The Barred Owls "ambush" Lookout Mountain

Remember playing hide and seek with your friends? Did you have a place where you liked to lay in wait to surprise a sibling, friend or parent? Or a seemingly secluded place to create and enjoy a fantasy world? 

You’re connecting to your inner child when you think, wistfully, back to those carefree days. When I was a kid, I would visit my Aunt Marge and Uncle Frank in upstate New York during the summer with a few siblings. We’d explore the “swimming hole” down at  the local stream for hours on end.

Another great example of child passion - we held our opening
meeting in and around a tree!

Now, as Coyote mentors, we realize that what was happening was the expression of our child passions; of imagining, spying, climbing, joking, and many more. We watch for, and try to tap into, opportunities to capture those moments. Well, Sunday presented mentor Jedidiah and I with just such an opportunity. 

As we gathered at Lookout Mountain, we saw that another Boys Explorers Club (BEC) group was also exploring the Reserve that day. We talked with mentors Tim and Joey about possibly collaborating on a game or project, but they had a full plan for their day, so we headed off in search of a place to explore and carve (our skill for the spring). 

We would usually head up to the big waterfall and then down the hill to the creek bed, but the parks people have fenced off the hillside to restore it (a good idea!), so we chose to explore a different trail. We were quickly rewarded when we came upon a lovely place further downstream. 

This spot has it all - waterfall (see it on the right side of the picture), an open, flat space that was perfect for carving (see photo below), logs across the creek for crossing or lounging, and enough room to spread out for a Sit Spot.

We explored a while, then settled in for carving practice. The boys are choosing projects and getting a sense of what it’ll take to convert a block of wood to a useful tool. 

Ideas for carving projects ranged from chop sticks to......

Atl-Atls

It was soon time for a sit spot and some lunch. We then gathered the boys and asked if they were interested in trying to find the other group and “ambushing” them. That triggered a child passion as their faces lit up at the prospect of sneaking up on their peers. 

Boy in nature....need I say more?

We soon heard voices and immediately entered stealth mode (such as it was). The excitement was palpable as boys scattered into the ferns and berry bushes, sure of a surprise approach. Alas, it was not to be. We were quickly detected. All was not lost, however, as we learned a few important lessons:

• The adrenaline will flow…breathe! 
• Communication is key. Have a plan….walking into the enemy camp and saying ”Hi”, as one of our number did, doesn’t cut it…
• Set a place and time to meet should events warrant. 

Perhaps next time will produce more surprise, but we succeeded in tapping into a child passion on Sunday, our true measure. 

Connecting with the land with your whole being and preserving a natural setting is a constant balancing act...literally and figuratively.

We next meet on Saturday, April 22nd, from 10:30am-2:30pm for our spring service outing at Connelly Creek. In the meantime, check out the photo gallery for Sunday’s outing.

The Barred Owls vanquish N. Lake Samish 1/22/17

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.

Barred Owls make a splash at Squires Lake - 6/4/16

Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!' Robin Williams

It was almost like we had a few different outings last Saturday at Squires Lake. Early on, the group struggled to make decisions. Then a little somewhat fractured time as several boys explored the creek bed draining from the beaver pond while others had lunch or worked at re-engineering the flow of the water. Then, well, let's leave that for a minute....

The decision making was challenging. Should we take the longer, potentially more interesting ridge trail or stick to the more direct but hillier lakeside route? Our multiple decision circles alternately featured collaboration, conflict, impatience and compromise (see Mottos - Collaborate and Compromise). Oh, and there were sticks...more than a few sticks. Our tribal elder earned his stripes this day! 

Compromise won the day as they decided to take the lake route to the beaver pond and the ridge trail on our return. 

Re-engineering

Before long, we dropped into the creek bed as a more interesting route to the beaver pond. The going proved tricky; before long, we stopped to rest, have a bite and explore.

Decision-making takes a lot out of a guy

A scouting party reported that the beaver dam wasn't in place, so we decided to turn our attention to the lake. A short walk later, we arrived at a great swimming spot and the energy level went through the roof! 

SPLASH!

So much wildlife!

The relevant motto here is Connect and Protect. "If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it." –David Sobel

And love the lake they did! This is pure Mark Twain/Norman Rockwell stuff!

