Belaying Good Foundations

The past three weeks, I have earned my certification as a person who can belay at the Cliffhanger socioactive physical institutional college. It was, I have to say, a lot of fun. Going into the exercises with the fear of heights that has plagued me from a young age, even upon reaching the top, I was too frightened almost to return. As time progressed (as it always does during rock climbing sessions), though, I could feel my fear and the boundaries I had imagined for myself begin to fade away. By the end, I was confident enough to make it nearly completely to the top of a rock wall with a sufficient enough ledge to have utterly daunted me had I stared at it when I began, and I never would have ever imagined myself climbing. As well, aside from a couple of minor hiccups, I managed to progress through the belaying educational side of the session with sufficient enough ease to earn me certification which I will certainly apply to future rock climbing adventures, such as the one in grade 10. It was actually quite amusing, in fact, to flow through the movement and hold that responsibility. It really garnered my sense of independence.

See you on the climbing wall!


-Derek

Anthropological Digging

Yesterday, we went to the Museum of Anthropology, which I have no recollection of going to, though I believe that I may have. Regardless, it was amazing. Through modern exhibits, historically preserved artifacts and spectacular artistic  showcases, it was a great way to spend the day. One thing that has specifically remained in my mind is the exhibition on residential schools. It was beautifully well crafted and, aided by the full-scale pictures with emotional text, brought out the full feeling of the time period. It was quite sad and touching to read the quotes from survivors of the system, and about the long-term affects of the project, which are still apparent today. As a whole, the museum, specifically in it's artistic and native sections, was beautifully well crafted. It was neat all of the amazingly preserved artifacts in the drawers. The layout and architecture was stunning, and as a whole I took away far more from the experience than I expected. It would be a great place to return to.

Sailing into the Sunset of Broken Dreams

As I write this, my test is in the process of being graded, or waiting to be. Unfortunately, even with all of the skills we worked on, my confidence for this is severely down. Rewind one month. I had gone sailing (at Mac Sailing in fact) with Ryan over the summer, though it wasn't a very strenuous course, and it wasn't one with a test. It was, though, helpful to have some extra sailing experience. It was fun to get out onto the water, and it provided somewhat of a break from normal life. The first time sailing was a great climate, though with minimal wind. Week two we got the wind we asked for, just we should have been more careful with our wish. A rainstorm pelted and froze us as our instructors took us out for a couple of minutes. The swells were immense, and it was quite fun, albeit freezing. Week three was similar, just we had to sail. The numbness racked me as I had tried to help sail around for a couple of tries. Week four was better, although still cold and often with far less wind. It is a good idea to not sail in October with minimal cold weather clothing. Next time we head off I plan to bring a coat and rain pants, with perhaps gloves as well which should make the experience far less painless. The four sessions also helped greatly in teaching me the points of sail and more about the workings of the boat. Sadly, there was much on the test we were not taught. Next time I will assume that we will have to learn the booklets on our own for the test, and that there will be things on the test that didn't pertain to us and our particular sailing experience. Regardless of the outcome, though, I will eventually get the certification, likely via a retake.

I can only wait, and hope.

Signing off for the second time in grade 9,

-Derek

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Post Camp Post

Sorry about that - haven't touched this site since June, unfortunately. Quite a bit has happened since, although the most significant OEE related topic is definitely camp. We had our sights set on Fircom again, on Gambier Island, but a lightning storm which coincidentally flooded our basement put an end to that idea. So our sights moved west, through the wavy waters of Howe Sound, until our destination locked in on Elphinstone. I'd had many memories of Elphinstone (from grades 4 and 5 when we went there for the spring camp), and most of them very good. Needless to say I was quite excited for this camp. We arrived, and our entire view of the camp shifted. And positively positively. As we had lived for four years, renovations had been underway, and the cabins which were once the low point of the camp had been revitalized into the high point. The next few days went by simultaneously strenuously slowly and in the blink of an eye. Through several fun activities, such as improvisation games, kayaking, talent shows and field games, we furthered not only our existing friendships but we furthered our bonds with the new arrivals. We worked hard to ensure our new community members fit in as best as they could, and in my honest opinion if it weren't for the camp they would not fit in anywhere near as well as they do now. It was both neat and strange that our start of year camp was as long as our end of year camps for grade five. I have to say, I would have rather had the one night camp, as I'm sure we could have still conducted all that we wanted to and the two nights at Elphinstone at this age seemed to drag on somewhat. Regardless, I improved my hard skills, with hiking, swimming, kayaking and games, and my soft skills, as the camp molded our community into the connected one it is now.

seatosky.bc.ca

The Quickest Three Days

This has been the best camp yet. By far. Previous camps were laid out in a very structured manner intended to mandate our education. This time was very different. We were given independence, freedom and the ability to explore under our own will and ironically this led to more experience and bonding between us students, each other and our environment. It was a remote and beautiful location as well, and we were surrounded by almost untouched nature with less connection to society than we had ever had. It was an amazing experience, and it will be remembered as the best camp yet.

