Bellowing Buffalo - CAMPING!

Great destinations require great journeys, and we took one on the bus to our camping trip. It was long and a lot of students, and teachers fell asleep, but we made it.Pocaterra in Kannanaskis became our home for a few nights. We got off the bus and got mesmerized by the great Mountain View that our campsite provided. After a few awe-struck moments, we quickly began cooking dinner. Cooking outside was a different kind of experience. We had to pump water and makes fires but it was awesome.The first morning began with a great breakfast. Roland flipped pancakes onto the kids’ plates. Then, we left for a hike. We spent some time in the Kananaskis museum and learned about Rocky Mountain animals. Then, we learned firsthand about the Rocky Mountains, on a hike through them.The Rockies were beautiful, filled with breathtaking landscapes and animals. But the most amazing sight was one we were already familiar with, Joy, and celebrating her birthday. On an old fork in the road, we lifted her up and sang happy birthday to her. Then we had lunch amongst the fog and the trees.Later that afternoon we went swimming in Chester Lake. It was cold. Very, very cold. Though, how often could you swim on top of a mountain? It was a rare and wonderful experience.After the water, we got back to the campsite, made dinner and made a huge fire. Around the fire, we sang songs and did dances and looked at shooting stars. That night we dreamed well about a great day well spent. This was our last night at beautiful Pocaterra and we made it special.The next day we moved to another beautiful campsite, Stoney Creek, where the trees were younger and kinder. Then, we did another hike. Canadian’s love hiking. We climbed up to a beautiful blue lake. We climbed up high to a place popular with rock climbers. There, we hopped about on boulders, and saw a rare sight, old Aboriginal rock paintings.When we got back down from the mountain, we ended up deep in the water. We went swimming in Quarry Lake. It was surreal being in a deep lake surrounded by mountains. Another unforgettable experience!The next day we hopped on bikes and explored the Canadian Rockies on wheels. We saw some sights, had some scrapes, and, together, had a lot of fun.In the afternoon, we went to Banff. Some students enjoyed the famed hot springs and some shopped for hours. Banff, the city surrounded by mountains, was fun and vibrant.The next day we split the group up. Some of us went to the Ice Fields and some went horseback riding at Lake Louise. Both experiences were unforgettable. The Ice Fields expand so deep and far and truly showed all of us the awesome power of nature. The horseback riding let us feel in control of one of nature’s most majestic beasts and see one of man’s most beautiful sights, the Chalet at Lake Louise.When we got back to the campsite, the teachers had the night off and the kids were in charge (with some help – the teachers weren’t really off). The dinner was great though and worked out. It showed us teachers that the kids learned more than English or French here at Wynchemna.The next day we sadly left the beautiful nature of Kananaskis, not to go home, but to West Edmonton Mall. The students sure had a lot of fun. It wasn’t just shopping though. There was an amusement park with rides, and an awesome water park to swim in. It was very different from camping, but also very cool.After the mall, we took a long bus ride home to Calgary where we talked happily about our great experience in the Rockies. We will definitely miss that time we spent together in nature.[AFG_gallery id='229']