On this Saturday we woke up extra early for an 8:15 departure for Horseshoe Bay so that we could board the ferry for Nanaimo: we were bound for Horne Lake Camping Grounds! Everyone was uber excited to go camping and full of energy during the two bus rides and the ferry ride to the campsite. Everyone sang along to the songs that our kind bus driver put on the radio, and I sang for the whole four hour ride to the campsite.
We arrived at the campsite and were immediately hustled to our first activity: rock repelling. We had two guides who radiated competence from the first time they spoke. They expertly led us through all the steps of climbing down cliffs and helped many of my friends overcome their fear of heights. The climb down was exhilirating: I wanted to go down higher cliffs than the ones I had been repelling, but unfortunately, it was time to head back to our campsite.
My group got lost for around fifteen minutes and so arrived at dinner late. Even so, dinner was amazing. The desert, which was ice cream sandwiches, were melting, and so to help the caterers reduce waste, I swallowed three before my groupmates had time to collect their tacos, fruits, and vegetables and get to the dinner tables. Understandably, I didn't feel too well afterward...
The whole group went to the beach to cool down after a hot day of activities and sweating. The water was surprisingly cold and my fingers had a blue tinge to them when I left the water to dry myself. I, along with many other Shads were severely chilled and rushed back to the campsite to find solace in our fireplace.
During the night we had a campfire in which everyone sang songs and told scary stories. We made smores, passed around sunchips, and drank fruit juices for snacks while talking around the campfire. Eventually, a massage circle formed and everyone enjoyed soothing massages after a long day of hard activities.
After the campfire, we brushed our teeth and went to the bathroom...in the bushes, but were disappointed to find out that the campsite lacked shower facilities! This was worse news than when the boys found out that they were limited only to three meals per day. Sweaty, sticky, and smelly, everyone went into their tents to sleep, awaiting a new day full of adventures at Horne Lake Campgrounds.
Ricky Leem, Shad Valley University of British Columbia 2010
Hometown: Coquitlam, BC
