The Black-tailed Deer Check-up on their Earth Shelter at North Galbraith

The Black-tailed Deer arrived at a bustling North Galbraith Mountain Trailhead ready to continue where they left off carving during our last family gathering. Circling up for an opening meeting the mentors shared the day’s plan with the group. First was to have the Explorers navigate their way back to the shelter they built in November and see how it had faired throughout the winter storms. Second was to harvest some carving wood from the logging lands along the way and spend some time reviewing our carving protocols before working on making chopsticks and tent pegs. Lastly take a sit spot for some reflection time.

Giving the reigns over to the Leader of the Day the boys amended the mentors’ plan by adding playing a game to the list. We asked the boys to think back to the first shelter-building day we had at Galbraith. The boys remembered how cold and rainy it was and getting drenched as we moved through the logging clear-cuts. A few of the boys shared how they had taken their parents back to the shelter over the holiday break. Comments like these affirm our work as mentors. These statements demonstrate not only the connections these boys are forming with their environment, but also for the enthusiasm they have for our Earth skills, games, and as a group. Brain Mulligan, a long-term mentor of the BEC who was subbing for Adam on our outing, reflected on the group’s enthusiasm at the end of the day; he spoke about how infectious the group climate was and its ability to add richness and depth to the group’s experience.

Hiking alongside the bike dumps in route for our shelter we stopped to smell the cucumber-like fragrance of the budding Indian Plum leaves. It was unclear to us whether these buds were a little early, but at any rate a much welcomed sign of spring.

Stepping out in the sunshine filled logging clearing the group pulled out their lunch and basked in the warmth of the sun. After the Explorers had fueled up the mentors tasked them with sifting through the immense piles of logging debris for the perfect piece of carving wood. After about a half an hour of searching the boys came back with a diversity of wood and many opinions. Taking a look at what the boys harvested the mentors had the opportunity to discuss green, seasoned, and decaying wood along with different trees’ strengths and abilities to be carved and shaped.

Pulling out a bag of carving creations the group marveled at the myriad of butter knives, chopsticks, tent pegs, spoons, and forks. The mentors encouraged the group to start out carving a tent peg or chopstick as a first project. Chopsticks are a great first carving project because they promote long and steady knife passes, teach the ability to turn an object into a cylinder, and require patience.

Sending the boys out on a sit spot with their piece of wood the mentors asked them to come back with an intention for their project. Having an intention for a carving project not only prevents injury and misuse of knives but also allows the carver to make best use of out of their wood.

After their sit spot and reviewing our Explorer Club carving guidelines the boys spread out and focused in on their projects. Parents, please ask your Explorer what they worked on and the guidelines for safe carving. A few minor cuts and a many wood shavings later we packed up in search of our shelter.

Passing through the logging lands we came on the fringe on an older grove of cedars. The boys honed a trajectory and with some route finding they found their shelter! The group was excited to reconnect with it. Ezra, our Explorers Mentor Apprentice for the outing, was tasked with assessing the shelter for it’s location, strength, and construction. Ezra explained that the shelter had weathered the storms quite well as it was in the same location and no trees or branches had toppled on it. He was also impressed with it’s the strength and construction. The debris piled on top of the shelter had compacted quite a bit but it ended up just needing another layer.

After Ezra’s glowing review the group celebrated with a game of Eagle’s Eye and came together for a circle of thanks. The boys gave thanks for togetherness, for their shelter, for the wood that grew and gave them the chance to carve, for EMA’s and mentors who cared about them and showed them special skills, and for the weather.  What a pleasure it was to be out on the land with the Black-tailed Deer in the crisp clear winter air. Their lightheartedness as a group and zeal for Exploring is infectious and encouraging and our mentors and EMA’s can’t wait join in service with them at Connelly Creek.

For more pictures please visit the Black-tailed Deer photo album from the day.

Black-Tailed Deer Build a Sturdy Shelter at North Galbraith Mountain Trailhead

The Black-Tailed Deer met at the busy trailhead on North Galbraith Mountain looking well prepared for the rain that awaited them mid-day. Doing their best to stay out of the way of the trail runners and mountain bikers the boys found a quiet spot off the trail and settled in for an opening meeting.

Adam prompted the group asking them what they remembered about shelter building from our outing with the Gray Wolves at Stewart Mountain. The Explorers recalled quite a bit of the process, which was refreshing for the mentors to hear. Adam let the group know that our goal for the outing was to find a location off the trail where we could build a shelter to leave to let weather the winter storms until we returned in late February to check up on it.

