Roosevelt Elk Calves Navigate Chuckanut Ridge

The Roosevelt Elk Calves braved the drive up Cleator Road to meet the mentors at the Lower Chuckanut Ridge Trail Head. Although we were originally planning on traversing from Chuckanut Ridge down into Arroyo Park a couple of weeks ago, we had to reschedule due to strong winds. Driving up the road it was clear we had made the right decision as tree limbs scattered the side of the road, and once getting further into our hike the carnage in the forest was rather impressive to witness. However, before we could get going we needed to have an opening circle.

Gathering for opening circle

Although there were a handful of Roosevelt Elk Calves present for our outing, we were missing a good portion of our group as the newly opened ski area and fresh snow was too much to resist, and understandably so. That being said, when there is a vacuum created that space is inevitably filled and the mentors were happy to see those who were present fill the void with their voices and energy. It just so happened that the majority of our more boisterous Elk Calves were absent and the opportunity was not passed by for the remaining Elk Calves to speak up, engage in our lessons, and get a little goofy.

Inspecting a tiny mushroom

Our focus for the day was the Art of Navigation. We began with a discussion on navigation, what it means to use your “internal compass”, and heard an incredible story of a thirteen year old girl who was charged with navigating her families camel caravan hundreds of miles through the desert in search of a well that was merely one-meter in diameter. Thinking about all the ways we can navigate, especially when without map and compass, the group pointed out that we could use the landscape, the sun, and other natural phenomena paired with local knowledge to find our way around. Talking about it is one thing, but doing it is another.

Gazing to the West and the San Juan Islands

Hitting the trail we meandered a mile up to the Chuckanut Ridge Trail stopping from time to time to investigate natural history mysteries, let the mentors elaborate on teachable moments (Western Hemlock for kindling bundles, tracking widow makers in the canopy), and even peer out across the San Juan Islands at a view point. Things were pretty easy until we hit our first trail junction and had to figure out which way to go. It took a little bit of guidance from the mentors but this group quickly caught on, looking at the signage, orienting to the landscape, and determining the position of the sun we determined which way was North and headed out.

Trying to figure out which way to go on Chuckanut Ridge

 Cruising along the ridgeline we were met with multiple viewpoints East to the Cascades and North into Bellingham. Although the views were incredible, the wind really picked up and the heat loss from convection forced us to carry on. Dropping down onto Lost Lake Trail, there was a checkpoint with a map for us to utilize in making our next decision. While perusing the map and orienting ourselves, we were interrupted by the clomping hooves of two horses and their owners who stopped to say hello. After petting the horses and feeding them a few treats provided by their owners we said our goodbyes, took on last chance to internalize the information on the map, and got back on the trail.

Looking out to the East and the Cascades

Descending down towards Arroyo Park the Roosevelt Elk Calves demonstrated a keen memory and ability to overlay their knowledge gleaned from the map onto the landscape. Remembering distances, number of junctions, and proper direction to take, we quickly navigated multiple intersections and were down near Arroyo in no time. With our outing nearing its end we had to decide whether to explore Padden Creek or try and squeeze in a game or two. Circling up the group collaborated, compromised, and arrived at a consensus just like they’ve been taught to over the years. It was great to see some quieter voices step into leadership roles and help us decide to head back early and try and play a couple games along the way.

Checking out the trail map and orienting ourselves

Getting to our final destination of N. Chuckanut Mountain Trail Head was a big accomplishment. With little to no direction from mentors or use of a compass, this small group of Roosevelt Elk Calves navigated nearly four miles of twisting, turning trails through the Chuckanuts. Not only did we exercise our ability to navigate, but learned about various tree species, discovered a multitude of unique fungi, and met a variety of friendly, human and non-human, passersby along the way. The unique circumstances of the day; a traverse outing with a small group, allowed for an environment that fostered a strong level of group cohesion, plentiful focus for natural history lessons, and an energy of positivity that made the miles fly by. This was a really fun outing for Explorers and mentors alike and although we look forward to seeing the rest of the group on our next outing, this was a great day that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Check out the rest of our photos from the outing here!

Roosevelt Elk Calves Explore at Lake Padden

A key part of Explorers Club’s culture is our long-term mentoring and consistent cohorts.

