At the end of April, the grade 10 class headed out on their hiking trip to Frontenac Provincial Park. For many, this was their first wilderness experience and it promised to be a challenging one.The challenge this year didn't come in the form of long hikes with a heavy backpack, but instead, it was the wet weather that we received. The forecasts as we went into the Park, were not great. A lot of rain with cool temperatures were promised. Not a real surprise at the end of April, but what added to the situation was the fact that winter really only ended the week before. As a result, we decided to set up camp once and not switch campsites.
The good news in all of this, was the fact that we would not see any bugs during this trip. The weather also cooperated on the first day, allowing most of the group to set up camp while it was still dry. As we were split over two campsites, one group was very successful in this, while the other struggled.
The second day we had planned a day hike to explore some of the parts of Frontenac Park that we have not travelled before. This plan came crashing down as a number of students showed up to the 2nd campsites without their rain jackets, just as the rain had really began. There were also many complaints about the quality of the set up of their camp. Seems that not everyone helped to set up the camp. The decision was made that the members of the 2nd campsite would travel back to the 1st site to ensure that they were well set up for the second night, with good tarps set up and enough firewood to last the night.
On the final day, the rain stopped as we started hiking. A perfect way to enjoy the day. Now, the hiking may not have been great distances, but the weather certainly ensured that students were pushed beyond their comfort zones. Which is where the best learning occurs.
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Hiking Trip Reflection
Josh Thomas
My grade 10 Outdoor Ed class had little over a month ago went on a 3 day hiking/camping trip from April 29th- May 1st. We as a class had to learn how to pack our backpacking packs properly to fit in all of our essential items. We needed to learn about the essentials to survive out in the woods as well as how to start a fire, what foods/nutrients replenish the bodies energy the best and dehydration and how to rehydrate properly among many other things. I was in a sleeping group with 4 guys including myself, and a cooking group of 7 also including myself. In our cooking group we split up cooking utensils to make sure everyone’s pack was as close to even weight as possible ensuring that not one person is carrying the majority of the equipment. Over those three days we learnt how to survive in the woods not on our own but Mr. Brouwer definitely did ensure that we had to communicate as a group to work on our own which I am thankful for because now I feel much more confident going into these types of situations even though it was only my first ever hike/camp.
My first ever hiking/ camping trip was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Not only was it a grand new experience, I got to spend it with some of my close friends and a great teacher who not only teaches me in the classroom but can teach me many things about the outdoors which is one of the coolest jobs ever! Mr. Brouwer guided not only me but our group on how to survive nicely and respectfully in the outdoors over a short period of time while sharing a few eye opening stories that changes my perspective on the outdoors to a whole new level. We were also accompanied by a classmates brother Scotty Anderson, who was a pleasure to have a long with all of his amazing stories and helpful tips, I am so grateful he took time out of his life to come accompany a bunch of grade 10 high school students that he doesn’t know very well on a school hiking trip and teach us so much.
I remember the days leading up to the trip; nothing but excitement and a little bit of nerves because I wasn’t sure what to expect considering I have never been out hiking or camping before. All I could think of was the nice sun that we were going to get and the great laughs we were going to share. And then I checked the weather. All I saw was rain, rain, rain and more rain. This made us do a last minute repack to ensure we had enough rain gear and everything was waterproofed so that we wouldn’t get everything wet. Although the rain wouldn’t make for a comfortable trip, it definitely still didn’t ruin all the memories made.
1/3
Finally, today was the day, I woke up without an alarm savoring the last moments I have in my clean shower. The anticipation was exhilarating, I couldn’t believe in just a few hours I will be starting my first hike/ camping trip! As we got to the school, we made sure we had all of our equipment and food as we were doing last minute checks and then we loaded the bus and off we went! My mind was running with different types of feelings between nerves, excitement and thrill I just didn’t know what to expect. Then we arrived…
As we ran off the bus to stretch our legs and eat our lunch, we couldn’t help but let our eyes wonder the beauty of the unseen forest as the sun shines over top of us. Wow what I view I thought. The memories began instantly as soon as we sat down for lunch around the one wooden table. As the wind picked up we thought oh no, this can’t be good. When the bus dropped us off for the last time, all of the emotions started to rush through my body and again the thought started “this is it I’m pumped”! Off we started and at first my eyes kept wondering off to gaze at all the hidden beauty, but I learnt quickly that if I keep looking up without looking where I’m going I’m going to trip over the countless rocks and tree roots coming out of the ground. We learnt pretty quickly that the trip was going to be up to us to decide where we are going and when we had to take breaks which was a very cool experience, it was almost as if there were no supervisors and we were on our own. When we made it to the first camp site where the majority of us were going to sleep, I was in awe. The breathtaking view of the water mixed with the cloud and sun reminded me of living out at my cottage but it had more of a Canadian grass roots feel to it. After 30 minutes had passed, the second group (my group) were about to leave to the next campsite roughly 40 minutes away. Once again, Mr. Brouwer let us navigate and direct us ourselves. The hike was going well as we were a much smaller group and could communicate much easier with one and other then, we noticed, Mr. Brouwer and Scotty had disappeared. As soon as we recognized this, we all automatically assumed that this was a rescue mission test. We had split our group up into twos with one group of three and sent out search parties to locate the supposed “lost” Mr. Brouwer. Another 25 minutes had passed and we have not found him. We all returned to where we split up only to our knowledge that Mr. Brouwer had taken a sneaky short cut to the camp site leaving us on our own. We all had the same thought, “wow what a guy”. This was one of the very first funniest memories we had on the trip.
Once we settled in on the campsite right before the down pour we had immediate tasks that had to been taken care of. Fire Wood, Tent set up and tarps. Fire wood was quite an adventure on its own. We had to go explore the woods looking for dead already cut down trees that we could use to burn/cook with in the fire. It was like another mini hike trying to find an adequate amount of wood to last us overnight and into the next morning. Once we had found enough wood, it was supper time. This is where things got a little interesting. (See hiking trip menu evaluation for all of our food stories)
2/3
The next morning came around with the original plan to wait for the other camp site to come and for all of us to go on one big hike together. After breakfast we saw this cliff overhanging the lake and just like little kids asked if we could go explore while waiting for the other group to come around. But to our surprise there was no yelling at us saying are you dumb why would you want to, all there was, was just our teacher jokingly saying don’t fall off. As a bunch of crazed little kids we went running towards the cliff. Once we had arrived we looked upon a truly magical site and took countless pictures while playing with the echo just as if we were all little kids again! Once we made our way back down the cliff, our fellow classmates from the other camp site had just arrived all wet and miserable. Turns out, they did not set up their camp very well and most of them did have a rough night due to the constant down poor we had over night 1. Our plans had changed in a matter of minutes. Since our camp site was doing very strong we decided that we were going to hike back to the other camp and help them get there camp up and running so that they would have a better second night. Once we had hiked there and saw the disaster ourselves, we immediately went to work finding fire wood, setting up there tarps, help fix some tents, get some drinking water and taught them how to make a fire. For a little while it felt like we were the teacher’s teaching fellow classmates. As we set up their camp and said our good byes for the night, we decided to take a little jog back instead of a casual walk as it did start to rain quite heavily. For someone who doesn’t run very often nor do I enjoy running that much, this was a very cool experience! (Supper time stories in the hiking trip menu evaluation). Right before bed the last thing we did was hang our food. Now the second night attempt was much more successful compared to the first night. The first night we had troubles finding proper trees and throwing the rope. I remember specifically Mr. Brouwer telling us to hang our food before night time. Turns out we waited until it was pitch black and it was one of the most challenging / funniest moments of my life. With the amount of hysterical failures we had trying to hang the food we could’ve made a comedy show! Just another experience that turned into great memories. We finished night 2 by the fire telling some stories and off we went to bed.