We wrapped by talking a little about our spring season. We found the Rock Trail interesting - love those caves! - but wanted the space to play more games. Our hike to Lizard Lake was rewarded with carving practice and more cave exploration, but it was quite the hike! Our service outing showed once again that hard work is necessary to care for our environment, and last Saturday the lake was just pure fun. We're grateful for the many places to experience nature’s splendor and to practice behaviors that will soon define us as 21st century men.

Click here for the rest of the photos from our outing.

Thanks from your mentors for your support through the spring. Hope to see you in the fall!

Have you ever been given a fire?

Neither had I, but, as the saying goes, there’s a first time for everything. A very nice family was at the Lizard Lake campground when we arrived on Sunday. They had a fire going as they enjoyed some quality time together. We were into our carving session when they were ready to leave: they asked if we would like them to leave the fire burning for our use rather than extinguish it as they would normally do. Of course, ask a group of explorers if they want to inherit a fire and it’s easy to guess their response. So, we were given a fire. Only thing is, we already had a packed agenda for our Lizard Lake exploration, so the fire was a double edged sword: a nice addition and a plan wrecker!

Perhaps the word "incline" was a clue?

We’re nothing if not adaptable in Explorers Club, and the boys had been putting up with more triangular, or directive, leadership than usual as we pushed to get up the hill, so the fire was a welcome serendipitous moment. It also helped us warm up a little on a cool, drizzly Sunday.

We had begun our adventure by boarding Moose, Wild Whatcom’s “other” trusty bus. A half hour after departing Cascades Montessori Middle School, we met to hand out jobs and get a preview of the day’s plan which was, in a word, UP. After an easy stroll on a logging road, we turned in to the Alternate Incline trail and started up. An edge-stretching hour plus later, ten bedraggled explorers and two huffing/puffing mentors welcomed the site of Lizard Lake in a steady drizzle. 

Boys with knives!

While the Barred Owls devoured their well-earned lunch, mentor Brian reviewed the important safety rules for carving. Then, blood circles clearly established, the boys set to work creating chopsticks. Carving is a skill that provides a direct connection to the land. Many of us have torn the paper off a pair of chopsticks at a restaurant; how many have harvested the wood and used our hands to fashion a personal, unique tool?

It was while we were working on this project that our neighbors offered us the unplanned diversion. Several boys switched to tending the fire while a few explored the lake shore (fortunately, no one fell into the lake) and others kept at their carving. After the hard work of climbing that hill, it felt good to give the explorers a choice of activity.

We still had one more thing planned that we were confident the boys would enjoy and there was that long walk back to the bus, so the mentors were mindful of the clock. We called for the fire to be extinguished, the explorations wrapped up and the knives sheathed. Packs on, we headed up again for the short, but challenging approach to the caves. 

Formed when several large boulders tumbled into a jumble of now moss coated invitations to

scramble and tight spaces into which to squeeze, the caves provide an instinctive release for the child

How many are down there?

passions into which the mentors try to tap. To understand what we mean by child passions, think back to the things you enjoyed doing as a child such as listening to stories, catching little critters, pretending, or sneaking. These simple, instinctive activities can spark unbridled joy and connection. Climbing boulders and exploring dark caves were accompanied for the next half hour by exhilarated calling to a friend - “Hey, look at this!” - and trepidatious expression of daring and apprehension.

We weren't much faster going down the hill

All too soon, he struck out for the bus, a few long, slow miles distant. I was mistaken in assuming the hike down the trail would go more quickly and easily than the approach hike. After all, I thought, it is downhill! So, we took a few rest breaks on our journey out. It was during one of those breaks, when several boys decided to continue work on their chopsticks, that one of the boys sustained a very small cut from his carving knife. All things considered, one small slice when 10 explorers carve is an exceptional result!

We arrived at the trailhead at just about 4:00, which would’ve been great had we not still had a half hour bus ride ahead of us. Parents and guardians, many thanks for your understanding. I’m sorry for the delayed return.

As BEC mentors, we try to stress a focus on meeting the boys at the intersection of their interests, their skills, and our plan for guiding them as they grow in their confidence in and connection to the natural world. When we find that sweet spot, we try to “stretch their edge” by moving them from their comfort zone to their learning zone without moving all the way to their panic zone. We definitely challenged them with this hike. Some were able to respond fully; others seemed to feel overstretched. We’ll adjust as we continue to work to level set.

