Baker River Ramble - 7/11-7/13

The Baker River Ramble was a bit of a roller coaster ride this year. We started with a bus that wouldn't but got it going; the water was icy cold but everyone braved it; we got rained on but the boys were undeterred; two boys got sick and both recovered. Through it all, your boys were resilient, engaged in creative and cooperative play, and generally took things in an unhurried, unstructured way. Here are some high (and low) lights.

Uh, oh. This doesn't bode well.  Fear not - Mentor Steve to the rescue. A new battery and we were on our way. Right from the start, there was no hiding the fact that the Ramble was not to be a trouble-free excursion. 

We had a little trouble stretching around this massive cedar, both because of its girth and because of underbrush that impeded our ability to hug this behemoth on the back side. Suffice to say, it is a specimen!

I'm not sure it helps to sit on the tent...

One of the boys was heard to declare "I feel like a happy dog!" as we hiked in to our camp. Not sure I'm seeing that level of excitement as the tent was assembled.

The facial expression says it all.

I think I mentioned that the water was cold. We didn't put a thermometer to it, but given that it's glacial runoff, it's a safe bet that it's colder than your average shower water. Despite the cold, the boys plunged it repeatedly. Then they usually escaped ASAP!

C-c-c-come on it. The w-w-w-water's just f-f-f-fine.

At first glance, you might be tempted to see a smile on this face. On closer examination, however, I think you'll notice that his smile is frozen in that configuration. I'd like to say that one could get used to the cold after a bit, but my mother taught me not to tell tall tales.

Mt. Shuksan watched over us when the clouds lifted enough to allow this tempting view. This is a special place, with towering peaks, tall trees, and clear rivers. We are truly blessed.

O.J. was a good frog. R.I.P.

We didn't see much wildlife, but the boys spied a few frogs. They even named one and built a memorial in his memory. It's probably best if you don't question why they felt the need for a memorial.

Our first night's dinner was Ramen with carrots and sweet potatoes added. Oh, and garlic powder, ginger powder and other spices to taste. It was.....hot...and filling....and...well...

And the lefty delivers...

The boys were very creative with their play. On Tuesday morning, I looked up from my oatmeal to see a sandlot baseball game under way. No bat? No sweat - driftwood. No ball? No sweat - a chunk of wood. Note the state-of-the-art kitchen in the foreground.

We were fortunate to have an EMA (Explorers Club Mentors Apprentice) along to offer his experience to the boys. Here he's helping organize a relay. One of the events involved dunking in the water 10 times. Did I mention the water was cold?

More creative play. Entire sand villages materialized on Tuesday morning. Hmmm, you don't suppose the boys were avoiding the water to the right?....just saying.

We has two sick campers on Tuesday  (both recovered after vomiting and, in one case, napping) and it started to rain at about 2 pm. This hearty crew is awaiting Tuesday's thanksgiving dinner (alert: the term "thanksgiving dinner" is used quite loosely in this sentence.

At first, it looked like Tuesday's rain was going to deter outside play, but that didn't last long. Jackets on, they took to making bows. The arrows proved to be difficult, but they stayed with it 'til lights out at about 9:30. The rain also persisted until we turned in.

Shuksan didn't join us for breakfast Wednesday. If you'd have asked me, I would've predicted a wet, gray day. HA! As we packed up, the sun took over and lifted spirits for our hike out.

Lunch literally on the trail. 

 The boys learned a few things about managing their stuff as a few struggled with improperly weighted packs on the hike out. Here's a quick video that should help with packing. There were also more items appended to the outside of their packs on the way out than had been on the way in. Caring for one's gear with the duration of the trip in mind is a critical backpacking skill. You don't want to run out of snacks or water; it's uncomfortable to have failed to save a clean, dry set of clothes for the hike out. My hope is that this experience will set the table for even more successful hikes in the future.

More wildlife. Respect for the land and its creatures is a core skill when you spend time away from home. This was a good example. We took a quick picture, then put the snake back into the underbrush. Too much handling is harmful.

There were 10 of us, really. Not sure how a few managed to avoid getting in the photo.

Your boys showed great spirit and resiliency in the face of mechanical failure, illness and poor weather for part of the trip. Most notably, they operated as a group, without the splintering that we sometimes see. Their willingness to shrug off distractions shows an inner strength that will serve them well as they move into adulthood.

