Red Tailed Eyas traverse the Chuckanuts

When planning the Spring Season for the Red Tailed Eyas The culminating traverse from the two dollar trail up to fragrance lake and down to larrabee state park was a gamble. Mid November can provide us with nice sunny weather for outings, but it can also dish out a fare share of rainy windy and cold days. The Red Tailed Eyas lucked out on the weather as it happened to be a beautiful clear crisp fall day; perfect for a long traverse in the Chuckanuts.

With a cold day we all decided to hike the first part of the trail before sitting for our opening circle. The two dollar trail starts of by gaining a good chunk of elevation in a series of steep switchbacks; perfect for warming up our bodies. At the top of the switch back the boys in front found a wonderful spot for an opening circle just off the trail under a couple of large cedars and douglas firs. We settled into a circle to hand out jobs and talk about our traverse. A traverse is unique to Explorers in that it requires a certain amount of commitment since it demands ending up at a specific spot at the end of the day.

With a tribal elder now in place we left it up to The Red Tailed Eyas to decide where they wanted to take breaks and how they wanted to spend the time that we wouldn’t be hiking. The boys were reluctant to step up to make the decision and spent most of the first part of the circle talking amongst themselves about unrelated topics instead of working together to make the decision. As a mentor this is a tricky moment where you need to provide the boys enough time and space to make the decision on their own with the belief they have the skills to do so; but also give them enough guidance and tools to make the decision making process as smooth as possible. It took a while and more guidance than usual but eventually the Red Tailed Eyas came together and made some key decisions about the day. As we began hiking one of the boys said “wow that didn’t take much time once we all focused on what everyone was saying” I couldn’t have agreed more.

With our decision made we began the hike up the trail toward fragrance lake. The hike went quickly. A good pace and few stops got us up to the lake in time for lunch. We found a great spot around the edge of fragrance lake. An open sandstone rock provided enough space for everyone to spread out. As we sat we saw the ripples cast by small fish feeding at the surface of the lake, and saw several birds fly far above us. Even on this still cold day the forest was full of life.

The cold weather kept our lunch break short; before leaving we gathered the boys together to make a quick decision on whether we wanted to head straight down to larrabee state park and have extra time at the beach, or spend our extra time in the forest around the lake. Again the Red Tailed Eyas could not hold their focus in the group long enough to make this decision quickly. With everyone getting cold as we stood there a couple boys stepped up to be really strong leaders in the group and help the boys make a decision.

We decided to spend our time up by the lake playing Spiders Web.The boys found a great spot for a game and organized it with little help from the mentors. It was nice to see the Red Tailed Eyas take initiative and really throw themselves into making a group decision. We had a short, but really good game of Spiders Web before it was time to begin our hike down.

We had a quick and pleasant hike down from fragrance lake and made it to larrabee with plenty of time for a good closing circle. In our closing circle the boys all shared sincere gratitude from the day and talked excitedly about the upcoming Spring Season. Thank you Red Tailed Eyas for your persistence and growth with group decisions and your undying curiosity and enthusiasm about the forest. Please checkout our photo gallery from more pictures from our outing!    

Red Tailed Eyas practice Naturalist Skills

On a clear but cold Fall day the Red Tailed Eyas gathered for their third outing of the season at the trailhead for Stimpson Family Nature Preserve. This is a unique location; Beaver ponds, intaced wetland ecosystems, mature second growth forests, many amphibian species, and endless opportunities for exploration. 

Once in the forest we found a small clearing next to the beaver pond for an opening circle. We all circled up in our usual fashion and began to lay out some plans for the day. The Red Tailed Eyas skill or this season is the art of tracking and bird language. Since our previous two outings (a long traverse and service at Connelly Creek) had not provided us with many opportunities to practice this skill I was eager to dive in.

We agreed to spend the first half of the outing focusing on really getting a foothold on tracking and then be able to spend the second half of the outing paying and exploring on the land. With this decision made we began hiking deeper into the reserve. Almost immediately we saw to small rough skinned newts in the trail.We all crowded around and took turns looking at the two newts.

