Arriving at the Clayton Beach Parking lot the Roosevelt Elk Calves circled up for a day of excitement. There had been some changes from last season; there were a few new members to the group! After we learned each other’s names we revisited the Explorers Club culture that is so vital to our outings. While discussing jobs, safety, and a general plan for the day some of the Explorers started to lose focus and derail the group’s conversation. Since We Are All Leaders it is important that each of us recognize that we have power within the group. When we interrupt others while they are sharing we misuse our power while taking away others. The boys are grasping and engaging in forms of circular leadership. This style of leadership is a vital soft skill necessary for working within our communities. Within the group’s circle there is an open space to work with these experiences and challenges and grow from within.
Hiking up the South Lost Lake Trail the group quickly headed into a grove of healthy second growth Cedar, Douglas, and Grand Fir. Under the tall canopy the forest was damp and cold. The group stopped to admire a stream that flowed directly on the side of the trail. Spring in its abundance is the perfect opportunity to view how water shapes the landscape. Tracking the land over the course of the seasons allows us to build a relationship with it and see the story it tells. Looking ahead the group saw large cedar limb that had come down in last snowfall. Working together and synchronizing our movements we carried the giant branch to the side of the trail.
It only took a few moments until someone shouted Hide! Explorers went diving under the Sword Ferns and downed limb. Moving a little farther along Dave took a step off the trail and called the group over. Dave suggested to them that we head down to a grove of large cedars a little ways off trail. Excited the group started forward, stopping them the Mentors explained to the group that walking off trail requires awareness. The Explorers were tasked with the challenge of navigating to the grove without stepping on anything living. Engaging their fox feet the boys walked with intention and caution. Getting off trail with the group is important as it engages our relationship with the land. The forest is not a static entity but rich and vibrant. When we move through with curiosity and care we stubble upon the landscapes mysteries and beauty.
Arriving at the Cedar stand the group snacked and wandered about. Combing thickets of Salmonberries, Swamp Cabbage and fallen Alders adjacent to the grove the group looked like a family of Raccoons. Searching out a little farther we walked across a forest floor thick with Cedar bows. Taking a little break the group rested on a soft bed of Cedar branches on the forest floor.
Coming back together at our lunch spot the Explorers encountered another opportunity to engage in a group process. Feeling the call to move the boys had to bring their minds together to decide which direction to head next.Collaborating and Compromising the group decided to explore one more spot and then navigated back up the main trail.
Throughout the course of the outing the Explorers had been gathering sticks. This stick gathering had caused some arguments over ownership and misuse. Feeling the need for triangular leadership Dave and I stepped in and fielded a discussion on stick culture. Revisiting our motto A Tool Vs. A Weapon we asked the question once again what is the difference? A few of the Explorers answered ‘you’. In Explorers Club we use tools and it’s about the intention that we put into tool that cultivates our respect and appreciation for them. After agreeing to some basic guidelines for stick use the group was ready to use their best intentions moving forward.
As we hiked Dave mentioned a couple of caves that he had found in a pile of glacial erratics at the bottom of a steep ridgeline. Anxious to explore the caves the group hiked with focus until we found the spot. Circling the group up again the Mentors had them commit to exploring the caves with awareness of the imprints we leave. The last time a group explored here they slid down the rock faces and took some of the established moss with them. The group swore that they would climb through the caves but would not slide down them. As the Explorers crawled and maneuvered through the holes they would pop up twenty feet elsewhere on another side of the rock. As a group of Pikas darted in and out of the rocks one of the Mentors started heading up the steep ridgeline towards a glacially carved shelf with a prominent sandstone cliff line. The rest of the group followed in suit. Climbing the shoulder of the ridgeline the group moved like Black Bears, climbing over boulders and wading through waist deep Salal.
Reaching the shelf we found views of the Puget Sound and sturdy Madronas leaning out over the cliffs edge, reaching for the light. Behind us was an open valley full of Huckleberries, Salal, and Douglas Fir. The spirit of adventure off the trail had provided the group a pristine and scared place of solitude. It was time for a sit spot. The boys spread out over land finding a place that called to them. Nestled under the Salal and forest canopy the Explorers got quiet and listened to the land. The sound of birds calling through the canopy, the rustle of Salal leaves as an animal moved close by, the sound of the wind as it moved through a tree; it is these moments that fill us with wonder and delight.
Coming back in for a closing circle on our vista the Roosevelt Elk Calves gave thanks. We thanked the spirit of adventure for showing us mysteries and challenges, the power of water to change our landscape, the gift that sun brings to a cold and wet forest, the damp and dark cave rocks that hold in spaces places below the soil, and for the ability to work as a group and get to know one another. The Mentors are delighted to share another season with the Explorers and want to give a big thanks to all the parents and volunteer staff that work tirelessly to support the Explorers Club.
Please visit our photo gallery for more pictures from the outing.
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