Chuckanut Wilds Camp #2, August 26-30

 Day 1, 100 Acre Wood:

The Chuckanut Wilds Camp #2 kicked off with a wonderful day at the 100 Acre,Wood near Fairhaven. Upon being dropped off by their parents/grandparents/guardians, the boys headed into the forest with Dave and Tim. After spending some time getting to know one another and being designated their "jobs" for the day, the boys went for a short hike and learned about plant identification as well as group decision-making.

After a group discussion, the boys decided they wanted to visit Hoag's Pond. Upon arriving at the pond, the boys enjoyed a delightful lunch beside the pond in the company of a number of ducks whom were not nearly as excited about the boys as the boys were about them. In order to get a closer look at the ducks, a traverse around the pond was necessary. While traveling quietly, as not to disturb the residents of the pond, the boys continued to develop their plant identification skills by learning about a number of plants including Devils Club, Trailing Blackberry, and Stinging Nettle.

Upon circumnavigation of the pond, Dave and Tim explored a new path with the boys that led to an ideal location to play Spiders Web. The boys honed their stealth skills during this game, scurrying through swaths of sword fern and taking shelter behind tree trunks, while attempting to secure the food source without being detected by the spider. After two exciting rounds, it was time for the daily closing circle where the boys debriefed the game and shared something they were thankful for with the rest of the group. After a full day of developing their naturalist skills, group bonding, and exciting games, it was time for the boys to meet their parents, return home, and rest up for another day full of exploration.

Day 2, Traverse North Galbraith Trailhead to Teddy Bear Cove:

The Teddy Bear Traverse is one outing that has become notorious throughout many groups in the Explorers Club. In our opening meeting in the parking lot of North Chuckanut Trailhead mentors explained that the Teddy Bear traverse was going to be one full of hazards and challenge.  Mentors went on to explain that one group of Explorers had found the the traverse so challenging they renamed their group after their experience; the Dare Devils Club found their name by navigating a maze of Devils Club situated at the start of this traverse.  Through road crossings, scree fields, Devils Club, nettles, Paper Wasps, sea cliffs, and steep hills the Explorers bonded and harmonized as a group.  

            With the lore of this challenge fresh in the Explorers minds, mentors passed on tools that would help the Explorers cross this tricky terrain. We discussed compass usage and how to use natural landmarks to gather bearings.  As the Explorers deciphered that we needed to hike in a southwesterly direction to make it to our destination.  With a hike down a steep arroyo the Explorers arrived at the Devils Club maze.  The group quickly found that the logs previous groups had used to cross the Devils Club had decomposed into the forest floor. Looking for other options they decided to cross the walls of the steep arroyo using the scree fields above. Climbing, crawling and hurdling the group crossed one by one knowing that a wrong step could result in a tumble into a sea of Devils Club.  If this wasn’t daunting enough the Explorers also came across a paper Wasp’s nest located just feet off of their chosen path.

            Arriving at Woodstock Farm the Explorers gazed out at the north end of Chuckanut Bay as a Great Blue Heron fished at the mouth of Chuckanut River. We lunched at the Orchard on the east end of the farm. After playing of couple of games of bandana tag and learning how to hold still when hungry bees landed on us we were off. Heading out onto a bluff south of Woodstock the group noticed the change in the ecology almost immediately. We climbed and played hide in the Bracken Fern and old growth Alders while we took a closer look at the Pacific Madronas, Garry Oak trees and a fallen birds nest.  As we crossed the Chuckanut Highway for a second time we tapped into our animal senses using our deer ears to listen for cars coming around the blind corners.

            We arrived at Teddy Bear Cove tired, sweaty, and triumphant having only two hours to spend there. The Explorers discussed and agreed to setting up time limits for each area of Teddy Bear Cove they explored. The Explorers are well on their way to learning the essential skill of collaboration and compromise. We traversed the sandstone-lined shore and came to a twenty-foot high cliff scramble; the Explorers grasped the nettle and climbed the face,safely! We ended our day with a circle of thanks and a sit stop on the sandy beach of the coves north shore. With a trudge up the hill to Chucknaut Drive we reconnected with our families for a good nights sleep. The Teddy Bear traverse proved once again to be a considerable challenge but not without its rewards. These adventurous Explorers are emerging into cooperative group members and circular leaders. 

Day 3, Traverse Bakerview Beach to Locus Beach:

            The Explorers arrived at the Campbell’s House excited for a day of exploration on the beach. Mentors would like to give a big thanks to the Campbell family for letting the Explorer’s Club use their beach access time and time again. It truly enriches our experience to be able to directly access the beach at the mouth of the Nooksack.  As we were crossing the lawn we ran into Jennifer Campbell and thanked her, to which she replied, “It’s not my beach”. As the Explorers would come to find out we all need to be protectors and explorers of the beach. We started our beach hike in the tide flats at the mouth of the Nooksack River. We dropped packs and frolicked unrestrained through the tidal pools created by a mass of sand bars.  As the tide closed in on us we retreated island by island. After retreating a ways the boys decided to take a stand and built a wall to protect an island. Our wall proved to be no match for the tides; we learned that we were dealing with forces much great than ourselves.

