Night activities can be the most enjoyable part of trips to McQueen. There are however, a few inherent difficulties which can result in the activity being tough to manage. Proactive management is essential and starts well before the group has arrived at the centre. It is also critical to take your group's comfort level into account. If someone is pushed too far beyond their comfort zone the experience can be uncomfortable, negating the purpose of the activity altogether. Dressing for the conditions is also critical. A clear winter night can be beautiful, but only interpreted that way by those that are comfortable. Many night activities involve staying in one spot for awhile and rarely involve brisk hiking which would ordinarily keep the body's temperature up.

• Discuss why you are doing the activity. Night-hikes build confidence in those that participate by pushing them past their comfort level in a controlled manner. Everyone needs to have the confidence to attempt the challenges they will face in their lifetime. People also need to be as adaptable as possible when placed in new or unfamiliar surroundings. The challenge of navigating the darkness with only one's senses is an exercise that strongly reinforces these powerful life skills.
• Do some sensory related activities prior to your trip. Deer and Cougar and Bat and Moth are good examples of activities that would help prepare your students.
• Discuss what they may hear, see, or do during their trek. Take a look at the other sections on this page for more information.
• Only the leaders should have flashlights. Lights flashing during the hike will not only disrupt any focus that the group may have achieved, but also keeps the eyes from adapting to the low light conditions. After 30 minutes, it's amazing how well even human eyes can adapt. You can clearly distinguish what may have been impossible to see when you started.
• When moving groups from one area to the next, it is important to ensure that there is a leader at the front of the group and a leader at the back. This is the best way to move any group safely, whether it be during the day or night.
• Smaller groups are always best. This being said, do not comprimise ease of group management for safety. Only split groups up to the point where there is still sufficient and competent leadership.
• Let the group know that it is perfectly normal to be a little nervous, but to try and keep their giggles and sillyness to a minimum.
• Once the hike is under way, try to get the group to be perfectly quiet for at least two minutes. Do this while asking them to focus on sounds (frogs, coyotes, owls) or sights (bats, silhouettes). Sneaking up on chorusing frogs, for example, gives them a challenge and keeps them focussed. If this can be achieved early during the walk, you will find that the students are more interested and focussed for the rest of the outing. It also seems to legitimize the activity as being more than just a spooky experience in the forest.

Beginning in early spring when there is still some ice on the ponds, one will find an unusual event occuring. The long toed salamanders are mating and are very active after dark. The small pond to the north of the entrance gate can be a great place to see these cute little guys. They can be illuminated by securing a piece of red cellophane around the top of a flashlight. The red light helps the group to see/ look for these creatures while having a minimal affect on their own eyes to see in the low light conditions. Great care should be taken to reduce the impact on the edge of the pond in this area, and of course to not step on any four-legged romantics.

Later, as the ponds become clear of ice, you will start to hear the unmistakeable sound of the frogs. The two main species of from found at McQueen are spotted frog and the pacific tree frog. As we near the end of May the days are getting much longer, giving groups the opportunity for more of a 'Twilight-Hike'. Starting just after sunset, groups can take the orange trail around the south portion of Griffin lake (counter-clockwise around Griffin from McQueen). Leaving just after sunset, the group has the gradual decrease in light to get used to the darkness and to make it past the southeast corner of Griffin lake. In the southeast corner of Griffin (Toad Junction) is an area where the frogs will be chorusing madly. Students should be told that the seemingly simple creatures won't stand for any noise and will stop their song as soon as they feel danger is near. As you will now be on the east shore of Griffin, the glow in the western horizon (weather permitting) will reflect off the water, creating a beautiful view of the treeline on the opposite shore and betraying the location of any of the moving frogs. Done correctly and with the right group, the students will be ultra-focussed. As you progress north towards John Brown's cabin you may startle a wood duck out of their nesting box. They are right next to the trail so ask the students to keep an eye out for them.

The clearing at the north shore of Griffin Lake provides an excellent location to do many nighttime activities. The area is conveniently located within 100m of the Isobel Lake road, enabling groups to experience the feeling of being surrounded by wilderness while at the same time maintaining the security of an unobstructed roadway. This location creates a natural amphitheatre to study the stars or do other activities. Because it is quite open here, groups can spread out while doing solo or reflective exercises, and still be easily monitored by their leader.

