Backcountry Cookin' and an Epic Game of Spider's Web at Lookout Mountain

The Branch Hoppers arrived at Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve to find the Storm Wolves group in the same parking lot. Circling up we introduced ourselves with a silly game and the mentors drew attention to the fact that the majority of both groups had participants who entered Middle School in the start of the fall. Cross-pollinating BEC groups and building strong and supporting relationships is critical as the Branch Hoppers begin their journey into adolescence.

Circling up for an opening meeting the mentors explained that both groups were going to find a location to play a huge game of Spider’s Web before we delved into our focus for the outing, backcountry cooking. Thinking back to their experiences backpacking this summer the group worked to divvy up the cooking gear and jobs before heading down the trail.

It was our intention for both groups to mingle as we hiked, but suddenly we saw a fire crew and the ambulance driving up the logging road. Letting them pass we wondered what was happening. Hiking further we caught up with a few paramedics who informed us someone had been stung by a hornet in the area and was having an allergic reaction. One of the paramedics stepped forward and asked Brian to lend his pack so he could carry gear up the trail. Brian quickly dumped out his pack and it was a great opportunity for the boys to see the power of community members answering the call to service and why it is so important to Be Prepared for emergencies out in the woods.

Hiking further the group passed through a thicket of Salmonberries and young Alder, which was not an ideal landscape for Spider’s Web. Eventually we found an interesting hillside location to set up the game. The course was a great challenge for the boys and we crawled and crept our way through the forest following deer trails and hiding amongst the ferns. After more than an hour the mentors called the game and the group shared highlights and parted ways. 

Brian and a few Branch Hoppers scouted down the trail to a dried creek bed with abundant Vine Maple. Gathering the group we to set up a backcountry kitchen and reviewed kitchen safety. The boys gathered up the gear they had divvied out and set up the stoves. The mentors brought three different types of backpacking stoves to showcase the different options and powers and challenges of each.

One crew of Explorers worked on chopping peppers and carrots, while another got our water boiling for Ramen and tea. One challenge in teaching these wilderness skills is that there are usually not enough tasks for everyone to participate. This challenge turned out to be a power in our day because the other boys followed their interests by learning how to sustainably and ethically harvest Vine Maple and Red Alder for tent pegs, bow drills, and utensils that they spent some time carving on. Once the veggies were sautéed and the hard-boiled eggs were peeled we circled up for what shaped up to be an amazing Ramen feast. Passing around the Siracha the boys slurped their noodles, shared some thanks, and with a little prompting shared a little glimpse of what it was like to transition into middle school.

Reflecting at the end of the day Brian and I believe the group cohesion in conjunction with the meal created the climate for the boys to feel comfortable enough to share about their experiences at school. They talked about their expanding interests and yearn for more autonomy, about growing self-identity and awareness of others and societal norms, and witnessing their classmates making both wise and risky decisions.

Brain and I aim to continue to help the Branch Hoppers learn to recognize the internal tools and compass they have cultivated that they can call upon which will help them navigate and thrive in this culture wilderness that is middle school. To remind them that they can be the voice of leadership, peace building, and genuineness and a strong ally amongst their peers. It was great to spend some time out on the land with the guys getting back to the root of what it means to be Explorers.

For more pictures from our outings please visit the Branch Hoppers photo album

Branch Hoppers ascend to Lizard Lake, August 28, 2016

The Branch Hoppers are a veteran Explorers Club group whose appreciation for each other was apparent at the trailhead as they reconnected for the new year. It's nice to see friends so happy to get back together.

Just as great was the Branch Hoppers' acceptance of a new group member and a visiting boy from another group.  Collective and individual strength was evident: a person unfamiliar with the group would not have been able to pick out the new and one-time members. Credit the Branch Hoppers for demonstrating an Explorers Club motto - Widen the Circle.

The boys were to enact other mottos as the day progressed. The collaborated and compromised; they chose to engage with planned activities - or not (motto - Challenge by Choice); they immersed themselves in skills work, play and exploration (motto - Be Here Now).

At times lost in play and exploration and sometimes focused, these boys are at or near a transitional age in which they vacillate between childhood and adolescence. Behaviors associated with both were apparent on a mixed weather Sunday on Blanchard Mountain.