Click here for the full set of pictures from Sunday’s outing. Thanks again for your understanding of our late return. I’ll try to see that doesn’t happen again.

BEC: Spring, 2016; Barred Owls 2/28 - Rock Trail

No shortage of rocks

The Rock Trail trailhead was shrouded in fog on Saturday morning when Steve and Brian met the Branch Hoppers for their outing. So, when Conor and Brian arrived on Sunday morning, we were surprised at the difference a day can make. In fact, we had to shout over the energetic wind during our opening meeting. Fortunately, as we had anticipated, the wind abated to almost calm once we ventured down the trail. 

Lest we get ahead of ourselves... introductions. The group has been together for several seasons, but change happens and we saw that in three new faces as we gathered: Mentor Conor rejoined us after volunteering on our Teddy Bear traverse and Henry and Jaxon filled spots vacated by explorers who resolved their schedule conflicts in favor of other activities. Though new to our cohort, these boys have had experience with Explorers Club through Summer and Winter outings, so their assimilation into the group was very quick indeed!

....or stairs!

Introductions, jobs and a review of the particular hazards of this exciting trail addressed, we struck out onto the trail. The Rock Trail is relatively new, having been completed in 2014, thanks to the efforts of members of the Washington Trails Association. Less than 2 miles long, it more than makes up for its modest length with an array of awesome geology captured in the large chuckanut sandstone formations and boulders the size of jitney buses. The immense energy released when the earth’s plates move, registered at times as earthquakes and creating mountains, valleys and the like, is not lost on the explorers. Of course, the cool caves found in the cliffs tend to dominate their short-term interest! You can learn more about the geology about which we marveled here. And, learn more about the Washington Trails Association here.

The trail itself is steep, as evidenced by the multiple sets of stair steps built into the hillside right at

the beginning of the hike.  The mentors heard more than a few tongue-in-cheek comments about elevators from explorers on the way back up.

Not an optical illusion

After our initial descent, we encountered the sandstone walls for the first time. It feels like you’re walking next to an office building; the rock wall rises that dramatically. And there are even windows! Well, caves, but that’s even better! The day’s record was six explorers in the largest cave (unverified claim - I personally counted 5 at one point, but wasn’t privy to the sixth). The development of the caves occurs on a very different timeline than the geologic refashioning pace we’re accustomed to contemplating. Had you taken a photograph of the face of the rock wall the day your explorer was born and compared it to those in our photo gallery from Sunday’s outing, you’d readily see differences! The caves are growing before our eyes, the result of algae interacting with the course stone. This is a whole different sense of energy; the quiet, persistent action and reaction that goes on around us every day without our notice. Follow this link for more about how the caves form (the same article as the geology link above).

Further down (literally - down), the Rock Trail intersects with the Lost Lake trail. Following that trail around the lake opens up to very different adventures - the lake, a waterfall, pools of mud this time of year, and more. While still on the Rock Trail, though, the group gathered in a circle and our Tribal Elder led us in a process to decide whether to explore ahead or reverse course back up the Rock Trail. The unanimous sentiment was for returning to the caves to explore more and play games. About face!

We had to get creative for our games

The natural space to plays our games is not among the wondrous aspects of the Rock Trail, as we soon discovered. Spider’s Web would be very difficult in the steep terrain. Ditto Hide! without our usual ferns and bushes for cover. The Barred Owls are nothing if not creative, however. We decided to try a few games that don’t require as much expansiveness or as many hiding spots. Eagle Eye was a questionable fit in that it has similar characteristics to Hide! We tried it a few times; it’ll work better on our next outing. We also tried Where’s My Egg, which would work pretty well on the trail itself, but no-one knew all the rules. Again, we’ll do better next time. We managed a short game of Spider’s Web in the trees at the top of the trail. The wind was still blowing, but not as hard as at the start. 

Fear not - we located his head

Sunday was a day marked by new faces, a new group name (Barred Owls - we dropped the “et” denoting young), and a new trail. That’s a lot for one day. It was also significant for the energy that was apparent: wind, geology and explorers all demonstrated notable energy!

Brian and Conor will do our best to manage the changes and match the growing energy and interests of this dynamic group of boys. Click for more photos from our outing.

