SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Wind, rain, thunderstorms and whitecaps were just some of the conditions a group of foster kids had to overcome during their six-day canoe trip up Great Slave Lake to Rae.

A weight off their shoulders: despite the weight of the canoe, the foster kids who took part in a nine-day canoeing trip said their problems disappeared while out on the water. - Charlotte Hilling/NNSL photo

Wind, rain, thunderstorms and whitecaps were just some of the conditions a group of foster kids had to overcome during their six-day canoe trip up Great Slave Lake to Rae.

"The weather threw everything at them – it was the boss out there. They had to learn to adjust their plans and be flexible," said Cathy Allooloo of Narwal Paddling Adventures, who trained and was responsible for the group during the journey.

Allooloo, who has been running similar trips in the NWT and Alberta for the last 30 years, was moved by the tenacity of the nine foster kids who took part.

"These kids really got under my skin. What can I say, they're just neat kids. They have so much personality," said Allooloo. The foster kids, who range in age from 15 to 18 and cannot be identified under the Child and Family Services Act, were exuberant about the experience.

"I'm really sad that it's over," said one girl. "It was pretty buggy though."

Others enthused about the perspective the trip gave them.

"You go, and all your problems are gone while you're out there," one boy said.

The trip was a chance for the youths to make new friends and reconnect with old ones.

Despite being disappointed the trip was over, everyone was looking forward to a hot bath, some fast food and treating their many mosquito bites.

The trip was a Foster Family Coalition of the NWT initiative, and executive director Amy Jenkins said an adventure of this magnitude was a first.

"We usually just stick to the lakes around Yellowknife, but the older youth need more of a challenge. Adventure-based programmes mean they get a sense of what they're capable of," she said.

During the six-day trip, the group camped in the wilderness for five nights. One of the trip leaders, Meg Shirley, said the experience gave the kids a chance to reflect.

"It helps put things in perspective because they're away from town, cell phones, and television shows. They begin to understand more about life and share amazing experiences," she said.

Amy Jenkins said the trip was a successful exercise and is likely to be repeated.