Last Updated on 04.04.11
As young man, I attended a outdoor adventure boarding school known for many things including its challenging physical outdoor pursuits program. My sense for adventure and my ability to conquer the pursuit was cememted into myself and many others at a young age at this school. In the outdoors, the glory of the final push can only be experienced through the gruelling hardships along the trek. The sense of accomplishment, even the idea of conquering can only be felt when you have trudged through the seemingly endless battles that Mother Nature provides at her disposal.
Here I learned that I can adapt to nature instead of forcing nature to adapt to myself, quite different from how society seems to live the day to day. I also learned how to practice what we called ‘zero impact’ camping, now called ‘leave no trace’ camping in all seasons including a one week long winter trips to Nordegg, Alberta. These winter trips were based on survival scenarios. As a student I participated in three winter trips while in attendance at Saint John’s. Two of these trips were with Mors Kochanski, a leading survivalist and the author of “Northern Bush Craft.”
My potential as a canoeist was realized my first year by Mr. Blaine Thauburger (SJSA# 627), who made me the first "new boy" bowsman. The following year, I became the first bowsman to steer on the David Thompson Brigade, something I still feel quite proud of to this day. Those events gave myself such pride and confidence that no matter what fears I may face out there, others saw my value in the outdoors and as a leader.
Always be prepared, limit your headaches, never panic, lessons given to me by Saint John’s. Mr. T was an SJSA alumni and staff member who had incredible endurance in the outdoors with the bare minimum needed. Seriously, if he could travel back in time he would probably be a voyageur for the North West Company and an endurance snow shoewer in the winter, chasing down runaway sled dogs.
“Petrie remember this, if your tired, sick, sore, or hungry just paddle harder,” A quote he told myself, and many others before and after my time. It’s amazing how you can learn to sleep with one eye open, still paddle and even keep in stroke too.
What’s your destiny?
