Grade eight students at St. Francis School here were given a unique opportunity for their class trip when they travelled to Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba last week for a three-day covered wagon tour and wilderness camping trip.
The 29 students and their chaperones were dropped off at the Lake Audy Bison Range on Monday, where a herd of 35 bison are maintained.
Then they were transported to their campsite at Whitewater Lake in horse-drawn covered wagons driven by outfitters from Trailhead Ranch.
They were given strict packing rules, and could only bring along 30 pounds of gear per person so they did not overload the wagons for the horses.
The campsite was on a former WW II prisoner of war camp that had remains of concrete footings from old buildings and dug-out canoes.
The students were given responsibilities each day for maintaining the horses and the campsite, and cooking food for the group. They also were divided into “tribes” and participated in survival activities where they competed for luxury items.
On the second day, the students and chaperones went on a 12-km hike and had to cross a shallow river to reach their destination at Long Lake. Wildlife was abundant, and a deer jumped out in front of one of the girls during a game a tag.
On the trip home, everyone agreed they had a great time–despite the woodticks.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