Day 3 and final day. We slept pretty well over the two days accumulating 8 hours each night of solid sleep. The last day saw myself getting a little wet due to the constant rain we were getting, so I got up nice and early that morning to start a fire ASAP so I could dry some of my clothes before we return to the other camp site. That morning saw us do a lot of chores varying from fire wood, water, clean up x5 hahaha, tent clean up, tarp clean up, and breakfast. This is where most of our organization/ communication skills came into play because it was essentially like we were packing to go back home making sure everyone had their equal share of equipment and made sure everyone was packed properly.
3/4
As great of a time is was out in the woods, we knew that coming home that night would be great. So we hit the trails around 9:30 after we cleaned up our camp site and reached the other camp site right around 10:15. We continued on as soon as we picked up the other camp site and made it all the way back to the bus by 12:15. This was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Never have I ever done something nearly close to as cool as this trip. This trip has really shown me the true beauty of our Canadian outdoors and definitely makes me want to come back to Frontenac park one day with my kids and give them this experience that I am so fortunate to have been given. Hopefully I am able to take part in another camping trip sometime in the near feature. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to spend my first ever camping/hiking trip with. I would like thank Mr. Brouwer for ultimately organizing the trip as well as leading us through this experience and teaching us so much while we were out there. As well I would like to thank Mrs. Canham and Mrs. Trumpower for joining us along our trip to even make it possible. And finally I would like to thank one man that I am proudly able to call my friend, Scotty. It was a pleasure having you come with us for 3 days in the middle of the woods and share some unforgettable stories and teach us so much that we will remember forever. Thank you.4/4
Hiking Trip Reflection - Tommy Spiliotopoulos
I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a trip as much as the Frontenac Park Hiking Trip in my life. I love the outdoors, but I never get the opportunity to go camping. Only twice I’ve gone to a friend’s cottage. I watch the reality show “Survivor” and I’ve always wanted to see if I could handle the inconvenience of living in the wilderness. When I heard about the Hiking Trip, I was super excited; I even counted down the days to the trip. I’ve always wanted to sleep outside and listen to the sounds of nature at night. I’ve always wanted to climb up hills to sit at a lookout and enjoy the scenery. I’ve always wanted to go on a trip with my best buds. Well luckily, all these things finally came true. Throughout this summary/reflection, I will describe one of the greatest trips I’ve ever experienced. Enjoy.
I arrived at school at 7:45 am to make sure I packed my pack perfectly, without leaving anything behind. We started loading the bus at 8:30 am, which took some time. We hit the highway at about 9 am. It was a real smooth ride; we only stopped once about an hour from Frontenac Park for a washroom break. During the ride, my peers and I amused ourselves by playing cards. We were about 15 minutes away from Frontenac Park, when we encountered a turtle on the road. We stopped the bus so Mr. Brouwer could go move the turtle to a safe area. We finally arrived at about 12 noon. We were delayed for about 15 minutes because the teachers had to confirm the campsites that we booked. The teachers returned, we got back on the bus and headed to our drop off location, which was where the lake opened up. We unloaded the bus, got our packs on and headed for our first hike, which was to the first campsite.
Everyone was waiting for Mr. Brouwer to go, but he wasn’t budging at all. I figured he was hinting at someone else leading the hike. I was thinking about doing it, but I wasn’t sure if I was good enough with a map to direct everyone. In the end, after about 30 seconds of thinking, I grabbed a map and started walking. Instantly, my peers started asking me if I knew where we were heading. All I could respond with was a “thumbs up”, because I was really unsure of where I was leading the pack. We would stop about every 10 minutes for the first half hour so everyone could reunite, because people were walking at different speeds. At the third break, Mr. Brouwer assigned a small break so we could have a quick lesson. I learned from his lesson that it’s better to travel as one so that people don’t get lost and so that people can feel more safe while hiking. It’s better to have the strong hikers split in the front and in the back. It’s advantageous to the group to have good hikers leading the pack, but at the same time, having good hikers in the back ensures that no one gets lost. It’s a comforting factor as well; the weaker hikers will feel better and be more motivated when there are people with them to encourage them. After this lesson, my friends and I decided it would be good for the group if we stayed in the back.
1/5
After about another half hour, we arrived at the first campsite. We took about a ten minute break to decide who was going to sleep at which campsite. It was decided that my group (Cameron Stotts, Brett Hynes, Josh Thomas, and I) and a girls group (Anna Streib, Emily Lalonde, and Ashton Renia) would go to the second campsite along with Mr. Brouwer and Scott, a parent-teacher volunteer. We were about 40 minutes into our hike, when we students realized that Mr. Brouwer and Scottie were no longer with us. We put our packs down and thought about what could’ve happened. Collaboratively, we decided that Josh and I would head back to try and find him, while Brett and Cam would advance to see if they somehow passed us. The girls were to stay with the packs until we returned. We all screamed his name, and after 2 minutes, Josh and I heard our names being yelled. Josh and I hustled back to the group, and we saw Mr. Brouwer with the group. Scottie and himself had taken a shortcut because we had sped up. Literally one minute later, we were at camp. From this experience here, I learned to stay with the group so there’s no confusion. I thought I had learned that earlier in the day, but after what had just happened, it really sunk into my brain.
As soon as we arrived, we got right to work. The adults indicated that rain was to come soon, so we had to get out tarps and tents set up as soon as possible. We students had already practiced putting up and taking down our tents at school, so it only took about 5-10 minutes to get our tents up. Wind started picking up, so we all hustled up the hill to the left of our campsite to collect firewood. While were up there, it started to rain. We all got wet, but luckily we weren’t soaked. We collected enough firewood for the three days in that half hour. Once we got our fire started, it was about 5:30 pm, so we were all warming up and bonding until it was time for dinner. An hour had passed very quickly; we were all having so much fun.
We got up to prepare our meals. My group had chicken with pasta and sauce planned, but the sauce didn’t work out too well. It was one of those powdered sauces, so it looked absolutely disgusting, so we just tossed it in the outhouse. We learned how to purify the lake water so that we could drink it, and that came in handy. I must’ve refilled my water bottle at least 15 times, I was very thankful to have that much water in the wilderness. We definitely had too much chicken; there were still at least 10 pieces leftover. So, we figured we could just eat the rest the next day. It was definitely a hassle getting things in and out of your pack, so I learned here for next time to organize my pack better.