This spot, located just down the trail from the north shore of Griffin Lake, has an old cabin where John Brown used to live. While lit by only the moon or stars, the remittance man's cabin makes a great spot to talk about the pioneers, tell stories, or simply imagine what it would be like to live there alone 100 years ago.

One of the main benefits of participating in a night-hike is the focus on sensory awareness. When you step in the dark you are deliberate in your motions, bringing the feet up high and placing them down again with precision. The feet become far more important in relaying information about the surface you are walking on. Since the eyes are limited in ability to receive information about your surroundings, your ears and even nose become far more acute. You can smell, for example, when you are near water.

One of the best places to do this activity in a controlled fashion, is between the start of the Forest Capital Trail and Isobel Lake road. It is a narrow path and is not too long. Starting at the Forest capital sign, a leader first makes his/her way along the path until reaching the end near the road. Another leader stays back with the rest of the group, allowing one student at a time to walk down the path. Each student should be told to start as the person in front of them can no longer be seen. Since light levels at night will vary significantly due to the presence of moonlight, clouds, snow, etc., the challenge level of this activity will also vary dramatically as a result. These conditions should be weighed against the confidence level of your group before attempting.

Due to this activity's similarity to hide-and-seek, it is usually quite successful. The group is usually split into two. One group proceeds down the trail and chooses a spot to hide off to the side. After a predetermined amount of time, the other group proceeds down the trail while trying to spot them. This may seem overly simple, but there is actually quite alot involved here. Both groups must remain quiet in order to either avoid being detected or possibly hear a sound that would give the other group away. The group that is hiding should not make the other group aware of their location until the last person has passed them. The groups can then switch roles. Guidlines should be established as to how far away from the trail the groups can hide. In some conditions a mere metre away would be plenty, in other situations you may want to allow the group as much as 10 meters. There should always be a competent leader with each group of course, to assist in making these decisions.

This activity is best done at the clearing at the north shore of Griffin Lake. Form a circle with your group in the middle of the clearing. One everyone is focussed and quiet (not easy sometimes), have them turn until they are facing away from the center of the circle and take 20-70 steps (depending on conditions and group comfort level). The idea is that each student should radiate out into their own spot, away from everyone else. Since the area is open however, all students are more or less within sight. You will be able to communicate with the students by using nothing more than a speaking voice. They should be told that there shouldn't be any talking and that you will let them know when it's time to meet back in the middle. What the students do while they are sitting in their own little spot is up to you. Often, just the experience of being alone brings up enough thoughts for meaningful discussiona the end of the activity. This exercise could easily be combined with International Space Station viewing for Kamloops or other astronomy related activity. There are binoculars in Dan's cabin which are there for your use.

The daytime may belong to the hawks and eagles, but the owls own the night. There are a number of different species at McQueen Lake, many of which can be called or at least heard. Depending on the time of year, different species will become more vocal and therefore likely to be heard or close in on a call. There is a tape player and a tape of owl calls up at the centre. Again, just let Dan know that you want to use it and he'll help you out. We should have a CD version soon. Following is a list of the species of owls that you could encounter, the best time of year to attempt to call them, and a sample of their call.

As an introduction to a night-hike involving owls or as a pre-trip primer, you may want to read 'Owl Moon'. There is a copy of this book as well as a tape recording of this story up at the overnight centre. Just ask Dan for assistance and he'll get it for you.

This is the most common owl at McQueen with peak times of vocal activity occuring in the winter months although April has been a good month at McQueen. Good areas to try calling this owl at McQueen seem to be around the gate area or on the east side of Griffin Lake. Another good spot to call these guys is north of Smiling Pond near the day-centre. For more detailed information on this wonderful bird, click here.

This is a very impressive bird due to its large size. As it starts its courtship in mid-winter, January and February may be the best time to try and call this owl. For more detailed information on this large bird of prey, click here.

The Barred owl is very vocal, making it a great bird to call. Although this owl begins its courtship in February like the Great Horned and Great Gray, mating does not occur until as late as August. The courtship call of the Barred is quite humorous, sounding much like a monkey. For more detailed information on this outspoken owl, click here.