 The Alternate Incline trail can challenge younger hikers, but the Branch Hoppers are strong enough to take on a hill with gusto. It was nice to "air it out" with an energetic hike up to the lake.

Not much of a swimming lake, Lizard Lake offers an excellent habitat for beavers, frogs, fish and more. Upon arriving at the adjoining campground, the boys took a little time to explore.

We then gathered to plan the day. Our tribal elder led a discussion that addressed skills-focused work, organized play and free exploration. A year ago, the mentors would likely have stepped in to guide the conversation; not so this day. The group exhibited behaviors necessary for effective group decision making, including soliciting and valuing input from all interested group members, discussion of the pros and cons of the suggested approaches and group consensus on the final plan, all with no input from Brian or Steve. I wonder if your Explorer can explain our consensus process to you. Hint: the critical last question asked by the tribal elder: Is anyone not ok with this decision?

Our skill for the fall is the Art of Backpacking. Shelters are a foundation element of time in the backcountry: Mentor Steve demonstrated two knots critical to constructing a tarp shelter. Ask your Explorer to demonstrate the Bowline and Tarp (or taut line) knots. Refer to The Hiking Life (under skills; knots) for more information.

While Steve was working his magic, some of the boys lost focus. Fortunately, we have a few more outings to work on shelter building.

No problem with focus here!

We moved from skills work to free exploration. Lizard Lake is a place rich in nature to explore. Interestingly, while a few chose to work on an earth shelter, the majority decided to play a game of Hungry, Hungry Marten. It's fair to say the mentors were surprised none seemed interested in the beaver lodge...or the log crossing...or....

Several boys worked on their carving. Fortunately, no cuts!

A chief attraction of this outing is the boulder field up the hill from the lake. When the boulders crashed down, they created a series of caves that are great to explore. The mentors cautioned that extra care is required as the hazards are real and medical care beyond our first aid kit is a few hours distant. With that admonition in mind, the Branch Hoppers clamored over, under, around and through the caves for a while.

They checked out the site with the "Lizard Lake Legend" was discovered (true to form it was nowhere to be seen).

Verdant forest, large boulders, curious Explorers...so much for which to be thankful.

 

Welcome rain arrived late in our long outing, a reminder that fall is near. We quieted ourselves for a sit spot near the boulder field, then headed down the mountain to our waiting rides. 

As the Branch Hoppers take their rightful place as leaders among Explorers Club groups, it's a process of two steps forward, one step back. On this first gathering of the 2016/17 year, the boys showed outstanding maturity during our counsel and displayed care and concern for their peers. Several also "squirreled out" during Steve's tarp shelter lesson, however, backsliding a bit. On balance, they are a close group that treasures its shared nature connection journey.

Next up - Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve on October 1. Outing details here. And we have more photos from Sunday’s exploration. Here’s to a strong start to the year!

The Branch Hopper's first ever Exploration to Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve

The Branch Hopper’s arrived at Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve to a light drizzle and cool temperatures. Heading up the logging road the group looked for a spot to have their opening meeting. Finding a crowded stand of Western Hemlocks the boys circled up, nestling into the duff.

The mentors brought the groups focus towards our skill for the season, the Art of Water. Giving some thanks the mentors took a moment to talk about significance of our drizzly day. April’s high pressure produced the warmest temperatures on record in the 20^th century with over fifty percent less rainfall than average for April. Getting the boys to quiet down and listen the entire forest was literally singing with joy for the rain. The Swainsons Trush and American Robins buzzed around eagerly feasting on the plump Salmonberries and bathing in puddles. The forests vibrant shades of green had come back again and a fresh smell filled the air.

Four years ago the Branch Hopper’s Explorers Club journey began with a simple activity, moving water from one jug through a gauntlet into another jug with the end goal being that the boys realizing that water is precious. Although this activity has long passed from the boys’ memory, it is apparent throughout our many outings together that the group has fully embraced the power of the rain.

Once jobs were delegated we turned our minds to our location. Lookout Mountain is comprised of a vast network of logging lands and is a major drainage for Lake Whatcom, Samish, and Padden. It is important for the Explorers to understand this watershed connection and how rainfall moves throughout the landscape.

