying what others will think. This is why I think that this tip was probably one of the greatest three days in my life.

Unknown said...

Going into this trip was very exciting for me. I had never had any camping or hiking experience, so it was good to get that off my list of things to do. My two group members were pretty familiar with the outdoors. With the planning, though, I was really the one to come up with the ideas for the meals we were going to have. Also to ensure everybody knew what equipment they were going to get for the group. I was really happy with the cooperation and teamwork with my group members, and with how everything went.

Starting off the first day I was the one who ended up with a map in their hands, which was good! I know how to read a map and I like to have a sense of leadership, and thankfully I put us on the right trail going in the right direction… after a lap around the parking lot. Mr. Brouwer had said that after 30-45 minutes you’ll really start to feel the weight of the pack. For me, it was the opposite. The first half an hour of hiking the bag felt a little uncomfortable on my shoulders, but I just had to get used to it. There was also a feeling of shame that is put on that day. A group of maybe 10 of us compromised the trip by making a wrong turn and that caused us to split up. I don’t think that was the favourite part of the day for anyone. It was a great learning experience, though. From then on we were great at staying together, and making sure we were making the proper turn at an intersection! Getting to camp was a great feeling of relief physically. I wasn’t tired but my muscles were aching from the heaviness of the pack. I knew we had move quickly with setting everything up at the campsite. I took leadership in making sure everyone had a role in our chores. We were very efficient. I figured setting up the tent and getting everything inside, then cooking and eating was the best way to go. Our chicken stir-fry for dinner was very delicious and nutritious. The biggest trouble we had that night was hanging our food. We had to do that in the dark, but it was hung well and I was confident that a bear couldn’t get to it if one were to come.

Waking up with not a very good sleep, we went as fast as we could to get everything down and packed up. We were ready to meet up with Mr. Brouwer and head to the other campsite in the nick of time. Putting my pack on that morning I could really feel the stress on my shoulders from the day before. Starting hiking this day we knew now how to do everything because of the incident that had happened. I thought the trail we took this day was really nice and had some beautiful sites. That was really enjoyable for me. The best part of the day, though, was eating lunch at the lookout. Not the best with heights, but it’s nice if I don’t freak myself out by standing on the edge of the cliff. The shawarmas were also very tasty. The 40 minute hike from campsite 5 to 4 after lunch was pretty hard for me. Part of the tent was sliding off my pack as I was hiking so I had to stop and fix that a few times. Also, my legs were starting to feel the burn. We got to campsite 4 around 2 o’clock giving us a lot of relief because we had plenty of time to setup our equipment. I still wanted to do it quickly, though. After setting up, I went with Ms. Trumpower and Ms. Canham to get firewood. Ms. Trumpower was exceptionally good at this. I learned by watching her how to determine if the tree was dead or not so that we could cut it down. That skill will for sure help me in the future. Once again our dinner was delicious and nutritious, having a beef stir-fry this night, with lots of vegetables. Hanging our food was our biggest challenge of the day, again. We ended up with lots of extra food so our pack was still heavy, making it difficult to suspend it high in a tree. After that was done, it was time to relax and sit by the campfire, which I enjoyed.

Unknown said...

The last day of the trip for me and my tent mates was very straight forward. We were very efficient packing everything up. It was only an hour and a half of hiking this day. For some of us, we just wanted to sprint to the finish line, but we had to stay as a group with some of the classmates who were struggling. For the most of us we were all encouraging everyone to push through it because we were so close! When we did reach the parking lot, I was definitely feeling the exhaustion.

This trip was definitely a great experience for me. After completing the trip, I really want to do it again because now I know exactly what to do with everything I learned. I know now the appropriate quantity of food to pack. How fast and efficient you have to work at your campsite, so that you don’t end up hanging your food in the dark. Also to always stay as a group on the trails. Can’t wait for the next trip.

Unknown said...

Part 1
The Frontenac hiking trip this year was such an amazing trip and yet a surprising experience. I had never been camping before, and I had only hiked a couple of times so to say I was nervous about the trip is an understatement. To my surprise, the trip turned out to be probably the best trip I had ever been on.

We arrived at the parking lot the weather was cloudy and a little cold. It took my cooking group a while to pack our packs and attempt to fit everything in but eventually we managed. For the first kilometre and half of the hike, I personally struggled to adjust my pack. I didn't understand how to adjust the harnesses or where the pack should sit on my body. I would say half way through the hike, I finally figured out how to properly adjust the pack which made the second half of the hike much easier. To make things even better the sun finally came out and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. The hike seemed really long the first day. We hiked for about three hours. Although we were tired my cooking group and I decided to continue our hike to campsite 9. That night, we had Thai chicken stir-fry which was really delicious. I would have to say it was my favourite meal of the trip. It was surprisingly a quick and easy dinner even though the clean up afterwards wasn’t as simple. Following dinner, we all decided to go swimming despite the extremely cold temperature of the water.

