Max's Gatineau trip

The trip to the Gatineau was an amazing adventure on a new river. We woke up at 6:00 am on a Wednesday we had packed the night before so all the boats and our kit was loaded. We had two vans it was really squishy and cramped I was in the back and the drive was 2 hrs long so that sucked. But once we had arrived we had lunch and unloaded our kit we than started paddling down the river we scouted the first rapid and paddled it a few times we also had a boater cross race and that was a lot of fun. We than continued down the river there was a lot of great play features and a massive jump rock which was fun. We kept going down the river after loading of the boats and the the take out we started on the drive back. On our way back we stoped for some Quebec Putin that was really taste. Once we got back to keenerville we had dinner and went to bed. 

Why every child should come to Keeners - Thadeus Hayes

This place is not just for the amazing kayaking but it’s also to grow as a person. people come here to become better kayakers but as they become better and more talented they each develop new features as a person. As you go through the three weeks you will do and learn so many new things. As I’ve been here over the past three weeks I have learnt so many new things. For example I feel that I am now more patient and and can overcome problems that I thought I wouldn’t be able to overcome such as cliff jumps and trying new moves on a wave. At keeners you will be surprised about how much you can learn in three weeks as when I started I was slightly nervous to paddle on some big and powerful waves but as I came up to them and surfed them I conquered the fear and showed the wave who’s the boss.

At keeners you work in teams a lot of the time so for me I like to be very independent and do a lot of tasks on my own but with so many people here trying to help you out as much as possible like your house mates or friends they can push you to your full potential and try and make the best out of what you can be. Teamwork is very important within keeners as roughly six people share a house and you have to keep it clean and tidy as well as make you own breakfast and if you all make pancakes as an example then you can select certain people to make the batter and then someone to cook them and then another person to wash and dry. This way everything moves more effectively and you can rotate roles of what people do.

Another reason to send you child to keeners is that while your in Canada paddling some of the best whitewater in the world you are also becoming better kayakers and that’s why you come to the camp. The coaches here are amazing and some of them such as Steven and clay Wright are world famous paddlers that have competed many times to represent there country and paddled all around the globe. The coaches at keeners are always willing to help out when needed and you can go and ask them to help you work on any trick and they will give you there best advice to help you out as much as possible.

Peace out till keeners next year !!

The Gatineau Trip-Hunter Kalat

The Gatineau trip

This Wednesday started unlike most, instead of paddling he Ottawa we drove two hours and paddled another cool river called the Gatineau. The day started when we woke up at 6:15. Then we went to wilderness tours to get breakfast. After this we made the drive into Quebec to paddle the Gatineau. When we arrived we had lunch and split into groups. With our groups we headed down river to the first rapid. The first thing we did is get a bunch of laps on the rapid and sides in lefties which is a fun hole that’s good for tumbling. After this we did a race with our groups. I won my groups race which put me in the winners bracket. I didn’t do good in the winners bracket but it was fun non the less. After this we did a few more rapids and then a really cool cliff jump then we rapids and went home. All around it was a great day.

POUTINE- Leo Richards

Today the keener program went on an amazing adventure down the Gatineau river. The Gatineau is a beautiful fairly big water river in Quebec. Funnily enough, though I am from Quebec and it’s my home river, I hadn’t yet had the chance to run it before today. And it was a LOT of fun. Though I feel that it would be more fun in high water, it was still a great day filled with super fun rapids like lucifers, high tension, the wall, and many others. We even stopped for a cliff jump! I have to say though that the Ottawa Is still my favourite river. On the way back home, we took a pit stop for poutine.(possibly THE best dish. Like ever.) that was probably the highlight of the day, at least for me. All in all, another great day in white water.  

Julian Lukasik final blog

Hello, reader

As I write this blog I realize that my keeners experience is coming to an end. I can’t begin to fathom all the different things that I took place in while at keeners. However, I am excited to get home and tell my rents all the things I learned and the people I met. On the contrary, I’m not so excited about the journey I have to endure on the way home taking eight hours door to door and four different modes of public transportation. Having that in the back of my mind I need to take every day from here on out more seriously because I couldn’t tell you when I would be back here. Its a funny thing to have time more so slow while waiting for something and then once your there it feels like your time there past in the blink of an eye. The Ottawa river is one of Ontario’s true gems and it’s rapids must be visited to be appreciate it’s true beauty.

How to make perfect keener pancake By Roko Huser

add alot of sysco pancake mix to a larbe bowl 

add water and whisk untill you have an acquired consistency 

add butter to a pan and spread evenly 

add pancake mix to pan till it covers 

the whole pan

cook till bubbles emerge on the top side of pancakes

place spatula underneath pancake and flip 

cook until golden grown 

now you have a perfect pancake:)

add syrup and chocolate chips to make the pancake more yummy

I didn’t even think I would go into left side Phil’s by Molly Pethick’

Last Thursday I was feeling pretty sick so I didn’t think that I was going to really push myself to do anything for bigwater beatdown Thursday. So, when we went to McCoys I decided that I would just thread the needle a few times. But as I was sitting at the top eddy, James convinced me to go into leftside Phil’s. I decided that I would because the worst thing that would happen would be me throwing up in the hole and getting cleaned off by swimming. I went in left side Phil’s and I was in there for a few seconds before I flipped over and was flushed out. I did not throw up, but I did come out with a huge smile on my face. I went back up to the top eddy to go into leftside Phil’s again. In the eddy, I started talking to Ethan and he somehow convinced me to go into right side Phil’s. He even said he’d give me an ice cream if I did. I thought that was a great deal and that I would take that opportunity for free ice cream. So, I went into left side Phil’s. When I got there everyone thought it was a mistake, but I was in it on purpose. At first, I got tumbled a little bit, but then I gained control. It was the best feeling ever. And when I decided that I was in there long enough to get a free ice cream, I decided to surf out. To my surprise, I had no problem. That night, Ethan kept his promise of an ice cream and I could say that I’ve been in right side Phil’s.