We came to a place where the main trail continued and a small deer trail took off to the right traversing the banks of the Beaver pond. Some boys wanted to take the deer trail while others wanted to stay on the main path. Stimpson Nature Reserve is a technically on trail only place, this fact gave way to a great discussion amongst the boys on land use ethics. After many good points being brought up on both sides of the issue we decided that as a group we could take this game trail and travel in a way that would leave only a little impact with the reward being greater abundance of animal sign by the pond.

Down by the pond we all gathered up again to discuss the specifics of how we would be looking for animal tracks and sign. We handed out journals and pens to all the boys and instructed them to go out on the land and find either tracks or signs of different animals. Eagerly the boys spread out along the pond’s edge in search of animal sign. Soon enough everyone had found something. Looking out along the shoreline boys could be seen studying animal dens, nests, tracks, chew marks, rubs, and a variety of other sign. After almost and hour of focused time the boys came back in and shared their findings. A few boys showed a lot of interest and even took a field guide back to an animal den to try and identify it.

After lunch we made the decision to stay in this location for the rest of the day. Some boys went off to explore further down the pond while others chose to spend their time practicing their carving skills. It felt good to have done a solid session of tracking to leave the rest of the day open to work on whatever we wanted. Those of us carving relaxed by our packs and worked on butter knives and spoons, listening to the voices of the rest of the boys from the pond.

The afternoon flew by. The boys by the pond where lost in their imagination as they played on a giant rotting stump, and the boys carving were lost in the work of shaping wood. It was one of those amazing moments in an outing where everyone was doing exactly what they wanted to be doing. With the day coming to a close we packed up to head out of the woods and back to the parking lot.

Thank you Red Tailed Eyas for a great outing and all your hard work. Parents thank you for sending your sons out to explore with us. Next time you are out on a hike with them have them point out all the animal sign they see, they are becoming excellent naturalists. Be sure to look at our photo gallery for more pictures.

  

Red-Tailed Eyas and Gray Wolf Pups Work Together

As an organization, Boys Explorers Club has an impact on the land. We spend a lot of time off trail, building shelters, harvesting carving wood, and generally just spending time in the forest. We try to tread lightly, using game trails when possible, picking up trash as we go, harvesting plants only when they are abundant enough to support it, and taking care of places we visit. In the end, though, there is no way to explore a place without leaving some trace and having at the very least a small impact. Our outings at the Connelly Creek service site are our opportunity to leave a positive impact on the land and really dedicate a day to leaving a place much better then we found it.

The Gray Wolf Pups and Red-Tailed Eyas had the perfect day to be out at the service site, warm weather and sunshine. We started our day with a big opening circle focused on getting to know the other group a little bit and talking for a few minutes about tool safety and usage. Since both the Gray Wolf Pups and Red-Tailed Eyas are seasoned Explorers group the opening circle went quickly and smoothly. Soon we joined the third group, The Alevin, at the service site to get to work. The Gray Wolf Pups and Red-Tailed Eyas got to work quickly on chopping blackberries and removing their roots. 

All the boys worked in a focused and efficient manner for a couple of hours before they even started to talk about taking a break. Soon the boys started to trickle off for a well deserved lunch break in the sunny field. The boys were all tired, but proud of their work as they are lunch and surveyed what they had accomplished that morning. After lunch We called them back over to put in a solid effort before it was time to pack up and leave.

We spent the last hour cleaning up all the trimmings of blackberries so they would not reroute themselves and then stomping down and spreading mulch over the reid canary grass. The work of spreading mulch was gratifying and was a nice reward after the hard work of clearing blackberries. As we spread the mulch the site was looking better and better and less like an overgrown jungle. Soon it was time to put in our last few minutes of effort and then end the day. 