            After eating a leisurely lunch and loosing a few sandwiches to the seaweed and sand we were off. The stretch of beach between the Nooksack and Locus Beach is excellent for games of hide. One explorer taught us a variation of the game called “Thicket”.  The going was slow as we combed the beach under the hot sun.  The Earth Keepers quickly filled their bags with beach trash and we were forced to switch to a full size trash bag. This service was a great learning point for the Explorers. Where does all this trash come from? The group hypothesized and tracked the garbage: comes from our houses Bellingham and the county, blows into the rivers, then flows into the sea and washes up with the tides and currents on this very beach. We have a motto in Explorer’s Club; we are all connected, and at that moment it was very obvious.           

 The Explorers started to become overwhelmed by the seemingly endless task of cleaning the beach; they were tired and overheated and one had even suffered a bee sting. Throughout the exploration the Explorer’s would come to find out they were not the only members of the community helping to do this work. We ran across another gentleman walking with another full bag of trash. The boys were also thanked by young couple that was sitting and enjoying a wonderful little spot at the beach.  This gratitude and support lifted our spirits. At the half-way point in our trek we came upon the place Mentors call the “Earth Keepers Lair”. There is a man who owns a part of the beach that he calls the “Jungle Hut”. He was been taking garbage and refuse from the beach and has built a magical world with everything he has collected. The Explorers have been given special permission to access this area. We explored all the fascinating features of his work and played a game called, Where’s My Egg; which I’m sure the boys can explain to you.

            After hours of fun at the “Jungle Hut” we began the last leg of our trek. As we hiked we watched a pair of Turkey Vultures and a Coopers Hawk hunting above the beach grass along the shore. This section of Locus Beach is very unique. There is a solid four-foot layer of saw dust left over from the old mills of Bellingham that has washed up and adhered to the sand long ago. This saw dust mixes with the three feet of mud at the intertidal zone and creates some excellent mucking grounds.  One by one the mud swallowed up the Explorer’s until most of them were crawling, falling and murking through the ooze. One Explorer even used the strategy of sliding on his belly like a Harbor Seal to avoid sinking into the sludge.  Although we were tired, hungry, muddy and dehydrated we still found time for a circle of thanks before we headed back to our parents. We gave thanks for a balanced day of play and service and that we were a part of a caring and committed community. Mentors told the Explorers to rest well that night for we had hiked over eight miles in the last two days and really exerted ourselves. What a great day!

Day 4, Bloedel-Donovan Park & Whatcom Falls Park:

            After three days in the sun the Explorers were greeted with some beautiful Pacific Northwest drizzle. After two long traverses the group came to Whatcom Falls thinking that it would be all down hill from here. They would find out over the course of the day that it is not just the physical terrain that can be demanding and challenging when we are exposed to the elements. During the opening meeting the Mentors discussed the three W’s of staying comfortable and dry in the rain. Wicking, Warmth and Wind; each of these W’s is linked a layer of clothing that helps us in a cold and wet environment.  Being prepared and having forethought is a skill that we practice in Explorer’s Club. This is a skill which helps us in the wild but translates into a behavior that helps us throughout our entire lives.

            Collaboration and Compromise was a theme that was reinforced throughout this day and practiced during the course of the Chuckanut Wilds Camp. We were lucky enough to have a guest mentor with us on our outing, Brian. Brian has generously volunteered with us before for other groups, and during this outing his connection was deepened further because he got to be a Mentor to another group of boys and his grandson Quinn. After playing a few games of Hungry Hungry Marten, we were off to explorer the large patch of wildland that is right outside many of our backdoors.

            On the way to the Park the Explorers stopped to investigate a plant, which they had learned about on Monday. The boys had enjoyed the fruits of the delicious plant Oregon Grape and still had its flavor lingering on their taste buds. This plant looked similar to the one they had harvested from but it was much taller. In our outings we learn that it is important to not just assume that you have met a plant and know how to harvest from it. One wrong decision and it can result in pain and even death, and that is why we all ask that the Explorers get a Mentor before they harvest. In the case of Oregon Grape it has a look alike who’s berries are extremely toxic, some of you might know it as Holly. We learned again how to tell the difference and through curiosity and investigation found that this plant was a subspecies of Oregon Grape called Tall Oregon Grape. We gave thanks to the plant for its fruit and ate a few of the berries leaving some for the other members of our biotic community.