The morning of our departure it had been raining in torrential amounts, so we were sure it would be soaking, although it was only drizzling when we arrived at out departure point. We started our adventure by loading our canoes. None of us thought we could cram in all of our gear and bags plus ourselves, although we managed to make it.After we had put all of our gear in dry bags we then set off, for the first leg of our expedition. We crossed the lake and then headed north towards the location where we stopped for lunch. After stopping in a rocky little clearing we got back into our canoes for the rest of the trip to our camp which our guides explained to us was on an alluvial fan (a place where sediment is deposited creating a semi-peninsula). Once we rounded the fan we came to rest on the rocky shore against a mountain, with a blue wooden sign reading "Raven Creek Marine Park". We then unloaded the bags, and walked for a few seconds before arriving at the clearing that was to be our campsite. There was also another clearing that would be used as a kitchen. We then set up our tents and were given free time (which I used to experience among others the very, very cold Pitt Lake water). After the little swim we had dinner. The meal preparation/clean up was on a rotation system - as there were two canoes one canoe would cook and the other clean and vice versa for the future times. After dinner, more free time. We then had a small fire building class followed by a campfire with s'mores and some conversations. The first night of camp it did not rain whatsoever, and our items remained dry. The following day we set off in the morning, after eating breakfast and making a lunch for ourselves. We canoed past a small establishment that appeared to be solar-powered, circled two islands and came to rest on the bigger one where we ate our lunches and were given the ability to explore. This was definitely one of the trip highlights, as some of the time I used for "solo" and some for exploration. Afterwards we set off back to camp. We then had the ability to go to a rope swing into the cold water again, with about a quarter of us going. After some fun in the cold water, we returned for a hike, dinner, campfire and sleep. I had packed that day, so when I woke in the moring after the better sleep packing was relatively easy (although it was raining that morning so our tent was cold and wet, and our pegs had vanished). After breakfast we set off in our groups, sticking partly to our routine of alternating front, back, together, before some issues forced us to return to normal all paddling. One point of interest on the canoe back was that my dry bag fell out of the boat, although it was quickly recovered and my items were dry. We passed over a tidal sand bar, before docking, unloading, debriefing and heading off back to civilization.

I learned some very interesting things over the span of the camp. For example I learned that so close to a major city (Vancouver), there are areas of remote peace that are seemingly untouched by nature. Another is that spending three days with people can increase a bit of tension, although on the contrary the fact that we did that and managed to bond even closer just goes to show how close of a group we are. I learned some physical skills like how to paddle (although I didn't fully pick that one up until the end), and some more abstract skills, like risk-taking and co-operation. The camp itself has definitely been the best one yet. It has given me and my peers more independence and freedom to do what we wanted, and this let us explore at our own pace and where we wanted to. We could make the most of our camp. The three days were easy, and very quick as well. It didn't feel nearly three days long, and yet I will remember this camp with fondness, as I hope will all of my canoeing friends as well.

Until next year!


-Derek

Bowling

"If I had been on 'Bowling for Dollars,' I'd wind up owing them money." - Ricki Lake


So, bowling. I am not the best at the "sport" of bowling. It seems that the more I try, the worse I get - until the next time. I start playing at near peak performances - strikes, spares - the whole works. I can remain at this stage until a certain point, usually quite early or after the first game, I just stop being good. I will consistently get less than 10 for the duration of the game/games. I have to find a way to break out of this. Also, the thing about where we play, though, is that it's five pin, whereas I usually play ten pin. Ten pin is much more fun, as if you have a direct hit you will knock down more than just one.Regardless, it is quite fun and I enjoy it.


-Derek

Sail the Ocean* Blue (*Lake)

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."
-Amelia Earhart

The spirit of adventure has befallen me. In less than three weeks some of my classmates and I will traverse the vast lower mainland on the treacherous Trans Canada Highway to the distant Pitt Lake, where we will be going on an adventure. Yes, a real adventure. With a surface area of 53.5 kilometers squared, we will navigate the perimeter of the lake, stopping only to eat and to set up camp for the night. We will be on Voyager canoes, which I expect (because I have been on them before) to be tough, however definitely not unbearable. Luckily for us the food has been provided, so we will be able to concentrate on the activity itself. I can only hope the weather will remain clear, however based on prior camp experiences "smooth sailing" is definitely not in order. I have a habit of severely overpacking, or severely overpacking to find that all of my clothes have been soaked beyond wear-ability (yes, in grade six that happened to me). As of yet I don't know if we will be circling the entire lake (chick measures 24 kilometers at its maximum length and 4.5 kilometers at its maximum width), or if at some point we will cut across. No matter what we do, however, I know that it will be a challenging experience that I will remember for years (and maybe even decades) to come.

-Derek

Sail the Ocean Brown

Welcome back to the blog of fun!


"Be strong, O paddle!
Be brave, canoe!
The reckless waves
you must plunge into.
Reel, reel.
On your trembling keel,
But never a fear my craft will feel."