The second day started a little early at 7:00 am. The weather was once again grey, cloudy and foggy but the temperature was perfect. We ate bacon and eggs with English muffins. Then half of the cooking group prepared our BLT wraps for lunch later in the day and the other half took down the tents and gathered our food. We then proceeded to repack our packs and for some reason my pack seemed even heavier than the day before. The hike was so much easier because it was shorter but also I had properly adjusted my pack. Also as a group we managed to hike at a much faster pace. Our communication within the group continued to improve throughout the day. I also took a turn leading the group with a map during the hike which was also fun. The hike was only about 1.5 hours and we arrived at this amazing lookout. We then rushed down to campsite 5. The weather had also improved it was sunny without a cloud in the sky and the temperature was in the low twenties.

Unknown said...

Part 2

Once the campsites were established we went with Mr. Brower into the woods and he showed us great techniques and tricks to finding good firewood. We managed to get a ton of firewood and Jessi and I worked as a team to saw it and organize it. When we completed that task, Mr. Brower finally told us we could go swimming. We all rushed into the lake despite the freezing cold water. Swimming on the second day was definitely another one of the highlights of trip. Following the swim, we all just hung out and cooked dinner. We had beef stew. I’m not really a fan of stew but this stew was exceptionally good. After dinner, we all ran back up to the look out to watch the sunset. The sunset was probably my favourite part of the trip. It was such a unique experience. Later in the evening, everyone on the campsite pitched in and we made a sort of “community” dessert. It was apple crumble with Pillsbury biscuits and caramel sauce. It then got dark and so we decided to go hang our food. The process went smoother than it had gone the night before, but Josh decided to hide in a bush and scare us on our way back to campsite. I had never been so scared but in retrospect, it was pretty hilarious and something I’ll always remember.

The next morning went by quickly. We packed up and ate some oatmeal for breakfast and then started our hike. It was a fast and quiet hike. Everyone was exhausted. We then continued to the bus. The sight of the bus was bittersweet. As much as I wanted to go home, shower, and sleep in my bed, I was also sad to leave such a beautiful park where I had made so many memories. The bus ride was long and tiring.

My first camping trip was a success. This Outdoor Ed. Trip gave me a new appreciation for this course, the outdoors and of course the people in my class. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with the amazing weather we had, the beautiful park and also the people. I learned so much about the outdoors but also myself. I’m so privileged to have been given the opportunity to go on this trip.


Unknown said...

In my opinion, I truly enjoyed the trip in Frontenac. There were fun times, as well as hard times, but overall it was truly a wonderful experience. My group was very well prepared, we already set up our menu and decided on who will be bringing and carrying what for the trip a few weeks before hand. When we arrived, we quickly swapped bags and I exchanged food and equipment with my food group quickly. During the trip, I got to experience many things, and was fortunate to see a lot of beautiful scenery. I enjoyed the actual hiking with my friends, and despite the long walks, I didn't have much difficulty with the terrain and I kept my body well energized and hydrated with snacks and water throughout the first and second hike to the next campsites However, I did experience difficulty with going up hill, since after a longer period of time moving upwards, I could feel my legs tire as the weight of the hiking bag became more apparent. I was also prone to tripping at the beginning of the trip, this may have been due to me still adjusting to the weight of the hiking bag, although this problem faded over the farther we walked.
When it came to the actual camping, my group and I did experience problems. Setting up tent was easy and quick, as our tent was small and didn't require much effort to set up. Our cooking for the most part went smoothly, food was cooked quickly and effectively. However, on the first night, we took awhile to pack our food, due to leaving things once done with it. And thus once it got darker, it made it harder to make sure that all the food was packed properly. This also resulted in problems with hanging our food, since on the first night, we didn't properly evaluate the strength of the tree. So when we tried to hang the food, we realized that the tree couldn't handle the weight and we had to find a different one to use in the darkness of the night. This also proved to be a challenge but luckily we had help from the others so we finished up faster. We learned from this and so after we finished a meal, we would pack the remaining food so that it would be ready to store in the bag for hanging. We also made sure to find a sturdier tree as well as pack the food before the sun went completely out.
When it came to leaving a trace, I made sure not to litter anything, especially if it wasn't biodegradable. On a few occasions I did spill some powdered food, but I made quick work of it scooping it up and burying the remains. However, I made one mistake with the cleaning of the dishes. Since I used a towel for cleaning the dishes, I would reuse the same towel in the lake, thus contaminating the water. Luckily, there wasn't any actual material on the dishes, but still after learning from my mistake, I used the boiled water from the pots to clean the dishes. This is a mistake I will do my utmost best in insuring I never repeat it again. I will also remember to double package my food, especially those that are powdered, so as to make sure they don't spill. Thankfully, with the exception of these problem, I don't believe I left any traces on the trip.
Overall, I enjoyed the trip, got to experience many different things, and would like to enjoy doing it again in the future.