Thank you for putting them in our care for a few days. Peter and Brian enjoyed spending quality time with your boys. We took loads of pictures - enjoy.

Foothills Explorations Camp, Session 2: July 18-20, 2016

"Immersion in the natural world brings life enhancing peace, joy, zest, the ability to meet life's challenges with a positive attitude, and to see the interconnectedness of all things." Deep Nature Connection

The boys of Wild Whatcom's Foothills Explorations Camp Session 2 began our journey of nature connectedness at Bellingham's backyard forest, 100 Acre Wood. 

We practiced being respectful in circle and responding to a crow call. We also learned games such as Hide!, Hungry, Hungry Marten and The Wildlife is Watching.

100 acres is a big space!

The lineup

Twelve other boys (most pictured here) and two mentors are a lot of names and faces to remember. Fortunately, quality time log-sitting when you've been called out during a game of Hide! provides the needed "get-to-know-you" opportunity.

Lake Padden park is a known gem, with hiking, dog-walking and socializing, golf, sport courts, playground, fishing, boating and, on day two of our camp, an ideal off-trail exploration spot for young boys. 

Fallen trees, frogs and friends...what's not to like?

 Conor and Brian quickly realized that the best thing we could do for these explorers was to get out of the way and let them explore this magical place. A few hours of log walking, creature examining and fantasy playing passed quickly. Then it was time to learn a new game - Eagle Eye. You might have picked up on the fact that our games have a common element - stealth. We do a lot of hiding and camouflaging as we mimic life in nature.

At Explorers Club, we are guided by a series of mottos. Here's one that comes to mind when I think about all that nature provided our explorers this week - 

All Things Are Connected In the course of our exploring, we come to realize that all things really are connected – mosquitoes and streams, cows and the Salish Sea, litter and otters, the skies over China and over us – and that all our actions have an impact.

"If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you'll come to understand that you're connected with everything." – Alan Watts

We finished a stellar day at Lake Padden by splashing in the lake. People in many parts of the country might not consider 70 degrees and partly cloudy to be swimming weather, but here in Whatcom County we know better!

On to Clayton Beach for our final day. Tuesday's outing was going to be a tough act to follow, but Clayton Beach offers such natural splendor that we needed only relax and experience the forest, surf, tide pools, blackberries and more.

That's the look of engagement we like to see!

Spider's Web is a favorite of Explorers Club boys young and "old".  After their success with Hide!, Eagle Eye and more on Monday and Tuesday, we were ready for the challenge of this more complex game. It is hard to resist the urge to dash toward the "food source", but once again stealth and patience rule the day.

Low tide exposed scores of sand dollars.

From the forest to the bright sun of Clayton Beach. While some boys chose to wade in the surf, others explored tide pools for crabs and other fun beach life. And, for our final activity, we moved down the beach to a known sand hill, only to find a patch of blackberry bushes at the top of the hill. Yum!

Giving thanks is a Wild Whatcom defining value and core routine. At the end of each outing, we sit in a circle and share something for which we are especially grateful. As we finished our time together, the boys spoke of games played, places visited and friendships found. Conor and Brian would like to echo their wisdom in getting to the essence of meaningful engagement enhanced by the wondrous natural places in our beautiful corner of the world. Thank you for sharing your boys with us this week.

Click here for more photos from our camp. Enjoy the rest of your summer. We hope to meet again on the trail or in town.

Foothills Exploration July 27 - 29

Summer is such a wonderful time to be out exploring; long days, nice weather, and the time to do it all, well almost all of it! The Foothills Exploration camp is not only a great opportunity to get outside, but also an introduction to the culture of Wild Whatcom. Over the three days we played lots of games, explored many places, learned natural history, and above all became a cohesive group with growing skills in group decision making.

100 acre Wood is a true gem for exploration. Located right in the heart of bellingham this place continues to surprise me with the diversity and abundance of local wildlife. Once everyone had arrived we made a short hike into the woods to find a spot to have an opening circle. We always start our day with an opening circle; this gives us all time to talk about our plans for the day and go over in hazards that might be unique to a location. The boys soon picked out a spot and we all sat down for our first circle together. It took some time to gather everyone's focus, but soon we all settled in and were able to go over some basics; group decision making, hazards, sticking together as a group, physical and emotional safety, orienting ourselves to this place, and finally talking about how to spend our first day together.