Over the past three weeks, we have ventured to treacherous Burnaby to conduct some canoeing. Luckily for us, it was sunny the entire time and the heat was nice. I was too hot the first day, ditto the second day, however by the third day I learned to wear my PE shirt and shorts. Unfortunately I forgot to wear sunscreen and utterly soaked myself with water, however the sun was amazing. We were in two person canoes, with Ryan being my partner for all three sessions. A prominent and important aspect of canoeing is what seat you sit in. I found it fun, and easier, to be in the back, whereas in the front you have a much tougher time, less legroom and limited control/power over the boat. I feel like I improved, however I am still at a stage where I can put the strokes I have learned into practice, just not when I have to do it impulsively. Additionally I know most of the strokes, just not the proper combination of them to make the boat go where it's supposed to. Over the time we had I learned how to properly draw (pull the paddle towards the boat), a pry (pushing the paddle away from the boat), and other strokes. We also learned how to semi-successfully switch seats on the water and how to ensure a perfectly un-capsized boat (always stay sitting, always paddle on different sides, etc...). There are two things I have learned about Deer lake (our canoeing venue) - 1) It's beautiful on the outside, with trees, sun and stunning landscape, and 2) It's morbid on the inside. In vivid detail our instructors described how waste from the house of all kinds (yes, all kinds). Were dumped into the lake, and how it was not possible to swim in the lake for "sanitary" reasons. Therefore getting wet or, at the worst capsizing, was definitely out of the picture.


Overall, though, I remained dry and happy, and I improved my canoeing skills to prepare for the exciting, water-filled future.


-Derek

Take a Hike

"Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb."    
-- Greg Child

Well, today we went hiking. It was a short hike, laden with ups and downs, twists and turns, but overall it was very fun. I had a full water bottle and before I made it a third of the way up the 50-minute-each-way hike I had drained the bottle. Moral of the story - bring more than one or a bigger water bottle. There were some tough parts to it, but the final outlook point was spectacular. Not too much to say, other than I enjoyed it and would do it again for OEE.

Thanks!



-Derek

Come and Gone

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”

The winter, along with the winter sports of OEE, is over. We have journeyed to Cypress for a couple of weeks to cross country, and then we traversed the road to Mount Seymour to do some snowshoeing. All in all, it was a great experience. I delved more into the aspects of the two sports that I enjoyed, and that I disliked. I learned what I was able, and unable, to accomplish, and I refined and redefined my skills. From a cross country skier who would simply "go for it" and occasionally lose control to one who could (somewhat) confidently remain in control, and one who was able to advance quicker, and one with a more open-minded towards the sport. In all honesty I did not learn all too much more this time. For the two sessions I was able to attend, the snow did not permit fast speed, which was easier but in a sense less exhilarating. Additionally, I was placed in the lesser advanced group on both occasions - the first time rightfully so but the second time I myself would have probably preferred the advanced group (although I wouldn't have got hot chocolate in that case!).  I did, however, have a good time advancing my skills, getting outside, getting active and all in all, enjoy myself, as I learned to glide across the snow, to "snowplow", to stop and how to ski across the rolling plains of untainted nature.

Snowshoeing was a very different OEE session than cross country skiing, to my surprise. Instead of solely advancing skills, our two snowshoeing sessions involved playing active games of capture the flag, therefore advancing our skills. We walked to an area and ran through the snow. I did end up wet and dehydrated, so in future I will wear more waterproof layers and bring water actually to the mountain. I do look forward to next year, and I am ready to strap on a pair of plastic shoes and head up to the mountain again.


I look forward to future winter activities!


-Derek

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing this year was conducted in a different format than in previous years. Instead of simply trudging around, as we have done, it was more structured, where we walked to an area and then played a game to get some exercise. Unfortunately for me, even with a toque and a hood I continually got wet, due to falling snow from trees and the sky. In future I will ensure that my hood always remains in the on position. Another thing that I have simultaneously remembered and forgotten to do is to bring a water bottle, as sometimes I forget it at school, or often it is not filled or such. Next week I will focus on the ten essentials, which I forgot to bring this week. I feel that I have not learned too much more, however I am happy that I got outside and got active (and that my team perpetually wins), and I look forward to tubing next week. Thank you!



-Derek

Uphill From Here

Cross country skiing is, well, interesting. I am a downhill skier. Always have been, always will. I often say that the best thing to add to cross country skiing is a chairlift. But still, it's fun. Whirring through the snow capped trees, honing in on skills like slowing down (a rather important skill indeed), stopping, skiing downhill, pushing uphill, skills that will come in handy for whenever I am cross country skiing again. The only area that I myself need to improve in is how I dress. I have continually ended up wet for both times, with and without a toque, with and without gloves. I always, however, wear a ski jacket, ski pants and some sort of inner layer to keep myself warm. The only other thing I would do for next time is to bring water. I am always thirsty skiing, and that would be a worthy thing to do.

Until next activity,

-Derek