The Barred Owlets discover the wonders of Clayton Beach

As you may be aware, the salmon life cycle occurs in a chain of connected environments: stream, estuary, nearshore, and ocean. Salmon fry spend from a few hours to a few years in fresh water, depending on species. When ready to leave the stream, salmon enter estuaries, where they begin to adapt to saltwater. Again, their time at this stage varies from hours to months, but it’s the changes they undergo here, called smoltification, that fascinate me. Their body shape is altered, their skin reflectance increases (more silver) and there’s an increase in their gills of the enzyme that pumps sodium out of cells. Presto/change-o, they’re now saltwater creatures. Is that amazing or what?!!!?

No less astounding is the change in humans as they transition from children to adults. This change might still be some time off for the Barred Owlets, but a focus at Explorers Club, as we attempt to complement in our “survival” setting what you do every day, is to prepare them to be caring, respectful, cooperative members of our society. A principal way we’re doing that with the Barred Owlets right now is to set an expectation of honorable, respectful, helpful behavior toward each other and the mentors. An important tool for us, as I mentioned in my last blog post, is the 5-finger “contract”. 

Steve and I were very pleased to see that several of the boys remembered that we introduced the “contract” during the torrential downpour that passed for our last outing. One mentioned that his Mom talked with him about it (great!, thanks). And, we later saw evidence that the boys are “getting it” as they helped each other with rock climbing, exploring and decision-making. No doubt, there is work still to be done, but it is rewarding to see the boys gel as a group and mature as individuals.

 But enough philosophy, you say! What the heck happened out there? Well, with a watchful eye to the sky in hope of a rain-free afternoon, we crossed Chuckanut Drive and headed down the path toward Clayton Beach. Before long, 10 intrepid Barred Owlets, 1 EMA (Explorers club Mentor Apprentice) and 1 mentor scattered into the ferns at the call of HIDE! It’ll be a long time before I call HIDE! in the spot again, for when I opened my eyes I could see not a one. With considerable effort, I managed to locate a few, but it was not my finest hour, for sure. 

Our opening meeting followed and was focused around the 5-finger “contract”, our water curriculum (estuaries) and a difficult decision - should we go straight down to the beach or play Spider’s Web first? Two good options. With our Tribal Elder’s capable assistance, we decided to play Spider’s Web first, but only for a limited time so we could have enough time at the beach. Outstanding work, Barred Owlets!

After our game, we threw our packs on again and headed down the trail. As we crossed the RR tracks, a few explorers who were familiar with Clayton Beach wanted to head off in different directions to explore. At the urging (insistence, really) of the mentors, however, we moved together down to the rocks along the shore where we could establish a base. The beach offers beach-combing, tide-pool examining, rock climbing, trail exploring and more. We needed to anchor their activities for everyone’s safety and sanity. Then, let the scampering begin!

The clouds generally won the battle with the sun throughout the afternoon, but couldn’t muster any rain and occasionally gave way to filtered sun as explorers attempted daunting rock climbing routes, examined tidepools and bounded up and through trees. (Note to self: Say everything you need to say to the boys BEFORE crossing the tracks. Once they see the stimulating possibilities at the beach, it’s tough to regain their attention!)

Before long. a check of the clock indicated it was time for reflection before our closing meeting, so we strung the boys out along a bluff overlooking theSalish Sea for a sit spot. The sound of the surf facilitated a quick connection to the wonders of this place as the sun struggled to assert itself for good. And as I gazed into the stiff, cool breeze coming off the water, I could almost see far enough into the future to catch a glimpse of these explorers at 21 years of age, strong and honorable men.

Our closing meeting in the now bright sun and on the beach (do you remember how hard it is to sit in the sand and not dig?) was notable because of Steve’s promise to provide a home-baked treat at our final outing in late May to compensate for the fact that he forgot our apples for this outing. Hurrah! 

We know groups progress in fits and starts and we shouldn’t count our chickens before they hatch, but thementors felt like the Barred Owlets moved forward with this outing. More respect towards their peers; better attention in circle; a caring attitude when exploring. A good outing - and a great launch point for our service outing on May 2 at Connelly Creek. We’ll continue our water curriculum as we work to restore the riparian habitat along the creek that is so critical to the health of salmon in the freshwater rearing and migration to spawning stages of a salmon’s life. Check here for the schedule. Oh, and here for the photos from our outing.

