The Branch Hoppers Explore Clayton Beach

When the Branch Hoppers arrived at the Clayton Beach parking lot they were greeted by mentors who had been splitting Western Red Cedar in anticipation for a day of carving with them. Circling up the boys introduced themselves to mentor Joey Christianson who was subbing for Brian and also our EMA for the day Jordan.

Jordan explained to the boys that his group, the Vespula Veterans, had harvested the Cedar he was currently splitting on their campout at Racehorse Falls. It was powerful for our EMA to make the direct connection with his knowledge and skill for harvesting the wood, and the service and nourishment it provided the younger Explorers.

At our first exploration of the season we focused on shelter building, but the boys had shown a great interest in carving. Following their inspiration our aim for the day would be to provide time during the outing for carving if we could all agreed to focus on shelter-building on our last outing to North Lake Samish.

We discussed the high impact of shelter-building at a location like Clayton Beach, which has high human use, determining that the skill was best left for the mixed-use forest and logging lands. Coincidentally the abundance of deciduous tree debris and down limbs is often much more prevalent in these areas making harvesting of materials a breeze.

Heading down the trail the to beach the boys started what would become the Branch Hopper’s challenge for the day. They asked if they would be able to stop and have a fir cone battle on the hillside. I think most of the boys already knew the mentor’s response to this question. The Branch Hoppers yearn for competition and that is healthy. In the Boys EC we describe healthy competition as trading courage. When the Explorers offer each other their best in games they play with honor and accept challenge as a form of growth. The mentors reminded the group that fir cone battles and other unhealthy forms of competition have led their group into conflict, escalation, and misuse of personal power.

As mentors we really encourage the boys to try and take a step outside their impulse to play games where violence is a focus, even if it deemed pretend or innocent. Our long-term aim is that the Explorers recognize that if they pretend to harm one another and choose to focus behaviors that reinforce it, the long-term effects can manifest either unintentionally or impulsively in harmful ways.

The ability to discern in the moment requires a great deal of self-awareness and maturity, most of which will develop later in the Branch Hoppers adolescent years. However it is our belief as their mentors that an immersion and experience with a culture that promotes healthy competition from an early age provides a firm foundation and moral compass from which to grow.

Arriving at the beach we let the boys squirrel out before we focused in on some carving. The boys roamed the beach climbing on the sandstone and doing acrobatics on the sand dune. Clayton Beach is an endless playground for the boys and outing after outing the boys continue to be enthralled by this location. We are fortunate in Bellingham to have this gem of a park so close to home.

Calling the boys back in we handed out the freshly split blanks of Cedar and the boys put in a solid hour of work carving. It was great to watch them relax leaning against the driftwood and settling into the sand. This group has shown a depth of character around our culture of responsible tool usage and it is exemplified their ability to recognize the difference between a tool and a weapon. They are developing a sense of craftsperonship and pride in their trades and it extends to their ethical use with them.

Packing up our carving projects we headed south along the shore following a set of old pilings. The farther we traveled the more we started to smell the aroma of something dead on the beach. Sure enough we came across a mostly decomposed harbor seal. With the help of a mentor and a stick we examined the skeletal structure of the Harbor Seal and learned about the natural decomposition cycle for this marine mammal. The boys stared at the carcass perplexed as to the notion that they were witnessing both a scene life and death simultaneously.

With that inspiration it was time for a sit spot. The boys spread out on the breakwater south of the point and listened to the calls of the Yellow-Billed Loons as they foraged territorially through their claims to the Eelgrass beds. It was truly magical.

After breaking our sit spot the boys roamed the beach skipping rocks and eventually some returned to their fir cone battle. Calling the group together the mentors asked the group what they needed in order to spend the rest of the outing with a little more structure. Through an impressive facilitation from the tribal elder and a great compromise for the group we agreed to play a game a Spiders Web throughout the rocks on the beach and then have a closing meeting back at the carving spot.

After our council the energy for the rest outing followed well and the boys were engaged. It was an important less for the mentors to be reminded thatwe are all leaders and it is important to ask the boys what they’d rather do than try and infer.

The game of Spider’s Web proved to be quiet a challenge but the group had a blast experimenting with a whole gambit of stealth and diversion tactics. Circling up on the beach the group gave thanks and shared apples.  What a wonderful and rich outing with the Branch Hoppers full of powers and challenges. We look forward to our last outing for the fall 2015 season at North Lake Samish trailhead. There we where we will focus on building a warm and comfortable shelter not only of the earthen variety, but also within the climate of our group.

