Alevin's last Exploration as Group at the Hundred Acre Wood

The Alevin Explorers met on 24 Street for what would be their last exploration style outing as a group.  Although it might not seem significant to someone who doesn’t know the Alevin’s history, this outing location marks the beginning of their seven-year journey in the Boys Explorers Club. Here the group would circle back to where they began, to reflect on their experience, and to reconnect with their roots.

Sitting down for an open circle in the Hundred Acre Wood the mentors let the group know that the day’s outing was for them. The two things we would hold to as leaders was that we took time for a sit spot and that group made a strong plan for the day.

Going around the circle the Tribal Elder facilitated a quick and easy decision. The Alevin decided to head over to Hoag’s Pond to check out a make shift raft that one of the boys found a few weeks earlier, and then they would figure out the rest along the way.

Hiking along the trail the boys were quite nostalgic, sharing memories of their explorations and giving each other some guff for their mishaps and self-imposed hardships. Finding the raft tied-up on the Northeastern corner of the pond, a few brave Explorers grabbed the best paddle stick they could find and stepped out on faith aboard the vessel. The raft was composed primarily of 2x4’s and plywood that encased Styrofoam blocks for floatation.  

The group quickly found that a few corners of the raft were not stable. The scene looked straight out of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as they paddled out through the lilies to middle of the pond. A few Canada Geese angrily called out at the Explorers as they paddled by. Simultaneously one of the Explorers wrestled the paddles out of another boy’s hand, trying to sabotage the crew by stranding them without a means of locomotion. This plan seemed counterintuitive as he was also aboard the ship. Some things for these rascally Alevin never change!

Miraculously none of crew fell off and they made it safely to shore with only wet feet. Circling up next to the pond we ate lunch in the sunshine and watched a Kingfisher buzz about the lake scoring some quick snacks in the Pond Lilies. One Explorer commented as he pulled a bag of Cheetos out of his lunch, “Did you know you can use these a fire starter?”. This led to a series of experiments lighting Doritos and Cheetos aflame. The experiment digressed into one Explorer trying to roast an apple over the flames and another trying to jokingly smoke a hollow-tubed pretzel stick. He took one puff and quickly let out a plum of smoke, coughing from the fumes. Mentors quickly put an end to the silliness and asked the Explorers what was next on the docket.

Circling up the Explorers made another fluid decision and decided to head back over to the Hundred Acre Wood for a few rounds of Spider’s Web. Hiking the trail back over it was clear to see that the group had gleaned much naturalist knowledge during their time in the program. With spring in full bloom we looked spotted a few of our favorite plants and blossoms: Vanilla Leaf, Big Leaf Maple buds, Trillium flowers, and Red Flowering Currant to name a few. What a pleasure it was to venture through the forest in the company of these elder Explorers.

Under the shade of Cedars and Grand Fir the boys set up the game course on a steep hillside and really got into the power of play. We snuck and crawled through the under brush, laughed at our lack of awareness as we fell victim to the spider, and rejoiced in the moment circling up sweaty and satisfied for a Sit Spot.

The Explorers were prompted to reflect on their time in the program and distill their experience into their major takeaways. Brian told the group that his Grandson would soon be beginning his journey in the BEC and that he wanted to know what essential elements of the Alevin’s journey his grandson would need to have to get the full Explorers Club experience.

Spreading out over the landscape the group was quiet and still. Glorious sunshine and a gentle breeze blew through forest while Black-Capped Chickadees foraged through the upper canopy; the moment was perfect and serene.

Circling back up the Explorers shared their takeaways:

·      Play Spiders Web and Hide  (engaging in free play and games in the natural world)

·      Have Chances to Stretch their Edge (provide opportunities for personal empowerment through group challenges and big wilderness)

·      Opportunity for Engagement (service at Connelly Creek and EMA’ing with the younger Explorers)

·      Sit Spot (personal connection with the landscape, time spent immersed in the natural world, present, processing, reflection)

·      The Opportunity to Roast Apples (learning Earth skills and becoming proficient wilderness travelers)

·      Circle Time and Working Together as a Group (learning how to be part of a community, inter/intrapersonal dynamics, group facilitation, leadership, being genuine, honest, speaking one’s truths)

After sharing their thoughts we sliced apples and shared our thanks. It was then that a few of the boys started to loose focus and talked over one another. With a stern voice the mentors called for their attention, reminding the group that life is a dance between the sacred and the profane, and that there are moments for both. Time spent in circle is sacred; sharing together openly, honestly, genuinely, and being present.