Packing up we returned to the logging road and peeled off onto the Waterfall Loop Trail. Cascading down on a bed of Sandstone the two-tiered falls was stunning at almost fifty feet tall. Climbing down the steep Arroyo the boys spent good deal of time following the creek in search of amphibians. Although we did not find any frogs or salamanders we did find a very interesting logjam with a network of tunnels to crawl through. Meeting back up at the falls overlook the Tribal Elder did an excellent job facilitating a decision regarding how we could use the rest of our outing time.  The group decided to spend fifteen more minutes exploring the falls and then to head back up on of the logging roads in search of a bigger creek that a mentor had scouted with the prospect of a game of Spider’s Web and sit spot.

Hiking up the logging road the group feasted on the abundant Salmonberries. We also harvested some Stinging Nettles and Western Hemlock needles to make our forest tea for closing circle. Hiking along with the Branch Hoppers provided some time for the mentors to check in with each Explorer. It became apparent to the mentors that these boys are both very excited and nervous for middle school. Questions like: will I be able to open my locker, will I be late for class, and will I fit in or be made fun of all came up.

The Branch Hoppers shadow of self-awareness is growing and with that comes self-doubt, power struggles, leadership opportunities, increased autonomy and responsibility, internal conflict, and experimentation with identity.  Our ability as mentors to provide the container for these boys to share open and honestly with one another as sensitive and caring males while they grow into this next stage of life is vital. Our mentors will be tracking this closely as we go on backpacks and explore together in the fall.

Arriving at the creek there was three-times as much foliage as when the mentors had last scouted it, causing us to change our route and find another location to bring our season to a close. Looking up the road the land started to get very steep and the Explorers would have to grasp the nettle as they sweated and strained in the final push up the terrain. This was difficult for the group, but provided an excellent physical challenge for them.

Breaking off from the logging road we hiked off trail until we came to an established fire pit most likely made by mountain bikers. The Explorers decided that this would be a great place to play a game of Spider’s Web and have our closing meeting. As Brian and the boys set up the game, our EMA for the day Logan Bartz and one of the Branch Hoppers got a small twig fire going in the pit.

After a few round of the Spider’s Web Brain sent the boys out on a sit spot while the mentors prepared for a closing meeting. As the boys sat the land was calm and still bringing the group’s energy down to baseline. Listening to the sound of the wind through the trees and the faint calls of birds through the forest the boys gathered around the fire. Although the fire was a powerful way to close the spring season it proved to be a bit of a distraction as the boys all wanted to roast their apples slices while sharing some thanks. Their thanks were however heartfelt and the mentors got some great feedback on what the group would like to do next season. A few of the locations mentioned were mud mucking in Mud Bay, intertidal exploration at Point Whitehorn, bouldering at Clayton Beach, and revisiting Lookout Mountain.

Brian and I are so thankful to be part of the Branch Hopper’s lives and are excited for them to step into new leadership as they enter into middle school and go on backpacks for the first time this summer. Parents thank you for your strong support of the program and for your dedication to helping your boy’s connection with themselves, their peers, and the natural environment.

For pictures from our Lookout Mountain exploration please visit the Branch Hopper’s photo album from the day.

Branch Hoppers and Roosevelt Elk Calves initiate Spring 2016 service

You've probably heard it quoted: “Timing is everything in life!” That was certainly the case last Sunday as the Branch Hoppers gathered to initiate the service component of the Boys Explorers Club spring 2016 season at Connelly Creek. Their start time - 10:00 am; April shower (downpour, really!) commencement - 9:50 am. It’s a shame we don’t have a photo of mentor Brian and a succession of parents huddling under a raised minivan tailgate to complete service paperwork in a driving rain. Thank you, parents, for your patience and flexibility through what had to be one of the roughest starts to an outing in some time.

After a short walk to the service site, we found ourselves gawking at Reed Canary Grass as tall as

April showers

mentor Brian (I know, really tall!). This invasive plant is quite the fighter. Each of the last several seasons, we’ve stomped down the grass and covered it with bark mulch. And each time we return, so has the grass. Fortunately, we have more than one arrow in our quiver. The long term solution is to deprive Reed Canary Grass of its much loved sun all year around. So, we’ve planted alder trees that will provide shade when fully grown. Until then, we’re engaged in a tug of war with the grass. 

