Teacher Orientation 2017 - June 17-19 - Camping

SaturdayThe morning began with a filling breakfast. Now that the teachers were familiar with the Wynchemna breakfast routine, the food preparation flowed smoothly as everyone did their fair share. After cleaning up the breakfast room and moving personal belongings to one apartment, began a lengthy process of packing everything needed for camping. Every little thing needed to live in the mountains for the next three days had to be packed into a bin or a cooler. A couple hours later everything from the cereal needed for breakfast to the bikes needed for the cycling trip to the firewood needed for the cozy late night fire was finally in the truck ready to go. Nothing was forgotten (except the spices). It is safe to say every single one of the teachers learned exactly how challenging it is to pack for a camping trip.Because Calgary is so close to the mountains, the ride there only took an hour. While those familiar with the mountains took that time to relax, those that had never seen the Rockies before could not contain their excitement as the mountains grew to their full majestic size as we approached them. The cars were filled with cries of awe and excitement as the window view changed from flat prairies to foothills to mountains in only a matter of half an hour. On the way to the campsite we encountered a rather rare scene; half dozen big horn sheep were hanging out close to the road. We could not resist such a sight and slowed down to take some pictures.As soon as we got to our campsite, everyone got to work. The first priority was to set up the tents. Having practiced setting them up back at the residence, this task was a piece of cake. After, dinner had to be prepared. As Roland likes to say “many hands make light work”, and indeed they do. While preparing dinner the teachers learned some important camping skills like lighting the gas stoves. Justine grilled some souvlaki while the rest of the staff prepared back bacon, pasta and all kinds of side dishes. The dinner was absolutely delicious, nothing you would expect from a regular camping trip. Once dinner was done and dishes were washed (another one of those camping skills) we all settled in around the campfire. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for the worse and it started to rain, but that didn’t stop us from having a good time around the fire. Teachers each took a turn sharing some amusing campfire songs as the rest of us followed with singing and dancing. Some were very lively and lighthearted; others were a little bit more grim (especially Jaffra’s) but all in good fun. As the night settled in and the campfire started to die down, teachers prepared for bed. Of course no one slept right away as many interesting stories and secrets were shared between tent mates.[AFG_gallery id='563']SundayNothing is better than having a goodnight sleep in the fresh mountain air. Although it rained through the night, most of the teachers stayed warm in their sleeping bags. Once it was time to prepare breakfast, the teachers all helped. Some fried the turkey sausage and eggs, while others cut up fresh fruit and vegetables. To determine which tent group would eat first, the teachers did a log toss competition. The rules are simple; each group member had to throw a wooden log as far as possible and the farthest one got to eat first. Teachers tried all kinds of techniques and fueled by the prize at stake, did their absolute best. At the end of the competition, with the help of Adara and Justine, the Rams came out on top. After breakfast dishes were washed and the teachers prepared for the hike which was only a short ride away from the campsite.The lunch was to be a picnic at the top of the mountain, so every teacher had to contribute by carrying food with them. The hike began with a little bit of confusion but soon we were on our way, with Adam leading the way. The first challenge was to cross a mountain creek. Helping each other keep balance we made it across. Then began a much more challenging part of the hike, as the trail became steeper and steeper. Taking short breaks for water and pictures, teachers slowly but steadily ascended Mount Baldy. While some raced to the top in anticipation of the view from up there, others enjoyed themselves as they made their way through beautiful forest at their own pace. Eventually, everyone made it to the top, which opened up a view unmatched by any other during this trip. Without a doubt the destination was worth every single drop of sweat it took. From that spot several mountains were visible as well as the valley that separated them. For lunch, there were sandwiches and juice, as well as cookies and other snacks. Of course the top is a prime spot for pictures and that’s exactly what we did once lunch was over. When everyone got the perfect picture of themselves at the top, the teachers split in to two groups, those that wanted to keep on climbing and the others that found the hike already challenging enough and decided to climb back down. To everyone’s surprise going down a mountain is sometimes harder than going up but at the end everyone safely made it back to the car. The sense of achievement at the end of the hike is extremely satisfying and teaches an important life lesson that the hard work and the struggle often have a very satisfying ending.When the first group of teachers made it back to the campground, they prepared dinner (in exchange for washing dishes) for the others who were still on Mount Baldy. At this point Sam had, although a little painful, but amusing accident which will be remembered for a long time. After dinner, we again gathered around a campfire to celebrate a successful staff orientation. All sorts of conversations and laughter continued long through the late hours of the evening until eventually everyone made their way back their tents to get some hard earned sleep.MondayMany of us woke up sore from the hike from the day before, but quickly got to work. Today we were leaving the campground so many things had to be packed up neatly into the truck but first — breakfast. This time breakfast was simple; it consisted of cereal and fruit. After breakfast teachers set out on another excursion this time on bikes. Riding through up and down hills of the Rockies is not as simple as it seems and tested out strength but still everyone persevered and once again was rewarded with a beautiful view of two lakes one on either side. Of course no one could miss this opportunity to take more pictures to show off to their friends and family later. The ride back was much quite a bit of a breeze (literally) as it was mostly downhill. Once we were back at the campsite, we were surprised by lunch prepared by Roland and Sam.This time packing was much quicker because everyone helped and soon we were on our way back to Calgary, in anticipation of a much needed hot shower and the comfort of the residence. The car ride home was spent in almost complete silence because almost everyone fell asleep after such an eventful and exciting weekend. Many fun memories were made in such a short time period and the teachers grew even closer together.[AFG_gallery id='563']