Dorsa Hajimohammadi/ Staff reporter
This weekend, the Outdoor Club went on a backpacking, and camping trip to Elfin Lakes. Students were able to learn, and practice backpacking, and overnight camping in the backcountry, while demonstrating proper safety etiquette, leadership, and group behaviours during the trip. “Leave No Trace” camping was emphasized throughout the trip as well as BC Parks rules, and school rules. The head of the outdoor club, Ms. Bogen, plans events and travels on trips with the members in the club.
“The Outdoor Club is for students who share a love for active living in the outdoors, such as hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and surfing.” said Ms. Bogen. The GOC (Gleneagle Outdoor Club) is committed to Leave-No-Trace camping skills to preserve the natural environment. It is non-competitive and the goal is to support each other.
The Outdoors’s Club most recent event is “for grade 9’s that would like to learn to canoe, we will teach basic canoe skills at Buntzen Lake on Saturday December 3rd and Saturday December 10th, 2022. Anyone in grade 9 is welcome to sign up for one or both days. Students will find details on the Outdoor Club Teams page.” explains Ms. Bogen. To join the Teams page, use the code q6g40jq.
What members in the Outdoor Club do is “we go outside! Some students sign up for the exercise, some sign up for the photography opportunities, and they all enjoy the good stories shared on each trip. The outdoor club is about developing self-sufficient skills to travel safely outside, using human power, and to be a good teammate. “This year, we are focused on hiking and canoeing. We explored Garibaldi Park in October with an overnight hiking trip to Elfin Lakes. We timed it for a full moon rising over the mountain peaks. In November, we pulled out the canoes and spent two days exploring ocean paddling in Indian Arm. Next year, we will add a surfing trip to Tofino, on the far west coast, and hopefully we will see the Milky Way at night with the dark sky.” said Ms. Bogen.
“It was a really good experience; I had a great time with my friends; it was overall relaxing, and everyone was having a fun time.” said Ethan Dill, grade 11, one of the members in the Outdoor Club, who recently went on the trip to Elfin Lake. According to Dill, “I like the outdoor experiences, and I had a lot of my friends in the club as well.” “That’s why I joined the club.” What Dill enjoys about the outdoor club is taking trips like the Elfin Lakes trip. “I enjoyed the views; it was great scenery, and I really enjoyed camping, being in the outdoors, and seeing nature.” “I joined the club at the start of the year, so this is my first time as a member of the club,” explains Dill.
“The club will hold meetings at lunch in Room 104 when needed, such as preparing for a trip and going over details. The students are responsible for cleaning up gear after the trip, so they often meet at lunch to complete their duties.” explains Ms. Bogen.
Ms. Bogen enjoys running the outdoor club because “nature teaches kids in ways that compliments what schools strive to do – building life-long sustainable skills and hopefully building lifelong relationships. On a serious note, our relationship to the natural world is fundamental to our health. On a fun note, we have a lot of laughs.” said Ms. Bogen.
If you love the outdoors, nature, beautiful scenery, and want to experience camping, and backpacking all with your friends join the Outdoor Club!