Refocusing the group made a strong close to their day. Our outing on all accounts had been a pure exploration in the Explorer Club sense. What a wonderful way for the Explorers to grieve the loss of their group as Alevin and their transition into the Four Shields or whatever else lies ahead for them this summer and beyond!

Parents we are headed out on a campout for the Alevin’s last Explorers Club outing. We will be headed up to Lizard Lake and this trip will look much more like a mini-backpack than the normal car based campouts that the group has been accustom to. Please make sure your Explorer reviews the overnight packing list and let us know if they are missing any gear. We have lots of backpacking style packs and gear at the office that they are welcome to borrow.

For more pictures from the outing please visit the Alevin’s photo album from the day.

The Alevin Grapple with Teamwork and Fire Making at North Lake Samish

The Alevin gathered up for an opening meeting at North lake Samish Trailhead and expressed excitement to be venturing out into the Southeastern forests of Chuckanut Mountain. Our intention for the day was to ascend the trail until we were outside of Whatcom County Parks boundary so that we would be able to work on a myriad of fire skills until dusk. We would end our day with a sit spot before heading down the trail under the moonlight.

Before we left the mentors asked the group to take turns reading sections of a definition of “Expeditionary Behavior” coined by Paul Petzoldt. “Expeditionary Behavior” or “EB” for short is set of behavioral concepts that can help the group cooperate and obtain goals. The mentors asked the group to hold to these principles during our exploration revisiting some of the behavioral and interpersonal issues we had been experiencing throughout the season.

Expeditionary Behavior:

·       Serve the mission and goals of the group.

·       Be as concerned for others as you are for yourself.

·       Treat everyone with dignity and respect.

·       Support leadership and growth in everyone.

·       Respect cultures you contact.

·       Be kind and open-hearted.

·       Do you share and stay organized.

·       Help others, but don’t routinely do their work

·       Model integrity by being honest and accountable

·       Admit and correct your mistakes

The boys re-familiarized themselves with the steep topography of the trail as they zigzagged back and forth up the power line grid and through the second growth forest. Coming to a junction in the trail half the boys decided to go directly up the power line clearing while the others took the gradual trail. Those who took the clearing ascended quickly and rested for lunch at the ridge line, the Explorers who took the gradual path slowly “accordioned” out along the trail. The fast hikers in the front of the accordion let a mentor know that they were going to meet the second half of the group at the top of the trail and cruised up the hill. Arriving at an unexpected second junction, the slower group was unsure if the rest of the faster Explorers had gone the right way. Staying put at the junction the group sent one mentor out to unite with the group at the top clearing, do a head count, and report back. The mentor was pleasantly surprised to find the rest of the group exactly where they said they would be.

Sending scouts back down to let those at the junction know that they could proceed, everyone connected at the top of the hill. Although the group had made a critical navigation error everyone had stuck to the plan and we came out of the experience unscathed. It was powerful to witness this leadership in the Explorers and great to debrief the experience and share some stories of navigation challenges the leaders had undergone in the wilderness.

After some food and water the mentors helped the group as they struggled through a decision of where to set up base camp for our fire skills session. The boy’s inability to make a decision stemmed from the failure of anyone in the group to take a leadership role and from a few group members persistently distracting their peers.  Once the Explorers had identified the forest resources we would need to harvest in order to have a fire they scouted a target location and soon fell back into distraction. After a strong nudge from mentors the group settled on a location. Some key tasks needed to happen if the group was going to have a primitive fire: make a tinder bundle, harvest dead Western hemlock of varying sizes, and dig a safe fire ring down to mineral soil.

The mentors stood back and observed the group’s process and quickly noticed the same division in the group that they had tracked time and time again. Half the group was engaged with the process, really learning and experimenting with technique, while the rest of the boys avoided the process and goofed off. This behavior not only affects the participants who directly participate, it also creates energy within the group that pulls others away from experience.

