The Cave Dwellers old growth immersion 5/20/18

We never did see the top of the Douglas Fir…or of several other old growth trees. It’s not that they’re so tall the tops aren’t visible; rather, the canopy blocks your view of the treetops, and of the sky, for that matter, to a large extent. 

We were able to take some measurements that will give you a sense of the size of that particular tree, though. We had a 25’ tape measure which made it MOST of the way around the fir’s base. So we added an Explorer’s 5+ foot wingspan and were able to touch. We estimated the tree’s girth at 29.5’! For you football fans, that’s 6” short of a first down! Know someone who’s 6’ tall? Lay 5 of that person end to end and you can wrap her/him/them around the tree (please don’t try this at home…).

Circumference - 29.5', divided by 3.14 (pi) = 9.4' diameter

I tried to engage the math fans in the group to estimate the tree’s height but I was competing against something more elemental, something visceral. They mostly wanted to climb onto fallen logs (some of which were much taller, on their sides, than the tallest among us, 6’ tall mentor Adam). A few of these Explorers have been known to modify popular children’s songs with math-related lyrics, their interest is so strong, but the one Explorer I could entice to measure the tree was clearly drawn to his peer’s log climbing while stretched around the fir.

We didn't measure the diameter on this behemoth, but....

The preferred route...to wherever

Ain't that great! Upon "de-bussing", he, and they, were immediately “beamed” to that place where nature connection is unavoidable. The mentors had planned a few structured activities, such as the tree measurement, but we quickly realized the action was waiting for us in this precious, preserved old-growth place. So we encouraged the climbing, log walking, and general unstructured immersion. 

That's the kind of attention for which we're striving!

Adam and I observed an interesting phenomenon related to two structured activities we offered the Explorers: an ecology quiz and an ecological scavenger hunt. The boys did well on the quiz, which required recall of science material from school. They were somewhat less authentic in their approach to the scavenger hunt, however. We asked them to search, in pairs, for examples of a single organism, a photosynthetic autotroph, evidence of plant disease or insect damage, and more (5 items from a list of about 25). They mostly were stationary and again used recall rather than walking around to observe. My challenge with subsequent groups at this unique place is to better bridge the intellectual and experiential!

Well, that outing marks the end of the Cave Dwellers’ 2017-18 year. The boys have coalesced into a high-functioning cohort as we hope all groups will. Next year, we stretch their edges further with higher level skills and more physically demanding outings. Have a great summer…see you in the fall.

Photo gallery.

CD dig it at Mount Baker 3/18/18

After multiple Explorers Club Mt. Baker outings had to be cancelled due to crazy mountain weather this winter, including our originally scheduled visit, we found the right day on Sunday. It was cloudy and in the 30s with little wind as we unloaded from the bus and geared up for a day on the snow.

Speaking of the snow, it was nice and stable where we planned to dig, thanks to calm, somewhat dry weather the few days preceding our outing. This is a key element to which we pay attention when planning to venture into the back country where avalanches are a prime concern. So, our opening circle focused on avalanches — what they are, how they’re triggered, what to watch for. Our location for the day was not on an avalanche-prone slope; ask your Explorer what slope range is of concern for slides.

Off to learn about snow caves by attempting to dig one! The initial excitement and energy — it’s fun to dig in the snow — faded just a bit as the realization set in that it’s a lot of work when done properly. Fortunately, we had plenty of tools (thanks for providing so many shovels). In fact, before long, 4 caves were in various stages of development. Feel free to ask your boy about design elements of an effective snow cave — here’s a cheat sheet for you. 

Eventually, two of the caves morphed into a tunnel, so at the end of the project, we had two caves and a tunnel, evidence of all the work and focus the Cave Dwellers brought to their project. Oh, and Cave Dwellers taking a break from digging could be seen configuring a sledding hill nearby. 

Which is where we turned our attention as we got into the afternoon. Impromptu “Olympic” style events, with shovels and a sit pad (or nothing at all) as sleds, were quickly organized and executed. This sort of free, unstructured play, with rules and competitors put together on the fly, is very beneficial and occurs often and easily in natural settings. I’m reminded of the Explorers Club motto - Lose your mind and come to your senses.

