2015 was a really bittersweet year for the trip and not because we didn't get a view of the mountain (more on that later). This was Bourget's last Mount Saint Helens trip. Let me make this abundantly clear...this trip would not have been a reality had it not been for Mr. Bourget. This was trip number 10 from Vanier - "a decade of kicking ash" but remember for Mr. Bourget (who previously did this 7 times at New West Secondary) this was trip number 17! Mr. Bourget was always an enthusiastic partner and co-leader for the trip, however he deserved a May long weekend off for once and it was time to give over the reigns so to speak.
There were 40 students this year and joining us were Ms. Vicki Petrie, Ms. Jennifer Gordon and Mr. Dave Munro...yep 5 teacher sponsors. This year saw us return to the I-5 through Seattle on the way down foregoing the Black Ball and the Olympic peninsula. As such we made our stop at the Seattle Premium Outlets to have dinner (for the teachers) and let the students shop a bit in order for us to avoid rush hour traffic through the Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia corridor.
This trip saw the revenge of clouds. It's always a dicey weather prospect going into the Cascade Range. You really cannot expect good weather, no matter how much you try to mitigate it (like book a visit to the JRO on two days and choose the best viewing day to go) some times the clouds win out. On our way up State Route 504 (from the I-5 to Mount Saint Helens) I got that hollow pitted sinking feeling in my stomach. "You know it could just be a flat deck at 2000 feet and we can see it poke through" was a frequent hopeful comment I'd make to Bourget...ever the optimist right? I sometimes feel responsible for the bad weather (I know a foolish and hubris filled thought) but when we take students to SEE the mountain and they can't I am so disappointed for them. The volcano is a wondrous and majestic thing to behold and this year...well look below.
This was not only Bourget's last trip but it was also our last time visiting the Great Wolf Lodge. The value of the $CAD versus the $USD just made it too unrealistic to justify the expense. We'd have to raise the costs for the students and that just didn't make sense to us. Nevertheless, Mr. Munro certainly got a finger wag of disapproval from Rachel the Racoon after the evening story time at the Great Clock Tower Show and we all had a giggle over that.
A wicked game of Grounders at the Duke Point ferry terminal
Yep...it was a pretty long bus ride down to Olympia on the first day
2015 group Ape Cave HQ shot
Lights on...heads up
Lower cave scrambling...
and our Lower cave group shot...
This year a hardy group of explorers went all the way through to the top of the upper caves
Upper cave skylights
And flowers on the way back down to the bus
So I use this shot a lot on this site but I really treasure it. Thanks Matt for an amazing 10 years
When there are clouds and you can't see the mountain you go inside the JRO and play around
And no matter that this was his last time...a true teacher never stops teaching and inspiring
Can't you see the mountain? It's right there. No really it's right there!
And Bourget is right there in the centre...just like he deserves to be
Our final stop at the Great Wolf...be careful you just might get a matronly finger waggle of disapproval from Rachel the Racoon if you make fun of the night time story ;)
(pixelated phone camera images but yep them there are wolf ears on those grown men)