For more pictures from the outing please visit the Branch Hopper’s photo gallery

The Branch Hopper's Carve and Explore at Clayton Beach

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

BEC: Exploring Clayton Beach with the Branch Hoppers

Branch Hopper Explorers gathered for their first outing of the season at the Clayton Beach parking lot. Spring had sprung Bellingham style- rain and a steady breeze, and the possibility of some serious cold and wet were before us. As the Branch Hoppers piled out of their metal cans, and congregated on the pavement, our minds turned to the gentle shapes, the sweet bird sounds, wild bitter tastes, and the invigorating feel of our surrounding Chuckanut wilds.

As we gathered, the mentors reminisced over the last outing of the Fall season. In that outing, Branch Hoppers were challenged to follow the mentors’ lead completely. Mentors had overtly guided the pace of the day and the content of the meetings- transparently making triangular leadership decisions and orchestrating the group so that we made it to the top of Galbraith Mountain with plenty of time to spare. In thisouting, however, the mentors did the exact opposite. For the opening meeting, Matt and Steve stood by their car, ate chips, and drank tea. Branch Hoppers were given the mission to perform the meeting by themselves, to hand out jobs, and to make sure they were prepared for the day.

It must be honestly said that the Branch Hoppers are a pretty fantastic and resilient group, and they respond well to real challenges. They circled up and managed to choose about half of the jobs before the circle broke. Parents, please understand that this is an amazing feat. After the breaking of the circle, they did flounder for a bit, and mentors offered a few gentle suggestions. They regrouped and scattered a few times, but ended up impressively remembering and assigning every job. At this point, the mentors stepped into the circle and joined the ring of leadership. They then offered one way to stretch the edge of group performance by telling a short story.

Explorers, do you remember the story of Matia (Matt’s spouse) hiking in the Pasayten Wilderness? Why was it important for her to know what equipment (jobs) her hiking partner had?

We finished off the meeting with a consideration of safety and a vision for the day. We then performed the most dangerous act of the entire exploration (crossing the road) and made our way into the coastal woodlands. At the first junction, the power and the challenge of circular leadership and group authority was evident. The Branch Hoppers could go one of three ways. Again, Steve and Matt stepped to the side, fascinated by the wonders of spring growth and the new birds songs. Branch Hoppers circled and scattered, trying to assess who wanted to go where, and trying to figure out how to reach consensus. An occasional suggestion floated in from Matt and Steve, but it must be said that in the end it was the Branch Hoppers group who came to a clear decision and ventured forth.

As we moved forward and admired the spring beauty, we enjoyed the smells of the cold stream, the piping calls of northern flickers, and the brilliant green and dappled whites of young indian plums. We all enjoyed a playful spirit on this outing. Hide was called on more than one occasion, as well as incoming! We snacked together, made another group decision on the next move, and found a great location for a “base camp.” Spiders Web was the plan of the day, after some water, food, and stream exploration. A few Explorers got wet here, and Steve and Matt continued our ongoing exploration of hypothermia, clothing, keeping warm, and natural consequences. The only way to really understand this is experientially, and many Branch Hoppers on this day dove in to the education… literally. We had some excellent Spiders Web games and some very good discussions afterward. After some down time, we made our way toward the beach for an open exploration and a close of the day.

Parents, you may have heard stories of the last forty minutes of our outing. Some Explorers exuberantly dove into the pooled ocean water as we enjoyed the wonders of the beach. Again, Matt and Steve, offered advice but, given our read of the time of day and other environmental factors, judged it best to let them to follow their excitement and enjoy the fruits (and the pits) of the path of self agency. What a great closing, and what a wonderful lesson nature provided. What long term empowerment, and what refinement of judgment grew from these decisions. After five minutes, Explorers exclaimed that they were not cold at all, and that it was a great idea to soak themselves. Matt and Steve gave some gentle suggestions again, but these were disregarded. Ten minutes and the shivers came. Fifteen and we circled up to talk about hypothermia with our willing, shivering exhibits. We looked at how to deal with it, and how the different stages might present. Then our Explorers willingly decided to take care of themselves, to take the appropriate steps, and to begin heat recovery.  In good time, we had apples and a closing circle of thanks.  More than one thanks was given for warmth and dry clothing. As well as a good amount for the land and a wonderful day.

Branch Hoppers, you are growing into a fine group, and we are very thankful for all of your heartfelt work. Parents, we thank you for all of your enduring support. Finally, we thank our land, which we are all a part of, for its endless education on how to live a full and vibrant life.

Don’t forget to check out pics from the outing in our photo gallery.