At a slight risk of hyperventilation, several of the Barred Owls and mentors spent more than a little time blowing on our nascent fire in a cold drizzle at N. Lake Samish on Sunday. Despite our efforts, there was, for some time, no spark. It didn’t look good for a warming blaze.
Not surprising, given the completely moisture-laden forest surrounding us. In fact, a cold drizzle was the prevailing weather on that hill. As a growing sense of discouragement enveloped us, mentor Joey led an effort to locate and harvest fat wood to get us to kindling temperature. Found in tree stumps, fat wood has a high concentration of resin which makes it very flammable.
Even with the fat wood, it took us three tries to get the fire started. And once we finally got it going, we struggled to keep it alive. Call it modest; call it grudging — we called it welcome warmth! I guess it doesn’t have to roar into a raging bonfire to nourish us.
In fact, the fire served as a metaphor for the day. Our numbers were small, the sky gray and the hill tall and steep. By the time we reached our “base camp” we were primed for a day that was marked more by wandering than focused energy. A good example: our skill for the winter/spring is carving. The Explorers have done some carving, but it’s time to take it up a notch with specific projects. Other explorers have worked on making chopsticks, butter knives and the like. On this day, we decided to whittle the wet outer layer off sticks to improve their chance of burning — a noble endeavor given our struggles with the fire, but not the effort I envisioned.
The day was not without its highlights, to be sure. Top of the list — a waterfall that beckoned us off the trail on our ascent. This stream was as full as I’d seen it, delivering the backdrop for a fun, impromptu climbing challenge. I overheard one of the boys say, to no one in particular, “I love climbing!”
Less obvious were the softer tone and opportunities for deeper associations between Explorers that the slower pace enabled. In measured interaction and quiet conversation lie the chance to connect and reflect. As the Explorers Club motto points out, It’s All Part of It.
This is the waterfall that drew us off the trail on the way up. More rocks than stream, actually, which made for a fun, challenging climb.
Seems easier than it was on that sloping rock - slippery!
Harvesting fat wood for our reluctant fire.
Here's a great example of the deeper connection that is possible when we slow down - a lesson in using a pack saw to get at the fat wood.
While warm, and certainly welcome, that's not much of a fire for the effort that went into creating it. Thanks to mentor Joey for his persistence and knowledge of the use of fat wood as an accelerant.
Here we scatter as we begin one of our Hungry Hungry Marten games.
There's peace to be found in the forest, if we just slow down and let it envelop us.
No reason for this picture other than to bring a smile to your face!
We managed to raise the energy level for a few games of Hungry Hungry Marten before gathering our packs and heading back down the hill. On the way up, I had asked one of the boys why we bother trudging up a mountain only to come back down again a few hours later. He replied, with profound simplicity, “Because it’s fun.”
A wise lad. The restorative effect of stepping into nature’s nourishing landscape and letting go of the business of our daily endeavors cannot be overstated. Even, or perhaps especially, on days that are just kind of normal, it does a soul good.
We’re going to mix it up a bit on our next outing (March 4, Arroyo Park), when we start later and continue until after sundown. We’ll send details as we get closer; in the meantime, check out the rest of the photos from Sunday’s outing here.
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