On April 16th the Black-Tailed Deer celebrated their second
outing of the season. Meeting at North Lake Whatcom trailhead the morning was a
little chilly, but clear skies and warm weather were starting to creep in. This
was a welcome change from our last outing where the group had to grasp the nettle as they felt the full
brunt of an early spring storm.
While heading into the woods our newest mentor, Bobby
Faller, expressed his excitement for the energy and enthusiasm the Black Tailed
Deer bring to each exploration. The group laughed and played as they followed
the wide trail towards the lake. With the lake in sight several boys made a
beeline directly towards the Gravel Bar that lied ahead of us.
A few of the Explorers found interest in an informative
plaque depicted the lakes mixed history of use. They were surprised to see that
the land around the lake had once been completely clear-cut and that there used
to be train tracks that spanned the lake. It was a powerful moment for the boys
to realize that with a little planning and conservation the land could make a
restorative comeback.
The group settled in by the lake for their opening meeting. Our
Explorers Mentor Apprentice for the day, Logan Bartz, introduced himself and
explained his role as a mentor in training. Anxious with excitement, it took
the team some time to settle into a decision for the day's activities. The
mentors explained that roughly 1.7 miles down the trail there was a gorgeous
waterfall that no Explorers had made it to before. Enticed by the
challenge, the group set off down the trail.
Along the way the group observed a boat plane landing,
banana slugs galore, and amazing views of Lake Whatcom and Galbraith Mountain. Reaching
the waterfall, the boys we were blown away by its beauty. The falls were
comprised of a three-tiered cascade, whose steep sides were covered in lush
foliage of moss, creeping Bog Cranberry, and Ocean Spray that seemed to cling
on for dear life to the exposed rock. It beckoned to be explored!
The Explorers all set out on different paths. Many climbed
the sides while several brave boys pushed up the rock walls of the waterfall
(while under the supervision of the mentors). Here they were able to feel the
cool mist coming off the falls. This was a great moment to talk with the
Explorers about risk assessment and thinking things through before were are in
a situation where we cannot mitigate the risk.
After exploring for some time we settled in for lunch. Once
our bellies were full the group played a few rounds of Hide! A few of the boys were quite challenged by the rules of the
games and felt that they were unfair. This was an important moment to talk
about playing with honor and why we engage in healthy competition. The mentors
reminded the group that when we compete we trade courage and give our best.
Each time we are caught in a game of Hide,
is a new opportunity to figure out what we did wrong and learn and grow
from our experience.
With the outing already half over the boys really wanted to
spend some time down at the lake. Arriving again at the lake’s shore several
boys felt the beach wasn't close enough to the water and waded in. After
soaking themselves they came to the realization that it was still a little
early in spring to be swimming on this “nice Washington" day.
After some free exploration the team settled into sits spots
all along the beach. The sit spots are wonderful reflection times. There is
immense value to these times of solitude amongst the hustle and commotion of an
outing. Getting quiet the boys heard the call of a Varied Thrush in the
bushes and marveled at the antics of Downy Woodpecker foraging from tree to
tree.
Calling the group back in from our sit spots we came back
together in a circle; it was time to make a decision on what our last hour
would look like. When the Explorers join in circle the mentors often take a
step back and let the Explorers find solutions and engage in the process of
deliberation. For half an hour the group really struggled to find a solution to
meet everyone's desires and needs. The situation escalated with some harsh
language exchanged as our Tribal Elder for the day struggled to find a
technique that could bring the group to consensus.
Although frustration was high there were many compromises
and great team communication. Reflecting on the situation the most powerful
moment in this circle was when one Explorer directed all his anger towards
another in an attempt to hurt him verbally. The Explorer turned towards the
instigator and instead of escalating the situation with more hurtful comments, he
said that what really truly hurt him was that the other Explorers could not see
that the rest of the group really liked him and wanted to help him find a
compromise. The mentors were floored by this comment and by this cohort’s
commitment to finding a compromise.
By the end of the circle we had used up the rest of our outing
time in deliberation. The boys were
frustrated and felt like they had wasted their time. The mentors let the group
know that this was the most important thing we did all day. These boys are
building a framework to be community leaders and peace builders. They are
answering the call to stretch their edge
and build bridges not walls.
We closed our day sharing apples and giving thanks by the lake.
The boys gave thanks for the lake and sunny weather, for the waterfall and
power of water to shape the land, for friends to explore with, for the ability
to respect one another despite differences in opinions, and for opportunity to
have more outings ahead of them where they can continue to try and work
together and solve their disagreements. Parents, thanks so much for reading and
for raising such powerful and compassionate boys. Happy trails until next time.
For more pictures from the day please visit the Black-Tailed
Deer photo album.