            Arriving at Whatcom Creek the boys were presented with their first group decision of the day. Which way should we go? To help the group make decisions one of the Explorers is given the job of Tribal Elder. The Tribal Elder in charge of helping the group make decisions, this means that they give the group tools and create space for the group decision-making process. Through collaboration the group decided to stop at the bridge over Whatcom Creek for a few minutes and then find a lunch spot along the way to the Salmon Hatchery.   We lunched at the mouth of Whatcom creek and watched the Mallard Ducks swimming in the creek. On our way to the hatchery we practiced our fox walking and tried to stalk a group of Mallards on the grass. 

We got sidetracked on the way to the hatchery and stopped at one of our favorite spots to play spiders web. The first round proved to be very challenging for the flies and lasted a while with one very full and successful spider.  After the game the Mentors quickly noticed that the Explorers were becoming D.I.C.- disoriented, irritable and combative, which are all classic signs of dehydration. Tim invented an ingenious game for staying hydrated. We got in circle and went around popcorn style saying, “Drink if you have done or been…”. Once we had gone around the circle once, I had already finished a half a bottle of water. It is important even on the rainy day that we all stay hydrated; the human body cannot stay warm unless it is properly hydrated. We gave the boys an opportunity to redesign the course and this round it proved to be to challenging for the spider. The game ended in five minutes. Realizing that time in the outing was running out some boys started to mention that they had not yet visited the salmon hatchery. Once again the Mentors stepped back and let the group decided what they should do. The Explorers sat in council for over fifteen minutes speaking their truths and using brainstorming techniques to solve their problem. The Tribal Elder did an excellent job of giving everyone a chance to speak, gathering solutions, presenting them to the group weighing options, leading votes and offering compromises. We ended the day at the salmon hatchery with a circle of thanks. Thursday was definitely one where the boys persevered through conflict and group and environmental challenges. It was the crux of the week in which exhaustion and frustration hit critical mass and learned how to work through it.

Day 5, Clayton Beach:

            After a tough day of rain and group processes the Explorers showed up at Clayton Beach ready for an outing of lighthearted exploration and relaxed beach roaming. We started off our day with another round of the water game and a few rounds of a game mentors call Bob the Weasel.  You can ask your Explorers how to play this game, it is very fun and silly. After an opening meeting and a focused Chuckanut Drive crossing we came to a group navigation challenge. In their compromise on Thursday afternoon the explorers had agreed they would the visit the hatchery and in return on Friday they would get to go to an epic Spider’s Web spot at Clayton Beach. The group was told that the trail to Clayton Beach was south and the game spot was due west.  Using a compass and the their chosen acronym- Never, Eat, Soggy, Waffles, the Explorers found their spot situated at the bottom of an arroyo which dumped straight into the sound. As they headed down the valley depression they were stopped by the noises of a Pileated Woodpecker. We stopped and admired him for a while. Tracking his movements and behavior the boys came to the conclusion that he was listening to the bugs moving in a dead snag and picking them out with his fine pointed beak. What a clever and amazing creature.

We lunched down by the creek and explored its pools and steep banks. Once everyone was hydrated and full we set up a huge Spider’s Web course. The Spider was situated on top of the ridge above the creek so the flies had to use their best sneaking and stealth skills to keep from being caught. The flies eventually triumphed and we decided to play another round, this time with two spiders. The course was so large that after the second game we all decided enough was enough and headed down to the beach to relax and explore. On the way there we looked at some Beaked Hazelnut Trees, Salmonberries and Marionberries that were growing right along the side of the trail. We were delighted to find that the no access sign posted before the train tracks had been permanently taken down ensuring that we would be exploring this coastline for many years to come. 

            We hit the beach and immediately squirreled out, exploring all of it unique features. The Mentors set up a climbing station on the sandstone cliffs at the sounds edge. Other Explorers practiced their running and jumping skills on the large sand dune on the south end of the beach. We ended the day with a dip in the ocean and   making rafts out of the driftwood logs that lined the shore. We got so caught up in exploration that before we knew it was 4:05pm and we still had to finish with a closing meeting and a circle of thanks. We hiked back up to the trail entrance and sat for a last meeting. As we gave thanks, the Explorers revisited the powers and challenges of the week. We gave thanks for the great group we explored with, the amazing places that we had visited, for the challenges and trials of the week, for play and games, for food and water, and for a week well spent. What a pleasure it was to get to know, explore, grow and learn with these blossoming Explorers. Mentor’s would like to give a big thanks to all the Wild Whatcom staff, Explorer’s parents and relatives, Earth Keepers and parks workers for making this week possible.

Please look at more pictures in the photo gallery. We hope to see you for the fall season introductory meeting on September 14th!