Branch Hoppers Explore Ridley Creek Trail #686

Kicking off their sixth year as a group in Explorers Club the Branch Hoppers climbed aboard our bus ‘Moose’ and we set out to explore Ridley Creek Trail #686 in the Mt. Baker Wilderness. After traveling down Highway 542 and roughly forty minutes down a bumpy logging road we arrived at the trailhead where the mentors laid out some expectations for the day. It was important to remind the Explorers that we were in a remote backcountry setting, the stakes were higher and the consequences greater. Empowering the group the mentors also told the boys that they felt they had demonstrated the leadership and awareness over the last year for them to feel comfortable taking the group to a location that remote.

The group did some great work in their opening meeting to anticipate the hazards we might face and come up with a game plan for navigating them. We signed in at the trailhead and studied the topo map and we were off! We quickly came to our first obstacle, crossing the main drainage of the Deming Glacier of Mt. Baker.  Looking at the creek bed it was clear that massive amounts of water moved through the area during late spring although only one channel of the creek was flowing at the time. During certain times of the year the entire drainage rages with torrents of rushing water, rolling boulders, and eroding creek banks. Our hope was that the log bridge over the creek was still intact after a year of late spring snowpack. With a little luck we found it and circled up before crossing.

Although the channel was only twenty feet wide the water was quite swift and a fall held the potential for injury. The boys crossed one at a time, making sure to unclip their hip belt buckles and embraced the number one rule of the wilderness, Pay Attention. They did an excellent job.

Safely across the drainage we headed up into a dense old growth forest rich with lush ecology of: massive Pacific Silver Fir, Mountain and Western Hemlock, Yellow Cedar, Queens Cup, Orchids, Creeping Raspberry, Fungus and Lichens of many varieties, animal sign, dens, trails, and massive snags and nurse logs. The mentors tried to encourage the group to take in the ecology and be present in the moment, but the Branch Hoppers were anxious to get to where they were headed and to socialize as a group.

Hiking along the forest birds called out as they gave thanks for the previous days rain and sweet smell of the damp forest refreshed us after over eighty days of summer drought. Our intention for the day was to climb over 1000 feet to the alpine meadows of Mazama Park for views of the remote valley, the Twin Sisters, and the Park Butte fire lookout. 

Stopping for a lunch break next to a beautiful flowing creek the group decided to play a few games of Hide! While one of the boys was hiding another came up and taunted him, this escalated into a physical expression of frustration on both sides. The result of the incident was tears, interpersonal conflict, and isolation. It was clear in that moment that the group was in need of a discussion to help mend the situation and talk about inclusion.

To begin our conversation the mentors pointed out the current conflict and the growing clicks within the group that were becoming more present as the boys got further into middle school. Going around the circle the mentors asked the group what inclusion and care for others meant, and if they had experienced both or the opposite within the group or at school. The boys shared stories and both directly and indirectly addressed some barriers to inclusion and interpersonal communication. It was powerful for them to reflect on the both the immediate consequences as a team working together in the wilderness and the long-term consequences within the interpersonal dynamics of the group.

The mentors asked for a commitment from the group to treat everyone with respect and care and to try to build relationships with one another. We were clear that this didn’t mean that everyone had to be best friends or we couldn’t have conflict, but it was more about modeling leadership and standards we hold as caring and committed community members.

This was a great time for the mentors to Segway into a simple, but effective leadership model that could help our group build back trust and support for one another. Parents please look over, The Leadership Challenge® Model, copyright © 2009 Kouzes Posner International and debrief your son’s experience with this conversation.

Pushing our way up the trail towards the alpine the boys mustered up the steep switchbacks and checked in with one another to make sure no one was getting left behind. We were roughly twenty minutes away from the alpine when the leader of the day called out that it was time to turn around. Although it’s about the journey not the destination, running out of time to make it to the alpine was a direct result of our valuable but costly time spent in circle working on group dynamics.

On the way back down to the river crossing the boys laughed and played with one another and made a solid effort to support and include every group member. This was refreshing to see and our hope is that it will set a solid intention amongst the group going into the BH’s second to last year in the BEC.

Safely across the log bridge the group spent some time exploring the fascinating volcanic rocks along the riverbed and soaking up views of the Deming Glacier and the jagged Black Buttes together in harmony. This was exactly the type engagement with the location that Brian and I had hoped for our outing, and it provided a strong finish to our day. Under the shadow of Mt. Baker we circled and shared apples and thanks for our time spent in the wilderness.

For more pictures from our day please visit the Branch Hoppers’ photo album from the day.