Unknown said...

In my opinion, I truly enjoyed the trip in Frontenac. There were fun moments and hard moments, but overall, it was a wonderful experience for me. My group was very well prepared, we already set up our menu and decided on who will be bringing and carrying what for the trip a few weeks before hand. When we arrived, we quickly swapped bags and I exchanged food and equipment with my food group quickly. During the trip, I got to experience many things, and was fortunate to see a lot of beautiful scenery. I enjoyed the actual hiking with my friends, and despite the long walks, I didn't have much difficulty with the terrain and I kept my body well energized and hydrated with snacks and water throughout the first and second hike to the next campsites However, I did experience difficulty with going up hill, since after a longer period of time moving upwards, I could feel my legs tire as the weight of the hiking bag became more apparent. I was also prone to tripping at the beginning of the trip, this may have been due to me still adjusting to the weight of the hiking bag, although this problem faded over the farther we walked.
When it came to the actual camping, my group and I did experience problems. Setting up tent was easy and quick, as our tent was small and didn't require much effort to set up. Our cooking for the most part went smoothly, food was cooked quickly and effectively. However, on the first night, we took awhile to pack our food, due to leaving things once done with it. And thus once it got darker, it made it harder to make sure that all the food was packed properly. This also resulted in problems with hanging our food, since on the first night, we didn't properly evaluate the strength of the tree. So when we tried to hang the food, we realized that the tree couldn't handle the weight and we had to find a different one to use in the darkness of the night. This also proved to be a challenge but luckily we had help from the others so we finished up faster. We learned from this and so after we finished a meal, we would pack the remaining food so that it would be ready to store in the bag for hanging. We also made sure to find a sturdier tree as well as pack the food before the sun went completely out.
When it came to leaving a trace, I made sure not to litter anything, especially if it wasn't biodegradable. On a few occasions I did spill some powdered food, but I made quick work of it scooping it up and burying the remains. However, I made one mistake with the cleaning of the dishes. Since I used a towel for cleaning the dishes, I would reuse the same towel in the lake, thus contaminating the water. Luckily, there wasn't any actual material on the dishes, but still after learning from my mistake, I used the boiled water from the pots to clean the dishes. This is a mistake I will do my utmost best in insuring I never repeat it again. I will also remember to double package my food, especially those that are powdered, so as to make sure they don't spill. Thankfully, with the exception of these problem, I don't believe I left any traces on the trip.
Overall, I enjoyed the trip, got to experience many different things, and would like to enjoy doing it again in the future.

Unknown said...

The outdoor ed hiking trip to Frontenac PP was a great experience over all. Although I have been camping many times before with my family it is a totally different experience to go with your peers, the trip went fairly smoothly as a whole but had some issues along the way.

On the first day we arrived at the school at 8:00 to do some last minute packing and to put our bags in the bus and we were on the road by 9:00. We arrived in FPP (Frontenac Provincial Park) at 11:30 had lunch, unpacked the bus and were on the trail by 1:00. We were making great time when so good we realised we had lost the rest of the group and had lost half the group and when we thought that everyone was caught up we continued on. One thing I learned is that while hiking if you put your pack down every half hour or so carrying them becomes much easier. Then we separated (by accident) on the trail into about 3 groups the fast, slow and medium there was about 12 of us in the fast group and going fast and not waiting for the rest of the group at intersections we made a wrong turn and got off of the route we were supposed to take. Then Mr Brouwer caught up with us and we realise we had done something very wrong not only had we gone of the trail we had let the middle group of people go ahead. Once we got the rest of the group together we set out to find the three that were ahead of everyone else. We pinpointed their location and arrived there but there was a miscommunication and they had gone ahead and not told anyone about their decision. We learned the importance of staying as a group and making sure we keep the group together. After the hectic first hike everyone decided to relax and enjoy the outdoors, some people went swimming as a refreshing way to cool down on the hot day. Supper went well and our group was packed up and ready to sleep at 9:00 every one with sore or tired everything.

