Exploring Chuckanut Creek with the Roosevelt Elk Calves

The Mentors would like to thank the Roosevelt Elk Calves parents for their flexibility and patience with our scheduling mishap on Sunday. Due to a misread of our internal calendar the Mentors went to the wrong location resulting in our late arrival to the outing. One of the many skills we try to convey to the Explorers and practice within our own lives is recognizing when we have made a mistake, owning it, and figuring out how address or amend the issue. Again, we send our apologies.

After that slight hiccup the Mentors arrived at Arroyo Park to greet the Roosevelt Elk Calves and their families. Anxious to get exploring the group quickly walked down the trail and found a wonderful spot by Chuckanut Creek to hold an opening meeting. The group introduced themselves to a new Mentor named Adnan.  Adnan is currently interning with the Explores Club and hopes to gain more insight and experience in the way the Explorers serve and connect with the land. We are grateful to have him in our program and are excited for him to share some of the Explorers Club culture with the youth in his community in Northern Pakistan. Being that it was Adnan’s first exploration the boys shared the importance of the Explorer’s culture of jobs within the group and the potential safety hazards that we would need to watch out for. The boys did a great job and are really stepping into their leadership.

Mentors took a moment to talk to the group about their commitment to Stick Culture and using tools with intention. We also reminded the group that the Mentors are assessing the group’s actions and commitment to this culture. Within a few seasons the group will be ready to carve and it is now in the groups hands to show that they are ready for the responsibility. 

As the group snacked we set our intention for the day. Feeling the call in response to the Explorers request, the Mentors decided to give up much of theArt of Water curriculum we had planned and instead explore the land scouting for the perfect place to play Spider’s Web.

In our overscheduled high stress culture it is vital that the Explorers and Mentors get out and engage in play. Games offer us a way to test our skills, challenge ourselves, work together, and build our confidence. When Explorers play games with honor and integrity they slowly learn to meet all challenges in their lives with this same mindset. As Mentors we know that this idea of play not only helps us connect with others and ourselves, it also allows us to engage in an ongoing relationship with the land. When an Explorer crouches under the cover of a Sword Fern waiting for their opportunity to move the land becomes their teacher; offering them learning opportunities that come naturally through their curiosity and out of necessity.    

Following Chuckanut Creek the Explorers thought they would teach Adnan a little more about our culture by calling Hide! As the group went diving into the bushes it was clear that the joke was on the finder. A number of downed trees and branches littered the forest floor and provided the perfect camouflage. After the game we challenged the Explorers to think back to the cause of all these downed trees. The group remembered back to the winter storm that brought all the snow to the lowlands. Learning to read the land cultivates our connection to the seasons and helps us make sense of the landscape.

As we hiked further the Salmonberries and Stink Currant got higher and higher until it felt as though we were in a maze. Suddenly we were stopped dead in our tracks by the riverbank, which looked like the end of the trail to the Roosevelt Elk Calves. Scouting along the group noticed a very unique rise in the land and a prominent shelf on the opposite side of the bank. The group agreed that it would be a great place to play Spider’s Web so they searched for a way to cross the creek. Before going across Greg demonstrated the safe way to traverse a river with a backpack on. Greg explained that by unbuckling the chest and waist belt we give ourselves the ability to free ourselves from the pack incase we fall in. This skill will become useful in a few years when we are fording a river with heavy packs on. Finding a downed log the Explorers one by one shimmied across with some careful spotting from Adnan and Greg.

The group played and splashed on the far side of the creek, admiring the large bank of rivers rocks until the Mentors called them together to scout the potential game area. Anxious to play the group started to break the circle and explore. Quickly Greg called the group back together as they were not aware of a major hazard that was abundant in the area. Walking over to a dense thicket the group was introduced to a plant called Devil’s Club.

Oplopanax horridus or Devil’s Club is a tall shrub that often grows at the bottom of river valleys across the Northwest. This shrub is a powerful source of medicine, which can be used for common coughs and colds, stomach ulcers, tuberculosis and even hypoglycemia. It can be steeped into teas, mashed into salves, chewed, and steamed. Although this plant is medicine it also has an effective way of guarding its precious gift. Devil’s Club’s giant woody stems and coarse leaves are covered top to bottom in brittle spines. These spines lodge themselves into the skin, breaking off into micro fragments and are irritants worse than Stinging Nettles, eventually causing an infection if left in the skin for too long.

