The Barred Owlets conquer the Teddy Bear traverse

BO 10/25/15  Teddy Bear Cove traverse - Blog

One of the things about my personal experience of parenting that most impressed me was the way each child morphs into several different kids over the course of growing into adulthood. Preschoolers are filled with wonder at the little things; eight to ten year-olds (in my experience) are the most joyous people in the room; adolescents are confused much of the time; teenagers are…well, you get the point. Trying to keep pace with, or heaven forbid, stay ahead of the changes is a demanding and rewarding aspect of parenting.

I learned that lesson again on Halloween when the Barred Owlets traversed from the North Chuckanut trailhead to Teddy Bear Cove. Joey and I fretted over how they would handle the bushwhacking, the hazards, the focus required to succeed in what we perceived as an outing that would be a stretch for them. How would they react to the sting of the dreaded Devil’s Club? Would fatigue wear on their spirits, causing them to snipe at their peers (or - aghast! - their mentors!)? Were we asking them to stretch their edges a little too far?

I’m thrilled to report that none of that happened. Rather, your boys dispatched this challenge with aplomb. Elation was the emotion most often expressed, as when we took time out from our hike to play not one, but two games of Spider’s Web. A sense of accomplishment was the sentiment voiced when the boys learned they had completed the most difficult part of the traverse. Disappointment found its way into their countenance only when they learned we needed to stop doing what we were doing because we needed to move on. Joey and I, and volunteer mentor Conor, were nourished by both the land and the boys on this rainy, then cool and cloudy, Saturday. It was an outstanding day - one for the photographic, inscribed and mental memory banks.

We started in the rain at the very familiar North Chuckanut trailhead parking lot. Rather than head into the Chuckanuts, though, we crossed Chuckanut Drive (the first of three times) and dropped into a wooded area not far from Bellingham Bay. In our opening meeting, the mentors stressed the hazards and challenges the day would present us, but assured the explorers that they were ready to handle them (truer words were never spoken, as it turned out). We then played a few games of Hungry, hungry martin. Sufficiently warmed and enthused by the games, we departed south and soon reached the end of the trail. As we discussed the best bushwhacking route - on the side of the hill or across the flats - I watched for hesitancy in the faces of the boys. We faced approximately 3/8 mile of off-trail hiking punctuated with downed trees to be vaulted, Devil’s Club to be avoided a la ‘Elastic Man’, mud to be navigated, and more. But no iffy expressions. In fact, if that sounds to you like an ideal day for a bunch of 10 year-old boys, you’re catching on to the zeitgeist of our outing. Nothing too scary on this Halloween!

We cleared through the scrubby patch in good shape and ahead of schedule, so we taught Conor how to play Spider’s Web and “allowed” him to be the spider for our second game. The flies had a good day on this ideal Spider’s Web course, with two victories. Following these games and some lunch, we resumed our search for the Woodstock Farm trails and were soon reviewing maps of the area to get a sense of where we were and what lay ahead. 

What lay ahead was our second crossing of Chuckanut Drive and connecting with the Interurban trail that would transport us to the point from which we were to descend to Teddy Bear Cove. A third Chuckanut Drive crossing and we were within striking distance of the cove.

The last manmade hazard before Teddy Bear Cove was the crossing of the train tracks, which happened without incident. At this point, one either goes north or south around a small mesa, if you will, as both directions lead to a beach or up to the flat-topped hill. We met at the top and determined we had time for free play. If you haven’t ever been to Teddy Bear Cove, I recommend you make time. Depending on the tides, there are two small to medium size beaches and the hill in between. The explorers played in the sand, found multiple routes up and down the steep hillside or just took it easy in a beautiful spot.  

Several boys, and all the mentors, took advantage of the view over the Salish Sea for our sit spot. Astounding is not too dramatic a term to characterize the location for connecting with the beauty and wonder of our natural neighborhood.

Back across the tracks and up the hill to meet our rides at the end of a spectacular outing. These boys have morphed since last year and I’m challenged to keep up with their ever expanding skills and desires in the outdoors.

Click here for more photos of our traverse.