Unlike most people I had an amazing sleep and woke up feeling refreshed at 6 am I packed my personal gear and started making breakfast. In the future I would not eat what we had for breakfast (boiled eggs and fruit). After everyone was packed and the group of 8 that came from campsite 12 we figured out who was responsible for all of the mishaps of the previous day and learned from our mistakes. Hiking on the second day was much better and we stayed as a group relatively well. We had lunch at a lookout at our soon to be campsite after I drew the short straw and lost rock paper scissors and contrary to my group I was very pleased and as it turns out we ended up getting the better site. Things at camp also went smoother, we got lots of wood early enough and mainly found a good tree to hang our food in the daylight. Then we packed up camp and went to sleep.

Another great sleep. On the third day things went much smoother than the previous two spirits were high and the walking went quickly. For the second breakfast we made pancakes and it was a much needed meal to get every ready to pack up and get on the trail. We hiked to camp five a relatively cool site with winds whipping through it and many of the others were chilled. We got on our way quickly and the group move quickly knowing that the finish was just up ahead. When we arrived at the spot where the bus would pick us up everyone just wanted to sit down and rest but we were instructed to remove all the group gear from our pack and get ready for the crucial equipment swap with the other class.

On this trip I learned many things and I think one of the most important being that the main concern is the groups well being not personal well being. This just means you tell everyone what you are going to do and help the ones that are struggling which helps the whole group along. I really enjoyed this trip and am looking forward to my next outdoor adventure with my classmates and I hope it will be just as memorable and fun.

Simon Christie

Unknown said...

I feel the Frontenac hiking trip was a great experience. I have been camping many times before with my family but never quite like this. It was a very different experience going with friends instead of family.

I feel that my group was pretty prepared over all but we made a few mistakes like bringing a tent that was way too big. Our group brought a 10 person tent for 4 people. Although having tons of room in the tent at night was very nice, it was not worth the extra weight. It also took up way too much room in the pack so you had to pawn off a lot of your personal equipment to your group members. Our cooking group also made a big mistake by not having a very well thought out meals. Our meals were good but did not have enough energy to get you through the day in my opinion. The meals were good to serve us for the day.

The first night was pretty nice. We were all in the tent and having a good time telling stories having a good time. The only not so good part of the first night was the sleep, it wasn’t very good at all. The second night was a lot worse than the first night, it was a lot colder we chose the wrong site. There was way too much wind. The one good thing about the site we chose on the second night was that we didn’t have to hike to the campsite in the morning to meet the other group before leaving the park. The night were still the best time of the night despite the few hiccups I had.

I didn’t have the most comfortable pack for the long hike. My pack was old and uncomfortable. The pack didn’t have enough clips on the outside to hang stuff or enough space in the actual pack itself to put all my gear. It was enough to fit all my stuff but it would have been nicer to have a pack that was just a bit bigger. The pack didn’t have enough padding on the hips, shoulder straps and the back. The pack just had basic padding on the back and shoulders and it had no padding on the hip straps. Over all though the pack was fine for the trip I would of just preferred to have a pack that was a bit nicer and newer.

Over all the hiking trip to Frontenac PP was a great experience. On the trip I learned many things one of the best things I learned was that the groups well being comes first not yours. I also learned That you need to work as a group and stay together, don’t let the weaker people stay in the back and struggle, put a stronger individual being them to encourage them and help them out when needed. Lastly I learned never ever split up into 2 groups.

Unknown said...

