Making Problems into Possibilites at Locust Beach

On yet another February outing, the Roosevelt Elk Calves met up at Locust Beach ready to see what we could find. The beach is always a place full of mysteries to investigate and there is never a lack of the unexpected. This would hold true throughout our outing, but our first unexpected encounter definitely stretched our edges.

Taking in that fresh ocean air

Making our way down to the beach we took in scenery breathing in the fresh sea air while getting an impromptu kite surfing demo by a fellow beach goer who was out trying to catch a few waves on a windy afternoon. Traversing along the beach, the high tide forced us to clamor over a muddy mess of eroded hillside in order to push to the northern part of the beach. Bringing up the rear, the mentors were met with some sounds of distress; “I’m stuck!” “I lost my shoe!” “Help me get free!” Before the mentors even knew what had happened, half the group was stuck knee deep in a thick mud. Upon further inspection we discovered the ‘mud’ was actually clay! The crumbling clay had mixed with a small stream draining off the hillside to create a substance that clung onto boots, hands, and anything else that ended up in it. As the first half of the group, who made it across the muddy mound before it was mixed up into a clay bog, began gathering chunks of clay for pottery projects, the mentors were left helping the rest of the group dig themselves out. With a little ingenuity and a patience we were able to work ourselves free. Grabbing driftwood and tree branches the mentors laid down a foundation of debris to help spread our weight across the viscous surface. With all the Elk Calves safely across the clay pit all that was left was for the mentors to dig out a few shoes and we were back on track for the rest of our outing.

A ball of harvested clay

Any better symbolism for "turning problems into possibilities"?

 With such a curve ball thrown our way at the start of our outing the mentors decided to toss out some of our tracking curriculum in order to let the group explore and play to get some morale back. Unsurprisingly this group had a wealth of inspirations to follow today. First and foremost was gathering clay to work into some a variety of pottery projects. Keeping the fun times rolling we pushed further along the beach and were off onto our next project; a driftwood shelter. Busting out the saws we practiced safely cutting pieces of driftwood down to the right size. Next up some of us decided to try and make some stone tools. Finding particularly nice stones to grind an edge onto a couple of the Explorers set the intention to make a stone axe. Although this lofty goal wasn’t going to be accomplished in one outing it was impressive to see this sort of inspiration to work on a primitive skill arise without any prompting from the mentors. Our final project for the day was practicing some of our fire skills. Foraging along the beach we found a nice piece of birch bark, some dried grass, and a few other tinder materials. After some preparation and guidance from the mentors a few of the Elk Calves took turns trying to spark a flame with ferro rods. Lastly the remainder of the group got lost exploring the shoreline. Walking up and down, picking through the muck to find sea worms, wading out into the shallows, and cracking jokes the whole time, we all found something to keep us entertained and smiling. 

Grinding an edge onto a rock to make a "stone axe"

Working on a driftwood shelter

Working on our fire skills (oh and by the way we found a bird wing!)

With our outing coming to a close the group circled up for a discussion on some of the deeper philosophies that drive our development in the Art of Tracking. Continuing on with our analogy of thinking about tracking as reading a story (tracks=letters, line of tracks=sentences, etc.) we discussed the questions we need to ask while we are trying to read our tracking stories. Just like English class we use the same questions when writing a story; Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How:

1. Who made this track (Track and Sign Identification)
2. What was the animal doing (Track and Sign Interpretation)
3. When was this track made (Track and Sign Aging)
4. Where was this animal coming from, where is it going (Trailing)
5. Why was this animal doing what it was doing (Ecological/Environmental Tracking)
6.  How was this animal feeling (Intuitive Tracking)

Each set of tracks can be read to reveal its unique story

Although we only got a quick introduction into these basic tracking principles we hopefully planted a few seeds that we can harvest on future outings. With just enough time for closing circle we shared some thanks and cruised back to the trailhead to meet the parents. This was an outing that truly embodied our Explorers Club motto; “make problems into possibilities.” Despite some early setbacks, the Roosevelt Elk Calves rallied and ended up having a jam packed outing full of exploring our inspirations and working with all the mysteries and unexpected discoveries the beach always seems to offer.