As we began to dig into the pile of bark mulch provided by Bellingham Parks and Rec (with tools provided by the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, or NSEA), the Roosevelt Elk Calves (REC) arrived as if to bolster our resolve in the face of our wily, stubborn adversary. The REC, 9 and 10 years old, are a bit younger than the Branch Hoppers (BH). This puts the BH in the position of role models for the younger boys, a challenge they accepted with gusto. Before long, shovels were scooping, buckets and even garbage cans full of mulch were being ferried to the newly flattened grass, and rakes were spreading mulch. As one of our BEC mottos emphasizes, “Many hands Make Light Work.”

Lopper brigade

A select crew was also working to cut back and uproot the few remaining Himalayan Blackberry bushes in the “front” part of the service area. It was about this time when a park neighbor came around to thank us for our work and to ask us to leave some of the foliage as a screen for the back of her property. This we were happy to do because we could see how that helped her and because the Bellingham Parks representatives have stressed with us the importance of limiting our efforts to the park boundaries. What at first might seem like a good-hearted deed can, viewed from a different perspective, cause unforeseen issues. In BEC, we endeavor to act with integrity, to “Walk Your Talk” (see Mottos); in this case, we focused on balancing our desire to pursue the grass and blackberries to every corner of that parcel of land with the needs and desires of the park neighbors and the Parks Department. As members of their explorers club group, these boys are practicing behaviors that will serve them well as adult members of our larger society. Everything is connected; sensing the issues and opportunities associated with that relationship is a sign of maturation for these boys. 

Through lunch and water breaks, the BH and REC groups continued to attack the mulch pile. Come

Impressive effort

early afternoon and we realized they were going to deplete the entire heap! Such industry! 

Well, as mentioned above, timing is everything. The shower at the start of the day meant we were working while wet, an additional challenge we accepted in gratitude for the nourishing rain. Now, timing was more in our favor. The bulk of our work was finished with time for some fun. The Branch Hoppers, who you’ll remember had started first, channeled their creative energies to an impromptu game they called “Double spiders web tag”. Think Capture the Flag….and more. What really struck me was their creativity and fun approach. It’s a game that may never be played again, but it looked fun.

Giving thanks!

The Roosevelt Elk Calves turned their attention to the remaining gnarly blackberries toward the back of the site. Even after having worked for a few hours on the mulch pile, the REC continued their enthusiasm for this, one of the most physically demanding tasks in service. In fact, they even figured out how to make if fun by competing for the biggest root. 

Both groups showed once again their positive attitude and inner strength in their approach to this task. The grass and the blackberries are worthy adversaries and neither is very good for spawning salmon. The effort is worthy and your explorers are more than up to the task. Look here for more photos from our outing. 

Branch Hoppers Find Fire and Nettles at North Lake Samish

Pulling up to North Lake Samish Trailhead the Branch Hoppers greeted each other in their typical fashion of throwing Fir cones at one another. Feeling a little deja vu the mentors thought back to an exploration we had on March 21^st, 2015 that ended in much the same way this outing was beginning. Giving a crow call the mentors circled the group up for an opening meeting.

The mentors wanted to get to a few important items on everyone’s mind while going over our plan for the day. Given that our skill for the season was the Art of Water, the Branch Hoppers were tasked with finding a source of water to harvest from (other than North Lake Samish) and purifying it over a fire made by them. The mentors also wanted the boys to go and check out the shelter they had built last season to see how it had faired over the winter storms.

Before we left the boys asked to play a game of Spider’s Web in maze of overcrowded Douglas Fir that they had discovered last fall, so the mentors threw that into our agenda. Hiking up the drainage North of the lake, we passed by a beautiful flowering shrub. Pointing it out to the group the mentors asked if anyone knew the plant. Some of the boys guessed Salmonberry, but it turned out to be a Red-Flowering Currant. This Currant’s beautiful pink flowers provide early spring nectar for Hummingbirds and gives us a sign that spring has arrived! Numerous birds including grouse, quail, robins, finches, towhees, woodpeckers, and small mammals consume the berries.