There are times, however, when a mentor gets to sub in for an outing with a group he

doesn’t normally lead. Last Saturday was just such a day for me. So, a few fresh

observations of the Roosevelt Elk Calves (REC).

These Explorers like to have fun and really enjoy rough-housing. Interestingly, they

have the sense to be safe while doing so (motto - safety first). They have their challenges listening and focusing as do most boys their age, but they are respectful when you get their attention. I noticed less talking over each other and over Mentor Conor and I than usual.

Most impressive, they appear to be good friends. They seemed excited to see each

other and, for the most part, stayed away from the cliques we sometimes see.

So, I was confident as we headed to the dog off-leash area of Lake Padden Park that

we had a good day ahead of us; I wasn't disappointed.

The REC skill for this season is navigation. We started at a park map and decided to

strike out for the “big fallen tree”. Using their knowledge of the park and the small maps

at some trail junctions, the boys easily directed us to the tree. Once there, we explored

for a while and had some lunch. While munching, we talked about why the trees (there

are actually two big fallen trees there) fell in the direction they did and how that could

help us with navigation (ask your explorer to explain it to you if you’re curious...hint- it

has to do with the prevailing winds in our area). Then to the hard work of the day. The

mentors divided the group in half and instructed each group to hide a bandana in the

woods. They then created instructions to guide the other group to the hidden object

using the cardinal directions, estimates of distance and landmarks. The objective was to

ensure the other group found the bandana.

Command of direction, distance and sited landmarks will enable higher level navigation

skills such as map and compass. Just as important in navigating the backcountry is

effective communication. Your Explorers quickly caught on to the importance of writing

from the reader’s perspective. “Tree” is insufficient, for example, as is “cedar tree”. Too

many cedar trees! The success of both groups is evidence of their good work.

Some more rough-housing, a round of thanksgiving and we were off to meet our rides

home. Thank you for allowing Conor and I to spend some time with your boys. The rest of the photos from are outing are here.

Scavenging at Clayton Beach: Plants, Sea Critters, and Sand Sleds

The Roosevelt Elk Calves finished their 2017 season with an epic day at Clayton Beach. We truly had a little bit of everything on this outing from exploration, to harvesting and studying plants, to romping around at the beach on the sand dunes.

Investigating the waterfall in the ravine

We started the day off with an opening circle to set up a game plan for our outing then trekked down to the gorgeous ravine in the forest above Clayton Beach. Here we took some time to explore the area through play while the mentors set up a plant identification scavenger hunt. With the lesson prepped, it was time for the Roosevelt Elk Calves to get briefed on their mission. A variety of leaves and flowers and stems from numerous native plants lay before them on a bandana. Their task was to explore the area in search of each of the plants and return to duplicate the same pattern of plants on another bandana. Of course there were some easy ones like Sword Fern, Western Red Cedar, and others popular plants, but mixed in were a variety of lesser known plants that were harder to find and pick out the subtle differences from another plant. Of course a Red Huckleberry looks different from a Snowberry, but this time of year we can only see their small ovate leaves and we must understand the difference between “alternate” and “opposite” growth patterns to tell them apart (ask your Explorer for a pop quiz on this!). 

A variety of native plants to find

One plant in particular was hard to find: Thimbleberry. In order to find this plant, we broke out our field guide and learned about how to utilize the “ecology” description to get a few hints on where this plant may be growing. Sure enough, once we trekked down near the clearing beside the train tracks we found a whole patch of Thimbleberry growing alongside its good buddy Stinging Nettle!

Taking turns talking about each of the plants we found today

After we discussed the importance of understanding all that the forest has to offer and the many ways we can utilize the forest for food, tools, and medicine through sustainable harvest, it was time to head to the beach. Packing up we cruised down the trail to a low tide! This was perfect for an impromptu crab hunt where the boys searched for the largest specimens they could find (the baby Dungeness won). Our attention soon strayed to the large hill of sand and an opportunistic discovery of a section of plastic siding with a rope for a handle that someone must have built as a sand sled, or at least that’s what we used it as! Taking turns we worked through some discussion on how to ensure everyone got a fair turn and a sand sledding session ensued.

Scowering the rocks for crab

Baby Dungeness!