The group set up the game using the prominent shelf as the Spider’s lair, giving him a ridgeline advantage. With the creek rushing below us the Explorers climbed the steep lower flank of Chuckanut Mountain, crawling through the maze of Sword Fern and Devil’s Club. While we were playing one of the Mentors came across a Red-tailed Hawk Skull. The group took a moment to marvel at its unique bone structure.

Using the protection of the hillside the flies managed to capture the food source twice from the Spider. Calling the group back together we had a great conversation about camouflage strategies and the importance of treading lightly on the land. Learning from our outing at Clayton Trailhead it’s important that we travel off trail and it’s also important that we take care of the land and tread lightly when we do.

Gathering our packs the group circled up on the river rocks to have a closing meeting. We shared some apples and gave thanks for the day. The boys gave thanks for the sunny weather, the ability to find a secluded place to playSpider’s Web, for getting to know the hazards of the land, for the creek and fresh water, and for a great bunch of friends to explore with. A big thanks goes out to the Explorers for stepping into leadership and growth this season. The Roosevelt Elk Calves are becoming a cohesive group and the Mentors look forward to extended exploration with them in our summer camps! 

Please visit our photo gallery for more pictures from the day.

Connelly Creek Traverse with the Roosevelt Elk Calves

Boy, was it nice when we all met last Saturday at Marine Park! The sun was shining it sure felt like the spring that we know and love. Roosevelt Elk Calves were full of energy and mentors were excited to funnel them upstream like the salmon they came to understand and mimic.

The Connelly Creek Traverse is an opportunity for Explorers to follow Padden and then Connelly Creeks upstream from Bellingham Bay. This is to put ourselves in the mindset and body of the salmon that have been migrating like this for many years. With the culvert under Old Fairhaven Parkway recently removed around 22nd Street, those salmon made it to Connelly Creek last fall for the first time in over 80 years, one resident told us.

We end the outing at the Boys EC service site at Connelly Creek in Happy Valley Park. Next outing the boys will do some salmon habitat restoration there. So our hope is that the boys can start to piece together the connections between their journeying, their service work, and the species that inhabit the lands we explore and serve. Or simply, that they have fun on a long walk on a gorgeous spring day!

We played games at Marine Park to release the pent up energy after a long week in classrooms. Tim filled in for Steve who was recertifying his Wilderness First Responder certification. David K joined as a volunteer mentor too. Roosevelt Elk Calves and mentors became part of the herd and the third mentor transformed into a cougar that tried to eat the elk running through his forest. It was fun to run around and avoid getting tagged.

Hunger set in and we needed a place to eat lunch. Dave led us to a bluff above the water treatment facility and we enjoyed food and water with a nice view. A tiny hill eventually became the center of attention as boys created and played an impromptu game of tag that involved them trying to climb atop of the mound. It’s amazing to me just how spontaneous and natural it was for these Explorers to create a game together, develop rules, and focus on their tiny world. I think we could have stayed there for hours if we didn’t have a traverse to complete.

We rolled down the hill and began the understanding of plant knowledge. We shouldn’t pick any plants we cannot identify. Some are food, and others are poisons. Others are medicine and nearby there are plants that could kill us. In the end, we began the plant identification journey and recognized just how vital it is that we form relationships with these botaneous (made-up word) comrades.

Games of Hide! ensued as we wound our way up trail and upstream to Padden Creek. For the next two hours we traversed twenty-two blocks, took many breaks along the way, joked, and enjoyed the shade. Please ask your Explorer if he can remember the names of any tree or plant species we identified during our walk. Does he remember the medicine tree that Dave showed them? Do they remember the bird’s nest that looks like a sock? Does he have any funny stories to share about a fellow Explorer?

After long last we made it to the confluence of Connelly and Padden creeks. What a peaceful place! The Roosevelt Elk Calves took to it like it was their own home. They were keen to explore its banks and dive into its waters. The service bug must have nipped them early because they spent some time trying to remove dams so that the salmon would have clearer paths through which to swim.

We had a closing meeting and followed the motto, Attitude of Gratitude, as we participated in a Circle of Thanks. I am thankful that we had such nice weather and that Explorers deepened their relationship to the Connelly Creek watershed.

Well done Explorers for making the entire journey! Parents, thank you for your support of these boys as they connect with the land and each other… or at least for dropping us off and picking us up on both ends while we played for five hours in between :)

Please see the photo gallery for more pictures of the outing. See you next time, at the Connelly Creek Service Site on April 27th at noon!

Navigating the South Lost Lake Trail with the Roosevelt Elk Calves

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.