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.