Showdown at Galby Lane with Daredevil's Club & Alevin Explorers

The Daredevil's Club and Alevin Explorers met at Galby Lane for a day filled with games, connection, and skill building. The mentors got to the location a little early to set up a game of epic proportions! Walking out of the woods to meet the arriving Explorers the mentors arrived at a traffic jam in the parking lot. Galby Lane is a tricky drop-off location and for future games days it might not be the best spot. Ushering the Explorers into the woods the two groups circled up to bring some intention for the day. The mentors explained to the group that this was not only a time to celebrate and play together, but it was a time to come together and recognize that they are the two oldest groups in the Boys EC, and this means that the rest of the groups are looking to them for guidance and inspiration. They are now holding the culture and it will be their skills and adventures that help decipher future outings and curriculum for the younger groups.

With this intention in mind we made two circles, one inside the other. The outer circle moved around the inner in sort of a speed dating fashion. In one-minute intervals we introduced ourselves and shared our favorite experience from the summer. It fills our cups as mentors to know that so many of the Explorers are getting out on adventures with their families.  It is easy to infer from the Explorer’s stories that this time away from their busy schedules and free from distractions is vital for their health.

Once we finished our meet and greet we broke into our groups and had an opening meeting for the season. Dave and Tim gave the Daredevil’s a basic introduction into their skill for the season Fire by Friction. Passing around a fire kit the Explorers got acquainted with the materials they would need and Tim demonstrated the process with his own homemade fire kit. Simultaneously Steve and Peter told the Alevin that they would be revisiting shelter building as their skill for this season. The last time the Alevin worked on shelter building was the fall of 2012, and they were eager to revisit this important and life saving skill.

Circling back up the mentors went over the rules to the epic game we had set up, Life and Death in the Forest. In this game each Explorer is given a role: carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore. The goal of each group is to survive a round within a designated time period. Throughout the course the mentors set up food, water, and medicine sources. Each of these sources had a pencil with the type of source and abbreviation so it could be documented on the “stomach” card they each carried. Every animal role was given a specific number of food and water sources that they needed to find in order to survive. The catch is that they also have a limited number of lives represented by rubber bands. Omnivores and carnivores can eat herbivores, and carnivores can also eat omnivores.  

Life and Death In the Forest is an exciting mix of stealth, camouflage, naturalist knowledge, chaos, hunting, hiding, and adventure. Right before we were about to start Matt Fogarty sprung up from behind a stump! It was an awesome surprise to have him out to play a round with us. I should also mention that our first Explorers Mentor Apprentice for the season, Logan Bartz, came out to volunteer. The mentors would like to offer up some thanks for Matt and Logan for donating their time, hearts, and skills. During our first round the group was divided into half herbivores and half omnivores. Of the half that were omnivores, one-fourth were given the role of carnivore. Giving the herbivores and omnivores a head start we began.

There are not many words that can describe the feeling you get when you are a herbivore that is being chased by a predator. The Explorers soon found themselves ducking and diving under Sword Ferns and nurse logs, hurdling themselves over obstacles as the hungry teeth of the carnivores bit at their heels. The forest would go silent for a little while the animals gathered their foods sources and then all of a sudden the forest would erupt as the hungry carnivores ambushed the herbivores and omnivores. After all was said and done we circled back up to debrief the round.  It turned out that most of the herbivores did not survive. The carnivores did not fair well either, except for Matt Fogarty who ended up with seventeen rubber bands! The omnivores did quite well but the Explorers had to face a tough question, “With the health population of omnivores and the demolished population of herbivores what would happen the next year?” The Explorers came to the conclusion that the balance of the food chain was thrown off and the effects would be seen throughout the food chain in the next year.

Deciding to play another round we experimented and let anyone be any type of role they wanted. The numbers came up five herbivores, two omnivores, and the rest carnivores. Needless to say after the second round only two animals survived. It was an exciting experiment none-the-less because most of the herbivores were mentors.

Tired and sweaty we cleaned up the game and traveled over to a location to work on some skills building. It was powerful to watch the Explorers look so comfortable and at home as they worked side-by-side carving Alder spindles for their fire kits and building Earth shelters. The rest of the outing flew by and before we knew it was time for a closing meeting.