We had a really nice closing circle in the sunny field and admired all the work that we had done. All the boys had really positive and sincere things to share in closing circle and all expressed their enthusiasm for service outings. It was a really powerful day with a lot of great work being done by all of us.Thank you Red Tailed Eyas and Grey Wolf Pups for all your hard work and enthusiasm. Parents next time you are close by have your explorer show you they service site so you can see how much they have put into this spot and don’t let them tell you they can’t do yard work. Be sure to check out the Grey Wolf PupPhoto Gallery and the Red Tailed Eyas Photo Gallery for more outing photos!

         

Red-Tailed Eyas traverse from Pine and Cedar to Arroyo

Our first outing of the Fall season fell on a September day that felt much like a summer outing; clear blue skies and mild temperatures. The idea for this outing was born from numerous hikes I have been on in the Chuckanuts and a desire to connect two of the major trail systems that climb the North side of Chuckanut Mountain. The landscape between Pine and Cedar Lakes trail and Arroyo park is full of deeply furrowed ravines and steep ridgelines. Knowing the Red Tailed Eyas to be a capable and strong group, both physically and in their group cohesion it seemed the perfect first outing for these guys.

We began climbing the Pine and Cedar lakes trail in search of a good location for an opening meeting. At the opening meeting we handed out jobs, talked about our Summers, and took a look at the topographic map of the Chuckanuts. We spent a good chunk of time looking at the map and identifying the easiest route across the slope and deciding at what point we would leave the established trail to start our bushwhack. A handful of the boys took initiative with reading the map and selecting the ideal route for the group.

As we left the trail we circled up one more time to make sure that we were all clear on the plan and felt up to the adventure of traversing this much ground without the aid of a trail. All the boys felt confident and expressed their interest in continuing the traverse.

The first part of the traverse proved to be easy travel along an obvious flat bench that traversed the hillside. Sword ferns as tall as our chests, towering hemlock and douglas fir trees provided the perfect ecosystem to travel through. As we traversed further along the hillside the terrain steepened and we spent more and more time closely examining the map to find the best route. At this point in the traverse we talked about Acceptable risk (or risk we can mitigate) versus risk we were not willing to accept as a group. It was a fruitful discussion for those involved and provided clarity on what kind of terrain we were will to travel through. We all decided that the hillside we wanted to climb fell into the category of acceptable risk that we could handle safely as a group.  

After a steep climb up a hillside we found a nice flat spot to take a break and eat some lunch.  Looking at the map we could see that from here we had to descend into the main drainage that separated the two trail systems. The topographic lines on the map indicated both a steep descent into creek and a steep climb back up the other side. The Red Tailed Eyas looked down into the creek and planned out and excellent route that would lead us through this section. One by one we all scrambled down the hill toward the creek and began the trek up the other side.

At the top of the hill we all grouped up and congratulated each other on our effort. From here we trekked the short distance out to the hemlock trail. As soon as we hit the trail all the boys celebrated  our completed traverse and expressed their enthusiasm and sense of accomplishment.

Unlike many of our outings with more of an emphasis on wandering and and following our inspiration on where to go and how to spend our time there, this outing was a much more directed traverse. Both types of exploration are important and teach us different lessons about the places we go. I was really impressed by the boys that were committed to learning how to read the map and plan a route across unknown terrain. Beyond the lessons of reading maps and navigating terrain I think the group learned a lot about approaching challenging situations and the value of working together as a group in these situations.  

Red Tailed Eyas Traverse Chuckanut Creek to Mud Bay

Planning can only take you so far, In the end it is the land that dictates what direction our day will take and it is our job to listen and follow this inspiration. So it was on the Red Tailed Eyas outing at Arroyo park. Steve and I had planned a day with the intention of giving the boys time to work on creating their bow drill kits. This plan quickly evaporated as we bushwhacked down toward Chuckanut creek. We passed under the large hand shaped leaves of Devil's Club, avoiding their spiny stalks before we broke out onto  a sunny sandbar along the creek. Here the boys dropped their packs and began hopping along the edge of the creek.