Switchback after switchback the boys peeled off layers and grasped the nettle as they pushed up the incline. Many of them grabbed walking sticks from the piles of Big Leaf Maple branches that had come down in the previous storms. Hiking towards the back with a few Explorers the mentors encouraged the boys by letting them know this was just some early training for our backpacks this summer! If you haven’t already, please check out Baker River Ramble and Anderson & Watson Lakes, Wilderness Exploration offerings for this summer.

Arriving at the Spider’s Web location the group plopped down on the forest floor and ate a hearty lunch. Revisiting our tasks for the day the boys decided to make our location a home base for skills and games. After going around the circle and asking each boy what they wanted to do, the Tribal Elder came to the conclusion that half the group wanted to carve and try to make a fire, while the rest wanted to play Spider’s Web. Those that wanted to work on skills offered to harvest some Nettle, build a fire, and get some water boiling. Normally on outings we try keep the group focused on the same task, but the mentors felt okay about the decision and wanted to follow the boys interests.

The game group set up the course and the skills group got to work on establishing their fire circle. Finding an open spot they cleared the forest duff down to mineral soil and sent a team out to gather dried and downed Western Hemlock branches. While they gathered a few boys started to make small shavings of a piece of Fatwood. Fatwood in our region comes from the resin-impregnated heartwood of Douglas Fir. Fatwood is filled with Terpene and pitch that can be harvested from the taproot or stump left over firs from logging. This resource is prized for use as kindling in starting fires.

Once the boys had a good-sized pile they laid it atop a nest of Jute cordage. Using a flint and steel they spent a solid fifteen minutes striking the rod and trying to catch a spark. Eventually the tinder bundle burst into flames and the boys quickly stoked the fire with small Hemlock twigs. Sitting around the fire the boys carved some Cedar and enjoyed a well-earned fire.

Meanwhile one mentor harvested a downed piece of Vine Maple while a few boys worked to harvest from a patch of Nettles in hopes of some tea. Bringing our harvest back to the group the mentor carved a notch at the end of the Maple bow and drove the other end to the ground. The boys collected a little water from each Explorer’s bottle and filled the stove pot, added the Nettles and hung it above the fire. The boys relaxed back into the comfort of the woods as they reveled in their accomplishment.

It was about this time that the group who had been playing Spider’s Web rejoined the rest of the boys around the fire. After debriefing with the other mentor it seemed that the boys had experienced some challenge with the location that they had chosen to play. After their first game had come to a close the group decided to switch locations because of the Spider had an advantage in the forest with little ground cover. Even after the location change the boys experienced frustration with the level of challenge for the flies even though they had made clear agreements. It was important for them to recognize that challenge can be healthy and each time they were caught in the game presented a new opportunity for strategy.

Feeling the need for the boys to decompress, a mentor sent the group out on a Sit Spot. Although we experienced some disruption during the Sit Spot it proved to be just the medicine the group needed to reset back to their baseline. Calling the boys back in we gathered back around the fire.

While on sit spot our Nettle tea had come to a boil and the fire had died down to just hot coals. The mentors explained that a good fire burns through a majority of its coals. Grabbing a pair of chopsticks the mentors showed the group how to use technique called coal blowing to make the rounded scoop on the end of the spoons they were working on. The boys were fascinated by the technique and practiced grabbing a hot coal out of the embers and setting it on the end of their spoon blank. Making sure to breath in with their head turned away from the coal, the boys applied pressure to the coal with a stick while simultaneously blowing a gentle stream of air against the coal. It was a struggle for them, but they showed great patience and care in the way they approached the skill. We will definitely revisit this skill again with the group.

To close our day we shared a delicious snack Danielle, wife of mentor Steve Keller, had prepared for his birthday. We then went around our circle sharing some gratitude. Breaking our circle the mentors tasked the TTTPP to use his trowel to dig an arrow shape trench in the mineral soil around the fire. The boys then used the rest of their water and some harvested from the creek to flood the trench, pushing the last of the hot coals in and fully submerging them in water. The boys then mixed in the soil to make a mud paste level with the ground and returned the duff layer over the fire circle. We gathered sticks and twigs and threw them randomly over the duff layer leaving little trace of our skills workshop.

For more photos from the outing please take a look at the Branch Hopper’s photo album.