Soaring Horned Owls- Camping!

Day 1In preparation for our camping trip, we enjoyed some informative and helpful lessons where we learned about camping and bear safety, as well as some exciting games that helped us practice storytelling and speaking. We packed up our bags and headed towards the mountains, anticipating our upcoming adventures in the wilderness. Once we arrived at Pocaterra, we admired our beautiful surroundings, then worked as a team to set up for the days ahead. Once we were settled in our tents beside the majestic riverfront, we cooked a delectable meal of chicken souvlaki, alongside various appetizers and healthy snacks. The owls surrounded the fire pit, where they kindled a fire and enjoyed the warmth of the blazing flames in the cool and peaceful night, before heading into their tents to sleep under the stars.Day 2After a delicious and filling breakfast, we set out on a biking journey through the mountains of Upper Kananaskis. Our friend Lindsey learned to ride a bicycle for the first time! We were so proud to see her success.The breathtaking views and the sounds of nature were so gorgeous to see and hear as we travelled through the forest. We biked up a steep hill and took a relaxing break at the top, where we found a glistening and blue glacial lake. We kicked back and enjoyed the natural beauty of the landscape. When we got back to the campground, we began to cook a delicious supper and enjoyed eating until we couldn't eat any more! To finish the night, we sang songs and played guitar around the fire, as we cooked and shared marshmallows and s'mores. Yum!Day 3We got up bright and early, and after a fantastic breakfast of pancakes we went hiking up to Chester Lake! We had some excitement along the way. Some other hikers shared pictures of a grizzly with cubs that they had seen in a meadow close to where we were hiking. After climbing up to Chester Lake we enjoyed the beautiful views and some of us even went for a swim in the chilly glacial lake. We had an amazing lunch and then began our descent. We appreciated the majestic mountains, and the still quiet of the forest. When we got back to camp we played some volleyball and badminton, ate a nutritious supper and then had another spectacular night with our friends singing around the campfire!Day 4With an early morning start, the owls made their way to the ice fields and horseback riding. Some of the owls who went horseback riding explored the mountains and rode around the beautiful turquoise water of Lake Louise. It was amazing to connect with such magnificent animals, and to enjoy the exquisite nature around us. Afterwards, some of us went into the popular tourist attraction- the Lake Louise Fairmont Chateau to shop and buy refreshments! Although the ice fields' tour was cancelled due to smoke, we made the most of our time spent together and explored the area to discover Peyto Lake and Waterfowl Lake! We had many laughs and fun moments while we took the spontaneous journey around the area. We reunited with our friends and took pictures in front of famous Lake Louise where two mountains that face each other! We admired the beauty of the glacial water. When we got back to our site, we ate a huge stir fry and after eating we were tuckered out from our busy day, so we got cozy in our tents and dozed off to the sounds of the river.Day 5Waking up to a great Mountain View never gets old when when we are camping! We had a fabulous breakfast of French toast with maple syrup. And then we all hopped on the bus to tour the famous town of Banff! This tourist town boasts some of the most amazing hot springs, great food, fantastic shopping, and let’s not forget the incredible views of the Rocky Mountains! After eating an amazing grilled hamburger with all the fixings some students decided to spend the day relaxing in the famous hot springs. We had a lot of fun, and everyone felt refreshed after soaking in the hot mineral springs. Then we came back to the campsite. We had an awesome pasta dinner and then tried out roasting marshmallows and making s’mores on the crackling campfire.Day 6We got to sleep in a bit on our wonderful relaxing day! We had a wonderful brunch of bacon and eggs and then the students prepared a a volleyball tournament for everyone. After a fierce competition and an intense round robin that included multiple games we had a group of students and teachers win the day. We also enjoyed playing guitar, ukulele, accordion and singing in between volleyball games. We also tried out some board games we then had a wonderful stir fry for supper. Then we had our last campfire, songs were sung, laughs were shared and good memories were made.Day 7We woke up to a frosty, chilly campsite and ate a quick and tasty breakfast. We worked together to load up the truck and bus so that we could make our way over to West Edmonton Mall- one of the largest malls in North America! We were amazed at how large the mall was, and that there is a swimming pool and an amusement park inside of it! We zipped and zoomed down the twisting and powerful water slides, jumped off of the diving board and ball and rope, and swam in the ginormous wave pool! What a blast! Some us wish we could've swam for longer, while others enjoyed the rest of their day shopping. Wow what an eventful day. We got back to Calgary and settled ino the Econolodge. Many of us were thrilled to sleep in a bed! YAY!What an amazing 5 days! :)