Those who were engaged in the process did an excellent job of creating a safe fire space, harvesting and organizing their fuel, and putting together a tinder bundle. Although it took a few tries the boys got a small but hardy fire going. We made a pot to hang for tea and put together apples, brown sugar, and butter to cook over the fire.

Calling the entire group together the mentors took a moment to talk with the group about the interpersonal dynamics they had been witnessing and our division as a group. Circling back to our “EB” guidelines we discussed how sarcasm and the attitude of being above it all (too cool for school) did not serve the mission and goals of the group or support leadership and growth in everyone.

This was a great segway into a conversation about the Alevins’ transition this summer from Explorers Club to the Four Shields. Mentors cautioned the boys that this was not a decision to take lightly and that a commitment to continuing on in the program meant showing up each outing with focus and engagement. In the Four Shields you get what you put into it, and the last thing we would want for the participants is to force them into an experience they did not want to be there for. As the weight of the conversation set in for the group so did dusk. The mentors encouraged the group not to use their headlamps and let their eyes adjust to the fading light.

It was fascinating to assess the varying comfort levels of the group members in the forest at night and was a great time to chat about which animals were the most active in the crepuscular hours. Sharing a few stories of encounters with mountain lions to group started to get squirrely and anxious to make their way down the power line clearing. Holding the group to a strong closing circle we shared our thanks and had a great time trying to navigate the steep terrain down to the parking lot. This was a powerful edge stretcher for the group and helped us make a cohesive finish to the outing.

Parents, we encourage you to talk with your boys about their experience over the last few outings and try to collect some feedback for us about the interpersonal dynamics within the group. As a group the Alevin must figure out a way to overcome this sense of division within the group’s climate and curb their sarcastic and disengaged behavior in their last three outings of the BEC. Our aim as mentors is to bring a strong close to their experience in the program and for them to head out into the world as genuine, compassionate, connected, and caring arriving adults and men in the world.

For more photos from the outing please visit the Alevin’s photo gallery from the day.

The Art of Snow Cave Building in the Mt. Baker Wilderness

The Alevin Explorers arrived at Cascades Montessori full of energy and excited about an extended outing in the Mt. Baker Wilderness. Loading up on the bus Steve informed the group this was his second day in a row of snow cave building and the Four Shielders had left a great example of a snow cave that could fit one to two people comfortably where we were headed. The boys were rambunctious on the bus, it was apparent that they had been cooped up all week with homework and class. Driving east we spotted Bald Eagles along the North fork of the Nooksack River and marveled at snow walls that grew ever deeper as we gained elevation up Highway 542.

Arriving at the upper parking lot at the Mt. Mount Baker Ski Area the group was met with 15 mph winds from the south that were quite brisk. Suiting up the group threw snowballs at one another. It was clear that we needed some focus before heading out past the backcountry gate.

In our opening meeting the mentors let the group know that backcountry travel was a lot different than an outing in the frontcountry, and although we would not be venturing out too far from the parking lot it doesn’t take long to be out in the deep winter wilderness.

As we talked droves of snowshoe parties walked pass us. Many of them looked very underprepared with their clothing and orientation to the landscape they were entering. The mentors informed the group that although it seems like the individual parties’ decisions would affect only themselves, search and rescue and ski patrol often has to risk their own lives to save backcountry users that make foolish decisions and are not prepared.

Together we discussed: winter backcountry travel and etiquette, avalanche prone slopes and terrain traps, defined wind loading and visibility, what we knew about the current snow pack, and how to identify tree wells. Feeling oriented we headed out in search of the ideal location to build a snow cave. Trudging along the mentors pointed of some of the prominent peaks as the cloud ceiling dropped and engulfed us in shades of gray and white.

We arrived at the location where the Four Shielders had dug their cave. The boys spent sometime checking it out. The group was fascinated by the amenities of the site. One of the greatest parts about snow is that it’s excellent building material and leads to tons of creative inspiration. We put the group up to a vote and they decided that instead of continuing to excavate the existing snow cave they would like to build their own. This decision matched their adolescent developmental progression perfectly!

