A bear!
I remember these as spring SASE 9 trips. I remember Bob & I were to assist, teacher Jenny Darling.
Each time I pass this site on the Takhini River, my memory is beckoned. Over the years the site’s giant log is moved by winter ice and spring flood waters, but not too terribly much. Really, the site hasn’t changed. We were camped for a night or two. I can’t remember if my recollection was the first night or the second night – I am going with the first night because usually teenagers are ramped up with more energy on the first night. Regardless of which night, we were to be rising before 8 am to get on with the day. Students were sent to their tents around 10:30 or 11 pm with the grace of a half hour to settle. Though this wasn’t the first, or second overnight class outing, four over-energized teenage boys treated this experience as a first-time summer camp outing. They were going to stay up late. They were going to laugh and shout, ignoring the fact that sound travels through nylon tent walls into the stillness of the night. Such can be the attitude of some. I don’t know how many times I was up to quiet the boys, nor do I know how many times Jenny was up to do likewise, assuredly it was many. I remember thinking to myself, or commenting to Jenny, or both, “How can Bob sleep through this noise?” Not a stir came from Bob’s tent. Eventually and in the early hours, all was quiet… that is until moments before the set rising time. “BANG! BANG!” I jumped out of my tent running for an uncontrollable pee. Standing quietly with a big grin was Bob. Loudly he commented “Didn’t you hear the bear, walk through our camp? Right by those tents?” pointing toward the tent of its disruptive occupants. “Better get movin’ before the bear returns.”
In a bedazzled state students chaotically tumbled out from their tents, inquiring
“What kinda bear?”
“Was it a grizzly?”
“A black?”
With a twinkle in his eye, softly Bob replied, “A ro, bear.”
Forever etched in my memory is that bend in the river, that campsite, that lesson, that day.
Ciao…j*
Winter survival
A couple of months earlier (in March) with the same SASE 9 group, with Jenny as the teacher, we camped at Tat Camp for a winter survival experience. Tat Camp, with its cook shack, running water and a place to warm up and dry out proved an ideal location for such an experience. Students were grouped in pairs, tasked with building a survival shelter to spend a night, or even two. The pairs were to be far enough away so as to create a survival experience, but close enough to be seen and supervised. The snow was deep, very deep – often as it is in March at Tat Camp. Bob & I were tasked with allocating survival sites for the shelters to be built. Bob knowing the area like the back of his hand, wandered this way, that way, through the bush with students aimlessly following. Identifying a site, Bob would say, “Okay who wants this site?” Four over-energized teens with foul mouths would push to the front saying in exuberance, “Me! Me!”. Bob would say “No, I have a special site for you.” assigning the site to a quieter pair. This would repeat until the four teens remained. After walking some distance and in a very large circle, Bob decided the last four would race to the next site. The two arriving first were awarded the site. The four boys lined up, and Bob gave the command, “Go!” Instantaneously the two most boisterous were down in the snow scrambling to get up, loudly exclaiming “You tripped me! Not fair!” In a cool and calm demeanour, Bob replied “And you piss me off.” Such were the lessons of Bob.
Ciao…j*
(* when corresponding electronically with Bob, this would be my signature)