Forming a circle the Explorers gave thanks as we passed around some apples. Although their thanks were heartfelt and meaningful, what was really powerful was to watch the complete and utter focus the group gave to each person as they shared their thanks. Their growing maturity and respect for each other, the Boys EC culture, and the land is inspiring and it was such pleasure to share the circle with them. We ended the day with an adaptation of a story told by Dave about how Coyote stole fire from the firekeepers and how fire found its way into wood.  The mentors would like to thank all the parents and family for your support over the years. It is such an honor to share an understanding, community, and vision with your families. 

For more photos from the day please check out the Daredevil’s Club or Alevin Explorers photo galleries. 

Exploring North Galbraith Mountain with the Alevin

Boys were jubilant during their last outing of the season and met at North Galbraith Mountain trailhead to celebrate the end of school and the beginnings of summer. Our first orders of business were to “Ki-ai” the tent caterpillars, harvest Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis), and listen to the upward, spiraling call of the Swainson’s Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus).

Thank you to both of the Explorers Mentoring Apprentices who volunteered their afternoon with us. Both James and Kyler, as members of the Firestalkers group in our Four Shields program, mentored younger boys throughout the day. And Alevin explorers certainly garnered a lot from your being with us!

We hiked into the forest and recognized the broad-leafed spiky plant that challenged us two outings ago. It was the Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus) and it dwarfed us as it grew tall and strong in the understory on the slope up-trail of us. It was a great chance to compare and contrast the leaves and branches with that of the Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) growing directly above it.

During opening meeting we ate lunch together and Drew explained about hazards in the area from bikes to dogs. We learned how to be friendly to dogs and understood how to act if approached. Dave forgot utensils and had to carve chopsticks in order to eat lunch and many boys joined in the carving culture during meeting. We recognized the Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus) who alarmed at our entrance to its territory and then watched us cautiously for the duration of our stay.

We were on our way further into the forest when Eric called out the famous “four-letter word” that makes Explorers drop their packs and go crashing into the bushes… H-i-d-e! We trekked toward an open area for another game, but Logan exclaimed that he had a salamander. Sure enough,Plethadon cinereus, the Red-backed Salamanders were living in burrows beneath our very feet. Rhys jumped to attention also and dug around to find a couple also. As this group considers finding its own name (as opposed to the mentor-assigned “Alevin") one thought that comes to mind is something to do with salamanders.

Boys took the chance to explore our new base area. Cole and Kiefer were interested in a nearby electric fence but didn’t engage it in a battle :) Andrew seized an opportunity to listen to James’ knowledge of harvesting Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) and began harvesting it on his own.  Gavin, Miles, and Jonah found Douglas Fir cones and a perfect bat and had a makeshift baseball game- “Forest Style.”

Many Explorers learned about how toxins and cures live side-by-side in the forest. After getting stung by nettles, they looked to the neighboring Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) and its spores for a relief from them pain. They learned the basics of asking permission and respectfully harvesting the medicine and then making their own spit poultice to cover the skin irritations. Boys were pleasantly surprised by the assuaging sword fern remedy and soon forgot about their stings.

We played Spider’s Web where Jasper proved to be a formidable Spider in the first round. Then Kyler and James humbled us all by being the Spiders for the following round. Alevin have a lot to learn about camouflage, hiding, and patience from their elders!

During the subsequent sit spot, we had fifteen minutes to listen to the sounds of forest. Boys mentioned hearing various bird calls, wind in the trees, sounds of friends carving, and two different streams. This is a good reminder for this season’s Earth Skill, “Water.” One way we can find a place to start is if we sit quietly and listen carefully; we may be able to find the water sources by hearing their gentle murmurs.

Riis is in good health, but reminded Explorers of the importance of focusing all of our attention when using a knife. Though blood was shed, he remained focused during the first aid process and went through an important rite of passage for us knife users. Everyone is bound to accidentally cut him or herself at least once. Welcome to the club!

And this serves as a notice to the Alevin that you should practice using your knife with adults or mentors nearby so we can help if you get hurt. Remember the mottos: Safety First, A Tool is an Extension of the Body, and The Difference Between a Tool and a Weapon is You. Also, keeping a sharp blade is important so that you cut properly. Explorers and parents, please get in touch with us if you have any questions about knife safety.

We closed our day with a Circle of Thanks practicing our motto, Attitude of Gratitude. This Outing Report closes the same way:

Thank you Explorers for a great season together. Your curiosity in the forest led to many learning opportunities and fun games. We did great work together at Connelly Creek too! Parents, thank you for the support and encouragement this season. Your willingness to get Explorers to the outings truly makes your boys, and this program, flourish and shine.

