Art of Snow Caves II with the Branch Hoppers

The Branch Hoppers arrived at Cascades Montessori surprisingly energetic and alert in spite of the fact it was 8:00am on a Saturday. Hopping aboard our bus Moose we headed out Highway 542 in search of snow. Cruising along the North Fork of the Nooksack River the Explorers marveled at the Bald Eagles perched in the old growth.

Arriving at the upper parking lot of the Mt. Baker Ski Area the weather felt unusually warm and comfortable. Circling up at the backcountry gate the mentors asked for the group to focus for a safety discussion, and reminded everyone that venturing out into the backcountry during winter required careful tracking of weather and a heightened awareness of hazards that are present.

Together the group was challenged to remember what safety terminologies and guidelines we had discussed on our previous snow cave outings. We reviewed: backcountry travel and etiquette, avalanche prone slopes and their degree of angle, terrain traps and cornices, wind loading, storm slab, loose wet snow avalanches, tree well hazards, dehydration, protecting layers and gear in a wet environment, and sticking together as a group.

Building upon this knowledge the mentors gave a talk on the previous two weeks weather and snowfall in relation to: the daily temperature, amount of rain/snowfall, precipitation in relation to snowpack stability, wind direction and speed, direction of wind loading on slopes due to transportation of snow, NWAC’s detailed avalanche forecast and current level of danger rating, and recent observations skiers had made of in the backcountry.

The boys were anxious to get digging but the mentors needed to mention one other important point. We are very clear with the Explorers that just because they are learning information relating to avalanche awareness and backcountry winter travel that does not give them license to duck the ropes while at the ski area or venture out into the winter wilderness without supervision or an experienced adult.

Leading the charge the Explorers headed out on a path that offered a safe and efficient travel route to their identified snow cave building location. Stepping out of the boot pack to let a few skiers go past the boys sank up to their waists into the snow. Trudging, post-holing, and pushing their way up slope the group looked like a pack of sled dogs. It’s powerful to see the Explorers developing a familiarity and affinity for this landscape.

Setting up base camp the group honed in on a spot roughly on a twenty-degree slope with a deep wind deposited snow bank. Walking out a perimeter around the snow cave site as to not compress the snow, the boys used a probed and determined that the depth was roughly seven feet. Digging out a platform the boys excavated six feet vertically, throwing the snow down slope.

Initially the work went quickly. Outlining the entrance of their cave the Explorers used a snow-saw to cut blocks out of the wall until a shoulder-wide entrance to the cave went roughly three feet back. From this point the work of digging gets tough until the cave gets big enough to sit up in. Adding to the day’s difficulty was the mentor’s mistake in banking on the Explorers bringing extra shovels. With only two shovels at our disposal the work went slow and half the group played while the other worked.

Stopping for a snack the group cut out a small kitchen space with a wind block next to the cave and Brian set up a stove to make some peppermint tea. As our snow melted and came to a boil we sat back and looked out at Table Mountain while we basked in the touch and go sunshine. The mild weather came much to our surprise as NOAA’s forecast had called for rain and temps around forty, which can be miserable without the knowledge of how to stay warm and dry in those tough conditions.

The boys really enjoyed identifying the previous week’s avalanches across the valley. From a distance the mentors tried to help the group orient to the scale and size of the slides and if they looked to be natural releases or human triggered. Being in the presence of the mountains has the power to humble both mentor and Explorer alike as it provides a window into forces much greater than ourselves. This shift in perspective calls us to be present and engaged, increases our discernment, encourages forethought and reflection, and is restorative in nature.

One take-away our mentors have had time and time again with the Branch Hoppers is that they love being together in the mountains. Whether it watching the tea boil and the sun travel over the peaks, engaging in the skill of snow caving, or body sliding down the hill and throwing snowballs at each other, they couldn’t get enough!

We ended up making a snow cave big enough for one person and set-up a sleeping bag and pad inside to see what it would feel like to weather a night there. Demolishing our cave was seemingly more fun than building it! After making a sweep around our camp we made our way back to the wilderness rope line to gather up for a circle of thanks.

