An Outdoor Pursuits Weekend: Hiking, Kayaking, Eating and Singing

1 May 2012Jim Ganley

Upon arriving at the campsite late last Friday afternoon, the work of taking care of ourselves quickly began. After a quick survey of our temporary home, we got to work. We found ourselves surrounded by massive fir trees and green salal, with the river rushing by one side of our camp. Front and centre, our base of operations was a large shelter built of huge logs and conveniently set up to hold our kitchen and eating area. Some students were assigned to set up tents, others worked on preparing our chicken and pasta dinner, while still others worked on setting up the race course. Oh, yes, in addition to a weekend of camping, ODP was also there to set up and execute a whitewater kayak race.

Very few students had any idea of what this entailed, but there we were getting ready under the careful direction of Mr. Norman. Mercifully, the weather was not as forecast, and as the campfire burned brighter over our darkening campsite, we enjoyed spectacular stars in clear skies. Guitars, mandolins and ukuleles sang out until the time came to retire to our beds.

Morning brought more sunshine, and as sleepy students emerged from tents, the smell of bacon promised a hearty breakfast. The morning brought some more work on setting up for the race we were supposed to be hosting, and then the fun could begin. Those in the ODP class who specialize in climbing set off for an 8 km hike along the river, with some quality time spent soaking up warmth and sunshine. The rest of the group launched their kayaks and went out to see what sort of whitewater the river had to offer. There were spills and chills, but skill levels are slowly rising, and by the end of the afternoon all of the paddlers had navigated new sections of river (although a few chose to swim rather than paddle). The whole group reunited on our campsite for another excellent dinner, and a pot-luck dessert sugarfest that couldn’t be beat. Guitars and song mingled with shouts and screams as games, music and general relaxing around the fire quickly filled the rest of the evening.

On Sunday morning, paddlers nervously changed into wet gear to get ready for the race, while the other students quickly became voluntold into their new responsibilities as gate judges and timers. 7 Brentwood students and 6 other kayakers gave the course their best shot, and pretty soon it was time to load the truck with all the gear and return to campus. Special thanks to all who helped with running the excellent event.

Where Students Choose To Be