Baker River Ramble 2014

“The path disappears more and more each minute. The rain is making the stream flood over the path. Do you think the water will flood our campsite tonight?” the Explorer asked. “Nah, we’ll be fine,” I replied.

Although fifteen minutes later another Explorer discovered that his tent was sitting in six inches of water, I’d like to say for the record that indeed Sulphide Creek did not overflow its banks and tear through our campsite. But the densely packed tent pad spaces on which we put the tents were too compressed to absorb the deluge of Thursday evening’s thundershowers. (And yes, we did see a couple flashes of lightning and hear some thunder too).

It’s a tricky thing. We want to leave little impact so we camp where others have camped. In doing so, however, we further compress the ground and leave no opportunity for the ground to absorb the water. Leave no trace? Leave some trace? To what extent do we jeopardize our own safety or convenience outdoors when we think of the environmental impacts? To what extent must we refrain from leaving an impact so as to keep healthy ecosystems intact? This small experience brings up a conversation that we should further discuss as a community.

The great “tent rescue” was one of the many adventures that Explorers had on the three-day Baker River Ramble this summer. Please ask your sons how the event concluded and see if they remember how many people woke up wet the next morning. We all worked together and the results are telling.

Backcountry travel is no small feat. With everything that we needed for three days on our backs, Explorers valiantly trudged towards North Cascade National Park’s Sulphide Campground. We hiked somewhere between 2.5 and 4 miles to camp… it depends on which resource you believe and how heavy your pack is. :) With breaks along the way and a consideration for sleeping on a sand bar near the Baker River, we decided to push forward until the end of the trail.

There we discovered that backcountry travel has very simple priorities: Food, Water, Shelter, and Fire (to go along with safety, hygiene, and fun!) So we set up our tents, designated a cooking area, found a place to filter water, and set to exploring the area. Boys carried whistles in the unlikely event that they got lost and never went anywhere alone unless it was to “water a bush.” Health, safety, and warmth remained our highest priorities.

Ramen and vegetable soup warmed our tummies as we brushed our teeth to prepare everything for our bear hang. As is typical of BEC backpacking trips, our bear hang went up in the waning visibility of twilight. Boys did a fabulous job of ridding their packs of all “smellables” (including food, toiletries, and lotions) and we turned in that night, nestling into our sleeping bags, knowing that our camp was safe from possible critters.

We all slept very well. It was light for a while before anyone so much as stirred. The next morning, we enjoyed the famous “Explorers’ Oatmeal” and got ready to explore the Sulphide Creek area. We navigated off-trail, following the water up-river toward the intimidating and jagged peaks of Mt. Shuksan. In one hour we only made about a quarter-mile of distance. It is hard to move quickly through Devil’s Club, muddy bogs, decomposing old-growth cedars, and various other hazards!

Some of our forest friends showed up during our three days in the Wilderness: Tailed frogs (Ascaphus truei), western garter snakes (Thamnophis elegans), western toads (Bufo boreas), red-legged frogs (Rana aurora), Cascades frogs (Rana cascadae), Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), millions of mosquitoes, and even more no-see-ums. It’s possible that we could have seen salmon or other fish had we spent enough time gazing into the cold, clear, glacial meltwater. Boys liked watching the mice scurry around at night and some of the mice even earned names. Ask your Explorer if he was on the mouse investigation team.

Boys also really took to little rivulets by the camp. As mentors toiled away at the stove and water filter in the evenings, Explorers combed the area and developed a relationship with its nooks and crannies. Deepening our innate connection with the natural world is a keystone of Explorers Club and Steve and Dave were happy to let the boys do this work while they did the barebones tasks. However, a couple of Explorers took a step back from their happy-go-lucky ways, eager to learn about backpacking skills, and practiced filtering water and setting up and lighting stoves too.

Though it took us a while to break camp on Friday, we made haste getting back to Stubbs on time. Explorers shouldered their packs, a little bit lighter than on Wednesday, and we moved quickly through the landscape. Mt. Blum and the Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness gazed down on us from the southeast while we hiked along the Baker River. Everyone was relieved to reach the bus, but only because it marked a completeness to our three-day mission. We also tasted the bittersweetness of preparing to leave our mountain home for city ones.

Thank you so much, Explorers, for your great effort, exploratory mindset, and willingness to spend three days in the true Wilderness. Remember that you are always welcome in that home and that you’ll have to be prepared for all sorts of weather, bugs, and other conditions. The Wilderness and its inhabitants will undoubtedly be happy to see you. You are learning skills to guide your friends and families too!

Parents, thank you for sending your boys on this excursion. We know it takes a tremendous amount of trust to send your family out into the wilderness with us. We appreciate your trust in us to take care of them and to instill some ways that they can eventually take care of themselves. This is an honor we don’t take lightly, so once again, thank you.

You can see more pictures of this backpacking trip on our summer photo gallery. We look forward to seeing some of you during our Fall season outings and on future summer backpacks too. But we’ll also settle for a hello when you see us at Fiamma Burger or Mallard’s throughout the year!