The Branch Hoppers were thankful for the opportunity to be in the mountains, for all the knowledge gained through the experience, for the creative medium of snow, for deep spring snowpack that provides us drinking water, for quality gear that enriches our experience, for pleasantly surprising weather, and for being reminded of the lesson that the hardest part is getting out the door and how that most of the time the experience is rich and rewarding. Brain and I are thankful to spend another day in the mountains with this fine crew of arriving adults.

For more pictures from our outing please visit the Branch Hopper’s photo album from the day.

The Branch Hoppers Showdown Games Day with the Storm Wolves

The Branch Hoppers and Storms Wolves met at Lookout Mountain for a day of games. The outing also marked the third time in the fall season that the boys had shared an outing together. Once everyone arrived the group hiked out in search of Steve and Brian who were busy setting up the course for, Life and Death in the Forest.

The morning was brisk and damp and a great reminder that without the proper gear and preparation for the day this combination of weather can be a miserable experience. Making their rendezvous with the mentors, the group circled up to listen to the rules of the game while they snacked on some food.

The mentors explained that Life and Death in the Forest teaches us about the intricacies of the food web through playful embodiment of those who call the forest home. Herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores make up the basic players in the game with food and water sources represented by cards hanging from string scattered throughout the playing field. A player not only has to collect a certain amount of food and water sources in an allotted time, they must also keep their own life which is represented by a specific number of rubber bands depending upon one’s status within the food chain.
With our game set up, the rules explained, and participants prepped, all that was left was to start. The herbivores got a head start to disperse into the landscape and begin stealthily scouring the forest for food and water. Next the Omnivores were sent off needing to pick a priority of plant food, water, or hunting to begin the game. Finally, the carnivores were let loose much to the dismay of the herbivores and omnivores who now flinched at every twig snapped and fern rustled.

For twenty minutes Explorers and Mentors alike ran, crawled, climbed, ducked, dove, scurried and scampered. The struggle between life and death becomes surprisingly real when time starts running out and the only thing standing between you and that last food source is a hungry Carnivore licking his chops for a shot at one last meal.

At the end of the round we circled back up and debriefed our experience. Initially we had picked what we thought would be a balanced ecosystem, but it turned out that the herbivore and omnivore populations had been demolished. This was a great time for the group to think about what would happen the next year to our population of carnivores. Picking new roles and trying once more to balance our numbers within the food web we played another round.

Coming in a half an hour later tired and sweaty the group circled up once again to debrief. The Explorers struggled to focus and the mentors had difficulty tracking whether it was environmental factors at play or if the boys had just reached their limit. This was a great time to talk about our expectations for the elder EC groups to be present during our outings and take initiative. After a few more reminders and some unfocused leadership the boys made the decision to clean up the game, have a closing circle, and then head back to the trailhead so that the Storm Wolves could show the Branch Hoppers their favorite game, Where’s My Egg? Although they had difficultly making decisions the boys held a solid closing circle and shared what they were thankful for openly and honestly.

Back at the trailhead the mentors took a step back to watch the Explorers try and get their game together. Similarly to what the mentors had experienced, the boys talked over one another causing some frustration and confusion. The group was able to overcome this hurdle and it was fun to watch their playfulness and companionship engaged with one another. This ended our games day on a high note and the group internalized their need for focus during circle time. The mentors also learned an important lesson that occasionally we need to step back and observe the dynamics of the group in order to be more targeted and effective mentors.

For more pictures for our Showdown outing please visit the photo album from the day. Thanks for reading!

Smith Creek Exploration with the Branch Hoppers

The Branch Hoppers arrived at North Lake Whatcom for the first ever BEC exploration up the Smith Creek drainage. The sunny and warm autumn day the mentors had envisioned when planning this outing six months prior turned out to be a quite chilly day with the threat of rain in the forecast.  

Circling up for an opening meeting Steve introduced a new mentor to the group, Glen, who was filling in for Brian as he was backpacking in the Grand Canyon. The mentors presented the group with two different topographic maps and asked them to orient the map to the landscape using a compass to predict what type of terrain they would be navigating based on the topo lines. The group did an excellent job and found that the drainage was a very steep arroyo and that navigating up out of the drainage might pose a problem for the group. From this they predicted that they would most likely have to navigate out the same way they came in and should plan their turn around time time accordingly.