Once we finished dinner, we packed up our bags so they could be ready to hang up. We all sat at the fire until it was dark, then we students decided to go hang up our bags. A job that should take maybe 10 minutes took us half an hour. It was dark, so even with flashlights; it was hard to see where you were throwing the rope. It was really fun, but it took too long. Also, since it was dark, we lost track of how far we were walking, so our tree was not in sight from camp. The lesson I learned here is to hang you pack before its dark and to find a tree close to camp. We headed back down, sat by the fire for another 10 minutes, and then we headed into our tents. Although it had rained quite a bit, the inside of our tents were fairly dry. It took about 2 hours to fall asleep because it was a little uncomfortable, but it was relaxing. I was able to hear the sounds of the wildlife, the water lightly splashing against the rocks. Theses sounds were probably the reason I did fall asleep.
2/5
After about another half hour, we arrived at the first campsite. We took about a ten minute break to decide who was going to sleep at which campsite. It was decided that my group (Cameron Stotts, Brett Hynes, Josh Thomas, and I) and a girls group (Anna Streib, Emily Lalonde, and Ashton Renia) would go to the second campsite along with Mr. Brouwer and Scott, a parent-teacher volunteer. We were about 40 minutes into our hike, when we students realized that Mr. Brouwer and Scottie were no longer with us. We put our packs down and thought about what could’ve happened. Collaboratively, we decided that Josh and I would head back to try and find him, while Brett and Cam would advance to see if they somehow passed us. The girls were to stay with the packs until we returned. We all screamed his name, and after 2 minutes, Josh and I heard our names being yelled. Josh and I hustled back to the group, and we saw Mr. Brouwer with the group. Scottie and himself had taken a shortcut because we had sped up. Literally one minute later, we were at camp. From this experience here, I learned to stay with the group so there’s no confusion. I thought I had learned that earlier in the day, but after what had just happened, it really sunk into my brain.
As soon as we arrived, we got right to work. The adults indicated that rain was to come soon, so we had to get out tarps and tents set up as soon as possible. We students had already practiced putting up and taking down our tents at school, so it only took about 5-10 minutes to get our tents up. Wind started picking up, so we all hustled up the hill to the left of our campsite to collect firewood. While were up there, it started to rain. We all got wet, but luckily we weren’t soaked. We collected enough firewood for the three days in that half hour. Once we got our fire started, it was about 5:30 pm, so we were all warming up and bonding until it was time for dinner. An hour had passed very quickly; we were all having so much fun.
We got up to prepare our meals. My group had chicken with pasta and sauce planned, but the sauce didn’t work out too well. It was one of those powdered sauces, so it looked absolutely disgusting, so we just tossed it in the outhouse. We learned how to purify the lake water so that we could drink it, and that came in handy. I must’ve refilled my water bottle at least 15 times, I was very thankful to have that much water in the wilderness. We definitely had too much chicken; there were still at least 10 pieces leftover. So, we figured we could just eat the rest the next day. It was definitely a hassle getting things in and out of your pack, so I learned here for next time to organize my pack better.
Once we finished dinner, we packed up our bags so they could be ready to hang up. We all sat at the fire until it was dark, then we students decided to go hang up our bags. A job that should take maybe 10 minutes took us half an hour. It was dark, so even with flashlights; it was hard to see where you were throwing the rope. It was really fun, but it took too long. Also, since it was dark, we lost track of how far we were walking, so our tree was not in sight from camp. The lesson I learned here is to hang you pack before its dark and to find a tree close to camp. We headed back down, sat by the fire for another 10 minutes, and then we headed into our tents. Although it had rained quite a bit, the inside of our tents were fairly dry. It took about 2 hours to fall asleep because it was a little uncomfortable, but it was relaxing. I was able to hear the sounds of the wildlife, the water lightly splashing against the rocks. Theses sounds were probably the reason I did fall asleep.
3/5
The previous day, I thought we learned to put our bags up before dark. Well we got carried away talking, so we had to repeat the disaster that occurred the night before. We tied the bags up a bit faster the second time around, but it was still difficult in the dark. We were all very exhausted, so we sat by the fire for a bit, snacked on some nuts, then headed to sleep. We all fell asleep much faster the second night, everyone was passed out within a half hour, except for me. I had my phone out as I was getting scores from the Game 7 playoff hockey games that evening. I wasn’t a happy camper as I got the news that my team, the San Jose Sharks had blown the 3-0 series lead and lost 5-1 in Game 7 to Los Angeles. The lesson I learned here is to leave all electronics at home. The trip is more enjoyable when you aren’t thinking about what’s going on in the real world.
Thursday morning, we woke up a bit earlier, so that we could get everything packed up and ready to leave the campsite at about 10 am. We ate Cookies n Cream oatmeal with bagels and Nutella. Another delicious breakfast was followed by a quick clean up. We had quite a bit of leftover food, so we just burned it all. We were right on schedule. We got all our tents and tarps down, and we hit the trails toward the first campsite. Once we arrived, we waited about 10 minutes for their group to finish packing, and then we were on our way to the bus. One side of me was happy to leave so I could get home, shower and relax, but another part of me was really sad. I was enjoying the trip so much; I didn’t want it to end. To see all the things that I saw on the hike back was tough, because I knew every step I took was one step away from happiness. But on the other hand, it was also one step towards happiness. I see happiness in many places, so wherever I come and go, I never get too upset.
The trip back went by so fast, most students including myself fell asleep on the bus due to our exhaustion. We got back to the school around 2 pm. The moment we walked into the school, the people could smell our campfire stench. We had Outdoor Ed last period, so we unpacked some stuff like our tents and tarps so that they could dry. We also washed some of the school’s dishes that we borrowed on the trip. Finally, at 3:15 pm, the bell rung and we went home.
The Frontenac Park Hiking Trip has taught me a lot about the outdoors, but also about life in general. I would definitely go on a hiking trip again in my life, and I would recommend it to people who like adventures. I also would recommend avoiding over packing like I did. Once you’re out there and you’re all dirty, you really couldn’t care how you smell and look, so bring maybe 2 sets of clothes; make sure you have rain gear! For food, don’t bring unnecessary things such as juices or Gatorade Powder. I would advise bringing nuts if you can, they’re the most convenient and nutritional snack you could have out in the woods. In the end, the PAD2O Frontenac Park Hiking Trip will be a memory that sticks with me for the rest of my life.
4/4, its actually done.
Hiking Trip Reflection
By: Cameron Stotts
Part 1:
My hopes in doing this project is that I could recount the steps that I took in order to prepare, review what actually occurred and then more importantly reflect on what I would do differently to improve my experience the next time I go on a hiking/camping trip.
My first thought when I heard that I would be taking part in a hiking/camping trip with my outdoor ed class was, to be honest, excitement mixed with a little trepidation. I’ve been on hikes before and also camping trips however, I’ve never done one on my own without the supervision of my parents. Normally they were the ones who made sure I was packed, prepared and healthy over the course of the trip although on this excursion, the responsibility was entirely on me. Inevitably, I felt some pressure in order to have a successful and perfect first solo trip. Nevertheless, when it was time to prepare for the hiking trip, I was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to get started.