Assessing how much snow the last group had moved, the Alevin decided to build their cave on a little steeper of a slope. That way they could pitch the snow off the hillside, which would alleviate the need for a long fire line of shovelers. On a steep Northwestern-facing slope we pulled out an avalanche probe and found the snow depth was roughly 240cm or 7.8 feet. Being careful not to compact the snow the group excavated a four by ten foot section down seven feet before making an entrance to their cave. The mentors cautioned the group that backcountry camping is much different than a snow play day at the ski area. Staying hydrated, taking in the proper amount of calories, and keeping your base layers dry is of the upmost importance for preventative care.

While we worked the wind would gust and the group would crouch down and take shelter from the onslaught of snow whipping by horizontally. Being the wise old mentors that we are, we had oriented the shelter out of the wind so that the more we dug our wall the more we were sheltered. Two of our mottos came up while the group was digging: Slow is Fast and Fast is Slow and Many Hands Make Light Work. The boys excavated the entrance to their snow cave and found they had dug themselves into hole. Refocusing their efforts the boys excavated a path off the hillside so they could easily shovel the snow in a fire line.

During this process we really only had half of our group’s focus. The rest of the boys spent their time sledding, wrestling around in the snow, and goofing off. This was our greatest challenge off the day. With the large task at hand we needed as much help as possible, but with only half of the group working the going was slow. This brought up another issue that Brian and I have been wrestling with within the Alevin’s group dynamic. It seems that a majority of the group is showing up and engaging, but there is another portion of the group that tends to squirrel out and pull energy and focus away from our outings.

It is not as though the Explorers need to learn to be on task every second of our outings. Explorers club is also about having fun, connecting, and decompressing on the land. But there needs to be a certain amount of participant desire to sustain growth and internally motive the participant to be present and engaged. As the Alevin’s seven journeys come to a close at the end of Spring and they are presented with the opportunity to enter into the Four Shields, the mentors would like the boys to really take a look and assess if they would like to be part of the program. The last thing we would want to do as mentors is force them to be part of something that they don’t want to be in or have grown out of. The skills, knowledge, and extended outings presented to the group in the Four Shields program will stress the need for the boys to be present and self-motivated. Brian and I will have more details relating to this as the date draws near. Feel free to send of an email if you would like further clarity or have any questions.

Looking at the time the Alevin could not believe that we had spent half the day doing the prep of getting our site ready to dig the cave. Taking a snow saw the boys cut a three-foot cube into their snow cave, creating the entrance. Three feet in the boys started to dig upwards. Keeping your sleeping platform in the snow cave higher than your entrance will trap the heat inside the cave. Steve told a story of building a snow cave and lighting an emergency candle inside which brought the temperature up to sixty-five degrees! With the southerly gusts and the falling snow the boys could already feel the insulating qualities of the shelter.

Digging the first few feet inside the cave always feels a little claustrophobic but gradually the cave grows more expansive and comfortable. Tracking the group the mentors got some feedback that everyone was feeling cold and tired. With an hour and a half left before we had to be back at the bus, we began to collapse our snow caves. The strength of the consolidated storm slab made collapsing the caves quite a task. Boys called for us to abandon the task and head to the comfort of the lodge, but this would not have been the responsible or LNT thing to do.

With our site in order we packed up and sledded back down to the bus. Once we were inside the bus blood began to return to the boy’s hands and we headed back down the 542. Arriving in Bellingham an hour early we went to Marine Park to debrief our experience. Going around the circle the boys were asked to give some thanks and share one thing that they learned and one thing that humbled them about the experience. The boys were honest and genuine in our circle and for the most part thankful for the opportunity.

Our journey to the mountains was the perfect edge stretcher and adventure for the Alevin. It was powerful to debrief that some of the boys had gotten cold because of their lack of prevention and preparedness, and how we worked together as a group. As a mentor I am humbled every time I travel in the mountains and come away with more understanding and clarity from my experience. Brain and I are thankful for our time spent with the group and to live in a place where we can venture out into an alpine winter wonderland and end our day sitting next to the seashore.

For more pictures from our outing please visit the Alevin’s photo album from the day.