The Chuckanut Traverse with the Vespula Veterans

On Tuesday the 22^nd the Vespula Veterans embarked on a backpack that seemed like a reasonable four day trip in the Chuckanut Wilderness full of expansive play and connection. However this journey proved to be quite the opposite. The wilderness decided to show its rugged nature, demanding our sustained action, skill, and focus. The land tested the limits of our physical and mental endurance. It exposed our rough edges and required us to dig deeper and explore the limits of our power. The Explorers showed effective leadership and courage in the face of many environmental and psychological challenges. They acted as a cohesive group, showing care for one another and rising to the occasion. Although we ended the trip a day earlier than was planned, we triumphed as a group and weathered the storm. Through this experience the Vespula Veterans marked their gradual transition from childhood to adult. They are no longer Explorers, although they can always hold this name dear. They are now 4 Shielders.

Arriving at the Oyster Dome trailhead some boys looked nervous, others eager and some indifferent. After saying goodbye to their families, the Vespulas turned their attention to the daunting pile of group gear that was laid out in front of them and we started to divvy it out.  While the boys sorted this gear, Greg took a moment to share with group some backpacking culture.  He told the boys that on a backpack we must forget the idea of personal gear because we an interdependent group. Our strength lies in the ability to work together and share resources. In the 4 Shields Program we simply say, We Not ME. This motto is rich on many levels to 4 Shielders and will continue to deepen and gain meaning as they step into their Mentor Apprenticeships.

Once the packs were ready and our minds were brought together, we began our long climb up Blanchard Mountain. The group stopped many times on the initial climb to adjust their packs and pro-actively apply moleskin to their feet. Realizing the strenuous nature of this trail, the group found their pace and slowly climbed feasting on Red Huckleberries to quench their thirst. The Mentors allowed the group to stop as many times as they deem necessary on the way up. Periodically resting is a preventative measure and a very important self-care element in backpacking. While well timed breaks prevent blisters and dehydration, if taken unnecessarily the pace is lost and the group suffers.

The boys battled the temptation to stop and rest too frequently all the way up the mountain. 4 Shielders must focus on the ability to quiet their mind and focus on the task at hand.  This skill will be required in the years to come. After some lunch at a beautiful view point, the group tracked the land and referenced the map in search of clues that would indicate how far it was to our destination. Climbing the last section of trail, prior to the junction with Lizard Lake, was challenging for most of the group. As the boys crested the last hill, the Explorers cheered each other on. They had made it past their long elevation climb; it had taken a good majority of the day. With a little over a mile left, the group quickened their pace and we soon found ourselves at Lily Lake.

Once the whole group had caught up to each other, the boys looked to the Mentors for directions to Lizard Lake.  However, the mentors would not answer and told them to consult the map. After some deliberation, the group picked a trajectory and we were off. The Lizard Lake trail branches off of Lily Lake on the west side. The group was so eager to get there that they completely missed the connection and started to loop back around to Lilly Lake. Calling them back, we had a great conversation about learning to read the land and maintaining our focus even when we are tired and hungry. The boys decided to send out scouts and consult the map.  As a result, they found the trail and in no time we arrived at Lizard Lake.  By this time it was 6:00 o’clock and our work was not yet finished.  Here is where all that group process in the Boys EC would pay off. The group circled up and we outlined the tasks that needed to be accomplished.

Our first priority was to set up tarp shelters. Vespula’s can you still remember the proper way to set one up? Here are some key phrases that might jog your memory: Bowline and Tarp Knots, 45-degree angles, is the perimeter safe and where is the water going to run.  The group did a great job setting up the tarps, as we would come to find out we were going to need them. Once we had shelter, some of the group gathered water, others harvested fire wood and still others made dinner in teams. It was fantastic watching the boys work together with such great attitudes even though we were all exhausted.  That night we ate dinner in the dark and went to bed without even having a fire.