If your son wants to explore with us this summer, we still have room. Please click here to see our offerings. We also have a Summer Solstice Gathering on Thursday, June 20th. Please come out to Hovander Park if you want to connect with other Explorers and their families. You can see more pictures from the outing in the photo gallery too. We look forward to seeing you around town, at camps this summer, and for the fall season too!

The Larrabee Traverse with the Alevin Explorers

It just may be more fitting to rename this particular exploration The Larrabee Challenge.  Then again, that might overshadow many other attributes of this journey.  Yes, there was difficulty in navigating those giant rocks, climbing along the natural cliffs, balancing over the chilly waters, staying sure-footed on slippery algae, overcoming the challenge of fatigue, and ascending the great waterfall at the end.  Oh, yes, there was challenge.  But, that’s not all.  Let’s remember the beginning…

We met in the lush grass and played a new name game.  We met Eli, our EC mentor, and James, our EMA (Explorers Mentoring Apprentice) from the oldest group of Explorers.  A few games of Hide happened, maps came out and we considered navigation, we discussed who lives here and how we can be prepared.  Even as we started the traverse, the mood was one of ease.  When asked to scale a giant cliff, Explorers took to the challenge.  Of course, they didn’t get very far, but they still decided it was worth a go.  We wisely chose to proceed along the shore.  We navigated the rocks and barnacles with seasoned Pacific Northwest strides.  We came to the closest point and Explorers exploded into authentic exploration.  Barnacles, anemones, strange looking seabirds (any Explorer remember what colors they were?), mysterious scat (otter?), long-armed madrona, and wonderfully sculpted sandstone faces provided for a veritable playground of embodied inquiry.

Yes, we spent quite a while there.  Occasionally a question came forth… anyone remember the map?  How far have we gone?  What time is it?  When do we need to be at Clayton?  But youth is bliss… well, sometimes… well, let’s say that ignorance is bliss… for as long as you can keep it up.  At any rate, our wonderful Alevin Explorers had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a study of the skills of planning, timing, and adaptation.  When we did get moving, we recognized that it was necessary to keep a steady pace along the shore if we were to make it to Clayton Beach.  We rounded another point and discovered that the terrain was becoming more formidable.  But still, we had time enough to make it to Clayton with maybe even enough room for a game of Spider’s Web when we got there.

We clambered over rocks, climbed logs, discovered tide pool wonders, and kept a keen watch for otter or seal sign.  At the Larrabee Park point, we took some time to eat lunches and gather fuel for the coming challenge.  A few quick games punctuated the respite as well as a spontaneous group challenge to figure out how to retrieve a thermos cap from the ocean deep.  It turns out that a fork tied to a rope doesn’t work no matter how many times you try it (shocking, I know) but that giant sticks used as chopsticks have a slim chance (abit too slim) of success.   

Waving goodbye to said cap and considering strategies for taking care of our belongings in the future, we set forth with full stomachs (well, most of us.)  [Parents, if you are picking up a bit of the trickster flavor to this outing report, you are right on the money.  This day was a wonderful day forstretching edges.  As with all challenge course activities, it is an outing where the perceived risk is high but the actual risk is low.  Navigating those rocks is a real challenge for those boys, but the mentors have the opportunity to be right there spotting at the true risk points; going the whole distance is not easy, but, though the Explorers don’t know it, we could always pop up toward a trail; getting too distracted to eat food during a group snack time and then a group lunch time is an acceptable risk when the outing ends at 2:30.  Oh yes, this is a wonderful recipe for group and individual challenge, growth, and empowerment.  The way this all will sink in is incorporating lessons from this outing into the rest of our adventures.  Know that these boys did a great job all the way around!]

As you may have heard, it was from this point onward that the real challenges arose.  Explorers worked their way through quite a bit.  We also discovered some beautiful places and some neat curiosities.  We shared stories, talked about group leadership, and rose to challenges.  The final ascent up the waterfall was a wonderful way to cap this epic traverse.  We ended the day with a good swig of water and a circle of thanks where we discussed our experiences.  Finally, we gave ourselves a little Sit Spot time to really let the whole thing sink in.

Know that each one of these Explorers found some personal edge that was stretched on this outing.  Also know that teamwork arose again and again, and that this group became more cohesive and high functioning after this journey.  There will be more experiences like this in times to come, along with our other outing styles based on skills, service, games, and scoutings.  Thanks, Explorers, for being such an inspiration and for rising to the occasion.  Thanks, parents, for your care and support!

Be sure to check out pics of the outing in our photo gallery.