Barred Owlets' First-Hand Water Lesson at Arroyo Park

The good news ­ - human skin is waterproof. The not so good news -  we got to test that factoid on our hike at Arroyo Park on Sunday. The Barred Owlets have had five outings since their inception in September. It has rained hard, really hard, on two of those. Just sayin'.

In a twisted sort of way, the rain helped a little on Sunday. The skills focus for the Barred Owlets this spring is water! You see the connection, no doubt. All layered up and with our best naturalist perspective, we departed the north Chuckanut parking lot to experience the wonders and challenges of water first hand. Over the course of the spring, we are going to examine salt vs. fresh water, explore the qualities of a healthy salmon stream, and follow the lifecycle of salmon as we traverse Connelly Creek. But we begin on a very personal level. Water is essential to the function of a biological organism and commands respect for the challenges it often presents us. Click here for an introduction into the various roles that water plays in the functioning of the the human body.

In Explorers Club, we prefer to follow nature's lead when teaching the boys. In that spirit, mentors Brian and Steve tried their best to capitalize on the wondrous laboratory nature offered on our outing. What follows is a sampling of the points we stressed (with rain dripping from noses, as if for emphasis):

* drinking water helps keep you warm by aiding digestion, so drink water even if you don't feel thirsty   * water regulates body temperature through respiration and perspiration * wet clothes next to the skin can exacerbate conduction which will make you cold, so dress appropriately. That means no cotton next to your skin and it means dressing in layers to manage perspiration * cool, wet days such as we had on Sunday can dampen (pun intended) your spirits, so keep active and keep a watchful eye on your peers. Help your fellow explorers to keep their spirits high.

Check out our Be Prepared checklist for more on how to be ready for whatever the elements throw at us.

Focused listening is a challenge on a good day. On a cold, rainy day it can be even more difficult. The boys did their best to persevere through the elements and came away stronger for it. Of course, embracing the elements is what we do in Explorers club. Several of our time honored activities were very helpful on this day. Mentor Steve and Explorers club Mentor's Apprentice (EMA) Evan worked diligently in the rain to erect a shelter that helped when the rain intensified or just to grab some lunch. Several of the boys explored a hollow log and came away appreciating the advantages and disadvantages of sardine­like close­quarter huddling. With about three hours remaining in the outing and most of the boys getting pretty cold, Steve came to the rescue by transforming himself into a deer to be stalked by a pack of "cougars". Think Red Light, Green Light while running along the trail and through the woods and you have a good picture of what this game involves. We also played several games of Hide! and climbed on and around an 8­-10 foot boulder but I'm hard­pressed to explain how either of those activities helped us to stay warm and dry!

Our cougar stalks deer game led us to a juncture with a side trail leading toChuckanut Falls. In our true coyote spirit, we decided to explore that trail. Unfortunately, fatigue and cold dictated that the prudent course of action called for us to return to our base camp without our having reached the falls. A goal for another outing.

Another area of focus for the Barred Owlets this season is to work on coming together as a unique group. This is our second season together and the mentors can see some progress and some struggles in this endeavor. This is exactly what we would expect. New groups often come together somewhat warily at first as members assess their place in the community. Then, as individuals begin to assert themselves, the group will appear to backslide. With proper guidance, the tension will work itself out as norms are established that are particular to this collection of individuals. When we reach this point, we'll likely see exciting progress toward Explorers Club values of exploration, service and connection. For more information about how this group dynamic (known as Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing) operates in adult groups, click here. The Barred Owlets are still in the Forming/Storming stage. We can track their progress together over the years.

We're excited to welcome two new members to our band of adventurous boys. Fortunately for the mentors, one of these identical twins has a small freckle on his face. It's great to have them with us. I look forward to 50/50 success at choosing the correct name when addressing one of them.

Finally, we introduced the "Five Finger Contract" to the group on Sunday. Part of our work to guide the boys through the storming stage, this 'contract' is a code of conduct. It lays out principles for functioning as a team: safety, commitment, respect, direction, positive attitude and challenge by choice. Ask your explorer, check with a mentor or click here for more information.

Check out the photo gallery for pictures of wet but still adventurous Barred Owlets. For now, on to what we hope will be a warm, sunny outing to examine the wonders of fresh and salt water. Check out schedule and location details here.