Have you ever wanted a week of school to just to go on and on?  Well, this actually happened during Mountainside’s kayak trip to the Broken Group of Islands on the west coast of Vancouver Island. 

 

Seven brave, adventurous, positive and often wet students didn’t just survive but thrived in spite of long days paddling, frigid water and a pescetarian diet (like vegetarian, but with fish); a few blistered hands and an iPhone 6 were the only casualties. Some of the many highlights included visiting various archaeological sties of the Tseshaht First Nation including fish traps and former village sites, paddling out to the edge of the islands and getting a feel of open ocean swell, listening to stories by campfire from the Tseshaht Beach Keepers, enjoying a freshly caught sockeye salmon (courtesy of the Beach Keepers) for lunch on our last day, and simply paddling around dozens of pristine islands on water that shone bright turquoise, green and yellow under the fleeting sun. All these experiences became meaningful because they were shared by a special group of students who were open to taking on the unknown and appreciating whatever came their way. 

We owe a large amount of gratitude to Sea Kayak Instruction and Leadership Systems and our incredible guide, Kevin Bradshaw, for making the trip such an extraordinary experience.