Reflexion
The hiking trip to Frontenac provincial park was a very fun expireince for me. I enjoyed it very much and learned quite a few new things. This was new for me because I have never on a hiking trip like this before. Just a canoe trip and camping with my family. As much fun that I had at the same time it was challenge.
The first day I arrived to school all packed and confident that I had all the right supplies and a solid meal plan. The first thing I did when I got there was give some of the tent pieces to my partners. Then we packed the bus and headed off. I was pretty excited to start this trip but also I was worried that my bag would be too heavy because it weighed 50 lbs. Which it was. When we arrived to the park I was eager to start hiking. We got a little bit of a break then we started the trip. I found immediately that my bag was diging into my hips and shoulders and it would be a long hike. Another thing that added to the challenge was that I had acast on my left hand which I had broken. That day was very hot and it was hard to see the trail from all the fallen leaves. While hiking I noticed that as group we needed to do a better job staying together because we had some faster hikers and slower hikers. Also I saw that we needed to navigate better and be smarter about it. One group of people went off track and one other group went really far ahead without a map. That turned a 2 and a half hour hike into about a 4 hour hike. It was a stressful day especially for mr. brouwer. I was glad to get the longest hike of the trip done with. I slept at campsite 9 and I thought it was very nice. The first thing we did was set up the tent and then went for a swim. After that we ate dinner and had no problems and it tasted great. After dinner we sat around by the fire and used my bag to hang the food and had no troubles with that either. We all slept well considering it wasn’t very cold.
The second day we woke up around 7:30 and made breakfast while we packed up everything we had out. Breakfast was pretty good we had bacon and eggs. We also made our lunches in advanced. We had everything packed really quick and we were ready but the time Mr. brouwer and his group got to our campsite. The supervisors gave everybody a talk about how our navigating was unacceptable and getting lost is not an option. Also they told us to stay together which I completely agree with. Then we started to hike and that day it cooled down so it wasn’t super hot but not cold either. We didn’t have any problems while going on this hike. And once we reached the lookout on the big rock we had lunch. The view was spectacular it was something you don’t see too often. And being at the tip of the rock was pretty scary. My partners and I moved on to campsite 4 so we wouldn’t need to walk that extra kilometer in the morning. When we arrived it was windy and cold. We set up the tent and got some fire wood right away. I started the fire while my partners cooked. It was hard to start the fire because of the wind. But once I got almost everybody came to our fire because nobody else had a good fore going. My partners and I started to eat then got a lot more firewood. Then when it got dark again most of the people were at our fire telling story’s and eating marshmellows which made me feel pretty good and I had a fun time. We didn’t sleep as good that night because it was cold.
The last days morning was hard to get out of bed. We slept in til 8:00 and then the same routine. We packed up, ate, then got ready to hike. Again had no troubles. I was glad to go home but at the same time had a great time doing this. When we started hiking it felt really short. And my pack weighed the least it has the whole trip because I had almost no food. When we reached the fishing lodge I was pretty relieved and felt like I accomplished this trip. We ate lunch at the lodge then we packed up the bus and left. On the bus I was pretty tired and I slept.

Unknown said...

Overall this was a pretty fun experience for me and I had a good time with my peers. I learned some things that I didn’t know before. I also learned that when you have to pack and create your own meals its pretty hard. My parents usually take care of that when we go camping. But if I had the chance I’d do this again.

Unknown said...

Throughout my life as a camper, i’ve never really been introduced to an extensive hiking trip that ranged over a day. Many of my experiences were canoeing in algonquin park with less than a 100m portage and without a 45 pound pack bearing down on my shoulders and hips for hours at a time. The Frontenac Park hiking trip seemed very exciting to me as I was going to be camping without my parents with experienced friends and not so experienced friends. I was thinking it was going to be a great opportunity to home in my skills and teach others what i’ve learned over the years and maybe even learn something from others along the way.

On the first day I arrived at school at 8:00 am sharp with my bag heavily packed hoping other people had room in their packs to lighten my load. After trading certain items in my pack with my group we set off on a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Frontenac Provincial Park. After performing a pre victory lap around the parking lot we set out on our longest day to come. My pack seemed fairly well balanced but maybe I packed the heavier items a little too high in my pack which bared down on my shoulders that cause a little discomfort but not enough to slow me down.

Around an hour into the trip around 8 of us as a group got separated from the main pack. At an intersection we reached we thought we we’re around 200-300m ahead so we took a right turn on the trail (which was the wrong way). The main group slowly followed behind us and stayed on the right trail and headed on up to meet with us along birch lake as Mr.Brouwer caught up to us and made us do the walk of shame to meet up with the main group. Three people in the main group got separated before we reached the meetup point and went along anyways even though we called them to wait for us at a point on the map.

What I learned the hard way from this little mix up is to never separate from your main group, it can cause major complications and stress a lot of people out, luckily we found everyone and we we’re all okay. As we passed campsite 12 and headed onto campsite 9 we we’re delighted by an amazing evening swim in a small crystal clear lake. Our meal went as planned and all the other such activities and we dozed away into day two.

Unknown said...

Part 2
The second day started out amazing, we rose early, just before 7 and quickly pulled out our stoves to commence breakfast. We boiled eggs, cut up some oranges and had some left overs from other groups. At around 9 am we we’re all packed up as the the group from campsite 12 met up with us. The supervisors had a discussion with the whole class about the importance of staying in a full group and we set off to our second phase of the Frontenac Park hiking trip.

This leg of the journey went a million times smoother, the hike was shorter and more refreshing, there were no mix ups and the best of all, we got to see an amazing lookout point where we could see for it seemed like kilometers across Big Salmon Lake. We ate our lunch there and had a VERY heated argument to whom will be the good guy group that would stay alone there with another supervisor group. We decided to draw straws and of course the guy in our group chose the shortest one. As the other groups left we kept ripping on the member of our group for picking the shortest straw. We hiked down from the lookout which took literally 30 seconds and basked at actually how nice this spot was.
We gathered tons of firewood then went for a refreshing swim in an even more crystal clear lake. Dinner sort of went to plan that night, the spaghetti sauce we prepared in advance was great but the noodles we cooked there weren’t necessarily up to par. The rest of the night went well and we slept off into the next day.