After passing out jobs and revisiting the role of the Leader of the Day (LOD), we were off. Looking around the forest signs of the recent storm were everywhere and although dangerous in the moment, had provided our group with the resources needed to build a shelter. We could not have been but ten minutes down the trail when the boys called to play a round of Hide and take a snack break.

Looking across the woods the boys spotted some freshly made bike jumps. The mentors could see that the group wanted to run them, but it was an important time to talk about being respectful trails users and staying off the jumps. Adam let the group know that if we were to run the jumps, especially when they were muddy we could cause divots, which would throw off the bikers when using them. The boys marveled at the jumps’ construction and the amount of dirt that had been moved to create them.

Following alongside the trail the group came to a clearing, which had been recently logged. This came as a shock to some of the group and one Explorer expressed that he wished that no one would log the forest. This led to a great discussion regarding our give and take relationship with the land. In the end the boys recognized that given our current methods of constructing houses we did need to log some areas of the forest. The mentors also let the boys know that the way this forest had been logged was not sustainable and damaging to a majority of our native species and waterways.

Hiking along further we came across a young opossum that had been hit and killed by a logging truck. The tragic end to the opossum’s life provided us the opportunity to take a close look at its fascinating feet and teeth. Entering the forest on the other side of the clearing we circled up to focus on our task for the day.

The mentors let group know that the skill of shelter building could saves their lives if an emergency situation were to arise and invoke the needed to spend a night out in the forest. The group thought back to the young mountain bikers they witnessed flying off the jumps earlier and said that one day they might be engaging in similar activities without the supervision of their parents. The mentors went on to explain that the risk of injury is very high with these activities and it is important to act preventatively, but always be prepared for the worst.

After sharing a personal story and some lore about Earth shelters, the mentors handed the reigns over to the Leader of the Day and the boys worked through a decision deciding to spend an hour building the shelter and then use the rest of their day to playing Spider’s Web and Eagle’s Eye.

The group went out in search of location to build the shelter and with some mentor direction the boys found the ideal spot that was: close to building materials, had a abundance of leaves to gather, and would be safe from environmental hazards like falling trees and pooling water. Gathering around a fallen Big Leaf Maple the mentors worked individually with the Explorers to cut sections of the tree using a pack saw. The Explorers really took to the challenge and used the tool with respect and care.

Once the Y poles were in place, our ridgepole was set, and the ribs were put on the sides of the shelter the boys started collecting leaves. This was the perfect task because it had been pouring rain and the work provided us the opportunity to generate some heat under our jackets. After a solid hour of work the group had created an impressive Earth Shelter with two feet of debris on top. The boys climbed inside and low and behold it kept the rain out and was quiet warm.  Nice job Black-Tailed Deer!

Circling up back at our packs we debriefed the experience commending the group for picking an excellent location to build their shelter, which turned out to be the driest spot in the forest during the downpour. Looking around the circle a few Explorers were getting cold and it was an opportunity to revisit how our clothing layering system worked and pass out some extras gear to those who needed it.

Checking in with the LOD, the mentors let him know that it was important to revisit our plan to see if it still made sense given the weather. A leader, the mentors explained is constantly assessing the situation and adjusting the goals of an outing to fit the needs of the group. Checking in with his peers the LOD discovered that some group members were too cold to play a slow moving game like Spider’s Web and decided to go with playing Eagle’s Eye and eating some food under the shelter of a large Western Red Cedar.

We ended our day with a few fun rounds of the game and powerful circle of thanks. Parents please make sure to tell your Black-Tailed Deer thanks on behalf of the mentors for their engagement and focus on our outing and for their part in contributing to strong first half to their third year in Explorers Club.

Before we headed out we reminded the group that we were tracking their behavior to assess when they would be ready to use knives.  The way the BTD used the pack saw during the outing showed us that they were ready, but their use of sticks and minding their blood circles while building the shelter gave us pause. Our aim is for the group to begin to use knives by the last few outings of Spring 2018.

Parents please watch the Knife Skills and Safety video with your Explorer(s) and ask them to explain our motto, The Difference Between a Tool and a Weapon is You and how to maintain a proper Blood Circle. Thanks for your support, trust, and encouragement for the work we do!

For pictures from our shelter-building outing please visit this photo album from the day.

The Black-tailed Deer learn Shelter-Building with the Gray Wolves at Stewart Mountain

The Black-tailed Deer met at the North Lake Whatcom Trailhead ready for a day of shelter building, but were a quickly confused to find elder Explorers being dropped of at the same location. The group learned that the Gray Wolves would be joining them for the first half of their skills outing to teach them how to build shelters. Circling up in a large group the boys introduced themselves and played a large game of All My Friends to break the ice.