Right out of the circle the boys had their first test in group decision making. Part of the group wanted to go left and part of the group wanted to go right. We gathered the boys together once again and began to walk them through making a collaborative decision. It took quite some time, and few flares of frustration, but soon enough we came to a consensus.

I am always impressed by the creativity that flourishes when you get a group of boys into the forest. Today was certainly a testament to this. We spent a good portion of the day building forts (shelters) in the forest. Everyone was enthusiastic about the project and worked very collaboratively in making several shelters spread through the forest. Shelter building is always such a great activity because it capitalizes on the natural creativity and enthusiasm from the boys and manifests itself in a very concrete skill.

For our second day we met at Lake Padden. This location has both great forests and ravines to play games in as well as the shoreline of the lake which provides endless exploration. With the sun already heating up the open field we decided to spend the first part of our day exploring the deep forests behind the horse trails. As we hiked up the trail we played a few games of Hide! ( ask your explorer to teach you this game ) This game is a program favorite and not only provides great practice in camouflage, but is also a great way to talk about fairness and playing with honor. After reaching a high point we departed the main trail in favor of a small game trail leading to “the secret valley”

In the valley we played games, explored, and ate lunch. As we explored several boys stirred up some hornets. With swelling bites and many of the boys feeling nervous about more hornets we decided to hike out of the valley and continue moving along the trail.

We spent the afternoon hiking along the forested paths that eventually lead down toward the lake. With the native beary season in full swing we had the perfect opportunity to learn our local edibles and the motto meet before you eat. With the incentive of being able to eat their weight in berries the group was eager to explain how they new each plants. Describing details like serrated edges, alternating leaves, opposite leaves, smooth leaves, thorns, leaves grouped in sevens, and many other key details. As the day drew to a close we made it to the lake for a refreshing dip after our long hike through the upper reaches of lake padden.

For our finale day we visited a longtime favorite location; Clayton Beach. We started our day by hiking into the ravine just below the main trail. This ravine is an amazing place to explore; steep hillsides, pools of water, this ferns, rock outcroppings, and towering cedars along the creek edge. The boys all spread out, wanting some time to just explore and free play. After ample exploration we all gathered to learn the game Spiders Web. The boys were all eager to learn this game, at times their excitement made it hard to explain the rules, but eventually we got through them and started the game. This is a hard game to explain but it involves, sneaking, hiding, and teamwork to make it a success. After playing a really successful round it was time to pack up and hit the beach. Instead of going back out to the main trail the group decided to go straight down to the water and traverse the sandstone coastline south to Clayton Beach.

This traverse is physically demanding requiring explorers to climb across sandstone boulders as well as travers several headlands. We have a motto Stretch your edge meaning to push your limits a little bit. This traverse certainly did this for the group. For some boys their edge was staying with the rest of the group for others it was a physical achievement for me it was keeping the group together along the traverse. It is was nice to have an experience that the whole group could grow from. When we reached Clayton Beach the boys were overjoyed and immediately began playing and swimming the shallow water just off the beach. The joy and sense of accomplishment from completing such a rigorous traverse was palpable as they boys splashes and laughed.

The three days together were a huge success; lots of games, learning, and exploration. Thank you foothills explorers for your enthusiasm and boundless energy and thank you parents for your support of our program!

Cascadia Explorations June 20-24

On Monday everyone arrived bright and early at Hundred Acre Wood for their first day of summer camp. Our first challenge was getting together in a circle to go over some ground rules and discuss our plans for the day. This proved to be far more difficult than anticipated. As the girls group of first and second graders circled up in a few minutes, it took our group of boys nearly thirty minutes. Finally in a circle we discussed safety, risk management, and some Wild Whatcom culture like using a crow call to rally everyone together. Prepared for adventure we headed into the woods. Finding some good

material for shelter building we jumped right into building some debris shelters and exploring the landscape. We quickly discovered some red berries as well. Learning about how to “Meet-Before-You-Eat” we reviewed plant identification basics and met a few of or local plants like Red Huckleberry, Thimbleberry, and Salmon Berry. To finish our day we explored deeper into the expanses of the Hundred Acre Wood and found a great area for free play and learning about Stinging Nettle. Hiking back we met up with parents for pick up and closed the books on our first day of camp.