As we slumbered, storm clouds rolled over Chuckanut Ridge. Little did we know, our trip was about to change completely. We awoke to hard rain. Greg and I crawled out of our tents and quickly put all our gear into dry bags recognizing our immediate need for food and fire. With the help of a few early risers, we got a fire going with a bow drill and prepared breakfast in a hurry.  The boys awoke to find their gear and sleeping bags in a puddle. Some of the group left their backpacks, cloths and boots exposed to the elements. Know this 4 Shielders, when we are backpacking any mistake or oversight could spell disaster.  As you grow toward leadership and increased responsibility within your communities, you must be able to think preventatively and consider the consequences of your actions. Having said that, we are all human and make mistakes; which is a natural part of the growth process. Navigating the Chuckanuts is similar to navigating the cultural “wilderness” back home.  Looking a little disheveled and tired, the group shared some heartfelt thanks, hot tea and oatmeal, which warmed our bones.

After breakfast Greg took the boys over to the mentors’ shelter and showed them what theirs should have looked like. Gear was packed securely in dry bags and our sleeping bags were protected from the moisture.  4 Shielders this was your call to action.  Some of you chose to heed our words and you faired quite well; others did not. If the heavy rain wasn’t already challenging enough, the wilderness hit the group with a perfect storm. The hard rain picked up and one of the boys experienced a medical issue, required a slow evacuation.  Feeling some urgency, the group moved some tarp shelters out of the puddles and did some damage control while the mentors worked out the evacuation plan via cell phone.

Once the plan was finalized, we gathered under the Kitchen tarp shelter and discussed the plan with the rest of the group over lunch. Greg and the boy with the medical issue would rendezvous with outside help and the remaining 4 Shielders would ultimately hike off the backside of Blanchard Mountain to meet Dave and Matt on a logging road. Without the help of Greg and one of the boys, the rest of the group need to tend to each others needs at camp, keep the fire going, harvest more wood and keep the shelters in order while gathering additional water.  By no means was the group near a place of panic, but we were reaching the edges of our comfort zones the tasks kept piling up while our boots filled with water.  Sending the two off was not easy and we eagerly awaited news of a safe rendezvous followed by Greg’s return to the group.  During this process, our phones shorted out from exposure to the excessive rain leaving us without the advantage of cell phone communication.  While we waited, a thick mist rolled over the lake followed by a strong breeze. Looking around we knew what was coming our way. A party quickly went out to harvest more wood while others maintained camp. Navigating off trail, the group found a thirty-foot hemlock snag and felled it. Crash! The tree landed with a resounding thud and the group let out a triumphant cheer. We cut the tree into sections and the heartwood was bone dry. It was so empowering to be able to harvest dry wood in such oppositional conditions.

While we carried the wood back to camp, the hardest rain I have ever seen in the Northwest soaked us to the bone. We made it back to the fire just in the nick of time and rejuvenated it. At this point, it became apparent that we would need to take pro-active measures to avoid hypothermia. A few of the boys scouted a large rock that had a dry patch under an overhang. The boys huddled together in the dry spot while keeping each other entertained by playing a flute, laughing, carving and watching the rain.

With dinner almost ready and the fire still going, Greg made a triumphant return. The Shielder was safely return to his family and Greg had made it back safe. At that moment, the rain let up to a sprinkle. We took our weather window opportunity and dried our wet layers around the fire while we ate. The group decided that we did not need a circle of thanks because it was easy to feel the thanks radiating from us.

Just as we finished, another deluge of rain began and we quickly got everything in order to return to our shelters for the night. Both boys and Mentors were exhausted but not downtrodden. I have to commend the group for having excellent attitudes through these unusual and unpredictable challenges. Their positive attitude is what kept us going through the storm. I attribute this to the many outings spent in the fall and early spring rains in Explorers Club. These boys are truly resilient in their bodies and minds. This skill will help them through the storms of adolescence and beyond.