Exploring a downstream we discovered where the creek passed through a giant tunnel under chuckanut drive. feeling the call to explore the unknown and the warmth of the sun many of us were excited to explore further down the creek even if it meant getting our feet wet for the day. This led us to our first group decision; walk down the creek and commit to wet feet? Or stay in the upland forest with dry feet? Unlike a decision of whether or not to play a game of spiders web where you can sit out if you don’t want to play this decision held a much higher level of commitment. We formed a circle on the sandbar at the mouth of the tunnel and tried to come to a consensus about what to do. The boys had strong opinions on both sides of the issues; some feeling strongly about exploring downstream, others opposed to having wet feet. The boys were slow in settling down to a point they could really listen to each other and come to a coherent decision. As mentors steve and I held the space for the Red Tailed Eyas to make this decision. Making a decision as a group is challenging, it takes focus and the ability to listen to others. The Red Tailed Eyas had a hard with this and took some guiding from steve and I along the way.

The group came to the decision to go down the creek and explore it as far as we could, committing to wet feet and a sense of adventure. We set off through the tunnel, Explorers laughing with excitement as we waded through the cool water. Emerging from the tunnel onto a beautiful stretch of creek with dappled sunlight overhung by salmon berry and devil's club we were all happy we had gone this way. It is a really amazing perspective to be right in the creek looking up at the banks as we walked by. We found small fish, explored huge clay banks, navigated waste deep sections and marveled that we had found a spot that not one of us had ever explored. For those that had not wanted to get their feet wet initially it was good to see them confront their edge and embrace the wet feet and the mobility we had as a group once we committed to this.

As we moved down the creek we began to realize that we must be getting close to the ocean. Sure enough a couple more bends in the river and we broke out onto the sunny shore of mud bay. The tide was out and as far as we could see a great expanse of mud lay in front of us. The Red Tailed Eyas dropped their packs and made their way out onto the mud flats. Before long we had all lost any attempt to stay clean, crawling, wading, getting stuck, rinsing off, crawling again, walking on all fours, any way to move through the mud. It was a great experience to all be in the same mindset of just wanting to play in the mud and explore the tidal flats.

As our time drew toward an end an Explorer cut his leg on some barnacles so we began moving back to shore to clean the wounds and get packed up to go. Despite the fact that these wounds were only superficial cuts to the first layer of skin and presented no risk if we cleaned and dressed them properly it is important in these moments to act as a group. Part of acting as a group is asking yourself “what can i be doing for the group right now?” Part of asking yourself this question is forgoing some of your personal needs in order to help the group. The Red Tailed Eyas struggled with this as Steve cleaned out Barnacle cuts and I tried to gather everyone on the beach. The boys had little awareness for what the group needed and how they could enable that. This was a valuable learning moment for the group and i believe it served as a good lesson for all the boys whether they realized it or not.

Dirty, tired, but immensely happy we finished our day with a closing meeting in the tall grass of Woodstock farm. The day was really powerful; full of exploration, new places, pure happiness, stretching our edges, and coming together as a group. The challenges of the day presented themselves as group work and thinking about “We” not only “Me”. I am excited for many of these boys to backpack with Wild Whatcom this summer to further hone their group abilities. It was a wonderful day and could not have been a higher not to end a great season on! Parents thank you for all your support throughout the season and Red Tailed Eyas thank you for your enthusiasm and joy throughout the season. Be sure to check out our photo gallery for more photos.  

Daredevil's Club & Red Tailed Eyas do great work!

Two and a half years of service in the same place. Wow. I haven’t even spent more than two years in the same place! The Daredevil’s Club and Red Tailed Eyas have been doing more service in the same place than they may even realize.

Remember when we started? Himalayan Blackberry taller than us, right at the trail. Car parts, a cat skull, a swing set, a makeup case, countless bottles and cans. For a couple of boys this WAS the first start at this service site. Wherever we start, let’s track our progress over time.

