Sea Kayaking brought youths closer together by Jeff Mills

Sunday, Aug. 14 to Monday, Aug. 15: After a year of planning and coordinating our "Sea Kayaking Expedition to Prince Edward Island" was about to begin. Parents and students, apprehensive but excited, arrived on Sunday at 4 p.m. to pack the van. After an hour of packing and arranging, we were ready to start our trek northward to the Cape Tormentine Ferry in New Brunswick.

At first the van was quiet, but as the kids got to know each other the atmosphere became more festive. The all-night drive through Maine was uneventful, until the magical sunrise just as we hit the Canadian border.

It was a relief to hop on the ferry about 1 p.m. and take a break from driving. We reached a beautiful provincial park on the eastern edge of Prince Edward Island about 4 p.m. We began to set up camp and prepare dinner by the ocean's edge.

Around 5:30 Keith Kennedy, a Canadian youth leader, and some members of his adventure group from Prince Edward Island arrived and introduced themselves to our group. We ate dinner together, walked on the beach, and had a little ceremony to get to know each other and share what we expected to get out of the trip.

Tuesday, Aug. 16: We broke camp in the morning and drove to Bay Fortune in northeastern Prince Edward Island to meet up with Outside Expeditions, a kayaking company. Their staff gave us thorough instructions on safety and paddling techniques, as well as a taste of salty Prince Edward Island humor.

The first day we paddled together about eight miles. We tried various combinations of paddling in the 20-foot, two-person kayaks. Harbor seals popped up out of the water to check us out. At times the wind was formidable and made travel slow. About 4 p.m. we set up camp along the coast. We were surprised to see lobster swimming among the rocks as we snorkeled.

Wednesday, Aug. 17: For two more days the Connecticut and Canadian youth groups paddled southward along the eastern edge of Prince Edward Island. We developed a strong sense of camaraderie. I could feel the kids come together as a group as the trip progressed. There was a genuine sense of sadness as we parted and went our separate ways at the end of the trip.

Friday, Aug. 19: We arrived back in West Hartford. Parents were glad to see their children happy and healthy. (One West Hartford parent went with us on their trip. On future Bridge trips we would like to see increasing parental participation..)