Day three was by far the easiest. My tent group once again woke up early around 7 and started making the pancakes. After our amazing breakfast we packed up and headed off to meet with the campsite 4 group around 45 minutes away. We arrived there, conversed for about 5 minutes then we we’re off to our final destination, the bus. The hike lasted around 1 1/2 hours which was extremely short as to the two days of hiking we did in advance. We finally got to the bus and took that long ride from Kingston all the way back to Ottawa.

I definitely learned a lot from this amazing trip and definitely was a fun experience that I would anyday do again. I hope for everyone on the trip had as much fun as me and would feel the need to do it again.

Unknown said...

Frontenac Hiking Trip
Aidan Jones

This trip was a great experience, not only for myself but for everyone who took part. I had been eagerly awaiting the trip since I had heard about it the first week of school. I love being outdoors, forgetting about the rest of the world and just enjoying yourself. Having all of my friends around for the ride only added to the enjoyment and excitement. Not having ever been hiking before, the weight of the bags and the length of the trails came as a bit of a shock to me. I didn’t realize just how intense the hiking trips could be, but I loved the challenge. It became very clear, very fast that I had overpacked. As my only tent mate, and cooking partner had to skip the trip due to unforeseen circumstances, I had a hard time trying to pack my bag. I overpacked by probably 20-25 pounds, made up of extra food and supplies. It wasn’t easy making my way around those steep trails with that much weight pulling me down, but it only added to the challenge and the feeling of accomplishment when we finally settled in Camp 12.

When we reached the first cluster, I was exhausted, hungry, and overall ready for a cool night. Most of the class decided to keep hiking for Camp 9, leaving approximately 10 people at 12. Having so few people made for a peaceful afternoon. We all set up our own tents and made dinner soon after. I made myself some salad and potatoes, and was surprised at the tasty results. After staying up with the group for a couple of hours, we realized we had forgotten to hang the food. Scrambling around in the dark, trying to throw roped rocks at trees isn’t the easiest thing to do. Eventually we managed to tie up all of the extra food and supplies. Then it was time to hit the hay.

I awoke the next morning, excited and full of energy, ready for another long day of travel. We had a light bacon and oatmeal breakfast, also preparing some sandwiches for the lunch on the road. We retrieved the supplies from the trees and packed up for the road. Within a few hours we had managed to reach Camp 9 to pick up the rest of the group. We got oriented and found our way, heading off to the next cluster. We stopped part way to eat lunch at a beautiful lake point lookout. Eventually we met a fork in the road, one side leading to Camp 4, the other to Camp 5. Most headed for 5 including myself, whilst the others made their way to 4. The decision on which way to go was decided over a large game of rock paper scissors. After a small 20 minute walk, we found ourselves at the next cluster. We all set up our tents, made our dinner and enjoyed our night by the fire. It was a rough cold night, but we stuck out as we knew tomorrow we head back home!

We woke up to a cold misty morning. The lake had pushed the fog all over our camp, making breakfast rather difficult. I have had some back problems for a couple of years and sleeping on the hard ground was starting to have its way with my spine. It created some more difficulty getting back to the parking lot for pickup, yet somehow I forgot all about the pain when we were back on the trails. Once the other group came to retrieve us, we were on our way. It wasn’t long before we were sitting in parking lot, waiting for the second class to come and relieve us of our gear. We swapped out some supplies with the other class and then we were on our way.
Overall, I think the trip was a great first hiking experience and I can’t wait to go again.

Aidan Jones

PS. THE BATHROOMS STINK...

Unknown said...

Day 1

The first day, I was really excited about getting Frontenac Provincial Park to start this adventure. I was pretty nervous at the starting because I really didn’t know how things were going to go like how hard the hike will be, would I get really tired after the first day, and how our camping portion of the trip was going to go. I was really happy when we finally got to the park after the 2 hour long bus ride. The first day of hiking was really tiring but wasn’t a struggle, we did about 4 hours of hiking that day. One of the parts I least liked about that day was when a group of about 10 of us ended up turning the wrong way to get to the camp site, so that added about a half hour to our hike that day but either than that, the first day was a good day!! After the long hike, we set up camp at a beautiful spot with a nice view of the lake. My tent group had a little bit of trouble with pitching up our tent because it was really confusing but we eventually managed. We went to go find some dry wood for our fire later that night, after that we started cooking our diner. We had stir fry with rice and steak that night, it was so good! A few people and I went swimming in the lake, it was so refreshing after a long day, but it was really cold. After that when it started getting dark out, my cooking group and I decided to hang our food, we found a wire that was there already at the camp site between 2 trees that we hung our food on. At night time, I was surprisingly comfortable with the sleeping pad, I slept pretty well!