Now we can easily walk into the park. The blackberry border is keeping itself at bay. The reed canarygrass, once as thick and tall as a forest, is now under eight inches of mulch nearly 100 feet across. The maple tree is growing and budding much lower down, now that seven feet of blackberry is no longer trailing upward its branches…

Before the rest of this blog post continues, I’d like to remind everyone about the backpacking trips available this summer. Boys in both of these groups are eligible to go on various summer excursions. These trips were designed for boys of these ages in lieu of day camps. Please contact us if you have any questions about how these trips are incredible opportunities for your boys to capitalize on what they experience during their fall and spring seasons. THANKS!

Parents, please take a moment to track the history of our service at this site by clicking on the “tag links” below: Connelly Creek. You’ll see how the place has changed over time due to hundreds (dare I say thousands) of Explorer hours poured into Happy Valley park. And you’ll also see how your sons have changed over time too:

As the blackberry’s presence shrinks, Red Tailed Eyas and Daredevil’s Club Explorers’ statures have grown. Explorers now transform their boyhood innocence through focused service as they care for the tender, new plants that we put in the ground last autumn. The reed canarygrass has been trimmed way down whereas most boys’ hair has grown out of control!

The Daredevil’s Club has improved their role modeling and showed the Red Tailed Eyas how to work together and do service. They inclusively mentored boys two years younger than them. Some groups might have shrugged off a younger group but the DDC were kind to the Eyas and helpful too. Though they occasionally got sidetracked by birds or adolescent conversation, DDC explorers set a good example. As a group they have improved a lot since last year.

Red Tailed Eyas were keenly watching the older Explorers. They kept a strong work ethic throughout the outing. In fact, in their last hour, RTE boys transitioned from moving mulch to blackberry removal. Instead of waning toward the end of the outing, Red Tailed Eyas found energy reserves and used focused intention to use loppers, hand clippers, and rakes to free a cedar tree branch from climbing Himalayan blackberry vines deep into the service site. Impressive!

In the end, both groups can reflect on the following: Firstly, they might put a lot of road construction workers to shame! The joke is that these professionals spend a lot of time standing around—one person working while four others watch. Though that isn’t necessarily true (only when I drive by :) ) it made for a good reference point. All Explorers were working during the outing. Although some of us were standing around at different times, it is because we moved so quickly that someone was always waiting for the next group in the process.

Taking breaks IS VERY IMPORTANT. In fact, the Red Tailed Eyas played a game and then had a sit spot before going back for their blackberry work. Without these intention rest times and separation from work, we cannot do a good job. I think it’s important to take breaks and to have fun in between stretches of working hard.

Without the rest/work contrast, our work becomes overpowering and I would venture to say that the quality of work diminishes. We adults would be wise to constantly remember about the importance of transitions, breaks, and rest so we can do our work as accurately as possible. And not only in our paid jobs but in our time dedicated to family and community.

You can see pictures from the outing on the website by checking theDaredevil’s Club photo gallery.

We’ll see both of these groups again on SUNDAY, MAY 17TH.

Daredevils Club- we’ll see you on at Samish Woods Montessori so we can board Stubbs and make the journey out to Point Whitehorn!

Red Tailed Eyas- we’ll see you in the “refrigerator of Bellingham” as we explore Arroyo Park. BUT PLEASE NOTE the DROP-OFF point is at NORTH CHUCKANUT MOUNTAIN TRAILHEAD!

Thank you for the opportunity to be your nature-connection mentors. We truly value these experiences and look forward to each outing with you Explorers and your families!

Red Tailed Eyas Have Encounters with Reptiles and Amphibians

The san juan islands lay visible on the horizon to the West and the pull of the Chuckanut mountains was tangible as the Red Tailed Eyas gathered alongside the infamous stubs on Samish way. Our destination for today's outing was the far South Eastern end of the Chuckanut mountain range, the last part of this range before they flatten out into the fields of Bow and Skagit County.

 As usual the ride aboard Stubs was high energy and a nice time for the boys to get out some of their nervous energy before reaching our location. We pulled into the parking lot at the base of Blanchard mountain and made our way toward the large map display of the trail system. With the Red Tailed Eyas it can sometimes take them a while to come together as a group and make decisions but once they do there is always insightful and strong leadership that emerges. Today was no different, after a few minutes of unfocused energy the group was ready to look at the map and make some decisions on where to head and how to get there.