On Tuesday we met up at Lake Padden where we re-visited the importance of concisely circling up and covering our opening discussion before hitting the trail. We also took some time to play a name game and learn a bit more about everyone in the group. Getting up into the horse trails we hit our first junction and had to make a group decision. Pop quiz! The boys took a bit of assistance from the mentors, but with a couple reminders they circled up, collaborated, compromised, and came to a consensus on which way to go. This was pretty impressive for a new group on their second day, and allowed us to get

down the trail to learn a new game called “HIDE!” This game is great for learning the basics of camouflage. Ask your camper how to play! After a bit of free exploration we kicked it up a notch and learned “Eagle Eye” which is an advanced version of HIDE that involves a bit more stealthy movement through the forest. Finally we learned our final game, the infamous “Spider’s Web” which is basically a combination of HIDE and Capture the Flag. Again, I’m sure your camper would be glad to explain the rules! Finishing up our day we hiked back down to the parking lot and met the parents for the end of day two.

Wednesday, day three, we had a big day in store. Trekking down to Bakerview Beach we were greeted with a stunning view of tide flats as far as the eye could see. Taking it in, it was all we could do to make sure everyone had sunscreen and water shoes before running out into the expansiveness. In no time campers were digging channels between the tide pools making a “Venice 2.0” that had islands and dozens of interconnected canals. A few of the other boys decided to have a mud fight while others just

lounged on the beach crafting and conversing. After a few hours we rallied the group and trekked of to the delta where the Nooksack River outpours into Bellingham Bay. Stashing packs we waded through the river, discovered “quick sand,” and had a thoroughly good time splashing around for the rest of the day. Before we knew it we were out of time! Hiking back hurriedly it was all we could do to make it back after using up all our energy reserves playing under a warm Bellingham sun.

On Thursday it was time for a traverse. Meeting at Larrabee State Park we circled up before heading towards Clayton Beach. There must have been some tired campers after Wednesday, because everyone was a little loopy on a somewhat dreary and damp day. Progress with our focus and circling took a step back, but after a good talk from the mentors everyone started pulling it together and made an agreement to circle up and listen respectfully when called upon. Not only is this important for interpersonal communication, but in a risk management scenario having well behaved boys who can circle and listen is paramount. Hitting the trail we moved along and played a few games of HIDE followed by some lunch while exchanging jokes and riddles. Getting further along the trail we found a gorgeous ravine with a babbling brook, small waterfall, and tons of potential for exploration. Opening things up the boys scrambled up and down the ravine, splashed in the creek, and

scurried in the ferns. We decided to get a game of Spider’s Web together and let the boys organize it. Quickly it became apparent that this game was not going to work out, but how else to learn than from failure. No one circled, collaborated, compromised, or came to a consensus, yet somehow they “decided” on where to set up the game. After playing a game that fell apart and had campers complaining and blaming one another for cheating the mentors stepped in. Talking about our group decision making process, the mentors walked them through the process and within only a few minutes a game was set up that everyone was excited about and felt like they were at a consensus. Everyone seemed to really appreciate this demonstration in how a little leadership, individual focus, and working through the proper group decision making process can make a big difference. Following our successful game of Spider’s Web we scampered down to the beach for some climbing, rock skipping, and sea creature catching. What a way to cap off the day.

Finally our final day. On Friday we met at Bloedel-Donovan Park where we jumped right into some play. Gathering up we learned how to play “Fire in the Forest” which is a fun tagging game that is great for getting some wiggles out early on an outing. Afterwards we circled up to talk about a plan for the day and headed out to Whatcom Falls Park. Along our way we revisited our plant identification and learned about a few new plants and their medicinal properties; like Cottonwood whose sticky buds can be turned into a salve for antiseptic use. Following the trail we found a good swimming hole beside a bridge

that held all sorts of discoveries like; freshwater clams, animal tracks, and even crayfish that can be caught with a little camper ingenuity. After a nice lunch and a bit of swimming we packed back up and found a great place for Spider’s Web. We played a couple solid games of Spider’s Web and had a really good time putting our freshly honed sneaking and camouflage skills to the test. Finally it was time for our last closing circle. What a difference from the first day. These boys got in a circle, settled in and listened respectfully. We talked about what we did during the week and took some time to go around individually and share what we were grateful for from the week. Everyone had some very insightful tidbits and we all had a good time looking back on some fun memories. With our time coming to an end we hiked back to meet our parents one last time and capped off a full week of exploration with an incredibly positive note.

Make sure to check out the rest of our photos here! We have a ton more amazing pictures of our adventures that will be well worth your time to check out and even download to your personal computer.