Week to Week

My attempts to stay up to date every week fell through last week because I ended up having only a half day off between weeks.

Week one of the summer was a difficult and interesting week, I had a group of inner city kids from the twin cities. Lots of behavioral issues and just a really tough but good week. I feel like all of the kids got a lot out of the week and that the adult leaders really got a chance to connect with the kids. We were on the Flambaux river in central Wisconsin which is just a beautiful river that is mostly flat water canoeing with some sweet rapids towards the end. I unfortunately was unable to take my group all the way down the river, partially because they just weren't up for the paddling involved to get there but also because I didn't feel confidante that they could handle it and listen to my co-guide and myself.

This last week was a completely different week this week a was a trip on the Bois Brule river with a group of foster kids from western Minnesota, and they were just absolutely amazing group of kids. They were all very up beat and respectful of the rules and boundries we set, and they really were willing to help out with anything and everything. It was just a really great week, the weather was beautiful if not a little hot. We also had very few tips through out the week, which with the Brule is a very fortunate as the river is fiarly rapidy and technical. The end of the week is rather bizare, we ended having to evactuate the group and had to end the week on the Amnicon river rather than the Brule.

The story of this is that as my group pulled into our campsite and there was already a group there, that had a reservation for two of the three sites at the camp. The campsite is also an extreamly primitave one and kind of hard to see that there are three sometimes. So they were not terribly happy to see up or really even very cooperative. One of the men though was willing to drive me out to where there was cell phone reception for me to make a call back to base to try and get things figured out. On the drive out the man was very open about how this group of guys was out here to party and not willing to tone there activies, and considering I was esentially sitting on a case of beer as we drove out, I wasn't terribly comfortable with having my group out there with this group of guys either. So the decision was made between our director and myself to pull out and move camp sites. It ended up being just a really positive and realaxing evening for the group and this morning we just took our time and really explored the beach and the kids found a lot of beach glass and agates to take home with them. So as a whole the week was just a really positve and awesome week. And now I'll leave you with a few pictures of the sailing training.