Day 2

On the second day I was really ready to start hiking and get to our next destination! We woke up at about 7am to start packing up our campsite, eat breakfast and get everything together. We left the campsite at about 9am to start and only hiked for about 2 hours. After our hike that day, we ate lunch at a beautiful lookout on the top of a huge hill to look over at the lake. When we finally decided which groups would go to which campsite, we walked to the other campsite, the hike was longer than we imagined but we managed and we were pretty happy when we finally got there because the view was great!! Tgis time when we set up camp we finally knew how to properly set up our tent so it didn’t take as long this timeJ. We didn’t go swimming this time because it was so cold compared to the other lake. It was a really fun time that night because we all sat at the campfire and bonded over so much and made a lot of new friends!



Day 3

This was the last day of this wonderful trip which made me sad but I was really excited to get home and take a real showerJ. The 3rd day was the easiest day for hiking, it only took us about an hour and a bit to hike that day to get back to the bus. My pack was a lot lighter than it was on the first day so I was really happy about that! When we finally got back to the bus, everyone suddenly fell asleep out of exhaustion. Those 3 days were really tough for a lot of us!

Unknown said...


Overall, these 3 days, I learnt to always stay together as one group while hiking through the forest trails, because on the first of the class split up and ended up going the wrong way. So next time we should remember to always stick together even when some people are hiking slower than you! Second of all, I learnt to always participate in helping find where we are on the maps, and help find our destination on the maps. Even if you aren’t really good with using maps, it never hurts to try! I enjoyed bonding with people that I never really talked to before, and learning more about them and making new friends! I also enjoyed the camping part of this trip, for example, when we pitched our tent, made our meals and had campfires! If I had the opportunity to do this again, I obviously would not split up into two different groups, but that’s pretty much it, I had such a great time on the hiking trip and wouldn’t change a thing J I think my cooking group meals were really good because we had pretty healthy food such as stir fry with meat and vegetables, and it was delicious! I’m really happy that on the hiking trip we didn’t end up with rain anytime in the 3 days! I’m happy with our tent because it wasn’t too big so when we slept it wasn’t that cold because the tent warmed up after just a few minutes so it wasn’t that bad! I didn’t mind the hiking part of the trip, I found it pretty fun because we didn’t have any electronics to communicate really with anyone outside of the class, so we really got a chance to talk to different people and have a good time! My pack weighed about 45 lbs at the starting of the trip which wasn’t that bad because near the end it only weighed about 35lbs which wasn’t that bad. My back didn’t get too sore from the pack because the first night at the camping spot, it was a lot of the food that I brought that we used so even the next day it weighed at least 5 lbs less!

I’m really happy I got to experience the hiking trip with my fellow outdoor Ed classmates, we bonded so much we all made a lot of new friends, and learnt a lot about hiking and camping!

Unknown said...

Preparing for the Hiking trip was fun. I enjoyed it very much as it brought back memories of when I was in girl guides; Food and clothing, all things necessary to live in the great outdoors for a few days. On the bus ride there everyone seemed excited and nervous. All I could think about was how well everyone would get along, and if we would get lost.

When we arrived at our destination, we started to walk, but in a loop in the parking lot! Once we got onto the trail, everyone had a lot of energy from all the excitement bottled up inside. After an hour in the deep woods, I started to get exhausted and regretted the decision to have stopped being active when I was younger. As soon as we got to a lake our group had the chance to refill our bottles with Water. When the other group had joined us (since they had taken the wrong way), we realised that there were a few people that were still missing, long story short, they turned out to be ahead of us by a lot. We got to camp and then started preparing Dinner, in which was very good but I did not have enough of an appetite considering I have been snaking the whole way to keep my energy level high. At the end of the day everyone was okay and we slept as soon as we got the chance.

Day 2’s hike was a little shorter than the previous day. We got to go to a look out for lunch and got to camp pretty early. We set up our tents and got to chat, go swimming and relax. When the sky started to reveal its stars, I sat around the campfire with people I felt the most comfortable and connected to. That night was probably the most memorable night I think I’ve had in ages. I got to sing around a campfire with people I thought that I could never be friends with and to my surprise, I actually made friends at a new school with new people. I am proud to call them my friends today. Lots of laughs and smiles were shared around this campfire; it almost seemed that the people with whom I was sitting with were warmer than the fire itself!

On the last day, the hike was nothing, we got to the parking lot and sat and just laughed as we were proud of one another. This was the most exercise I have gotten in ages, I felt very proud of myself. This trip will stay in my best of memories, and I shall always think of this when I feel down.

