Tuesday, October 30, 2007

An unprecedented beligerence

Hey everyone. I really do suck at updating this thing. I guess I just kind of forget about it sometimes, I mean, all the time...
A quick recap of what has been going on. Went rock climbing on real rock for the first time in a while last weekend, got to the top of a 5.11 climb. I was pretty happy about that. Thats not to say that I completed the climb, I fell lots and took lots of breaks, but hey, climbing flat rock faces with no holds on it is hard! Also went white water rafting this past weekend, which was a blast.
Midterms are done, so far the marks I've gotten back have been very pleasing. I need to buckle down and start doing some of the major papers that are coming up. I have one due on November 15th, so starting today should give me lots of time, as long as I don't continue to procrastinate.
On another note. Everyone and anyone who comes and reads this needs to go here
This is my daily updated, online comic strip that I draw. Please read it. I hear its funny.
In any case, now I will placate you all with pictures.
I'm out.

Chuck

P.S

I here is a sample of one of my comics, just in case you haven't gone here yet

Thursday, September 6, 2007

First week and previous

So I have now been at Columbia for almost 3 weeks now, lots has been happening. We did a first aid course in the first week, a coastal trip in the second, and now, classes.
The coastal trip was an absolute blast. As a program we were split into Alpha and Bravo teams. I have the wonderful privilege of being Bravo 1. Starting at Oil City, we worked our way of to Ozette. During the trip we had an assignment that we had to complete. We were supposed to identify different species of Flora and Fauna. We had five different categories, of which we had to identify four of each. Seeing as how this was worth 15% of the course mark, I started early. I'm glad I did, because many people did not end up filling their card. I think my favorite discovery was the flat porcelain crab, who's claws were as big as him. We covered a number of different kinds of terrain, from rocky scrambling, to overland trails, to stretches of flat beaches. We got back to the school around 1:00 in the morning of the 2nd.
From there we moved into orientation, moved into our new places, and had to meet a whole gamut of new students. Seeing as there are only 500 of them total, which is smaller than my old high school, that doesn't seem like too daunting of a prospect. Classes are not too bad yet, they seem like stuff that I would be interested in for sure, though I have yet to be to one of my Anabaptist classes, which the only reason I have to take it is because everyone has to take it. Not much to do with Outdoor Leadership.
Tomorrow we head out on a field for Kayak Rescue and Recovery, which sounds exciting, since we are doing it in the ocean. Thats the nice thing about this program, no classes Friday's and we play outside doing crazy stuff.
Yesterday we did our first OL fitness training, where we ran 6.2km, and then swam 600m in the pool that we ran to. I then had to run back to school, so that I could get to class on time. Missing class is not really an option in such a small school.
In my spare time I've been doodling and making comics, some of which I may post up here if I think that it is good enough. In any case, enough about that, and I'm out of things to right about.
Peace out.

Monday, August 20, 2007

First Week of OL

So I have arrived here at Columbia Bible College, and things have been pretty interesting so far. Already we are pretty loaded down with reading and assignments, and we have only just started. We start our first aid training tomorrow, and it sounds like it will be pretty intense. We have also started a physical training program, where our first job was a light 5.75 km. Eventually, in second semester, they will have us working on a similar program as that of the Navy Seals. No jokes, thats what they said.
Today, we played around with radios, learned about tide line and charts, learned how to keep a log book, and played with stoves. The stoves was really cool, because we had an MSR Dragonfly that wasn't working, so we ended up taking the thing completely apart, and then putting it back together again. What better way to show us how it works. By the way, it did get fixed.
I have met lots of people so far, though it is difficult as of yet to maintain any kind of internet use, since we don't have access to computer labs yet. In any case, I'm looking forward to the upcoming coastal trip.
And I'm out.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Out There


I have just spent one of the most amazing weeks of my summer paddling the Noir River in Quebec. Working with camp I had the chance to help lead a canoe trip down this river. It was by far the best 5 day canoe trip I have done.
I do not exaggerate when I say that everything about that week was epic. Things were either epically slack, or intense. On Wednesday we did a 1.34 km portage, with a sheer drop at the end of it. My feet are still recovering.
The rapids were sweet. In the picture, we are running a class three, with empty boats, while the other trippers carried the gear to the bottom of the rapid.
Our game plan was as such: paddle down around the first rock, then eddie out, then do a c turn down to another eddie, then ferry across to the eddie on the opposite shore to pick up the gear. By some stroke of luck, we tried to eddie out 3 times, and failed 3 times. However, we instead of things going south, we just went straight into our ferry, and things went mostly perfect. Except when we tried to start with a back ferry (going backwards), that just ended up being sloppy.
The blue canoe that you see in this picture took quite a beating. Not ten minutes after running this rapid beautifully, we came upon another rapid, where disaster hit. When all was said and done, water was coming into the boat like a severed artery. We did our best to repair him, but I fear the Big Blue has seen better days.
Big Blue, I salute you.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

The end of another week


Four weeks from today, I will be in Abbotsford, BC. Its an odd sensation, having worked here at camp for so long, everyone else seems to be amazed at how fast four weeks have gone. Whereas I am amazed as to where 15 months have gone. Everyone else has just finished winding up, and now I've been winding down for the last month and a half.
Gotten a chance to try out my new waterproof camera. Thing is sweet, definitely going to be using this thing a lot. Here is a picture that I took.

Monday, July 16, 2007

First Entry


So I imagine that everyone writes a 'My First Entry' entry, or a 'hello world' if you will. I guess it is merely a good starting point from which to get things off to a good start. Due to time constraints, I don't know how much I will be updating this blog in the beginning. I will likely become more active with it once I have moved out west, and since the main purpose of this blog is to chart my time out west, I find that acceptable.
Enough of that. This week has been a crazy week so far. I almost ended up running a second week of camp program in a row, which was not something I was prepared for. While it has been a good run here, I am getting anxious to leave, and go to a new place, meet some new people, and in general, enjoy life.
Not bad for the first post. Not great either. In any case, I've got work to do.