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.

Branch Hoppers First Exploration at the Rock Trail

The Branch Hopper’s very first exploration of the Rock Trail began with a muddy and bumpy ride up Cleator Road to the Cyprus Gate Overlook. Circling up at the trailhead Brian assured the group that there was a spectacular view of the islands and the Olympics from our vantage. However, it was hard to see anything with the thick bank of clouds engulfing everything around us.

Starting down the trail the boys found a great spot for our opening meeting. We had two new participants in the group so there was a need to introduce them to our BEC culture and outing sequence.

The mentors handed the jobs bag over to the group and the boys introduced the newbies to our jobs system and important safety concerns. It’s refreshing as a mentor to be able to hand these tasks off to the group. Not only are the boys able to explain the job functions, they now understand them as they relate to their interdependence as a cohort and the deep curriculum they foster. The mentors then took a moment to explain our skill for the season, The Art of Water. Our goal for the day to was explore the Rock Trail and navigate down to Lost Lake to harvest some water for tea.

As we hiked the morning air was cool and crisp. The marine layer shrouded the forest with a blanket of mist and the occasional sun break made the moisture on the leaves and spider’s webs glimmer in the light. Reaching the first staircase the group marveled at the steepness of the wooden steps as we descended down next to a sheer wall of Sandstone that was over forty feet high.

The engineering of the Rock Trail was truly a feat, the WTA should be proud of their work. Passing through the seemingly endless sandstone cliffs and folds we couldn’t help but immerse ourselves in the topography. The trail snaked back and forth and at one point paralleled the base of a cliff. A few of the Explorers who had been to the Rock Trail previously pointed to small erosion pocket in the wall. Looking closer we found the pocket opened up into a six by six foot cave!

The group spent about an hour climbing on the rocks and carving some small split pieces of a downed Cedar tree. As we sat the sky would go dark and heavy clouds would roll over, then sun would push back and the forest would flood with light. The mentors assessed that the boys could have stayed in this location all day but pushed the group to venture farther and remember the intention we set at the start of the day.

Following the trail we passed by a large patch of Nettles. Taking a moment a few of the boys sacrificed their hands to harvest the group enough Stinging Nettle leaves for our tea. The mentors encouraged the Explorers to notice all the signs of spring popping up in the forest: the Pink flowers of Salmonberries, the smell of Cottonwood Buds in the air, the bright green leaves of Skunk Cabbage pushing up through the wetland, and almost every shrub in the forest with new leaflets. This mentor is of the opinion that it’s the most wonderful time to be outside and the perfect medicine after the long and dark winter.

After almost a mile we came to the Lost Lake junction. Arriving at the North end of the Lake we had to pass through a maze of logs over a wetland. A few of our crew, including both mentors, ended up slipping and getting quite muddy. However, this is not unusual for the Branch Hoppers. Before we got to the lake we had an interpersonal conflict come up within the group. The conflict arose over the group not staying together and ended up in an argument and physical escalation.

Sending the rest of the group ahead a mentor worked with the two boys in order to resolve the conflict. It was not so much what happened that was important in the mentor’s eyes; it was how the boys were able to work through their conflict. Just to provide the reader with a little background, our mentors have been working with this cohort for over four years; and for the first time we noticed the boy’s ability to use the developmentally complex tools mentors have modeled for solving interpersonal conflict. Together the boys were able to: identity and recognize their internal struggle or conflict, name it and communicate it to the other person in a genuine and caring way, listen to the other’s struggle, and identify what it would take to mend or fix the issue. Wow! As a mentor this is the fruit of our labor and brings us great joy.

Passing through a maze of young Doug Fir and Salal the group navigated to the Eastern outpour of the lake. Following the drainage the group found a thirty-foot waterfall that was really flowing. The Explorers decided that this would be our turn-around point for the outing and spent awhile in free exploration around the lake.

Together we found a fast flowing and clean section of the outpour and filled our stove pot full. Sitting in a circle we went over how to set-up and light our MSR backpacking stove and shared some nettle-mint tea, apples, and gratitude.

Looking at our watch for the first time all day we realized we had an hour to get back; we would need to hike with some intention! Trudging up the hill we shed layers and worked up quite a sweat, stopping only once to drink water. Half-way up the trail Brian commented on the boy’s ability to muster their strength and how it showed they were ready for backpacking. Parents, if your Branch Hopper is ready to stretch their edge on a three-day backpack this summer, we highly encourage you to sign them up for our Baker River Ramble or Anderson & Watson Lake backpacks. Click here for a link to WE: Wilderness Exploration offerings for the summer of 2016.

Our mentors are thankful for such a wonderful outing, for new outing locations, for continued mentor/mentee relationships, and for the Branch Hoppers strong start to our Boys EC Spring 2016 season.

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

Branch Hoppers - Shelter, Fire, & Play at North Lake Samish

The Branch Hopper’s final outing of the Fall 2015 season at North Lake Samish was jammed packed with skills, adventure, and play. As we congregated the boys stared up at the steep power line grade running adjacent the trail; the North Lake Samish Trail rises steeply out of the lake basin ascending up into the foothills of the Chuckanuts.

