Today was our first day in Churchill, and man was it an adventure up here! We started our journey in Winnipeg gathered in front of Kelvin High School. At that point, we were groggily wiping sleep from our eyes and preparing for the harrowing journey ahead. Lugging our bags to the bus stop and shaking in the cold air, we prepared for the bus' arrival; awaiting it anxiously. We stood there waiting; and waiting; and waiting. The bus ended up arriving two hours late, but we never let that dampen our spirits. Boarding with a smile, we were ready for Churchill. During the eight-hour bus ride which was then followed by a seventeen-hour train ride, our group had plenty of time get to know each other. Talking, laughing, and trying our best to sleep we made new friends as well as strengthened old friendships. When we got to Gilliam and Churchill, we added new members to our team and were then set for the trip.
Our arrival at the CNSC was welcomed. Standing on ground that wasn't moving and being able to take a horizontal nap was greatly appreciated. It was interesting to watch the reactions of the students who were exploring the building for the first time, and see those who had come before rediscover the places where they had already made memories. We had time to unpack, relax, and spend some much needed time in the shower. We enjoyed our lunch before heading out to Blue Sky for dog sledding.
The bus ride to Blue Sky was mostly uneventful as some slept for the trip there. However, once we got there, we were subsequently greeted by dogs that came in all shapes and sizes (one was particularly popular with the group because of her thick coat of fur). While there, the Junior Rangers also arrived a bit later and congregated with us inside the "tent" to talk about dog sledding experiences and introduce us to their dogs' names. After the introductions, we were separated into groups of two with people from other schools and given a number that denotes when we would be able to ride on the dogsleds. Since the dog sledding was about seven minutes long with twenty-six groups, we had lots of time to occupy ourselves with such as eating the bannock and cookies the Blue Sky hosts prepared, drinking coffee and hot chocolate, feeding the whiskey jacks around the area, and simply socializing with each other. The entire event with Blue Sky was about four hours long and just before we were about to leave, we were given a chance to pet the dogs up close, which both groups can unanimously agree to enjoying. At about five o'clock in the evening, we departed for CNSC and prepared for our two days on the tundra to come.
Our arrival at the CNSC was welcomed. Standing on ground that wasn't moving and being able to take a horizontal nap was greatly appreciated. It was interesting to watch the reactions of the students who were exploring the building for the first time, and see those who had come before rediscover the places where they had already made memories. We had time to unpack, relax, and spend some much needed time in the shower. We enjoyed our lunch before heading out to Blue Sky for dog sledding.
The bus ride to Blue Sky was mostly uneventful as some slept for the trip there. However, once we got there, we were subsequently greeted by dogs that came in all shapes and sizes (one was particularly popular with the group because of her thick coat of fur). While there, the Junior Rangers also arrived a bit later and congregated with us inside the "tent" to talk about dog sledding experiences and introduce us to their dogs' names. After the introductions, we were separated into groups of two with people from other schools and given a number that denotes when we would be able to ride on the dogsleds. Since the dog sledding was about seven minutes long with twenty-six groups, we had lots of time to occupy ourselves with such as eating the bannock and cookies the Blue Sky hosts prepared, drinking coffee and hot chocolate, feeding the whiskey jacks around the area, and simply socializing with each other. The entire event with Blue Sky was about four hours long and just before we were about to leave, we were given a chance to pet the dogs up close, which both groups can unanimously agree to enjoying. At about five o'clock in the evening, we departed for CNSC and prepared for our two days on the tundra to come.