Before heading out the mentor’s front loaded that with over twenty-five of us exploring together we needed to be considerate of other park users on the trail and mind our volume level. A mentor let the group know that he knew of a location where Whatcom County Parks had been clearing lots of Big Leaf Maple and Alder in order to expand the Chanterelle Trail. The new Chanterelle trail connects with the Wickersham Truck Trail that ascends Stewart Mountain and offers spectacular views of Lake Whatcom, the Salish Sea, and the Olympic Mountains.

Closing our opening meeting the group headed up the steep trail towards our shelter location. It turned out that the Gray Wolves were speedy hikers and the Black-Tailed Deer did an excellent job of keeping up with them without complaint.

Arriving at the shelter location the group plopped down and ate some lunch. The BTD figured that some calories and a few sips of water would bring the focus that they needed to engage with the shelter-building task. This type of tracking is exciting to see as a mentor because it means that the boys are beginning to listen to their bodies and learning to anticipate their needs.

While the group lunched the Gray Wolves got out their knives and spent some time carving. The BTD really gravitated towards this skill and asked when they would be able to engage in it. The mentors explained that the Gray Wolves had put in the time and effort to learn the preliminary skills associated with carving as well as demonstrated that they were ready to hold this large responsibility.

Circling up one of the mentors explained that finding a shelter building location that is close to building materials, life sustaining resources, and in a safe location was the first critical step in building a survival shelter, and an often overlooked step in the process. After a helpful story about a famous wilderness traveler named Tom Brown learning to build shelters as a child by watching a squirrel construct it’s nest the group was oriented and ready to begin.

Breaking apart into two groups with mixed ages the boys began to search for two Y-sticks that would form the entrance to the shelter and make a platform for the ridgepole upon which the mass of the shelter would rest. The boys found a ridgepole that was one and a half times as long as the Explorer’s and placed it. They then started to position the shelter’s ribs, weaving dead Sword Fern and downed Western Hemlock branches into the gaps.

Building shelters is a great time to talk with the Explorers about our principles of harvesting from the forest. In a true survival situation one might take whatever resources necessary to sustain themselves, but our shelter-building skill outings are focused on learning and practicing this skill, which is why mentors are much more careful about what we allow Explorers to take from the land. If your Explorer(s) are looking to continue practicing this skill logging lands in the fall are great places to start, by utilizing dead and downed materials.

Once the basic structure of the shelters were in place the group got to gathering fallen Big Leaf Maple leaves to pile on top of each one. To build a waterproof shelter there needs to be three feet of debris on all sides of their shelter as well as on the inside. The boys devised a creative way to gather the leaves by tying their jacket sleeves together and using them as baskets. When we reached our stopping point the boys had roughly a foot and a half of leaves on their shelter, but regardless of their progress it was time to put their creations to the test.

Each group had a chance to present their shelter construction and share some of the powers and challenges in building it. After their presentation one brave Explorer climbed into each shelter and a few boys poured some of their water bottles over the top. Although most of the water splashed off the Explorers both got a little wet. Looks like the Gray Wolves and the Black-tailed Deer still need some practice!

After packing up our gear the groups did an excellent job of dispersing their materials and trying to minimize their impact. Way to go Explorers!

Waving goodbye to the group the BTD headed a little further up the Chanterelle trail in search of a viewpoint. A little tired and hungry the group decided to turn around and made a group decision to hoof it down the logging road and stop by the power line clearing for a view along the way, and then ending their day playing a round of Spider’s Web in the lowland Cedar grove by the parking lot.

It turned out that this location was one of the best locations the group had ever come across for a game of Spider’s Web. The Sword Ferns were so tall that the group could crawl on their bellies through the entire length of the course without being seen. Boys and mentors both would pop up from their hiding spot confused about their current location because they had been crawling for so long. This left the hungry spider with the advantage and he quickly stuck them to his web. Our game was fun, exciting, challenging, and ended the day on a high note.

Circling up we shared our thanks and the group reflected on how they had enjoyed sharing their outing and learning from the Gray Wolves. Opportunities for tiered mentoring within our program affords much need connection time between age ranges that often do not get the opportunity. These moments call for leadership, investment, and modeling from the Elder Explorers and encourage the Youngers to aim beyond the target, stretch their edges, and embrace our Explorers Club culture.

Our mentors are thankful for the eventful and rich experience that our day together provided and we appreciate all the support and encouragement we receive from our EC families.

For more pictures from the Black-Tailed Deer Stewart Mountain outing please visit the photo album from the day.