The preparation for the hiking trip began about a week before the trip was going to take place, around April 22nd. This is the point in time when we learned how to pack our bags properly, create a menu and also learn the safety hazards and procedures to surviving in the wilderness. The preparation for the trip was going very smoothly. I had my own bag from my house which allowed me to have an understanding on how much space I would have to carry my equipment. At this point in time, my group of 4 was created for the campsite, this also included my cooking group which consisted of 7 people, including myself. Furthermore, our menu plan was created, the items were divided amongst ourselves and we could now begin our packing. The final stage of our preparation, before our pack check, was the swim test, which our class passed with flying colours.
Soon the day of departure was upon us. Our class met at 7am at school where we did a final equipment check and covered our packs in garbage bags due to the fact that the forecast predicted 3 days of torrential rain. After completing our checklist, the bus arrived at 8:30am and drove us approximately 2 hours until we reached our destination at Frontenac Park. Upon entering the park, we registered at the checkpoint and proceeded to our drop off location. That is where we concluded eating our lunches and began our 5km hike towards campsite #4, our first destination. The moderate weather seemed to hold up for our first hike, there was barely any rain in sight, we were hoping for the best. Since there wasn’t enough space at the first campsite, my cooking group which consisted of 7 people, continued on for another 5km to campsite #5 after helping the others set up. That is when Mr.Brouwer, along with Scotty, decided to “test” us by leaving the group and taking another trail. My group, realizing that we was gone, stopped walking and began to search for our missing teacher. We thought that we were very clever however, all that changed when Mr.Brouwer turned the corner and told us that the campsite was just up ahead. His test became our icebreaker where everyone let go of their nerves and started to enjoy themselves. Once we reached the campsite, we set up our tents, put a tarp over the firepit in order to create protection from the rain and began to cook our food for supper. We shared stories around the fire and really enjoyed ourselves. I knew at that point, if the rest of the hiking trip is anything like that night, this trip would be a time to remember for the rest of my life. Sooner than I had hoped, night was upon us and we packed 2 bags with food and strung them from a tree away from our camp, 3 meters high and 1 meter far. Since we had hiked 10km that day, none of us were able to stay up for long. We all fell asleep before midnight dreaming of what the day would bring us tomorrow.
Part 2:
Morning arrived and we woke up at around 7am to cook our food and prepare for the long hike ahead of us. Since we were base camping, we didn’t need to pack our tents and carry our bags which, I thoroughly enjoyed. Our plans changed however when the other group had multiple problems with their campsite. They were unable to get a fire going and the rain had caused many of their tents to flood which resulted in many campers to be uncomfortable. Due to this, it took them a little longer for them to reach our camp in the morning. Upon hearing about their treacherous night, our group decided to hike back to campsite #4 in order to help them in their time of struggle. It took us around 40 minutes to reach the campsite and once there we immediately started to collect firewood. That was when the rain started to pick up. Lucky enough, we had secured the tents down in time and ensured that they would be dry for the night therefore the rain was not a problem. Our only task at hand was now to create a fire to keep them warm for the night. This took considerable skill due to the fact that the wood was quite wet and wouldn’t ignite. After a long period of time and extensive patience, we were able to create a spark which caused a chain effect, lighting the rest of the wood on fire. Our work there was done and we started our hike back to base camp. Mr.Brouwer decided to give us a challenge and made us run all the way back to our camp. I can honestly say that I’m glad I play sports or else I wouldn’t have been in good enough shape to make it back. Once we reached our camp, we made our dinner, talked around the campfire again, strung our packs from the tree then went to bed right away. This concluded our first full day of our hiking trip.
It was now the last day of our hiking trip. When we woke up, we made a quick breakfast and started to take down our tents and bags before the rain could pick up again. Once we were done, we started to clean up the rest of our campsite to ensure that we left no trace behind. Faster than we had anticipated, our clean up was complete and we started our hike back to campsite #4 to meet with the rest of the our class. As we reached the camp, they were much appreciated about the amount of work that we put into helping them with their campsite. Once they were done their take down, we set off to complete the next and final 5km hike of the trip. This hike however was different, since it had rained all night, the trial was flooded, forcing us to jump from rock to rock in order to keep our shoes dry. Eventually, the hike was over and we reached the bus. We were all very tired and smelt horrendous due to the fact that none of us had showered for 3 days. The bus trip back to the school was uneventful because we were all tired from the previous days. That being said, even though no one talked, you could still see the happiness in each and everyone of our tired eyes. This was because we had just experienced one of the most memorable times that has occurred in our lives.
Part 2:
Morning arrived and we woke up at around 7am to cook our food and prepare for the long hike ahead of us. Since we were base camping, we didn’t need to pack our tents and carry our bags which, I thoroughly enjoyed. Our plans changed however when the other group had multiple problems with their campsite. They were unable to get a fire going and the rain had caused many of their tents to flood which resulted in many campers to be uncomfortable. Due to this, it took them a little longer for them to reach our camp in the morning. Upon hearing about their treacherous night, our group decided to hike back to campsite #4 in order to help them in their time of struggle. It took us around 40 minutes to reach the campsite and once there we immediately started to collect firewood. That was when the rain started to pick up. Lucky enough, we had secured the tents down in time and ensured that they would be dry for the night therefore the rain was not a problem. Our only task at hand was now to create a fire to keep them warm for the night. This took considerable skill due to the fact that the wood was quite wet and wouldn’t ignite. After a long period of time and extensive patience, we were able to create a spark which caused a chain effect, lighting the rest of the wood on fire. Our work there was done and we started our hike back to base camp. Mr.Brouwer decided to give us a challenge and made us run all the way back to our camp. I can honestly say that I’m glad I play sports or else I wouldn’t have been in good enough shape to make it back. Once we reached our camp, we made our dinner, talked around the campfire again, strung our packs from the tree then went to bed right away. This concluded our first full day of our hiking trip.
It was now the last day of our hiking trip. When we woke up, we made a quick breakfast and started to take down our tents and bags before the rain could pick up again. Once we were done, we started to clean up the rest of our campsite to ensure that we left no trace behind. Faster than we had anticipated, our clean up was complete and we started our hike back to campsite #4 to meet with the rest of the our class. As we reached the camp, they were much appreciated about the amount of work that we put into helping them with their campsite. Once they were done their take down, we set off to complete the next and final 5km hike of the trip. This hike however was different, since it had rained all night, the trial was flooded, forcing us to jump from rock to rock in order to keep our shoes dry. Eventually, the hike was over and we reached the bus. We were all very tired and smelt horrendous due to the fact that none of us had showered for 3 days. The bus trip back to the school was uneventful because we were all tired from the previous days. That being said, even though no one talked, you could still see the happiness in each and everyone of our tired eyes. This was because we had just experienced one of the most memorable times that has occurred in our lives.
