gorgeous Kananaskis Country: http://www.kananaskisvalley.com/ and http://www.kananaskisvalley.com/gallery.html
Take care of them Alberta!
When they get there they will be biking everywhere (it's a hard core physical education class).
Somehow I don't think the hills of Moose Jaw gave them quite enough of a challenge. ;S
This message was edited May 26, 2005 7:38 PM
What a lovely opportunity for your DS and his class. Kananaskis Country is a beautiful area in the Rockies. I know he will enjoy himself.
That it is Donna Ü.......I wish I had volunteered to be a chaperone! Previous years students however took on that difficult chore (I'm sure they had so many volunteer names had to be drawn).
Our two oldest sons spent a week in Kananaskis quite a few years ago - think it was summer of '96. It was the International Cadet Jamboree - all the clubs from the US and Canada (Calvinist Cadet Corp). They had a fantastic time! The oldest was a Jr. Counselor so he got to do the bike riding thing too - that was a special activity just for them. A couple nephews were there too but they never saw each other the whole week - too many boys and too many activities!! Beautiful country!!!!!
Donna and Laura DS couldn't fall asleep until 2:00 am and was up at 5:30.........he was very, very excited!! Going by your sons' experiences Laura DS will remember this trip for a lifetime (not that there was too much doubt there ;). Must admit it was a little worrisome for a mother to see that all personal items had to be unscented and all clothes individually bagged in ziplocks (trying to avoid close encounters of the bear kind). He has a digital with him so Imma hoping i'll have one or two pictures to post. :)
This message was edited May 27, 2005 12:23 AM
Oh yeah, lots of memories and pins too. Each cadet got a pin and then the nurse handed out pins to anyone she treated - yup, both boys came home with those pins too! One got sunburned and I can't remember what the other had. Must not have been too serious... I was glad I didn't see the riding route tho - the pictures scared me enough when I saw them later - they really got into rugged terrain! Absolutely beautiful tho - and u know kids, they don't scare too easy! Must have been a sight - over a thousand kids together! LOL
LOLOL.....1000 kids together, that sounds soooooooo much like the trip my son made to Prince Edward Island for the International Scout Jamboree a couple years ago (I think they had over 3,000 there). This trip will only have around 20 Grade 11's.....not so sure I'm ecstatic tho to hear about the riding route! :S DS doesn't have a fear of extreme heights and sharp drop offs but I sure do! I do know that previous years kids all have come back tho and everyone said those that were chosen to belong to this class were extremely lucky and would enjoy everything they would be doing immensely.
The first week of June they will be heading waaaaaaaaaay up north to La Ronge : http://www.virtualsk.com/current_issue/la_ronge.html
edited to say please note Saskatchewan isn't ALL prairie! ;)
This message was edited May 27, 2005 8:04 PM
That is quite the rugged area! Long drive too! How long is he staying there?
They will be gone for 5 days.....2 days will be driving time and three days for canoeing.
Nice trip!! pssst can I go too?
You and me Laura.......will see what can be arranged! ;)
LOL, this brought back so many memories. La Ronge. My husband's home town area. My stepson and his family live at Buffalo Narrows, which is even farther North than La Ronge. As much as I will admit, it is not one of my favorite places in Canada, and the drive is so boring ... miles and miles, hour after hour without seeing anything but ...Northern Saskatchewan; the lakes in the area, as I am sure is the case for La Ronge, are incrediblely beautiful. It is very sparse and uninhaibited up there, but tranquil and untouched by the rapidly expanding polluting industries. The fishing and canoeing up there is fantastic so your son should really enjoy that trip as well, if that is on the agenda.
The canoeing and fishing are most definitely on the agenda Donna......Imma pretty positive they will be enjoying it too! I forgot that you had mentioned before it was your husband's home town. I know my Aunt and some friends made a fly-in trip there many years ago and her face would light up every time she talked about it.....she was quite the naturalist, loved canoeing, birdwatching and the great outdoors. She was very involved with the publication "The Blue Jay" as well.
Actually, DH's home town is a little french community called Domremy, which is just outside of Prince Albert. His son and his family are quite a bit further North, but it is lovely country up there...especially if you like seclusion!!!
They are home, DS is in one piece Ü, and so is the digi (but with a cracked lens now)!
Arrival in Kananaskis
What a VIEW!!! :D
Campsite
Creek near campsite
Morning view from campsite
Aaaaaaaah cool, fresh, pure Mountain spring water and early morning fresh air!
Taking a break
Step carefully......that water's mighty cool! ;)
One or two learned how cool......
The area they biked in.......I really, really want to go there!!!
DS at one of the waterfalls
Winter white prairie kids just before the Polar Bear Swim
DS confirmed that recently melted Mountain water is *very* cold
One last look at the lake
Final night........aaaaaaaaaaah the joys of a warm campfire!!!!
Final ride before packing up........so long Kananaskis! :'(
Ahhh, Lovely photos Pam. Brings back lots of memories of spening time in Kananaskis Country. Looks like they had a wonderful time. I bet that photo of the "Winter White Prairie Kids" will be an invaluable memory for those young adults for most of their lives.
DS was exhausted, bruised, cut and sunburnt Donna and smiling ear to ear........he loved every second of it!!!! The need for sunscreen, I think, will be more of an invaluable memory for all of them tho! ;)
He took 250 pictures.........I'm sooooooo amazed at how much his photography skills have developed over the past year! Ü
Pam those are great pictures. I have 2 questions:
1) why climb under the bridge when you can walk over (OK, so I"m older and not in shape)
2) where did he get those curls????
LOLOL
LOL......to prove that all their training had paid off. ;)
Noooooooooooooo idea where those curls came from. ;b
They also had to cross back again.......this is how they accomplished that! :S
LOL
I'd be testing the temp of that water every time I got close to it. No way I'd able to do any of that kind of stuff.
Good for the DS, I bet he had a great time, and is glad to be home in his own bed. Kudos to him!
Gotta admit I sure wouldn't have done most of what they did there either! ;)
I prolly should have posted this picture before the one where the boy fell off his bike.....oh well!
This one is a better example of what they thought about the water temps.
