Day 17 September1, 2009 This is our Classroom!

Tuesday September 1 Day 17
Stumbling out into dew soaked grass, we emptied our tents and prepared for our long stretch ahead. Breakfasting amid the rocks strewn with blueberry bushes, bare of the fruits they once bore, we finished the portage we started the night before. Loaded and leaving, the wind at our backs, we left once again for places unknown. Through and trials we plowed through the waves, the sun beating down, not a cloud in the sky. Swell after swell, and swells once again, we paddled our way up the shore, reading our maps in search of Fox Island. We passed Chris and Rabbit Islands, and finally found it but what we discovered was that the island was unsuitable for our needs. Split up into two groups, we separated ourselves, using an island and peninsula. After a meal and time to recover, our spirits were higher and we started into lessons. First, we examined the maps that Jeff had, sorry ours were not up to code. We learned about colors (what they meant on a map of course, we may be RPTA students but we’re not kindergarteners) and the helpful hints on the borders of the map. Black stands for manmade structures or boundaries, red and orange for roads, brown for elevation, blue for water, and who knew that green meant vegetation enough to hide a tank in? we then moved to declination or at least a teaser for it. I do look forward to Shane’s explanation of why compasses guess, and why magnetic north is a conspiracy. It should be very interesting and enlightening, as usual. Next came a lesson with 9 steps on giving feedback. Using this new information, we were able to have a nice, long debrief. This was the earliest we have debriefed so far, making for plenty of time to go fishing, make dinner and get other things done before nightfall. Also this is our first night separated between groups by more than a hundred feet. I do not know how the other groups’ nights are going, but after a fine meal of noodles, tomato paste, and pepperoni, I cannot wait to hit the hay. Tomorrow looks to be another long day, but tonight is clear with plenty of stars and the moon shining bright overhead. Goodnight and remember always to glance around, listen to the waves on the rocks, and think, this is my classroom.
-Grant