Part 3:
Upon reflection of the hiking trip, I realized that there were many things that I could have done differently in order to have a more enjoyable experience. The first change that I would have made was in my preparation for the hiking trip. I was a little unorganized in my packing for the hiking trip due to the fact that I had a soccer tournament that weekend. I should have recognized that I wouldn’t have enough time to pack when I got back. This would have forced me to pack before my tournament, which was the smarter decision. Therefore, if there was one thing that I could have changed, it would have been to start packing sooner in order to have less stress the night before. The next mistake I made was in the type of clothes that I packed for the trip. I understand that the swim test doesn’t really count as part of our trip however, the changes directly relate to the type of clothes that I should have packed. My mistake was that I used clothes made of a type of cotton which absorbed the water when I should have used rain pants and a dry fit shirt in order to limit the absorption of the water. By realizing this, I would have understood the types of clothes that are appropriate for our trip and would have packed more efficiently.The next thing that I should have done was pack less clothes. I thought that I would need multiple changes of clothes for each day because it would be raining 24/7. That being said, I left out the fact that we had a fire to dry our clothes, therefore I packed more than I should have. This resulted in my pack having less space and also being heavier than it should be. If I was to pack less clothes the next trip I go on, it would allow me to have more room to carry more essential items for my survival such as food and water. The third thing that I would have done to improve my hiking trip experience was to pack a smaller stove. I understand that having a stove will come in handy in a situation where you need to boil water quickly. Due to the limited uses of the stove, because the fire works just as well, I would have packed a stove that just boils water and is smaller in order to save room in my pack for more useful items. Besides the menu plan (explained in the other assignment), the last thing that myself and others should have done was to check each others bags before we left just to ensure that nothing was forgotten. Under certain circumstances, sometimes people will forget essential items and not even realize it. That is why myself and everyone else should of had someone double check our list in order to prevent this situation. If I was to make these miniature alterations to my preparations before the hiking trip, it would have made my experience much more enjoyable.
Part 4:
There are also certain mistakes that were made during the hiking trip which could have been avoided. Firstly, we should have collected more firewood once we arrived at the campsite because it was fairly dry at the time. We waited to long to collect the wood which resulted in it to be quite soggy, forcing us to start a fire with much difficulty and then having to dry the other firewood over the fire. Secondly, we should have dug a few trenches under a tent which would have removed the water from underneath our tent, which was a major problem for my group the first night of the hiking trip. The next thing that could have been avoided was when Tommy’s and Brett’s shoes melted from being too close to the fire. This didn’t pertain to me however, it made me realize that I should be more cautious about what I place around the campfire and also to keep your footwear in optimal form. The type of footwear that you have on a hiking can either make or break your excursion. The last thing and most important thing that could've been changed was the time of which we decided to place our packs in the tree for the night. I attempted to place our food in the tree when night was upon us therefore it made it difficult to see where we were throwing the rope. Due to this, it took us three people to put up the pack, one to lift the bag, one to tie the rope and one to hold the flashlight. If I would of had this knowledge before the hiking trip, it would have been a much more enjoyable experience.
Now that I have pointed out the mistakes that my group and myself had made over the 3 days that we were on the hiking trip, I would now like to acknowledge everything that we did right. I found what separated our campsite from the other and why ours was more successful was that we communicated better with each other. We all understood and respected the jobs that we had to carry out. Whether it be to clean the dishes or collect firewood, when something was needed to be done, there was always one person who was already on the task. I was extremely happy with the way our group functioned with each other. If it wasn’t for our communications skills, the hiking trip could have taken a turn for the worst however, that didn’t occur.
Overall, I learned a lot from my experience in Frontenac Park. I was very fortunate to have a good group of people who worked well together and to also not encounter any dangerous animals or have any drastic injuries occur. By reflecting upon the mistakes that I had made over the course of the trip, I can now have a more enjoyable experience the next time I go on a hiking/camping trip. I highly recommend that anyone who enjoys adventure and excitement attempts to go hiking/camping in their lives because it will change your life forever. As long as you don’t make the same mistakes as I did, you will thoroughly enjoy yourself. In conclusion, the hiking trip to Frontenac Park was a memorable experience and I will carry this experience for the rest of my life.
Hiking Trip Reflection
Besides the rain and losing the ability to cook efficiently on our stove the trip was enjoyable. Before the rain had started on the first day my group was able to set up our tent, boiled enough water to refill our bottles and gather enough firewood to keep a fire going for a few hours. When we finished our set up we aided in setting up a communal area.
Food didn’t become a problem until we were about to start making our supper on the first day. When it started raining we went inside our tent and tried to wait it out. After a bit the rain died down a bit and we decided to use the nicer weather as time to cook our supper. We found out that our stove and fuel had been taken and was being used by another group. When we finally got it back we barely had any fuel and the stove was dented. We cooked our supper and then changed our menu to adapt to the fact that we couldn’t cook as much.
That night not much happened because only a little bit of firewood was collected for a large fire. The next day went much better. The two groups at campsite 5 helped us gather enough firewood for a large fire and helped us create a larger, dryer communal area.
I would go on another hiking trip if the weather was nicer and I could know for sure I would be able to cook the food I brought.
Hiking trip reflection –Brett Hynes
The hiking trip, I knew from my friends from first semester that they enjoyed it and I’m so glad I can say I did as well. My class went on a three day hiking and camping trip a little while ago. We as a class had to learn many things in order to survive the three days. Three days doesn’t seem long but if your not prepared those three days will feel like weeks. We needed to learn how to pack our backpacks, learn essentials to survive out in the woods as well as how to start a fire. I was in a sleeping group with 4 guys, and a cooking group of 7. Over those three days we learnt how to survive in the woods, we had to communicate as a group to get things done. My first hiking trip was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Not only was it a brand new experience, but being able to spend it with some of my close friends was truly amazing. I remember the days leading up to the trip; nothing but excitement and a little bit of nerves because I wasn’t sure what to expect considering I have never been out hiking or camping while its been raining. All I could think of was the great laughs and experience we were going to share. And then I checked the weather; it was going to rain the whole time. This made me rethink some of my packing and I did a last minute repack to ensure we had enough rain gear and everything was waterproofed so that we wouldn’t get everything wet. (1/5)
Finally, the day had come; it was time to go hiking. The anticipation was exhilarating, As we got to the school, we made sure we had all of our equipment and food as we were doing last minute checks and then we loaded the bus and off we went! My mind was running with different types of feelings between nerves, excitement and thrill I just didn’t know what to expect. Once we arrived, we stretched our legs and eat our lunch; I couldn’t help but wonder how we were going to survive. The memories began instantly as soon as we sat down for lunch around the one wooden table. Once we reached as far as the buss could take us, we started our hike. And at first it was pretty hard my pack wasn’t very comfortable, I would try to look up and see what are going on ahead and trip and fall over the countless rocks and roots. but as it went on I learnt from my mistakes adjusted my pack, to make the first days hike much more enjoyable. When we made it to the first campsite where the majority of us were going to sleep, I couldn’t believe my sight, the beautiful clearance over looking the water! It reminded me of my cottage, and made me extremely excited for the trip, and for the upcoming summer. After about half an hour, we had to decide who would be walking the extra distance to the second campsite. My group, and cooking group decided we would go, as we weren’t that tired and we were up for the challenge. Once again, Mr. Brouwer let us navigate and direct us ourselves. The hike was going well as we were a much smaller group and could communicate much easier with one and other and we were able to take fewer brakes because of it. Then, all of a sudden we noticed, Mr. Brouwer and Scotty had disappeared. As soon as we recognized this, we all automatically assumed that this was a test. We had split our group up into two’s with one group of three and sent out search parties to locate the supposed “lost” Mr. Brouwer. Time had passed and we have not found him. We all returned to where we split up only to our knowledge that Mr. Brouwer had taken a short cut to the campsite leaving us on our own. This was one of the funniest memories we had on the trip. Once we settled in on the campsite right before the down poor of rain we had immediate tasks that had to been taken care of. Fire Wood, Tent’s set up and tarps. Firewood was quite an adventure on its own. We had to go explore the woods looking for already dead trees that we could use to for the fire. It was like another mini hike trying to find wood to last us overnight and into the next morning we knew it was going to start raining so we split into groups, some would go find firewood others would set up the tent and tarps. Once we had found enough wood and everything was set up, it was time to eat! (2/5)