 We started up the road toward the Alternate Incline trail but before long we were stopped by a large gravel pit on our left. dropping our packs we began to clamor up the loose rocky hillside. Very quickly we found a Northern Alligator lizard hiding in the rocks. Carefully removing rocks from around the lizard we were able to get a good look at him. Seeing the potential to find life amongst this seemingly desolate landscape we all spread out in search of more lizards. over the next hour we found many snakes, two species of frog and two species of lizard including our first find. It was a good reminder that the wilderness is all around us and we don’t have to be in the middle of nowhere to have amazing encounters with wildlife. All the boys handled the animals very gently and I was impressed with the amount of care they took to insure they put them back exactly where they found them. We try to find a balance in Boys Explorers Club between minimizing our impact on the land but also recognizing that we are a part of the land and cannot learn from it unless we embrace this. Our time in the rocks with the animals was a perfect balance of this ethic.

 After leaving the gravel pit we headed up the rest of the road and ducked off onto the Alternate Incline trail. After a solid hike up the steep trail we reached a small flat spot to stop and eat some food. We spread out; some of us seeking the sunny spots in the forest while other sought out the shade of Cedars and Douglas Firs. After lunch we circled up to discuss what we wanted to do with the remainder of the day. After a good discussion on where the groups energy was at and how much time we had left in the day we came down to two options; either to continue up to lizard lake or head off trail in search of a spot for Spiders Web. We decided on Spiders Web and began to traverse through the sword fern and fallen logs to a ridge that lay just off trail. From this ridge a small valley flanked by sword fern and rolling topography was visible far below, the perfect location for a game.

After taking some time to explore our new surroundings we set up some boundaries for the game and began. The terrain proved to be challenging for both the spider and the flies. The boys were up to this challenge and we had a great first round of Spiders Web. After coming back together to discuss the game we decided to play another round, but to move the location of the web and food source. We explored North from our original location skirting a steep hillside. Running over logs and jumping down hills we found a Huge dead tree still towering above us. The Red Tailed Eyas milled around it investigating its rotting structure and looking for burrows or other openings at it’s base. Because of it prominence on this landscape we decided to make this the food source for our second round.

 A flat knoll next to a small creek mad the perfect location for our closing circle and giving some thanks. Though we were sad to leave this small valley tucked deep in the Chuckanuts the time had come to go. We decided to cut straight down the hillside to the road and forge the trail on the way back. We galloped, laughed, rolled and jumped our way down the steep bank arriving back at stubs just in time to get back. Thank you Red Tailed Eyas for an excellent days exploring the woods and thank you parents for being supportive of what we do and sending your boys out with us to explore. Be sure to look through our photo gallery for more pictures from our adventures.  

Red Tailed Eyas Explore A Nameless Ravine

Many old faces and a few new ones gathered at the north side of Galbraith mountain for the first outing of the Spring season with The Red Tailed Eyas. The warm weather heated our backs and the feeling was more of a summer outing than the first week of March.We soon had the whole group and quickly headed into the deeply forested lowlands of Galbraith mountain.

 We were all excited by the leafing Elderberry, the small Nettle sprouts, and the budding Red Huckleberries.  As we hiked through the warm forest we looked for a spot for closing meeting, some of the boys running ahead to scout for a spot. We soon found a suitable location on a small ridge sitting above a steep ravine. The sun hit our faces on this ridge and we took a few minutes to shed some layers and grab snacks as we formed a our first circle of the season. Since we did have two new faces we decided to go around and introduce ourselves along with a little ice breaker. I posed the question; “what kind of dog would you be and where would you poop?” Soon we were all laughing and any dissolving any small inhibitions that had once been there.

