Alice Lake Camping Trip

There is nothing like the first week of school to catapult us straight from summer relaxation back to our busy routines. This year, youth from St Philip's resisted this abrupt end to summer by joining members of 3 other local youth groups for a last gasp of summer camping trip to Alice Lake Provincial Park near Squamish, a trip that has happened every fall for the past 7 years.

Despite the challenges of trying to light a campfire in a temperate rain forest, the youth and their leaders were able to get a fire going in order to roast marshmallows and make s'mores both Friday and Saturday evenings.

Saturday we set off to hike the Four Lakes Trail, an outing that included many mini adventures. At our first stop, we took a group photo on a fallen tree - another camping trip tradition. We took a break from hiking at the river and some group members decided to try and damn the small section that flowed between the dry part of the river bed and the bank. This decision to manipulate the flow of the river may have been ill-conceived as we discovered when some members of the group (including Caitlin) were nearly trapped on the small island in the middle by a sudden increase in the flow of the river, now widened by the makeshift damn. Luckily, everyone was able to get to the bank by scrambling over a fallen tree. The rest of the hike was somewhat less eventful with stops at some of the four lakes, photo opportunities at throne like trees and a game of Lady Gaga Paparazzi at a bridge along the way. After a delicious lunch, the afternoon was a time for rest and relaxation. Some napped, some explored the forest and some went to the beach to swim or be serenaded by Cameron and his ukelele.

One of the highlights of the trip for me was seeing St Philip's own Naomi Martell in what I can only assume is her natural environment - the boughs of a tree. With squirrel-like skill she climbed and literally hung out in trees nearby the campsite for a good part of the weekend. She was also able to defend her prime location from invasion by Cameron's more bear-like climbing skills. The only disconcerting moment for me came when I first heard Naomi's laugh coming from the darkness overhead - there is nothing quite as ghostly as a mysterious child's laugh coming from above your head at night...in the forest. It was quite reassuring when she turned on her flashlight to reveal her hiding place.

The trip was also a great opportunity to meet youth from other local parishes including those from St Mary's with whom St Philip's will be partnering for youth group and Constellation Ministry events again this year. I am grateful for another successful combined youth group event and I hope that we can enjoy this last bit of summer again next year with these other youth.

For more pictures from our adventure, check out the Constellation Ministry facebook page.