The next morning came around with the original plan to wait for the people at the other campsite to come and for all of us to go on one big day hike. After breakfast we saw this cliff overhanging the lake. Another great moment was about to happen. Once we had arrived we looked upon a truly beautiful lake, and took many pictures while playing with the echo of the lake! Once we made our way back down the cliff, our fellow classmates from the other campsite had just arrived all wet and miserable. Turns out, they did not set up their camp very well and most of them had a rough night due to the lack of work the night before. Our plans had changed, Since our camp site was doing very strong we decided that we were going to hike back to the other camp and help them get there camp up and running so that they would have a better second night. Once we had hiked back to campsite 1 we knew that they hadn’t done much work the night before. We immediately started working, we went find fire wood, we were setting up their tarps, help fix some tents, get some drinking water and making their fire. For a little while it felt like we were adults helping kids. We decided to take a little jog back instead of a casual walk as it did start to rain quite heavily and we were all up for the challenge. For someone who does run a lot it was challenging, as it brought a whole new element, the uneven group with rooks and roots. My group had chicken with pasta and sauce planned, but the sauce didn’t work out too well. It was one of those powdered sauces; it didn’t taste very good, so we just tossed it away. As per the night before we had to tie our food. Now the second night we did it much faster with less arguing. The first night we had troubles finding proper trees and throwing the rope. I remember specifically Mr. Brouwer telling us to hang our food before nighttime due to visibility. Turns out we waited until it was pitch black and it was one of the most challenging / funniest moments of the trip. We must have tried 50 times before we got the rope over. Just another experience that turned into great memories. We finished night two by the fire telling some stories and off we went to bed. (3/5)
Day 3 and the final day. I got up earlier that morning, as I woke up soaking wet. To my surprise Josh was already awake and well into starting the fire, so tommy and I went to get our pack of food. That morning we did a lot of cleaning, tent clean up, tarp clean up, leaving o trace behind, leaving the campsite cleaner then we found it. This was a sad day for me even though it had been raining non-stop I didn’t want to leave, there had been great memoires made here some that I will cherish forever. On the other hand I knew that coming home that night would be great, I wasn’t looking forward to eating as I ate pretty well on the trip I most looking forward to sleeping. We left camp at around 9:30We continued on as soon as we picked up the others at the other campsite and made it all the way back to the bus by 12:15. This was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Never have I ever done something nearly close to as cool as this trip.
The trip back went by way to fast, most students fell asleep on the bus ride back due to our lack of sleep throughout the trip. It may not have seemed like it but this was one of if not my favorite moment of the trip, it gave me time to reflect on what we just accomplished. The moment we walked into the school, the people could smell our campfire stench. And soon joined us in the locker bay. Telling everyone our amazing stories, most people didn’t understand how we had a good time, as it was raining the whole time, yet, in my opinion that’s not what makes trips, its how you spend it and I think we had a great time, and you cant really ask for more than that. The Frontenac Park Hiking Trip has taught me a lot about the outdoors, but also about life in general. If given another chance to go on a hiking trip again I would definitely take the opportunity. I learnt many things on this trip such as how to start a fire how to pack a backpack and how to cook over a fire. The only thing that I would have done differently, is when we got there to stay organized, there was stuff everywhere, and made it a challenge to find things, But in all, and all it was a great trip.
(4/4)
Hiking Trip Reflection:
The Frontenac Park hiking trip was an experience of unforgettable memories and lessons learnt. As we set off on the first day we already had a pretty good idea of what mother nature had in store for us; three chilly and wet rainy days. Nonetheless, we started off with a positive attitude, not letting the idea of the poor weather to come dampen our spirits. Our hike to our campsite was pleasant; the mild drizzle that we received was more refreshing than bothersome as we sweated our way up hills and along the trails. After splitting up and saying farewell for the night to those staying at the first campsite, the nine of us staying at the second campsite headed on our way. This second part of the hike proved to be much more quick and efficient since we only had about a third of the overall group. We finally arrived at our campsite after a fast-paced hike and a short mishap where we believed that we had lost Mr. Brouwer and Scottie.
Once arrived, we immediately got to work setting up camp in order to be prepared for when it started to pour. It didn’t take long before the tents and tarps were set up and for there to be a fire going. Cooking dinner was genuinely simple as our camp was already organized for the job. We swiftly moved through preparation and clean up with everyone working together as a team. Hanging up our food bags took a sufficient amount since we had trouble finding an appropriate tree as well as had trouble getting the rope over the branch. Overall I found that day one of the trip was a day of trial and error; as we went we continued to learn from each little mistake in order to make our trip that much better.
The rest of the trip played out similarly to the first day. Since the rain limited what we could do we spent the second day helping the other campsite set up their camp. The second day was also the day that was my favourite because we went up to the look out. I absolutely loved the view and I enjoyed yelling out people’s names with our group of friends to hear the echo.
Cleaning up camp on the last day was a tedious event, everything was soaking wet and muddy. We cleaned up as quickly as possible so that we could get out of there and be back on the bus as soon as possible. The return hike was interesting since most of the trails were flooded from all the rain. Just as we were in the last 400 meters of our hike we got to see the sun for the first time the whole trip which was a nice way to end the rainy trip.
Regardless to the inconvenience of all the rain, I found that the hiking trip was a great experience. I learned so much about utilizing nature and of all the great things that it has to offer. I was also able to improve my camping and hiking skills and I can’t wait to continue to improve these skills in the future.
Frontenac Hiking Trip Reflection
Despite the rain and cold, getting soaked to the bone can be looked at as an adventure. This was my first longer trip into the Canadian wilderness, and I was looking forward to it with a 100% positive attitude.
.Before we even got to the campsite, I learned that when with a larger group, the ones at the front should wait up once in a while for the last to catch up. As Tomy, Martin and I at the front stopped to wait for the others. Tomy told me that after the last person catches up, we still have to wait for everybody to take a breath. This made sense since the last person is probably also exhausted and would want a break. As we set up our tent we realized that the pouring rain was getting the inner wall of our tent, and was soaking our sleeping bags. I don’t know why but even after we pulled the outer layer as far as possible, it was still touching the side of the inner layer. I got a great idea that if we put sticks in between the two layers, we won’t get wet inside. The only problem was that they fell off overnight, and the weather showed no mercy the whole trip. As we fell into the first night, I realized that I should have brought a better flashlight because mine was too dim. Although the stick idea did minimize the water inside the tent, on the second night my sleeping bag and all my clothes got so wet that I only got about two hours of shivery sleep. I also learned to make lots of noise to scare off possible predators. You could always tell when somebody was going to the bathroom at night from the excessive clapping. As we left, I learned to not leave a single trace of us behind. The forest needed to look like we were never there.
