The Branch Hoppers arrived at the Clayton Beach parking lot excited to reunite and reconnect. Once they had all arrived we circled up and passed out jobs. The mentors explained to them that in the spring our Earth’s alignment with the sun and moon brings extremely low tides, and that today at 1:00pm would be the lowest for the day. But before we headed down to the beach we needed to go over a few things and make a few introductions. Bryce and Julian Lutz, who were joining from the Grey Fox Kits, introduced themselves and Sam Mallet made the group aware of his needs in trying to navigate the outing on a mending broken ankle. The mentors then took a moment to give some thanks for a generous donation the Explorers Club had received from SOG Knives & Tools. Last week SOG donated a set of thirteen high quality fixed-blade carving knives to the EC. On behalf of the Explorers Club the mentoring team would like to thank Chris Cashbaugh and Nando Zucchi at Sog’s marketing team, and the rest of the staff at SOG Knives for reaching out to Lisa Meucci and making this donation a reality. Thank you for supporting our Explorers, our cups truly overflow with gratitude. 
After making a plan for how we would help Sam, the group crossed Chuckanut Drive and descended down into the lush coastal forest. The boys quickly ran over to a trail that led to an epic location where we had previously played games ofSpider’s Web. After some trail assessment the group determined that it was not an ideal trail for Sam and instead decided to head down towards the beach. We hadn’t made it more than five minutes before some boys ran off the trail to climb on a steep hillside. Their play quickly manifested into a pinecone battle, which is quite typical of this time of year due to the abundance of Douglas fir cones. After letting the group decompress for a while, the mentors called the group together to try and focus their energy with a game. Circling up we played a few rounds of Head Honcho and Poison Dart Frog. After we had had our fill the mentors handed the circle over to our Tribal Elder for the day, in order for him to help facilitate a discussion on how we could use our time wisely on this outing.
Calling the group together the Tribal Elder tried his best to hold the circle and facilitate the discussion, but the boys continued to squirrel out. After ten minutes the mentors reigned in the group and again the Tribal Elder began. Within five minutes the group was in agreement that they would head to the beach to explore and carve.
As mentors we continuously track our mentees personal growth over time, asking ourselves where is the power in their challenge and the challenge in their power. For the Branch Hoppers their challenges lies in the ability to hold their focus in the process of group decision-making. On outings their personal frustrations and challenges often stem from lack of cohesion and engagement with their own interpersonal communication and desire to explore their own interests. Their power in this challenge will come with practicing this process and skillfulness in reading group dynamics. The Branch Hoppers are well on their way towards learning how to work and make decisions as a community.
Heading down the trail to Clayton Beach signs of spring were all around: flowing creeks bursting with recent rain fall, nettle and fiddlehead shoots breaking their way through the soil, Salmonberry and Big Leaf Maple flowers blossoms, and the beautiful and varied shades of green throughout the landscape. With some team work the group arrived at the beach and spread out over the land.
The low tides allowed for exploration into the rocky near shore intertidal zone and sand dollar beds. About half the group sat down on a smooth patch of Chuckanut Sandstone and got to carving some of the seasoned Cedar driftwood they had gathered while the rest of the group continued to explore and climb. The mentors our still holding to the intention set back in fall that the group all carve spoons and butter knives for this summers camp. Explorers, this is going to take some work, but don’t forget to work on some of these utensil projects at home. Parents, these Explorers showed a great deal on of care and consideration while using their knives. They respected their blood circles, sheathed their knives while walking, and practiced proper form and technique. The Branch Hoppers are taking the group’s commitment to use their knives as tools vs. weapons to heart. If you have any questions about our knife culture, safety, and technique when working with your Explorer(s) at home please feel free to contact a mentor or visit our EC Knife Use: Safety, Skills & Selectionpage.
Putting our knives away the group circled up to play a few round of Otter Steals a Fish. In order to play this game one needs a sandy beach and a lot of agility. The boys showed great honor while playing and accepted their defeats with dignity and really got into the spirit of healthy competition. We laughed and played together as the sun came out and reflected off the clouds, lighting up the water as though we were looking at a tropical reef. Ending our game we spread out over the beach for a sit spot. Silently we watched the sun’s light pierce through the clouds as three Bald Eagles carefully watched a group of Buffleheads fish for invertebrates in the Eelgrass Beds, it was spectacular.
Circling up for a closing meeting the group reflected on just how magical this location is. Passing around apples the boys gave thanks for the opportunity to carve and roam the beach. Branch Hoppers thank you for a strong start to our spring season and for answering the call to work with help fellows Explorers.
For more pictures from our outing please visit the Branch Hopper’s photo gallery
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