The Greatest Canoe Trip of all Time

Where Boys Become Men

The Team

LeftRight: Back Row: Ben “Bravo” Martin ,“Hutch”, Kathleen, Shannon, Rici, Justin “ “Howard, Justin “J-Stroke” Barbour, Nick “Macgyver” Molyneux, Nigel “Captain” Cooke, ”, Shane, Danny, Sam, Kelly, Justin “Oilskins” Noseworthy, Andrew “One-Man Show” Casey, Lisa, Kevin “Mantracker” Redmond, Bas “Survivor Man” Kavanagh . Front Row: Rodney “Hot Rod” Myers, “Dale”, “Britt”.

Important “Group Gear”25 Person school bus & Large U-Haul truck

to get us to the start point!One throw-rope, One Bailer per Canoe2 Partners and 2 PFDs per CanoeExtra Paddles & RopeShovel and AxeLarge Map & CompussWaterproof Matches….the list goes on!

“Personal” GearChange of clothes Rain gear Extra pair of warm

socks and boots Sunglasses Pocket KnifeSmall Map &

CompassBinocularsWaterproof Matches

Flashlight & WhistleFirst-Aid KitGarbage bagsToiletriesFood (meals &

snacks)Camp stove & Eating

UtensilsBottled waterEtc.

Essential Gear!

As you may notice, “Captain” Cooke is an expert when it comes to essential camping gear!

Common Canoeing & Camping Terms & Sayings:

Bow & Stern: Front & Back of the Canoe

Pry, Draw, J-Stroke, Sweep, & Plant: Different paddle strokes used to maneuver the canoe in any desired way.

“Latrine”: Designated camp area for male & female nature-washrooms.

“Portage”: Carrying the canoe a distance over land.

“Raft-up”: All canoes of the group meet at a planned location on the pond.

Benjamin “Bravo” Martin showing smooth skill by using a stern-pry to help move the canoe sideways.

Helpful Tips for Canoeing &

CampingWaterproof all gear using zip-lock and

garbage bagsKeep essentials close at handTie all gear down in canoe (leaving some

slack in case of capsizing)Use naming system to communicate between

canoes (Alpha, Bravo, etc) & Raft-Up Routinely.

All canoes stay relatively close in proximityPlan meals for tent groups instead of

personal mealsPre-Plan the trip (route, timing, etc)

Beginning of our JourneyStart point: Peak Pond (off Salmonier line,

NL)

Our first “raft-up” of many; Halfway through Peak Pond.

Through the Canal! After battling the wind through Peak Pond,

we finally arrived at the scenic man-made canal that connected us to Split Rock Pond.

Due to Nasty

Weather…“Survivorman” Kavanagh And “Mantracker “ Redmond were forced to make a game-time decision and altered our original plans to continue on to Old Sea; Instead we paddled to the end of Split Rock Pond and set up camp.

Two Canoe Legends ^^

At the Campsite (Night 1)After landing the canoes, we set up camp by

choosing tent locations & pitching them, digging the latrines, collecting firewood, and finally preparing our evening meals.

Justin “J-Stroke” Barbour takes a well earned rest after cooking supper for his tent group.

Campfire Fun!After some interesting

campfire games, we learned that Bas “Survivorman” Kavanagh, and other select team members including Ben “Bravo” Martin are wizards and can perform “Black Magic”.

It is an honor to be a member of “the hockey stick club”

Survivorman can sleep anywhere! The Bys’ trying to build a

fire! ^^

The PortageAfter breakfast on Saturday, we were on the water again by 10 AM. We then paddled to the point where we would begin our portage to the final pond, “Old Sea” where we would spend the rest of the day being tested on our newly acquired canoeing skills.

One highlight of the trip: The Portage! ^^^

The Ultimate Test

“Close….But do it again” - Bas

Once we reached a calm cove at the end of Old Sea, we began our testing day. Tests of our newly acquired skills included:Docking & Stopping Straight Line Paddling (forward

& backward)Paddling in circles & figure 8s**Nigel “Captain” Cooke and

his stern-man Josh Howard also decided to test their swimming skills**

At the Campsite (Night 2)After returning from our grueling test day and

two vigorous portages, we arrived back at camp and immediately began preparing our long awaited meals.

After eating, we had another relaxing, social night around the campfire and discovered some more very strange talents of some of our peers!

The Homeward VoyageAfter an early rise, we packed up our gear,

made sure the campsite was spotless and launched our canoes to begin the voyage home. Our demeanor was put to the test once again as we faced head-on winds the entire way back. Fortunately, we were all professionals by this point and the wind proved to be no competition for our skills & knowledge.

We Made It Out Alive!After paddling back

through Split Rock & Peak Pond, we arrived back at back at our start/end point!

“Survivorman” Kavanagh took one the team and walked back to get the U-Haul

The rest of us prepared the canoes and gear for loading back onto the truck and bus for the ride back home!

Credits…

We would like to thank Bas“Survivorman” Kavanagh & Kevin “Mantracker” Redmond for making this production possible by sharing their wealth of knowledge and skills with us throughout the duration of

HKR 3220…

This Production Brought to you by the Greatest 4-Man Tent Group Ever…

Nigel “Captain” Cooke & Nick “MacGyver” Molyneux

Benjamin “Bravo” Martin & Justin “J-Stroke” Barbour

The End!