The boys were anxious to get on the trail, but before we headed out we needed to circle up to talk about jobs and the hazards that we might face in this location. NOAA had forecasted 20 mph winds from the south and driving rain. We talked about our motto BE Prepared and how we could approach the day with a preventative mindset for warmth and safety.

Once we were oriented to the landscape and weather we talked about another hazard that we’d been facing interpersonally throughout the season, the hazard of escalation. It is important to revisit this with the Explorers again and again.

Heading up the trail we entered into the forest canopy and were pleasantly surprised to find it quite sheltered from the rain. The land within the park boundaries is beautiful. Mature stands of Douglas Fir and Cedar growingly steeply on a bed of Sandstone rock and deep moss. Hiking along we discovered cascading waterfalls and exposed ridges of Sandstone.

Our goal was to make it to the top of the first crest, gaining roughly 700 feet of elevation. About halfway up we needed to stop and peel layers. On these drizzly and chilly days it is difficult to manage an efficient layering system. An efficient system requires a careful balance in regulating perspiration within ones layers and saturation from the rain. Snacking on our lunch underneath a big Doug Fir we watched the tops the trees sway lightly in the wind.

Once we had our clothing systems in order and our bellies full, we hiked up the trail until it petered out into a maze of social trails of both the deer and human variety. Following a fair well-worn path we ascended the ridgeline and made it to the top.  Looking around the forest was now quite different as we had left the park boundary and entered into logging land.

While scouting the forest the group noticed that there was hardly any under brush and the tree stands of fir were so dense they’d shed their lower branches. The group had some inspiration to play a game of Spider’s Web, but the mentors called a circle to focus the group’s energy before we started playing games. The mentors reminded the group that on our last outing to Clayton Beach we had postponed shelter building to carve, in an agreement to try and complete one on our last outing. With shelter as our core routine for the day we turned the leadership over to the tribal elder to facilitate a decision on how we could best use our time and accomplish what we collaboratively wanted to do.

Through a great effort from the tribal elder and collaboration and compromise from the group, the boys decided to delve into shelter building for the first half of the outing, then play Spider’s Web in our current location, and to end the day with a small twig fire and a circle of thanks.

With our minds set towards shelter we left the forest and crossed the power line clearing in search of deciduous trees that would offer the best resources for shelter building.  Our front scout found a stand of Big leaf Maples growing on the fringe of the power lines and led the group off trail to reach it. One the way they encountered a large patch of Stinging Nettle. It is wonderful to watch the boys track the land. They noticed that this nettle patch had just started sprouting and was not typical of the fall season. These nettles were quite potent and left painful stings on their arms and legs. Once we had literally grasped the nettle the boys tracked the land for an ideal location for shelter.

Finding a prominence on the hillside the boys scavenged for downed wood using a pack saw to cut a backbone and Y poles. Inserting the pole into the ground the group found our prominence was actually a buried rock and we would have to move our location somewhere with more forest duff. Finding another location the boys noticed that this spot would expose them to run off from the hillside, so once the frame of the shelter was completed a few boys immediately started digging a trench on the high side for run off. Their construction was incredible. They wedged sticks horizontally across the trench walls to act as rebar and divert the flow of run off to follow down the trench with gravity. The boys worked diligently as a group on the shelter, spending an hour and a half of focused energy on the construction.

It was all going well until one Explorer accidently stepped on another’s hand and it escalated into a small physical confrontation. Pulling the Explorer(s) aside it was important to allow each boy the time to process, reflect, speak their truth, and find what it would take build community again and find conflict resolution. After a heartfelt discussion with both of them they came to three clear agreements that I think we can all take to heart: “I will believe you when you say it was an accident”, “I will treat you with respect and care”, and “I will forgive your genuine apology with grace”. It is moments like these on the land where outside elements of wind and rain fade away and we deeply connect to our mentees and the heart of the work we are doing. I can’t thank these boys enough for their efforts towards building peace and trust amongst one another.

Wanting to hold to our commitment the mentors gathered the shelter builders and had them stand back to take a gander at their work. Although we did not complete the shelter, the group is about 85% on their way towards being proficient shelter builders. This is a skill that will not only provide them a firm foundation on the land, but deep knowledge of place.

Heading over to the dense patch of forest the boys set up the course and got to playing. As they played a lone mentor gathered dead Western Hemlock branches for a small twig fire to close our outing and season. The forest was so dark that the boys began to look like shadows as they crawled and crept through the landscape.

Scraping away the duff layer a mentor took out a bow drill kit and managed to get a small but hardy fire. After calling the game to a close, the cold and wet Branch Hoppers spirits were lifted around the warmth and glow of the fire. It was a dear moment. The group huddled together as they roasted their apples and gave genuine thanks around the fire circle.

Brian and I deeply appreciate the time we get to spend with your Explorers. Our outing was a reaffirmation of why we do the work that we do and it is our strong parent community that gives us the grace and trust to be able to walk alongside of the boys as they explore, learn, grow, and experience together in the woods.

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