Despite nearly 70mm of rain, I managed to enjoy parts of the trip (most of the joy came from not being in the rain). First of all, I really like the hiking part as we rolled through the valleys and bedrock filled peaks. I also really enjoyed the cliff that we went up on the second day. With my group we played cards, ate destroyed and wet crackers and listened to the eerie calls of loons at night. What I also liked is that this trip allowed everyone to make new connections. It really brought us together as a class.
There were plentiful things I did not like on the hiking trip, most of which had to do with being soaked for 48 hours. The nights with the loons were somewhat magical until I fell asleep and woke up a few hours later to realize I’m soaked and not being able to fall asleep. Since it was so wet outside (and inside), we had to put our bags inside the entrance. Sometimes (before Mr.Brouwer came in and fixed everything) the trip was so miserable that we would just stand there in the rain and ‘hope’ for a bear to come by.
There were things on the trip that I would do again. For example, I would bring bacon again since it was gone just minutes after I pulled it out, I would make our own separate fire, and I would help collect the firewood again. It was a great feeling to see the other team help us come together to collect enough wood for the whole night and more. I would be glad to help out the other team next time. I was also glad that I brought too many warm socks. Without them, I would have gotten some really painful toes.
Some things I would do differently under the same circumstances include bringing twice as many clothes, tying the bag higher up in the tree and further from the trunk, and bringing a thinker sleeping bag. We put the food bag only three meters high and basically at the trunk. This is because it was pouring when we were putting it up, and it was also pitch black by then. My sleeping bag was a last minute buy, and it was way too thin for this kind of weather. I felt like I was sleeping in a sponge.
Overall, I think the hiking trip was a great way to learn new things about camping. The harsh weather conditions put us to the test but it could have been worse. If I had the choice I would do this again, but only in nice weather. I would not redo the whole thing in the same weather for $200.
A little while ago I had the opportunity to go on the outdoor ed hiking trip at Frontenac Park, and it really was as good as some of the older students had told me. Leading up to the hiking trip, I really didn't have high expectations, although I was still pretty excited to be spending 3 days in the wilderness with some of my closest friends. It was pretty depressing seeing that the weather network called for rain all three days, but nonetheless we were prepared to head out into the wilderness and have a great time.
The first day when we arrived, the weather was cooperating pretty well for our hike to the campsite, and at times we even got quite warm. 9 people, including me, traveled to the further campsite which was about a 45 minute hike from the first campsite. In the end I think that it was the right decision to go to the further campsite, seeing as the first campsite was complaining on how they had had a very rough, cold first night, whereas everyone at our campsite stayed warm and dry. One thing that helped us stay dry was that we set everything up the second we reached the campsite, before it started to rain hard. We also had a big tarp set up above our fire, so we were able to cook our meals quickly and efficiently, contrary to the other campsite who really struggled with cooking meals.
The first night in the tents was way more successful than I had thought. I expected to get little sleep and to be soaked all night, but I actually stayed very dry, although at times I woke up shivering. I got cold at night because I really wasn't expecting it to get as cold as it did, so I didn't wear as many clothes as I should have. The hiking trip was basically trial and error the whole time, as we quickly learned from our mistakes. The second night I had a much more comfortable sleep. I learned that by taking metal water bottles and filling them up with boiling water was an easy way to stay warm at night by putting them in my sleeping bag. Even though it rained quite hard the second night, I still managed to keep the majority of my things dry, and this was because my group had set up our tent very well, so that minimal water entered. The nights spent in the tent were much better than I had expected, which was very helpful because by the end of the day, I was very tired and was looking forward to having a good sleep.
The days of the hiking trip were rainy and windy , and sadly, this stopped us from continuing our hike further and moving on to another campsite. We still managed to really enjoy the day, and I think this was mostly because our whole group worked so well together and got along as well. We always looked forward to sitting around the fire and eating a warm meal, it was almost like a reward. All of our meals went very smoothly, and I believe this was all because we had planned them out so well, and we were very organised. When planning the hiking trip menu, we had expected that we would receive lots of rain, and the last thing we were going to want to do was be un-organised and have to cook a complicated meal that took lots of time. I'm so glad that we took the time to think this through, seeing as that was exactly how we felt at the time, but our meals were cooked very quickly with little difficulty.
Overall the hiking trip was tons of fun. On the final day we packed up our damp things as quickly and efficiently as possible, because although we were having fun, we were really looking forward to getting home and having a warm shower and being able to wash our hands. We hiked as fast as we possibly could so that we could join the other campsite group and hike back to the bus. On the hike back the weather actually cooperated very well, and at some points, we even saw sun. The last bit of our hike, everyone was practically running, because we couldn't wait to get out of the flooded trails, take off our shoes, and sit down on the bus.
The Frontenac Park Hiking Trip was definitely one I'll never forget, since it created so many treasurable memories. I really enjoyed spending time with all of the people in my group because we worked super well together and everyone played a key role in making the rainy hiking trip a success. Even though the weather caused us to deal with many challenges, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
I love hiking and camping and I do it as much as I can, but my friends from the first semester outdoor ED class have been telling me all about the hiking trip, and I couldn’t wait until we went. I had high expectations for the trip, and apart from the weather it met them.
When we got there the first thing I did was grab a map so I could follow the trail, and I ended up being at the front which was really fun. Being at the front while hiking for the hour or so was easy going, for the first part and then there were more rocks and it got a bit harder, but it was great fun. I think for the hiking part I could have done a better job a packing my bag because it was a bit lopsided, and every time I leaned it would through me off balance.
When we got to the camp the first thing I thought was this place will be great for fishing. Sadly we didn’t get to go fishing there because Mr Brower went to the other campsite. So the only time we could fish is when we went to the other camp site. The camp we were in was pretty good but it was low n places to put tents. We had to share a lot with another group and that ended up making our night horrible.
The camp all together once we were there for a while became disorganized. The tarps weren’t on right, the camp fire was open and everyone was getting wet, because of the horrible weather.
The dinner on the first night for us was fajitas and it was pretty good, but then when we went into the tent for the night we played cards and had a licorice fight, which was weird and fun. That night the siding from the water proof cover wouldn’t stay tied down so it got wet, but I slept in the middle so it wasn’t bad for me.
The next day we had a good instant porridge breakfast, and then left for the second camp. The hike was easy and fun, and seeing how the other camp set up was pretty impressive compared to ours. So when the other camp came over and helped us get set up it was really helpful and I think it really changed our experience there. That night I stayed around the camp fire talking with other groups, and when we went to sleep it was really dry.
