Today, the 18 km we had to cover with a few barely perceptible white-water sections should have been easy, but the weather got mixed up in the equation and complicated what was supposed to be simple in theory. I’d like to permanently live in theory, things don’t every seem to get complicated there.
We wake up to a grey, threatening sky. After breakfast, we load up the canoes for the penultimate time. The trip is drawing to an end. We play a little “cowboy” game to warm ourselves up. I’ll spare you the complicated instructions, but it’s fun and does the job.
Once the teams are identified for the day, onboarding in the canoes is quicker than ever—everyone is confident with the routine. But then it starts raining, and it doesn’t seem to just be a short shower. So even if the canoeing isn’t hard at all, the weather has shifted the outlook for the day.
At the beginning of the expedition, Marie-Michelle had told the participants that they might be confronted by social challenges related to living in a group, challenges related to the activities, and challenges related to the weather. Up until today, we were quite lucky weather-wise, but today, the rain is definitely going to make things harder.
It pours all morning and many start feeling the cold creep in under their rain jackets. We’re overdue for a break. Marie-Michelle quickly brings the participants together under a tarp to create a “mushroom,” a kind of cocoon that helps keep some warmth in. At the same time, the others start the campfire despite the rain, and it’s soon warm enough to even put soaking wood on top. The tarp is then set up properly and lunch is served.
When it’s time to get going, the rain appears to diminish and then, to our great delight, stops completely when we get to our new campsite. We won’t have to set up our tents under the rain, what a relief!
The teams for the day are assembled and everyone gets busy with their chores. Our campsite is actually a large field full of blueberries and saskatoon berries. And now it’s the adults in the group that turn into kids and stuff themselves silly with these little berries. Many even start picking a bunch for tomorrow: a home-made jam might just be on the menu for the last breakfast of the expedition.
The afternoon draws to a close with shepherd’s pie for dinner accompanied by freshly made mini-Rice Krispie squares for dessert.
In the evening, a last reflection activity brings the participants, guides, facilitators and volunteers together to conclude the day.
You’ll hear more about it from me tomorrow—what was said deserves more than just a sentence at the end of a page.
On that note, see you tomorrow!
P.S. Everyone is now tucked away in their tents, and I’m being eaten alive by the mosquitos and no-see-ums that came out barely an hour ago. My office has quite the view, but also comes with some inconveniences.
Louis-Étienne Prévost
Volunteer photographer-blogger for the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation
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Translated by Anna Tomczyk
In pictures