Before heading out the mentors revisited the interpersonal conflict that had occurred on our last outing and the Five Exemplary Practices of Leadership model that the mentors had shared as a counter to this situation. Going around the circle the boys worked to define the five practices and apply them towards their own leadership. Together we highlighted the practices that we wanted to hold to for the day, Inspire a Shared Vision and Encourage the Heart.

Adjourning our meeting we headed down the road and assessed the creek from the bridge above. Doing a bit of scouting one of the boys found a rope tied to an Alder and we repelled into the drainage of the creek. It didn’t take long to discover that this terrain would be challenging. Not only did the group have to find the easiest route of travel along the creek but they also needed to watch their footing carefully as the morning dew had blanketed the exposed creek bed, which made the rocks very slick and slippery.

The group navigated up the creek, climbing over logs and boulders, rock hopping from one side to the other, and trying their best not to get soaked in order to protect their warm layers. The group tracked that a serious amount of water ran through the creek in early spring by observing an immense logjam and large undercuts in its banks. These undercut banks proved to be a gold mine for fossils and the group spent some time looking at the pressed leaves in the clay like layers.

After roughly forty-five minutes of travel the mentors encouraged the group to Inspire a Shared Vision by checking in with each member to see how they were fairing and their level of enjoyment with this style of exploration. Taking the pulse reviews were mixed and there was consensus to find a lunch spot where the group could do some free exploration.

Just round the next bend the group found what they had been looking for, a large grove of Western Red Cedar that sat a top a shelf like landscape with sandstone overhangs and plenty of mystery to explore. Dropping their packs the boys quickly found a large overhang with a fire pit and evidence that someone had been using the shelter as a camp.

Making their way up a deer trail through the rises in the steep hillside the group came across a puffball mushroom called an Earth Star. Squeezing it gently the boys discovered its method for spreading spores by propelling them into the air when some bumped against its sphere like cap.

Ascending out of the drainage the group came across a very strange and illicit find. The group found a fifty-gallon drum buried to its rim in the dirt stuffed full with tarps and a collection of rainwater. Examining it further one of the boys found a corner of a tarp, which was covered with six inches of soil and pulled it back, finding four more barrels, which were sealed. The boys were excited to pull the lids off and discover what was inside but the mentors stopped them and let the group know that this brought up a lot of red flags for them in terms of group safety.

The mentors went on to say that whatever was buried there someone did not want others to find and the group did not have the resources to deal with. Being responsible Explorers and community members did mean that we would need to document our findings by marking them on our topo map, taking a few pictures, and alerting the Whatcom County Police.

Leaving the barrels behind the group found a route to the power line clearing on the other side of the valley from where we had made char cloth a year ago. It was nice to have some expansive views after navigating the dense arroyo. Circling up for a group decision the boys decided to try and navigate through the tickets of brambles to get back to the creek where they could set up a base camp to work on some fire skills and explore one section of the creek more intimately.

Moving through the thorny thicket proved to be very difficult and slightly claustrophobic. After twenty minutes of pushing our way through the brush we emerged scratched up and thirsty in much the same place as we had started. The group seemed a bit frustrated, but it was a great time to highlight that off trail travel does not always go as planned.

Navigating back to the overhang with the primitive camp Glen and a few boys worked on making a small tinder bundle of cedar while the rest of the group collected some downed hemlock branches for a small twig fire. Through some persistence the boys managed to ignite the tinder bundle and the group gathered around the fire warming their wet shoes and working on some carving projects. The Sandstone overhang reflected the heat of the fire and the boys were able to grasp the concept of how to use a heat reflecting emergency blanket in conjunction with a twig fire.

Circling up in our intimate setting with only the sound of the creek in the background we shared roasted apples and a heartfelt round of thanks. The group expressed their gratitude for the cohesion they felt in the moment and solitude they experienced after putting in the effort to get out off trail. This was a powerful close to our outing and incentivized the Branch Hoppers to Enlist Others in a Shared Vision and Encourage the Heart of their fellow group members.

For more photos from the outing please visit the Branch Hoppers’ photo album from their Smith Creek Exploration.

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.