Summer is such an amazing time to be out exploring our local parks and wilderness areas. The days are long, the weather mild, and the possibilities for adventure seem endless. The Chuckanuts Wild Camp took advantage of all of this in a week of continual movement and exploration. It is so valuable for the boys and such a treat for the mentors to have a solid five days together to bond as a group, share memories, and immerse ourselves in the outdoors.
Our first day of camp was at Whatcom Falls park. Lush forest landscape surround the flow of whatcom creek as it makes its way from lake whatcom into the ocean. we gathered on a small field, introducing ourselves and chatting as we waited for everyone to gather. Once we had everyone we formed a small circle to talk about our day and make some decisions on where we would explore. for the handful of boys that were not in explorers club this was an excellent opportunity to introduce them to how we like to make decisions. The decision making process can be a long if everyone is focused, but it is also a model that allows everyone to voice their opinions and then collaborate and compromise in making a decision. Soon enough we were in the woods heading down the trail. We marveled at the falls, crossed bridges, played Hide, wandered down trails, and eventually made our way to derby pond. At this point all the boys were feeling the pull of the water and headed into the lake for a swim. As the day grew warmer we all decided to head back into the woods and the comfort of the shade provided by the canopy. Eventually we made our way to the far end of the park and began following a small trail down toward the creek. across the valley we could see and osprey nest. Upon a closer look we could also see an osprey sitting in the nest while a second one took flight. The rest of our day was spent in and around Whatcom creek exploring swimming holes and finding crawdads.
for our second day we gathered at 100 aker wood, a plot of land (100 acres), nestled between the foothills of the chuckanuts and the urban zoo of Fairhaven. This location offers dense forests, a maze of human and deer trails, and even a small pond. We started our day with a circle and the decision of which direction to go. The boys did a great job of coming to this decision and we trecked up the hill to Hogs pond. Here we had a great focused time carving. For the boys that had gone through the art of carving it was a good refresher and for those that hadn't it provided them with an excellent foundation. after carving for about an hour and a half the boys attention began to stray toward the swampy mud that surrounded the pond. Covered in mud but happy we headed up into the woods to end our day with two rounds of Spiders Web.
Our third day was spent at the bakerview mud flats. We were lucky enough to have a low tide as we explored this ecosystem. The vastness of this landscape welcomed us to explore as we waded out toward lummi and portage island. the pools left by the receding tide provided us with endless exploration as we made our way across the beach. Running, laughing, finding fish, crawling in mud, rolling in mud, rinsing off mud, crawling in mud again, running through mud. If there was one word for the day it was “mud”
Day four marked the start to our camping trip and our exploration of the Chuckanut mountains. our overnight gear organized we headed across chuckanut drive and toward the trailhead to fragrance lake. This steep trail climbs just over two miles to the beautiful fragrance lake. Generally groups take a while to make their way up this climb, but this group settled into a great hiking pace and steadily made their way up the mountain. Once at the lake we all changed into our swimming gear to enjoy the refreshing water. as our morning of swimming and carving drew to a close we migrated into the forest for a game of Spiders Web. The game was excellent and we were able to play it long into the afternoon without the constraints of a pick up time.
Back at camp the boys proved their ability to work collaboratively as they efficiently set up their tent and arranged all their things for the evening. That night we enjoyed back bean burritos, laughter, and stories from our day. After dinner we cleaned up and headed down to the beach to catch the last of the sun. As the sun sank behind the san juan islands the dusk gathered and so did the bats. Sitting along the beach we watched as bats swooped and dove overhead. Soon we had the boys spread out for a sit spot in the dark along the beach. This was an edge for many of the boys, but they accepted the challenge to spend some time alone in the dark. After we had all gathered up again we shared stories and experiences from our time at our sit spots. without flashlights we navigated the wooded trail back up to our campsite. Again the boys showed how much they had bonded as a group as they helped each other navigate the steep trail.
The camping trip was certainly a highlight of the camp for all of us. It is such an invaluable experience for both boys and mentors. Thank you explorers for your curiosity and ability to work as a group over the course of the week, thank you parents for your support through the camp and sending your sons off with us every day. be sure to look through our Photo Gallery for more pictures from the camp!
No comments:
Post a Comment