by Henk deJong
Cadet Winter Camp 2012 started off with a typical West Coast “monsoon”! We had our doubts about the weather and were preparing for the worst. No need to worry though, as our convoy of 4 vehicles loaded with 9 cadets and 7 leaders, tents, backpacks sleeping bags, camp supplies, food coolers and a cord of firewood crested Allison Pass… in a snow blizzard! Yes we were going “Winter Camping” to Manning Park!!!
We arrived at Lone Duck group campground and immediately set out to unload our supplies down the dark snow covered trail to the group shelter. When the gear had been carried, sledded and tobogganed to the end of the trail, the boys staked out their tent sites and set up what would be their sleeping quarters for the next 2 nights. Within the hour a roaring fire was going in the shelter and hot chocolate and coffee were brewing. It was well past midnight before the first tired yawns signaled that the day’s work was done and that it was bed time.
Temperature was a balmy -5 degrees C that night and we awoke to blue skies and a mild day. The boys had a free time morning: building snow caves in the 2 metre snow pack, sledding and tobogganing. At noon we set off to the Manning Park resort for an afternoon of cross country skiing. By dinner time the gang was hungry and tired.
Dinner that evening was 5 varieties of chili complete with hot dogs! The chili was provided by 5 moms, and dinner was actually a chili tasting contest. When the final results were in we agreed that it was a five way tie for first place.
We then started a LARGE bonfire and finished off the evening with smores (marshmallow and chocolate pieces sandwiched between 2 graham crackers), more hot chocolate and coffee and campfire songs. Everyone called it an early evening and we crawled back into our cold tents and sleeping bags. A light snow lulled us to sleep.
On Sunday morning we awoke to light snow and -3 C temperatures. There were some cold boys that morning who made the area around the potbelly stove their home for the next few hours. After a delicious breakfast and devotion time the boys had a few remaining hours of fun in the snow and then a slow clean up and packing up of our gear.
This was a most memorable trip for all of us!