Chattering Flying Squirrels - Camping Trip - August 1-6, 2016

August 1, MondayIt was Adventure Time at Wynchemna . . . The Chattering Flying Squirrels were off to Camp!We filled up on our usual breakfast spread, gobbling down bacon and eggs, waffles with Nutella, not knowing if it would be our last taste of true Canadian morning delights. The buzz was in our bones, it resounded in our heads: camping, camping, camping! Into the wild! But not just yet. Students sweetly savoured their last three formal lessons. They soaked up as much as they could, already missing the classroom. One of our more reluctant students, Roger, was heard saying in the hallway: “Why can’t we have more lessons? Just one more lesson!” And yet the learning never stops.Before we knew it we were loading the Budget truck with our sleeping bags, foamies, tents, luggage and big ol’ heavy-duty boxes stocked with food and utensils. No one could guess by looking at these black and yellow boxes, but hidden within these crates were the best meals of our Wynchemna days. Then we were climbing on board our magic yellow school bus. And no one could guess by looking at that yellow and black bus that it would soon transport us to the most phenomenal camp experience of our lives.The ride there was just a little teaser. It was a beautiful scenic drive. As we approached Kananaskis country, we saw the mountain ranges peek up over the horizon, then slowly reveal its full radiant glory in the noonday sunshine. Students gawked and quickly snapped photos from the windows, not wanting to miss capturing the awesome view, not only in their minds but with their cameras so they could share it with their friends and family.A few minutes more and we were at our campground in the impossibly magnificent Pocaterra. It was a dream. To our right was the looming mountain passes. We had a vast field for games, We had an amazing campfire spot. We had a gurgling rushing river streaming around our site. We were surrounded by tall, evergreen pines.Altogether we got down to business, setting up our tents like pros, just as we had practiced. We had them up and ready in mere moments. Students excitedly crawled into their new homes. It was so cozy students didn’t want to leave! Students were simply adorable in their tent groups. There were the Cute Bears, Moose, Snails, Big Birds, Bunnies, Gorillas and Wolves. A bunch of animals they were indeed!But another urge compelled them. The most primeval of urges: HUNGER. We soon came to discover that Camp food is the best food. We set up stoves, we cut up fruits and vegetables, we made cheese and cracker plates, we sautéed with frying pans. It was teamwork at its finest. And all this under the unending blue skies of K-country. When dinner was ready, our mouths were quite visibly watering. We had chicken souvlaki kebabs, beans, garlic bread, veggie spring rolls and watermelon. We ate our fill and then ate some more!Satisfied, we began cleaning dishes under the setting sunlight. Each meal we had two tent groups cleaning on a rotation. At Wynchemna, we believe that everyone should share the load, and that a little work for everyone is a lot more fun for everyone. With the dishes clean and put away, we were all but ready for bed. But the night was still young. It was campfire time!! A crew of natural woodsmen began chopping wood. All that sweat and energy was well worth it. The bonfire was huge! It blazed and blazed like it could never go out. And it never did! Students kept it going day and night. And when it got dark, students were wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the beauty above; it was a sky full of stars. We stared up dreamily at the little diamonds that twinkled at us. The best part? The shooting stars! With each one we spotted we made a wish, and we all wished for the same thing: that the camping would never end.As the night went on, students retired to their tents, exhausted and smoky but warm and full. They were out like lights as soon as they laid their sweet heads down and tucked into their sleeping bags. Sleep tight!August 2, TuesdayWhat was that undeniably delicious smell at 10 o’clock in the morning? French toast. Students woke with the sunrise. It was a little chilly, as you might expect from mountain air in the early dawn, but students braved the nippy cold. They brushed their teeth dutifully and made a little effort to wash their faces and style their hair. There was no room for vanity in camping, Mother Nature demanded all the attention.After a ravenous breakfast of the aforementioned French Toast and chocolate milk, we were off to our first camping activity: Hiking up in Galatea! We had hiked before, but never like this. Galatea was a beautiful woods and the trail, though long, was gentle and forgiving. The hike was not without its excitement. As we crossed over the bouncy suspension bridge we decided to take a detour in another direction. It led us to a wonderful spot with large boulders by a bubbling brook. We enjoyed a lunch of cold cut sandwiches that we had