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from our outing here!

Sometimes its easy to forget how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place!

Taking The Next Step in Tracking at Stewart Mountain

Figuring out where to go for the day

 

The Roosevelt Elk Calves enjoyed the opportunity for back to back weekends of outings. After our fun day beginning the Art of Tracking at Clayton Beach, we were off to Stewart Mountain to take the next step towards understanding the basics of tracking. With a beautifully sunny day it was shaping up for a memorable outing.

After hiking up to the far side of the power line clearing we established a base camp and settled in for the day. Taking some time to explore the area the Roosevelt Elk Calves split their time roaming the forest for some natural history mysteries, building “modern” structures for their mascot Woodstock, and even finding some fat-wood (or pitch saturated wood preserved in rotting stumps) to harvest for fire starting materials. 

Hiking up through the power line clearing

Woodstock loving his new modern mountain top home

With the group settling into being in the forest we were ready to transition to our tracking lesson. However, as the mentors checked in with the group to see if they were ready, some group members voiced they needed a game to get some wiggles out before they would be able to focus. Unable to deny the restless energy of a Boys Explorers Club group we decided to play a round or two of “Hungry, Hungry Martin” before settling in for some more focused time. Having the self-awareness to set yourself up for success is a very important skill to have and hopefully the Roosevelt Elk Calves are able to carry this with them into the future.

With our wiggles out we jumped right into our lesson. The mentors had taken time during our earlier exploration to scout some “tracking stations” for us to check out. Our first station consisted of a game trail in the transitionary area between the powerlines and the forest. Looking at the size of the trail, obstacles along the trail, and other clues allowed us to take some guesses at what sort of animals might use this trail. Not only do the immediate clues help us figure this out, but a depth of knowledge of local fauna and their behaviors is key to understanding how to properly interpret the track and sign we discovered. 

Inspecting the small game trail

 

Our next station was a horizontally growing tree stump with a chunk of moss missing on it. Further investigation showed tiny nicks taken out from what one could guess was a tip of a hoof. Additionally the moss was only missing from one side and situated in line with our previously studied game trail. Putting the pieces together we decided this was likely a route used by deer who traveled primarily in one direction, clipping their hooves on the mossy tree trunk as they stepped over it. 

Puzzling out the clues left behind by those who we share the forest with

Finally we inspected a large Western Red Cedar at the edge of the forest/power-line clearing. Looking closely we found gashes in the tree that exposed the reddish inner bark and beads of sap that had formed where the lacerations were left. Due to the location, size, and height of the scratches on the tree our first guess was a black bear. As we inspected the tree a few other members of the group discovered a broken branch on a young Western-Hemlock that also had a few tufts of black hair caught on it. Upon further inspection our suspicions of a black bear moving through the area were confirmed. 

Finding claw marks in the stringy bark of Western Red Cedar is no easy task

A tuft of Black Bear fur helped us make up our minds

With the strain of channeling our focus on minute details and minor disturbances of the forest stretching our edge it was time to transition to our much anticipated game of Spider’s Web. Having passed up our opportunity to play the previous week at Clayton Beach, everyone was excited to get playing. The mentors decided this group has enough experience by now to organize the game themselves. Stepping back and letting the group take charge of things the Roosevelt Elk Calves showed they were up to the task. Although there were a few early requests for assistance, the mentors knew they could do it and after realizing it wasn’t going to happen unless they did it, the group set up a course, picked a spider, and began the game. 

Sometimes you just get stuck on the web!

Not only did the Roosevelt Elk Calves demonstrate self-awareness and an ability to hold a high level of focus while learning complex material, but they showed off their growth as a group to organize a fairly complicated game on their own without any support from the mentors. Additionally this group had their traditional high energy and playfulness combined with eclectic personalities and interests. This is a very fun combination for a group and makes it a ton of fun whenever the mentors get the opportunity to work with this group. Although we will have to wait more than a week for our next outing this time, there is no doubt Explorer and Mentor alike are looking forward to our next adventure.