With just enough time for our closing circle, we gathered back up and took some time to reflect on our spring season, think about what we want to do in the fall, and of course share some thanks and eat apples. The Roosevelt Elk Calves were all thankful for a great day at the beach and mentioned they want to come back to Clayton Beach in the fall. Additionally we took some time to reflect on how we developed our own definitions of harvest, how to identify and collect different plants, collect materials for Atl Atls, fire starting materials, and minimizing our impact on the land through sustainable harvesting. 

Sand sledding on the dune!

Overall this felt like a complete season; we learned, we played, we explored, and we grew as a group and as individuals. As a mentor it is fulfilling to see this group coming into their own, creating a sense of comradery and community with one another, and channel their exuberant energy into a balance of developing their wilderness skills and playing together in a natural environment. Although they likely feel they are “learning” during our lessons and discussions in circle, they are no doubt learning just as much about themselves, others, and the environment during their “free play” jumping down the sand dunes, searching for that monster crab, or scampering around on the rocks. With a solid season to build off of we can’t wait to see what fall has in store for the Roosevelt Elk Calves.

Check out the rest of the photos from our outing here!

Playing together on a make-shift driftwood teeter-totter

Roosevelt Elk Calves Harvest at N. Lake Whatcom

The Roosevelt Elk Calves met at the base of Stewart mountain for their second outing of the spring season. As we gathered in the light drizzle, we explored the interesting woods surrounding the parking lot in this location. The pit and mound topography here is indicative of a healthy forest and is also great for running around and camouflaging in!

This is how the REC gather at the beginning of an outing

Once we were all there and accounted for, we decided to head up toward Stewart Mountain rather than head toward the beach trail on Lake Whatcom. It just didn't really feel like a swimming kind of day.

Opening circle; nobody brought their swimsuit?

We walked for quite a ways and gained some elevation during the first part of our day. We knew that there was a cool area up ahead to explore, so we were willing to put in the effort to hike all the way up there right off the bat.

Hiking up, up, up!

When we made it to a spot that seemed suitable, we were given a choice. The mentors had brought a tarp to set up, and they wanted to know if we wanted to set the tarp up on our own or if we needed their help. We decided that, since we had seen the mentors do this a few times before, we were going to challenge ourselves and see what kind of shelter we could come up with using just a tarp and paracord. To add extra flavor to this challenge, the mentors gave us a ten minute time limit!

The Roosevelt Elk Calves put this up all by themselves, no help needed from the mentors!

At the end of our time, we requested and were granted a one minute extension, just enough time to stake out our guy lines! We came up with a fully functional shelter that we used for snacking and also keeping our backpacks dry.

Since our earth skills focus this season is the Art of Harvest, we decided to practice harvesting materials with which we could build a fire. Some of us worked on collecting tinder, others kindling, and even others larger pieces of dry fuel. The mentors helped us harvest these materials in an specific way, using no living plants and gathering them so that minimal trace is left. This took up a good chunk of our day and we enjoyed connecting our prior knowledge of native plants to this new knowledge surrounding harvesting materials for fire.

Pounding cedar bark for tinder

Utilizing the baton technique in order to make some kindling

With all of our materials prepped, it was time to light the fire

Eventually, we did get a small fire going. The purpose of this fire was to teach us about harvest, so we did not make it big enough to actually warm us up. Even in the absence of significant heat, we still gathered around; we were all drawn toward the fire by the soft orange and yellow flames licking the small pieces of dry wood that we were able to find in this wet forest. Around this fire, we expanded our understanding of harvest and had a very interesting and focused conversation about global resource use and sharing. It was inspiring (and quite impressive!) for the mentors to hear how tuned in all of us kids were to some of these issues. While we certainly did not solve any of the pressing environmental issues of our day, we did get a chance to broaden the scope of our idea of harvest. We started at our own, personal harvesting that we do in the woods and grew this idea to include our collective harvesting that we do as a culture.

Discussing the flow of resources throughout our world

We wrapped up this heady, somewhat intense conversation and finished our day with some free exploration and games. By this time, the threat of rain seemed to dissipate and we packed up our tarp and headed for the parking lot where we would meet our parents.

To see the rest of the pictures from the day, click here!