 From our opening circle spot we kept heading South up the valley. With no trail to follow we simply let ourselves wander. Affording us the time to delve into our curiosity about bones on the ground, tracks in the mud, a cedar that looked different, an old christmas tree, new nettles, logs like teeter totters, Hide!, rotten stumps, Yew trees, and bird calls we did not recognize. This valley was a new area for everyone including Steve and I. It is such an exciting opportunity to explore land that no one in the group knows. The Red Tailed Eyas facilitated a great balance between letting our wandering spirit thrive, but also making good navigation choices. The ecosystems we wandered through were incredibly diverse; dense cedar and douglas fir forests, open alder stands, and steep sunny hillsides covered in sword fern and salmon berry.

 After a few hours of navigating up this ravine we arrived at the base of a steep sand stone cliff. Here the group became divided some of the boys continuing upward toward the cliff, and others voicing concern about the route. We gathered the boys in the sun at the base of the sandstone cliff and opened up the decision for them. It may have been faster for one of us to simply make a decision for the group but it is an immensely powerful thing for these boys to come to these decisions through their own conversation. Most of these boys will be backpacking with Boys Explorers Club soon and the skill set of assessing risk for not only yourself, but the group is essential when traveling deep in the backcountry. We soon decided to send steve up to explore and easier route. The rest of us waited in the sun enjoying the heat coming from the rock face behind us. Soon Steve returned bringing new of an easier and safer route around the corner.

We reached the top of the cliff and were welcomed by one of the best views of Bellingham. Mt baker stood out against the blue sky to the East and to the West downtown Bellingham stretched out into the bay and the San Juan Islands beyond. we spread out and across the sandstone and settled into some time working on our earth skills focus for the season; Fire by Friction. Some boys worked on their bow drill kits, others used pieces of my kit, some boys worked on tinder bundles and others tried to start a fire using flint and steel. It was perfect to see the boys own curiosity take them right into the earth skill we had set out for the season. After some really focused time working on different elements of fire by friction we realized it was time to have our closing meeting.

We could not have had our closing circle at a spot more beautiful. All the boys spoke from the heart when giving thanks and sharing apples. We all felt a sense of accomplishment from our day spend wandering up  nameless ravines and the good work we had done making a group decision and assessing the risk we were willing to take. We ended the day by setting the intention to all make a bow drill kit by the end of the season. Thank you Red Tailed Eyas for another great outing and thank you parents for your continual support! please check out our photo gallery to see more pictures from this outing.

Red Tailed Eyas at Clayton Beach

The Chuckanut mountains are one of my favorite places in bellingham; ocean to the West and fading away into the cascades to the East. These outing are always fun, but particularly when the are in a location that is so expansive and inspiring. The Red Tailed Eyas began to arrive and gather in the dappled sunlight that had found the grass and warmed us up for the time being. We had a quick opening meeting and headed into the forest.

 I really wanted to do some blindfold games with the boys and so we started with a drum stalk. Traditionally a drumstalk is done by one person standing a ways off in the woods and everyone else making their way blindfolded toward the sound of the drum. With no drum i substituted a crow call instead. It took a while to get everyone together and blindfolded, but soon enough the boys formed a line blindfolded and began to follow the sound of my crow call. At first there was a lot of joking and yelling, but the explorers quickly realized that it was impossible to hear while being this loud. After a few minutes of chaos everyone quieted down. We are all such visual people and rely so much on this one sense. To see all the boys settle into trusting their sense of touch and hearing was really cool. As they drew closer I saw them do an amazing job navigation fallen trees, branches, rocks, and other obstacles throughout the forest. We had a short debrief about the drum stalk. What was challenging? What was easier than you expected? What would you try differently. After about fifteen minutes of discussion all the boys asked if we could do it again.