After checking in with each other in regard to self care (both mentally and physically), we returned to our respective shelters to weather the longest sustained heavy rain the mentors had ever experienced in the Pacific Northwest. The rain consistently beat against our shelters for four hours. At times it was so loud we could not talk to the others in our own shelter. The water bounced four inches off the ground as hit and then pooled in miniature torrents that flowed through our shelters.  After a long, hard night, we awoke to find no change in the weather. After Greg checked in with everyone individually, it was obvious that we needed to bail on our schedule and end the trip one day earlier than planned. Greg left in the hopes of finding reception on our only semi-working cell phone but returned with another permanently water-damaged phone. Formulating a solid plan, Greg decided he would hike down and find the nearest phone to contact parents and have them drive to the rendezvous point. Once this was decided, those who were still dry stayed in their shelters and those who were wet went to the dry spot underneath the rock. We boiled tea water for an hour and a half. Two of the Explorers were experiencing mild hypothermia and needed to be put into sleeping bags with hot tea to warm them up. It was very powerful to see those that were doing well helping those who needed warmth by sharing their gear. These boys reflected an extreme amount of care and empathy for one another; it was very obvious. I am deeply grateful for their resilient attitudes and hard work that morning. 4 Shielders please note that the only reason some boys were able to provide their gear to those in need was due to the fact that they were preventative through out the entire trip. Some had all the means to keep their gear and sleeping bags dry, but lacked the experience, attention to detail, awareness and focus to do so. This is something to reflect on and put into practice in your day-to-day lives to hone for our next wilderness trip and anticipate the fulfillment of being able to help others in times of need.

Once again, Greg had to leave the group and find a way to connect with the parents.  Upon saying goodbye to Greg, the group knew we needed to rely on the plan we developed, the skills we possessed, the faith and trust we had in each other, our resiliency, and a disciplined approach toward completing our evacuation. These were the elements that brought us safely through the storm and those same elements would get us through the rest of the way. As we packed up, the clouds started to lighten and the rain stopped. The group decided to enjoy lunch under the rock that had kept us safe the day before. After giving thanks, we shouldered our packs and hiked off the East side of Blanchard Mountain. About three fourths of the way down the trail we were greeted by Greg Schayes telling us that the parents were at the rondevu waiting for us. Over joyed, we hiked with a renewed lightness in our step. All of our effort, fortitude and discipline allowed us to greet the parents with open arms, not as disheveled boys running back to the shelter of their elders, but as 4 Shielders who now possess a better orientation to the skills required to meet the demands of coming storms on our journey to adulthood. We reunited with a new found sense of appreciation and responsibility to our community.

In many societies throughout history boys have left their communities to embark on what Joseph Campbell has coined the “Hero’s Journey”. In this journey in the boy recognizes the need to set an intention towards adulthood and is also recognized by his elders and mentors as being ready to embark on such a journey.  During the journey, he often experiences challenges where his edges are revealed. However, by overcoming these tribulations, he identifies and places confidence in his strengths.  The new found strengths represent gifts that he brings back to his community.  Vespula Veterans, I am excited to have shared a true “Hero’s Journey” with you and I am deeply grateful for the privilege of being part of your journey. You have identified and gained confidence in the strengths you possess.  Take the lessons you learned from this particular journey and hold them close. Remember, your powers and gifts and be thankful for the strong community that helped you through.

The Mentors would like to thank all the parents for their support and unwavering faith and trust in the boys and their Mentors. Thank you for being compassionate, caring and for recognizing the hard work that these 4 Shielders put in on this journey. We would also like to thank Matt Fogarty and Dave Strich being such strong, dedicated support staff and co-mentors. They are so in tune with the program that they recognizing and responded to our needs before we could fully communicate our circumstances to them.  Thanks to Rebecca Schayes for providing us with consultation, support, and guidance as a strong partner and ally. Lastly, thanks to the land for providing us with just the right challenge and for providing all that we needed to meet the challenge. 

As I watched the Vespula’s connect back with their parents, I was reminded of a quote by Walt Whitman that sums up our trip quiet well, “Now I see the secret of making the best person: it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.”

For more pictures of the Chuckanut Traverse please visit the Vespula Veterans Photo Gallery. Thanks!