Day One: Dogsledding...and More!

From Quebec 2008

Ms. Wegner's Intro:
We've officially been in Quebec for 24 hours now. Wow! There's not much for me to say because the kids have done such a good job reporting for the blog. Their notes are below:

Abby's Weather Report:
At 12:30pm today we pulled over to defreeze our windshield wipers! We needed more fluid for the wipers, and the windshield was brown from all the dirt and salt they get on the window. While we were sledding, it was around 15 degrees Fahrenheit where we were! It has been constantly snowing, and the snow is powdery on top, but then ice once you dig down. Not the best for snowballs, but we've managed. (Note from Ms. Wegner: All the kids are dressed so well for the weather! None of them ended up a soggy mess by evening, and Mme. Amy and I are so grateful for all the careful attention families have put into making sure their kids have the right supplies to enjoy this amazing, but cold, weather!)

Hanna's Blog Morning Tour:
This morning we had a tour of Old Quebec. Our driver was named Gabriel (he said we could call him Gabby). We learned about history and fun facts. An interesting place we got to see on the tour was just a normal street where a bloody battle was held between the English and Americans. While we were out exploring the area, we got to see Chateau Frontenac (a hotel named after Louis de Buade) , a Samuel de Champlain sculpture (the founder of Quebec in 1608), and ice sculptures carved for the 400th Quebec Anniversary.

Michael G.'s Report on Dog-sledding:
After lunch we went dog-sledding. Dog-sledding was very thrilling and exciting. To brake the sled we had to step on this metal bar and just hold on. Each dog-sled held two people, one driver and one rider. What made it most thrilling was just the nervousness at the beginning as well as the giant hill we got to go down. When we were on the hill, we had to put the brakes on all the way down, and almost everyone tipped over at the curve at the bottom. It was really cool to command the dogs with the calls learned from the instructor. To stop the dog we had to say, "Wooooooooooah," and to move the the dogs we yelled the dogs' names and "en avant," though sometimes they didn't listen to us. Overall it was a great experience, and I would love to go again.

Hayley Reviews The Post-Dogsledding Fun:
(Written on notebook paper on the bus): The Saklan 7th graders are currently in a bus going back to Hotel Delta while I am writing this. We had a fun and amazing Friday. After dog sledding we did numerous things. First, we went snow shoeing with a guide, learning about Quebec's nature. When we returned from our walk, we had quiet time writing in our journals. From there we climbed a HUGE hill in the dark to eat dinner and learn of about the 1st nation people (Native Americans). From there we raced down the hill and into the bus, to get ready for our next adventure.

Jenny's Food Report:
Today for breakfast we had a selection from the Hotel Delta's breakfast buffet. For lunch we had Chez Ashton, a popular fast food restaurant. Mostly everyone had poutine (gravy fries with cheese curds). For dinner we had a Native American style dinner offering all an appetizer (bean soup), main dish (beef stew), and dessert (cake). It was a delicious day.

Eric's Editorial:
Today was cold. Really, it was under sub-zero (Celcius that is). Not cool. Other than that, it was great! In Quebec, they have European-esqe close together houses, often built in the 1600's (Or so they say). But other than that, the dogsledding and the snowshoeing were great, and we'll never forget this. Ever. And ever.