 We finished our second drum stalk and made our way to our packs to load up. We chose to head toward the beach, but instead of heading back out to the main trail the Explorers decided we should follow deer trails down there. Excited to explore with the aid of our eyes we all headed off along small game trails. At the top of a small hill we stopped to regroup and take a water break. When we started moving again groups of explorers all began to move in three different directions. It took along time to do so, but finally we all managed to stand in a circle. I know it is a lot for these boys sometimes but a circle is our best tool for making these decisions. As the Explorers talked about which direction to head I could see the frustration of many of the boys growing as our time ticked by and people focus on the discussion waned. It is a fine line between holding these boys to making decisions as a group and not letting them get too frustrated by the decision making process. Just when i thought i would have to step in to guide the conversation the boys all agreed on a direction and we were off.  

 Following deer trails is a really fun way to move through the forest, Seeing how the animals choose to move, ending up places you never would otherwise, finding deer carcoses, taking breaks in unexpected meadows, but the pressure this kind of travel puts on moving as a group and constantly making decision to access What direction to travel or which small trail to take can sometimes be a lot for these boys.

 We made it down to the warm sunshine of clayton beach, such a welcome relief from the cold dark forest we had been moving through for the last couple hours. Sandstone cliffs, running down the beach, watching waves, looking at the islands, playing in the sand, Playing “the old blind cougar” game, blindfold time, sneaking up on each other, laughing, and so much fun on the beach. The Red Tailed Eyas still have some work to do on their ability to act as a group and make decisions together, but they are such a joy to explore with! The group is full of enthusiasm and they all have some very impressive skills when it comes to the forest. Thanks for a great season explorers and parents, please look at our photo gallery to see what these boys have been up to!  

Red Tailed Eyas Explore Galby Lane

The Red Tailed Eyas gathered for their third outing of the season above lake padden right at the foot hill of galbraith mountain. This is a really great patch of forest that is off the beaten path for most hikers and has many acres of woodland that sits well of trail, a perfect place for us to explore. We made our way out of the parking lot in search of a good opening meeting spot. We joked about halloween costumes, compared amounts of candy swindled for the year and explored licorice fern roots on our way to opening circle. At opening circle we talked about how the last outing (service at connelly creek!) was a pretty structured outing. The need to wander, explore, and make decisions as a group was expressed by all. On this note the boys decided that we all needed a game.

We headed into the forest in search of a good spot to play Eagle Eye This was a new game for all the boys and everyone expressed excitement to learn it. We found a lush valley veiled by giant sword ferns and numerous fallen mossy logs; this is just the kind of environment that lets explorers and mentors alike disappear into the underbrush. We began our first round of eagle eye, everyone dashing in different directions to hide before the “eagle” opened his eyes. From my hiding place nestled at the base of a sword fern I could hear boys yelling and small arguments about whether or not someone had been seen or not. This commotion persisted through the game and escalated to the point that I even had a hard time hearing the eagle bring us all in. As the first round ended we gathered together as a group to discuss the game. There was voices of those that felt impatience at the fact that the rest of the group had been so disruptive. As mentors we strive to give these boys the tools necessary to let them settle these questions of fairness, honor, and respect rather than step in and solve them for these boys. After a solid twenty minutes of discussion these boys identified the points of friction in the game and came up with ways to solve these.

The next two rounds went really smoothly. Significantly less noise, fewer disputes about who had been found and who had not, and overall a much better attitude toward the whole game. Realizing our impact on this little patch of forest we decided to move on in search of new terrain to explore. We spent the rest of the day exploring this patch of forest, running through the woods, Hide, spy training games, remembering birds, getting to know trees, laughing, staying warm, tasting licorice root, and rejoicing the lack of rain. 

As the day ended we again stopped to make some decisions on how to spend the rest of the day. Some boys wanted to practice their carving others wanted to play a Spiders Web and others just wanted to keep exploring. It was challenging to do so much work on group decision making in one day. These boys are still working on listening to others as they speak instead of continuing with their individual discussions. Again it took a while but we did finally reach a point where each boy had said what he needed to say and the group had maintained enough focus to hear each other out.

We had a brief closing meeting and headed back just before the rain started! thank you Red Tailed Eyas for a fun filled outing! I am so happy to be a part of your time in Explorers club! be sure to check out our photo gallery for more pictures.