Unknown said...

Day 1 Cullen Wyne


The weather is hot but nice; I and the group get off the bus and configure our bags. Together, we step off, leaving the parking lot walking up the road we realized almost immediately that we were already going the wrong way. A quick, graceful circle around the R parking lot and soon we find the correct trail. About an hour in I stop to adjust to my bag, thankfully a minor one, as my load seems pretty comfortable.

We came across a split in the trail, one way led up a hill and the other led around it. Another group that was faster than ours got to the split before us and went the wrong way, up the hill. Mr. Brouwer went after them to find them and to bring them back and later met us on the lower trail that led around the hill. As we waited, we filled our water bottles and purified the water with my chlorine tablets. The other group met up with us after a while and after a head count found that three were missing; Jesse, Roman, And Sarah. Mr. Brouwer had me call them and I got a hold of Jesse, who gave us a not very useful of explaining where Jesse and Roman were. We told them to stay where they were and we would come to them. We got to the agreed spot and found they weren’t there. Deducing that they had gone to the other site, we continued to hike to campsite #12 where Jarrit and I set up our tent, I ate my soup for dinner. We hung our food out of reach of the bears, and slept.

Day 2

I woke up around the time Mr. Brouwer had asked us to; and seven felt more like five. Jarrit and I had packed up quickly and efficiently and found ourselves waiting for the others to finish up. Jarret and I pitched in by helping the others strike their tent, and soon all of us were ready for the next leg to the other campsite where we would meet the other group. This sucked, so Jarrit and I thought that the next night we should stay at the farther campsite so we wouldn’t have to hike to the other group so early in the morning. As we hiked, we crossed a field of dry grass and low shrubs. I enjoyed this spot, and it brought back memories for as it was similar to the terrain I had grown up around in British Columbia. About an hour later we arrived at our destination for that day, Campsite #5. I found this campsite to be especially cool because of the many people there, and among them my friends and people I wanted to hang out with on the first night. Campsite 5 was definitely an improvement. It had a better view as well as easier water access, than our first. It was fun hanging out there; at the camp fire near ours I met and spoke with number of different people, and met and made new friends. As it began to get dark, Jarrit and I went to go hang our food, which was easier at this spot because there were a lot more, and better trees to choose from. I ate hotdogs and oatmeal for this night because it was by far the easiest and fastest meals to make Jarrit and I went to bed early as we knew we were going to be hiking again for the third day, to the location the bus would pick us up.


Day 3

Today was a hard day because everyone was tired and slow but the few including me who had their energy were in the front having to constantly stop and wait or slow down for people in the back. We came across a few other hikers who weren’t on our trip on our way to the location that the bus would meet us at. As we neared the bus stop everyone cheered because we were all so excited to fall asleep on our bus ride home even though the seats weren’t the comfiest thing it felt to be great to be on that bus.

Unknown said...

Preparing for the Hiking trip was fun. I enjoyed it very much as it brought back memories of when I was in girl guides; Food and clothing, all things necessary to live in the great outdoors for a few days. On the bus ride there everyone seemed excited and nervous. All I could think about was how well everyone would get along, and if we would get lost.
When we arrived at our destination, we started to walk, but in a loop in the parking lot! Once we got onto the trail, everyone had a lot of energy from all the excitement bottled up inside. After an hour in the deep woods, I started to get exhausted and regretted the decision to have stopped being active when I was younger. As soon as we got to a lake our group had the chance to refill our bottles with Water. When the other group had joined us (since they had taken the wrong way), we realised that there were a few people that were still missing, long story short, they turned out to be ahead of us by a lot. We got to camp and then started preparing Dinner, in which was very good but I did not have enough of an appetite considering I have been snaking the whole way to keep my energy level high. At the end of the day everyone was okay and we slept as soon as we got the chance.
Day 2’s hike was a little shorter than the previous day. We got to go to a look out for lunch and got to camp pretty early. We set up our tents and got to chat, go swimming and just chill. When the sky started to reveal its stars, I sat around the campfire with people I felt the most comfortable and connected to. That night was probably the most memorable night I think I’ve had in ages. I got to sing around a campfire with people I thought that I could never be friends with and to my surprise I actually made friends at a new school with new people. I am proud to call them my friends today. Lots of laughs and smiles were shared around this campfire; it almost seemed that the people with whom I was sitting with were warmer than the fire itself!
On the last day, the hike was nothing, we got to the parking lot and sat and just laughed as we were proud of one another. This was the most exercise I have gotten in ages, I felt very proud of myself. This trip will stay in my best of memories, and I shall always think of this when I feel down.
Yours Sincerely,
Samantha Meloche