packed and helped to carry. Then we went swimming in Lillian Lake. Students were glad to get in a little bit of a bath.Back at our campground, we had pasta with cornmeal back bacon. But who cares about dinner? It was dessert that we looked forward to! Gathered around the campfire as one big family we shared roasted marshmallows and made a mystical Canadian sweet called Smores: a toasted marshmallow with a piece of dark chocolate sandwiched between two Graham crackers. Mmmm…. That night we dreamt of big pillowy marshmallows like clouds in the sky…..August 3, WednesdayI was very impressed with our group today. It’s rare to find a group of students who are all able to ride a bicycle, but this group took it a level higher: they were all amazing Mountain Bikers. When the truck finally arrived with our bikes, students strapped on helmets and hopped on their wheels. Although the trail was a little muddy, it made it that much more fun! Students loved the feeling of cool mountain air blow by their faces as they rode down valleys after pedalling up impossibly steep hills. For supper we had stir fry chicken in coconut milk with rice. We finished off the night with marshmallows around the fire. No night camping would be complete without it!There was another surprise: another Wynchemna group came to share our campground! We played nice with them, we were respectful and shared our equipment, utensils and space. We even got to know some other new students!August 4, ThursdayMan oh man, today was a rush! We were up as early as 7:30. “Why so early?” You wonder. Well, today was a very special day. It was the highlight of the camping trip! Yes, weeks ago students had made a decision between two choices: Horseback Riding or The Athabasca Glacier Icewalk. Which would you choose, dear reader? A difficult conundrum to be sure! In the end, students made up their minds and we climbed aboard two different buses and were off.The Horseback riding group reached their destination first: Lake Louise. What was the scent in the air? Was it horse poop? No, no, it was the scent of love! Students awed and cooed as their horses were led out of the stables. There was Poodle and Freckles and Chester, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Rudolph. Each student was paired with a horse and each fell in love. Yes, it was love at first sight. They mounted their horses, sat snuggly into their saddles and before they knew it they were riding a horse! The horses clip-clopped down the beautiful trail, it was beauty on beauty, almost too much! Students gallantly rode their horses around a fantastic view of the turquoise Lake Louise. But not to be outdone was the Glacier Walk. The bus ride was five hours long, yes, five! But it was well worth the wait for half an hour on the Athabasca Glacier. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Students bundled up in layers from the cold glacier ice and the whipping wind. We took a truck with huge 5-foot wheels up to the ice field. When the driver lowered the stairs, we sped onto the ice. The biggest highlight was drinking the glacier water! We got our bottles out and filled them up to the brim. It was the best water we ever drank: clean, pure, 100% Canadian glacier water. Then back to our camp home we were absolutely exhausted. But we had our ritual around the campfire, falling asleep with marshmallows in our mouths.August 5, FridayToday was free time day. Students could wake up whenever they wanted and do whatever they wanted today. We were supposed to head down to Canmore for a swim in the lake. Unfortunately the bus driver was too afraid to come up and get us. But nonetheless we brave Squirrels made the best of it. We grabbed our swimsuits and got into the chilly river water that encircled our camp. They splashed about and had fun. We had pancakes with blueberries for breakfast, then a late lunch of chicken burgers and sausages. It was a good day.August 6, SaturdayThis was the saddest day. It was the day we would leave our campground. The weather seemed to understand as it began pouring rain. We took down our tents and rolled up our sleeping bags, we cleaned the field. With long faces, we climbed onto the magic school bus, but not before we took one more gaze at the face-melting beauty of Pocaterra. Even through the drizzling rain, there emerged a ghostly mist, floating like creatures over the mountains. It was a sight to behold.Then we drove back home. We were excited about one thing, however: Showers. When we got back we quickly packed away our stuff, and then we jumped in the bathroom for a nice long hot hose down. We washed away the five-day filth and felt like brand-new people.As I sit here in my SAIT dorm room, gazing out over Downtown Calgary, I see the tall towers and concrete buildings and already I miss the mountains. But the memories, those are what we keep and hold on to. Memories of the blazing bonfire, the misty mountains, the starry skies, the fantastic food, the amazing activities. These memories we keep forever.[AFG_gallery id='543']