The next day we had the same breakfast, and cleaned up the camp, then packed up, and I accidently cut myself with my knife seeing how sharp it was turns out its still sharp. The hike back in my opinion was worse than the hike there, because everything had flooded from the rain, which coincidentally stopped when we left. Overall it was a great trip, I would do it again without hesitating, even in the same weather it was great fun and I can’t wait for the next trip.
Overall, I enjoyed the hiking trip. It was fun experience to have, and if it weren't raining, it would have been even better.
On this 3 day hiking trip, we hiked from the end of the road to campsite one, where Derek, Arpad, Martin and I set up camp. By this time it was raining, and we were all annoyed. My pack was heavy, but packed to comfort, so I was glad to put it down.
We base camped, so our camp didn't move. We left our bags at camp and hiked one day. The other was raining too hard. I was getting pretty mad at the rain but I wasn't going to let that get me down. We had plenty of food, all nutritions group, and there was actually quite good meals.
I would say my favourite part of the trip was around the campfire, just hanging around with some friends at a hot fire. We cooked lots over it and ate it. My least favourite part was the hike back to the bus, we had to carry all of the heavy stuff that we had in the heavy rain and on the soaked ground.
All in all, it was a great trip, and I would go again. I would hope that next year's outdoor ed class does something similar to this trip. I was happy with the experience.
Hiking Trip Reflection
Alyssa Greenwell
Overall, the hiking trip was quite an experience in the way that in had its high and low points . While not everything was bad, there were some negative aspects of the trip, as is with all things. Some of these negative aspects included the weather. Unfortunately, the weather was one of the negative factors that could not be helped, and was purely bad luck. It rained the entire trip, with momentary lapses in the downpour, and luckily we were helped by the other camp in setting up a tarp to stay dry under. Another aspect that added to unfortunate outcome of the trip was the forgotten supplies in our group. We had mistakenly packed the wrong fly for our tent as well as one of the poles, which could have been avoided, but it also meant that while it was raining the entire trip we were getting rain inside our tent. The hiking the trip was pleasant enough though it was not my favourite. At the time, I had injured myself so the extra aggravation on my knee and shins was painful, but still bearable enough to make it there. The last thing on my list of negatives was washing the dishes. Normally I am fine doing chores, but my hands are sensitive so it was frustrating to have to wash the pots in freezing cold water from the lake.
Even though there were many things I did not like, there were in fact things I did like about my trip, such as a getting to spend time with my friends all day, even though we were stuck in the downpour. It was nice to get away from the stress of classes and be out in the fresh air with no responsibilities for a while, in the same way a vacation gives you a break from work. In addition to spending the day with my friends, it was nice to get to know everyone better around the campfires we would have in the evenings. It gave me a sense of community to laugh and create memories with everyone. I did become better friends and made new friends while on the trip. It was also nice to have a break from my phone, believe it or not. I usually live off my technology, but being able to put it away and focus on something else for once was relaxing and good to relieve some of my stress.
The biggest thing I learned on this trip was to always, always, double check what you have packed before you leave. We did not check thoroughly enough before departing from the school and as a result we got to the camp and realized we were missing a tent pole and had packed the wrong tent fly. That was not the only thing we had forgotten though. We also managed to forget some of our key meal items/ ingredients, meaning we had to change some meal plans. I also learned that I need to be smarter with what I pack next time on a trip. I ended up packing too much of one item and not enough of another; like socks. I wish I had packed more socks on this trip as I was cold most nights and my socks kept getting wet in the tent, which relates back to our packing mishaps.
While the trip was pretty smooth, there are definitely some things I would do differently if I had to go on this trip again. For one, I would make sure to pack less snacks and pack more wholesome and filling meals because we definitely had extra snacks on the way back which added unnecessary weight to our packs and gave us less room for other materials. I would also bring a more compact tent to take away weight and filled space in the pack, leaving more room for things such as fuel and other methods of starting a stove, which I wish I had brought.
In conclusion, the overall trip was good. I learned a lot, and created many memories with people I did not except to be friends with. I do miss spending time by the campfire with friends but I will be sure to do that a lot this summer. The next time I go on a hiking trip, I will know what is a good idea to bring is and what is not. I hope next time it does not rain the whole time and I look forward to the next time I go.
Hiking Trip Reflection
Overall I found the hiking trip experience to be a very memorable one and one I surely learned from. The trip was very diverse and had many aspects both positive and negative. Some of my favourite features of the trip included the hiking, which was a workout as well as a pleasurable opportunity for socializing, the scenery, which was beautiful at both campsites at all times of the day, and the campfires. I’m used to being outdoors, whether at the cottage, at home or at work, and nothing is better than sitting around a campfire with your friends, laughing and making memories into the night. I also loved just being away from school for a few days, not having to worry about assignments or chores, just mediating purely on what I was going to do that day.
While there were some lovely memories made on this trip, there were also some negative aspects of this adventure. By far the worst part was the rain that lasted the duration of the trip. It was cold and wet and it hardly ever let up, which put a damper on my trip, as well as my mood. Another thing I disliked about the trip, though I hate to admit it, was the slight homesickness I felt while out in the woods. I think it was an inexperienced worry that made me yearn to be at home instead of in the rain constantly in the woods; it was also a very new experience for a longer period of time that we’d be away. I don’t usually have issues with these kind of things, seeing as I love camping, and the being outside in the wilderness, but something about this trip just struck at my nerves. Keeping busy was able to help me relax and get into the flow of being out on this trip though. I naturally like being in control, so I always made sure I had something to do or some goal to meet, whether it was keeping the fire going, drying out my coat, or cooking dinner for my group.
All in all, this trip was very enjoyable and I was glad to have gone on it because it helped me grow as an individual. I learned quite a few things on this trip, including the proper campsite etiquette, how to tie up a food bag how to properly cook over a stove, and some proper packing tips, like only pack what is absolutely necessary. We found ourselves carrying more than necessary for the trip when it came to food, due to the inexperience we had with sufficient packing. We should have brought less snack foods and saved some room for more extensive meals that included more food groups. I also learned the importance of checking your supplies the day before. We had assumed we had the correct tent fly but ended up bringing the wrong one, as well as forgetting a tent pole, which contributed to us getting more rainwater in our tent than we could have on the trip.
I would definitely do this trip again, and if I did I’d make sure to use the space in my pack more effectively, like packing tent poles on the outside and the heavy stove at the bottom, or placing food in a separate pocket to distribute the weight more evenly. I would also bring more long underwear as opposed to more outer layer clothing. The long underwear could be worn under the other clothes, and dried significantly faster by the fire in the evenings, which is what kept me warm primarily as it was dry and close to my body at all times. The outer clothes would get wet earlier in the day and wouldn’t do much to keep me warm for the rest of the day, so I would pack less of those to weigh down my bag. Another thing I learned is how to effectively coordinate meals. Timing is key when making a meal, as you don’t want to be waiting forever for one thing to cook while the other sits out and increases its potential of getting wet in the rain.
Overall this hiking trip was an amazing experience and I would do it a hundred more times if I could. I made so many amazing memories, so good and some bad, but I don’t regret going on the trip, despite any fears I had before departure.
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