Vespula Veterans Exploration Camp

It is impossible to fit the breadth and depth of a full five-day camp into the confines of a few thousand symbols on the face of a glowing box.  In fact, one could argue, a large part of the beauty and power of a week of Exploring is that one has a chance to recuperate from our increasing overexposure to these powerful tools.  The living wilderness all around us (yes, including the little mites under our keyboards or in our iphones) is wonderfully unfetter-able.  The butterfly outside the door, thankfully, does not beat her wings in metronomic 4/4 time; the wind prefers the vortex to the straight line; the track of the coyote ages even as we look at it, responding to the constant changes in moisture, pressure, and heat.  We are change, and there is no set container.

All that said, we can share story, and those stories can shape the moment.  Stories that whisper of past events are seeds scattered in the fertile soil of the present.  If planted well, they might grow into greater actions and events in our future.  We have many story seeds to share from this past week, and it is a good idea to ask your son questions about the camp in order to find them.   Please let this little outing report just serve as a talking point and a reminder of a few highlights.

Point Whitehorn:

Some may remember the spitting rain and the whipping wind of this first “summer” camp day.  We donned many layers in the parking lot before even boarding our little yellow bus.  In the bus, we shared some information about Pt. Whitehorn, had some discussions about the land and sea ecology, the needs for surviving and thriving, and shared some pertinent stories.  Explorers may remember any of the following: the opening circle, the games, the jobs for the week, and the entrance into the lush forest; the discussion and exploration of wild food and ethical harvesting; the seemingly endless supply of bulging salmonberries; Indian plums; the Hidechallenge (and Nate’s amazing precedent setting); rings of slugs; nettles and “off-trail” ethics; cow parsnip; a strange vetch; the big open beach with a whopping negative tide stretching out farther than many of us have ever seen; the vast expanse of sand; the hundreds of horse clams and cockles; the giant crabs; the mysterious pea crabs living in the horse clam; the myriad of other curious intertidal lives keeping the ecotone of land and sea vibrant; a game of crows and gulls; Some may remember the smashing of a clam against a rock, the discussion it brought about stewardship, the sit spot where we considered the connection of the land to sea and our role in it; the gathering and the journey home.  Ups and downs.  The mania of a first day of camp.  The madness of forming our group.  The beauty of the land.  The vibrancy of exploring in all weather.  The joy of connection and curiosity.  The challenge of good conduct with the land and all that lives.

100 Aker Woods:

Our Explorers’ Club group spot waited for us to join in its creation of the summer world.  We gathered and circled almost immediately, bringing minds to the last outing, forming visions for the day, discussing food and good harvest of anything, and setting up a challenge of carving the utensil that you eat with.   Potential memories include: the art of carving; finding wood that you can carve with and the ethical harvest of it; using a hatchet; choosing your section of wood; splitting it; envisioning what is already there; carving away; games of Spiders’ Web; deer trails all around; nettle patches; a variety of fungus; bird calls and the sit spot- the concentric rings of nature; mosquitoes!; the discovery of a debris hut; a game of Ripple Through the Forest; the closing meeting with thanks, reflections, and visions.

Clayton to Larrabee Traverse:

Lots of group challenges marked the start of this exploration.  Explorers were given the charge to work together, first by untying a rope that everyone was “stuck” to.  Please ask your son about this activity… he’ll surely remember.  A discussion afterward had the participants share and reflect on how leadership works in their group, how it works when they are united and how it works when they are divided, and what communication styles work best.  Explorers then turned outside the circle and considered connection.  What if all the vital connections they had were literally ropes?  If they tugged or were careless, does the rest of the living world feel it?  How can they tend to their relationships?  Explorers then worked with a ball passing challenge.  How fast can they pass it in the group.  Vespula Veterans came up with an excellent solution!  Ask your son.  Explorers may remember more of this day: The entrance into the woods; navigating and choosing a path; how to make decisions as a group; finding a completely epic location for Spider’s Web; exploring the creek and dunking our heads; the discovery of frogs!; Matt’s story about The Seed and the Fruit (please remember, “as is the seed, so is the fruit.”); our decision to adopt a Vespula Code with the first two point being: 1) I will do no harm 2) I will leave a place better than I found it; navigating to Larrabee via map and large landmarks; discovering deer trails; finding our way to the beach; more low tide amazements with crabs of every size you can think of and anemones that defy imagination; the circle of thanks and reflections; preparation for the backpack; the trudge over the rocks to pickup; a great day!

The Pine Lake Campout:

We gathered amongst more bursting salmonberries at the base of Pine and Cedar Lakes Trail.  Robins and Swainson’s thrushes, passing chickadees, bushtits, and even grosbeaks marked the edge of a vibrant patch of woods. We began with a King Arthur challenge- he who can lift Matt’s backpack shall be king of the trail.  After some impressive attempts, only one unusually large explorer could actually lift the backpack.  This lead to a great discussion on group gear and how to backpack as a team.  It also turned into a full on backpack check with a tutorial on the ABCs of backpacking.  Once backpacks were set, Explorers were given another group challenge.  For all of you experiential education and team building people out there, this activity is known as “Helium Pole.”  Ask your Explorer what the challenge was with the group and the long ocean spray stick.  Please then ask him what lessons he and the group learned, and how were those lessons helpful through the backpack.  Explorers may remember this: the hike up had some serious physical challenge; pacing yourself as a group to make it to a destination; having a backpack that fits well; making decisions as a group; making it to our lunch spot; games of Hide; choosing a path; working our way to Pine Lake; the tiger lily; the old logging cables; discovering the island on Pine Lake; setting up camp: the four needs of survival (shelter, water, fire, and food) and how to tend to them in a camp situation; gathering wood, making food, purifying water, setting up tents; fire by friction; a lot of spontaneous exploration; a wonderful meal; cleaning up in the dark; playing an epic night game!; coal-blowing; a peaceful sleep; the morning routine; a great breakfast; taking down camp and leaving no trace; the fun of just being outdoors with each other; a long sit spot; a great closing meeting; a fast hike down; finishing strong and with a spirit of thanks.

Explorers, this was truly a journey!  We thank you from the fullness of our hearts for your great work this past week.  The highs and the lows were all essential, and the result is an abundance of a sense of exploration, of skill, of fun, of service, and of connection.  Parents, thank you so much for your enduring support, your patience, and your care.

Please check out pics from the outing on our Summer Gallery Page.