Outward Bound: Longest Field Trip of the Year

All positive and raring to go at the start, our first challenge didn't bode well for the rest of our field trip. The initial 12 participants from MicroSkills arrived at Broadview Station punctually but spent the whole time barking up the wrong tree, waiting on the south and then the north side of the Erindale - Broadview junction. Finally, the white bus showed up, and we tracked it down to its pick-up point, where we saw the following green sign mocking us on the lawn:

Hands duly stamped, it was time for the de rigeur photo op, including the following, from left: Lily and son Andy, Xiuli and daughter, Joan, Zumurod, Yumei, Amir, George, and Ivy and husband Gordon. In absentia: Munna.

It's quite a place, but things were kind of dead on arrival--there would be no activity till 10:30, and even then. So what was there to do but to drift and to wait.

These times were comforting but fictional. Some activities might've started more than 15 minutes late had one or two proactive leaders gone out of the way to page their colleagues.

How strange: not too much desperation to join the canoe portage activity!

 The tent raising activity seemed to be a hit! I can't wait to read Amir's, Yumei's, and Joan's reports!

Some of us followed guide Justin to the teamwork games activity.

 Gordon and Ivy seemed to have gotten ample conversational practice on their hike.

That was my group crossing a river of hot lava! The others may disagree, but the food might have been the best thing at the Open House. Trail treats, including apples, hard granola bars, various other snacks, and apple juice made a welcome break after our first round of activities. Ideally, the water fountain would have been turned on as well.

Biggest logjam: the challenge tower was a hit but hit with an unfortunate combination of equipment guesswork, queue jumping, rope hogging, popularity, and wind chill. There were kids up there who wouldn't come down, teens who didn't respect the line, counsellors who disregarded the queue jumping or didn't seem to know the ropes (literally), and MicroSkills participants who were potentially looking at a three to four-hour wait to get kitted.



Finally, all of us decided to cut loss and go to the portable wall instead, which was when my camera batteries ran out.

After catching the half-hourly shuttle to Broadview, grabbing lunch, and riding the streetcar to Yonge, some of us were caught by the rain and a TTC subway delay, arriving back in North York after 4 p.m.

Given participants' excitement and enthusiasm, there's little question as to our commitment to a healthy lifestyle and the great Canadian outdoors. Nor was there any question about Outward Bound's ability to deliver on its outdoor education courses. It would be great if they would consider a few suggestions on how to overcome the teething on what must surely be their first outing in Toronto!