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!

Roosevelt Elk Calves Harvest from the Past at North Galbraith

Meeting up for the first time since winter break, the Roosevelt Elk Calves gathered at North Galbraith Mountain Trailhead eager to explore the varied landscape. Heading out, we trekked down the trail toward the bike jumps and our still standing debris shelters from the fall! Taking a break to inspect our handy work with the debris shelters and cruise along the bike jumps, we gathered up for an opening circle to discuss our plans for the day. Not only did we have an Explorer from the Jumping Mice on a make-up outing, but we also had a volunteer from Western who was tagging along to gather video, photos, and do some interviews to put together a short film for Wild Whatcom. It was rather amusing for the mentors to see how little effect having a paparazzi along for the outing had on them. Perhaps they were just too immersed in exploring, free play, and getting outside with their buddies.

Getting a good run on the bike jumps

After our opening circle, we dropped down into the recently deforested section of Galbraith Mountain where we took some time to absorb the transformation of this location. Once a Boys Explorers Club stomping ground where many a game of Spider’s Web and Life and Death in the Forest had been played, the landscape had been completely transformed with heaps of debris piled high and only a few Big Leaf Maples standing sporadically upon the landscape. Not only did this offer a great opportunity to observe the different ways humans interact with the natural world, but it also offered up a bounty of downed Western Red Cedar, Big Leaf Maple, and many other harvestable materials. We even had a great opportunity to check out a massive widow-maker where the top of a maple snapped off and got snagged on a lower section of the tree. 

Traveling through the deforested landscape

Checking out the widow-maker and learning about its impact on the tree

Moving through the deforested land we dropped down to a creek where the forest was preserved to keep the stream safe from erosion. This sliver of untouched forest was the perfect spot to settle in and talk for a bit about The Art of Harvest; our focus for the spring. The Roosevelt Elk Calves demonstrated their growth as a group while they sat in a circle and had a conversation about what we harvest, how we harvest, and what the term “harvest” means to us. The mentors made a point to not provide a definition of harvest, rather let the group develop their own definition of harvest. This was a great example of the maturation of this group as they each shared unique perspectives on what harvest can mean and even dove into ethics of harvest and how it varies from person to person (unprompted!). With our discussion wrapped up it was time to transition to a group decision making process to determine how we would spend the rest of the outing.

Building a bridge during free play

As the Tribal Elder took over, the Explorers took turns sharing how they wanted to spend the outing. They collaborated, compromised, and came to a consensus. Kicking things off with some free play and exploration, we later relocated to a denser section of forest to play a few rounds of Spider’s Web. In addition to all this fun play, the mentors channeled their own inspirations to harvest from the disturbed landscape to create a bow drill kit and an atlatl. Testing out the atlatl quickly caught the attention of the group and all the boys wanted one of their own. Scouring the landscape we found many downed branches of Big Leaf Maple that created perfect launchers, while the fresh sprouts protruding up from the stumps of logged Big Leaf Maples offered perfect straight, long, and flexible darts to be flung. The atlatl is an extremely primitive tool that spanned the gap between spear and bow. Basically operating like a tennis ball launcher used to play fetch with dogs, the atlatl extends the length of arm allowing one to fling the dart a greater distance.

Counting the rings to determine the age of a Western Red Cedar

Running out of time the Roosevelt Elk Calves scrambled to finish up their atlatls, before closing circle. We set aside the much distracting tools we just created in order to bring our full focus to our circle of thanks. Passing around the apple slices the Explorers were all very grateful for the good weather, plenty of play and exploration, and how the group followed their inspirations to create atlatls. With just enough time left, we trekked back to the trailhead pausing briefly to assemble an atlatl flinging competition. The boys lined up and all launched their atlatls down the logging road to see who could fling their dart the furthest. A fun moment for the Roosevelt Elk Calves, no doubt, but for the mentors, seeing a posse of boys carving atlatls and flinging darts together felt like taking a step back in time. One can only imagine how many times that same process had taken place thousands of years ago. Boys growing up, learning how to use atlatls, playing games in the forest to hone sneaking skills, discovering new ways to harvest and utilize natural materials like cedar bark to make tinder bundles and Licorice Fern to make medicine. Not only did we have a blast today, but we stepped into a time machine and connected with the roots of humanity. What more could one ask for on a Saturday afternoon?!

Ready, aim, fire!

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

Roosevelt Elk Calves Make All the Right Decisions at Lookout Mountain

The Roosevelt Elk Calves met up at Lookout Mountain for their final outing of the fall season. On a drizzly day, it was a perfect setting for the Explorers to finish up their season focused on shelter building. Hitting the trail after an opening circle, we trekked along the trail in search of a good location to build a shelter. Arriving at a hillside of small conifers the boys jumped right into free play scrambling around the hillside. We got together to revisit what to look for when selecting a shelter location; flat ground, abundant building resources, and potentially some canopy cover if you’re lucky. Realizing our current location wasn’t ideal, we ate some food, packed up, and headed out in search of a new location.

Opening circle, deciding how to spend our outing

Creating the skeleton of the shelter

Gathering shelter building materials

Backtracking with a renewed focus on finding a location that fit all our requirements we got back onto the trail and headed out. The mentors noticed the boys getting back into “hike” mode with blinders on, cruising down the trail at a fast pace. We made sure to slow down, take the blinders off, and start looking around taking in our surroundings and viewing the landscape through the lens of shelter building. Shortly after slowing down, we found a prime location to set up shop and get down to business. The mentors took a step back and let the Roosevelt Elk Calves work together as a group to collaborate and make a group decision on where to build their shelter. They showed tremendous cooperation working together to come to a consensus that everyone agreed upon. Next they decided on what type of shelter to build, and got to work. Gathering a bunch of young Alders that had fallen down in the wind, the boys engineered a leverage system using two trees in close proximity to wedge the long, skinny alders in between and torque to the side and snap the lengthy building materials down to a more manageable size. Their ingenuity and ability to work together dividing up tasks was rather impressive for a group of ten and eleven year old boys. It was truly a testament to all the time this group has spent together over the years. After the primary structure of the shelter was up, the mentors felt good about the progress and transitioned to playing games.

Continuing to add to our shelter

Breaking the small Alders down to size

Reviewing our work and discussing ways to improve the shelter

One last time, the group came together to collaborate, compromise, and come to a consensus on how best to spend the rest of the day. Deciding on a game of Spider’s Web, the boys ate some food, re-hydrated, and set up the game. Working their way down through a valley filled with Sword Fern, Devils Club, and small stands of Red Alder, the boys slowly but surely made progress retrieving the food source from under the watchful eye of the Spider. As the game wound down, the Flies proved victorious once again and it was time for our closing circle. 

Getting together for our closing circle

Hanging out and giving some thanks before hiking back to the parking lot

During our final outing of the season the Roosevelt Elk Calves demonstrated that they had taken the next step in their growth as a group. The group worked together, showing a tremendous ability to collaborate and come to a consensus as a group under the leadership of a peer in the role of Tribal Elder. They offered great respect to one another, were patient, deliberate, and concise in their efforts to reach decisions as a group, and all without any need for the mentors to step in and help. On countless occasions before, mentors have watched groups this age struggle to even come close to how well the Roosevelt Elk Calves worked together on this outing. With a brief respite for the holiday season, we are eager to get back out exploring with this group and see if they can prove once again that they are ahead of the curve when it comes to cooperative collaboration and group decision making. Not only is this a credit to the group, but also to each and every individual that makes up this awesome bunch of Explorers.

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