Winter Camp 2011

We left Manitouwadge High at 9 in the morning on February 21st to go to Gaug Lake for our Outdoor Ed class. We spent the night at Gaug Lake and came back the following day. We hiked out on snowshoes which took us about a hour and half to complete. We took Lake A, Redwing trail and ski hill road to get to our destination. As soon as we arrived we got all our gear organized, so we would not be tripping over anything when getting the fire prepared. After we started a fire we piled snow for our quinzees and let them sit for 2-3 hours so they would settle and be hard enough to dig in.

What I learned in my Winter Camp expeience is that I am capable of doing anything if I really concentrate and work my hardest at it. I learned that I have great endurance while snowshoeing and that I can spend the night out in the cold. I learned to, that you have to have the right clothing because of the conditions outside. Learning all of this will help me in the furutre because if I ever get lost in the woods or my snowmobile breaks down, I know how to shelter myself and keep warm until help arrives. I also learned to bring extra food because you end up getting hungry late at night when you have nothing else to do.

What enjoyed the most about this trip was digging out the quinzee. I just enjoy creating things and constructing it in the inside because it gives me the great feeling of accomplishment. I also enjoyed making and eating the food. I love cooking so when I was asked to cook, I was really happy to do so. I also enjoyed sitting by the fire talking to everyone. Hearing funny stories and getting to know one another alot better. The only thing I did not enjoy on the entire trip was when I went to bed. I was warm, but I was very uncomfortable.

What I would do differently is I would diffently bring more food just to have snacks for later on in the day. I would keep myself hydrated better when walking and at camp. Bring extra boots becasue my boots were cold in the morning becasue they were wet. Also I would adjust my pack and my snowshoes if they started to get uncomfortable instead of just leaving it. The last thing I would do differently is let the snow for the quinzee sit longer just because the way the snow was that day. It was not very stable when we started digging at first so it was really scary in the beginning.

Yes I would do this again a 100 times over. specially with family and friends. Its a good way to get everyone together and enjoy themselves if they dress properly. Enjoy the great outdoors, the beautiful night sky and the laughter that brings everyone together. I cannot wait for other great experices that I will have in this class.