“On the first day of Outers my mother sent with me: a thermos full of hot tea.”
The last part of the Outers experience is a twelve-day spring trip which involves paddling several hundred kilometers across lakes, down rivers, and through swamps. It also involves shooting rapids, lining canoes over shallow waters, avoiding waterfalls, wading through Loon Shit; then packing the boats, and all of your paraphernalia, across portages. And when I use the word portages, I use the term loosely, as on occasion some portages were created by sadists who were disguised as parks workers and whose only goal in life was to torture poor unsuspecting high school students. Many a time while slogging through a swamp, or humping my butt over deadfalls, or up granite cliffs, I discovered that the portage designation on the map was really more of a concept than an actual trail.
But all was not pain and suffering; there were times that the beauty of a morning sunrise over azure waters took my breath away, or that I experienced the feeling of simple joy as I sat quietly by a crackling fire listening to the call of a night hawk hunting above my head, which made it all worthwhile. Happily the trip involved dealing with wildlife such as bear, moose, and deer, and quite often these encounters were met more with excitement than trepidation. Although, I have to admit that in my experience the majority of my encounters with wildlife involved more black flies and mosquitoes than actual mammals.
“On the twelfth day of Outers my mother sent with me:
12 bags of trail mix,
11 bandage boxes,
10 squirts of bug dope,
9 pairs of long johns,
8 tubes of sun screen,
7 fire starters,
6 extra paddles,
5 wool socks,
4 nylon tents,
3 match books,
2 PFDs,
And a thermos full of hot tea!”
One of my favourite parts of the spring trip was the three-day solo that we spent on Wendigo Lake. Each person was dropped off in a secluded spot on the lake and spent three days all by their ownsies with only a jam can full of food. I think the object of the exercise was to help a person develop independence by overcoming the fear of being alone out in the wilderness and realizing that if they had to they could survive on their own. But I think that there is another, unspoken goal in this exercise as well: I believe it also gives people a chance to be by themselves for a while so that they don’t end up beating each other over the head with their paddles because they have spent too much time cooped up together in a canoe.
For me, the three-day solo was a joyful experience where I slept in, washed my hair and my clothes, fished, and caught up on some reading. At that point I was so happy to be away from people that I had even devised a method of bringing my flag in without having to actually show myself to the teachers who came by twice a day to check up on me. After three days when we all once again congregated in a big group, everyone seemed very happy to see each other. We regaled each other with our tales of individual bravery, fear, relaxation, and even boredom (me), well those of us who didn’t break solo that is. Those who couldn’t make it on their own, and had snuck into someone else’s camp for the duration, told stories of happy times in smaller groups.
For the remainder of the journey, as we headed home, we enjoyed warm, sunny days, and the burgeoning greenery of spring. We laughed, and sang, as we paddled towards our final destinations with feelings of accomplishment and camaraderie which carried us through any difficulty we encountered over the last few days. We all knew that this adventure would be something that we would never forget for the rest of our lives and the entire group had warm feelings of friendship towards each other, unless you brought up the topic of teapots, that is. But that is another story altogether.
Image Credits
“Brigade #4” by Gab Halasz – All Rights Reserved
“Outers Logo” – Used with permission from Atikokan High School
Recent Gab Halasz Articles:
- Ho, Ho, Ho and Merry Friggin' Christmas
- Chicken Train, Sitting All Day
- Two Lone Pine Boys - Part 3
- Two Lone Pine Boys - Part 2
- Two Lone Pine Boys - Part 1
Right on the money Auntie Gab!
Solo was bar none the best part of 12 day! The day before solo we were probably all ready to just about rip each other apart, but after those three days we were all best of friends again. I say shame to those who broke theirs! Looking back now, I can’t believe I managed with fire on the first night only…
Loving these Outers stories!
As much as the three day solo terrifies me I am drawn to the image of really getting to know yourself and your capabilities. This again tells me why this family has such strong values and fortitude. Way to go Halasz clan!!!
This story makes me sad that I never got to participate in “The Outers Experience.” Even though it sounds like there were bad times you make it seem magical. Maybe it’s something I can force my kids into.
Very fitting and festive! Makes me sad I was never a part of “The Outers” experience. It might be something to strive for my own kids!