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from our outing here!

Tracking at Clayton Beach with the Roosevelt Elk Calves

Hiking into the ravine

The Roosevelt Elk Calves arrived at Clayton Beach on a drizzly Pacific Northwest morning ready to explore. Starting things off we circled up to discuss our plan for the day, introduce our new skills focus of the Art of Tracking, and introduce the Roosevelt Elk Calves new mentor Chris. With our logistics out of the way it was time to explore. Focusing up we navigated that hazardous Chuckanut Drive to get down into the ever popular forested ravine just below the big stair case.

  

Hearing a loud rushing sound in the distance, and recalling how much rain we had, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise when we turned a corner and saw the massive amount of water rushing through the ravine. This may not have been too significant to the average adventurer, but this group has been here before during the spring and summer when water levels are merely a trickle. Witnessing the vast fluctuation, and power of so much water rushing down from the Chuckanuts, was a powerful moment for these Explorers and their reaction spoke to the depth of their connection to this place. 

Playing in the overflow of the creek

  

After spending some time discussing how to navigate the risk of increased stream flow, and walking through risk management analysis using our “S.T.O.P.P” model (Stop, Think, Observe, Plan, Proceed) we agreed upon a set of guidelines to help us explore safely. We dropped our packs and perused up and down the stream finding countless things to occupy ourselves from trying to make a bridge across the creek to tossing sticks into the rushing water and watching them crash down the powerful waterfall. With a quick group circle we came to a consensus to skip out on a game of Spider’s Web to make an early move down to the beach.

Hiking down to the beach we appreciated a break in the rain. Being careful to cross the train tracks together as a group after ensuring no trains were nearby we finally arrived at the sandy beach. Of course we had to spend some time exploring, but soon transitioned to an introduction into the Art of Tracking. While gathering up in a circle and settling in for a story about tracking, a Bald Eagle came soaring up the coastline and over our heads. Pausing to observe the eagle, we were privileged to witness it turn on its wings, begin to descend towards the beach only to swoop down and snatch up a fish right in front of the group. Perhaps the eagle wanted to show off for us or, more likely, it was just hungry. Either way we reveled in the moment before moving on with our lesson.

Exploring the rocks at Clayton Beach

Without any more interruptions from hungry eagles, we learned how to perceive the Art of Tracking as learning how to read a book. Each track represents a letter, each set 2-4 tracks (biped/quadruped) represents a word, a string of tracks in line a sentence, a string of tracks plus environmental variables a paragraph, a line of tracks within context developing over time and distance creating multiple layers of paragraphs creating a story. Every animal leaves track and sign that is left for us to interpret and piece together the letters into words, into sentences, into paragraphs, into the animal’s story. With this perspective, we transitioned to practical application. Utilizing the sand we practiced walking, running, and crawling on all fours to see what signs we left. Next we embodied different animals using “animal forms” to glean insight into animal locomotion and what sort of evidence is left behind. Of course with how playful this group is, we were soon lined up and getting ready for an “Animal Forms Relay Race” where each group had to take turns going down and back as a different animal. No one knows who won, but I think in the end we all did as we not only learned a bit about tracking, but had a blast doing so. 

On your marks, get set, go!

And they're off...

Its going to be a photo finish!

With some extra time left we decided to spend the remainder of the outing exploring the beach, searching for crab under rocks, climbing on sandstone, and looking around at all the dog tracks to glean some more wisdom into the Art of Tracking. The Roosevelt Elk Calves demonstrated their trademark enthusiasm for exploration and play, but were able to channel that fun-loving attitude into an excitable energy for learning a new skill. If this group keeps things up we are going to have a ton of fun this spring as we continue delving into the Art of Tracking and understanding the intricacies of the natural world.

Make sure to check out the rest of our photos from the outing here!