Throughout, the Cave Dwellers were focused, diligent and considerate or their peers and mentors. I’ve said this before but it bears repeating; this group has coalesced over the past 12-18 months into the type of cohort we strive for in Explorers Club. I look forward to their camaraderie and engagement at each outing.

We have more photos for you. After outings on back to back weekends, and snow work/play at two of the last three, we need to wait for our final outing of the year. On Sunday, May 20, we’ll marvel at the old growth forest near mile marker 44 on the Mount Baker Highway. See you then.

CD snow fun day! 2/24/18; Deming Eagle Park

The big trees, heavy with wet snow, waited patiently for our curious minds. When you’ve been standing there 500 years, give or take, what’s another hour? Notes a fact sheet from the Pacific Northwest Research Station, “No other forest has an entire group of tree species that equals the Pacific Northwest forest for their size and long lives.”

So much to look forward to as we motored along 542 in Merkel, one of Wild Whatcom’s trusty buses. We planned to try three ways to estimate the height of a tree; to study decomposition (see The Unseen World of the Fallen Tree, enclosed with Outing Report email); to examine the interrelationships among plants, mammals, birds, fungi, and more in the old growth ecosystem. Our day was to strike at the heart of Wild Whatcom’s purpose, “Connect and protect”.

“The best laid plans of mice and men…” 

As the sound of snow splashing up against Merkel’s underside grew more frequent, mentors Tim and Brian pulled the bus into a gas station to assess the risk of continuing east and decided, taking our cue from a few Boys Explorers Club mottos: “Safety first” and “Turn problems into possibilities” to double back to the Deming Homestead Eagle Preserve along the Nooksack for an impromptu day of snow play!

Among nature’s charms are its transformative simplicity and elegance. A few inches of fresh snow saw a cohort of Cave Dwellers and a few mentors morph into a scrum of snow fort-building, snowball-launching wild things. Strategies were devised and quickly abandoned; rules agreed and soon ignored; truces negotiated and reinterpreted. 

A break for lunch and then a game of Snootball (Snow-football), a testament to human ingenuity and childhood exuberance. Finally, hot chocolate and mini-marshmallows. 

We didn’t get to explore that special place but we were flexible and the boys enjoyed a dose of nature deficit disorder medicine — free time in the snow along our beloved Nooksack River.

Schedule notes:

• We have a lot going on in March. We return to Connelly Creek for service on Sunday, the 11th. 
• The following Sunday, March 18, will see us back on the bus to head up to Mt. Baker for our rescheduled snow cave outing.
• For our last outing of the year, on Sunday, May 20, I’ve replaced our planned N. Galbraith Mountain outing with a second attempt to get out to the Old Growth patch along 542. I’m confident the trees will wait. It should be spectacular in May!

Photo gallery here. 

The 3 match challenge: The Cave Dwellers learn about fire at N. Lake Samish 1/6/18

Change…or, more accurately, changes. This post is about changes. 

I don’t need to tell you that your Explorers are on the cusp of significant personal changes as they enter adolescence. My personal experience guiding 3 daughters through adolescence has taught me that, despite having read many articles and a book or two, when she or he acts like the kid in the Zits comic, it’s difficult to see past your child’s immediate behavior to the underlying changes he is navigating. So, I hope you’ll pardon my presumption as I offer another quick review of adolescence in this article. 

When Tim and I plan Cave Dweller outings, we try to remain aware of the possibilities this age offers and stretch their edge (motto) in ways both fun and in their learning zone. This year, that has meant getting away from the comfy confines of close-in parks to learn and practice wilderness travel skills. To that end, we’ve used topographical maps and a compass to find our way in the north Chuckanuts; we’ve used backcountry stoves to make tea and hot chocolate; we’ve harvested water and discussed how to purify it for safe consumption.

And last Saturday, with a capable assist from our Explorers Mentor's Apprentice (EMA) Lucas,

the Cave Dwellers started to learn about building and managing fires safely. 

After a heart-pumping ascent from the N. Lake Samish trailhead, we settled in among second-growth forest to learn about fires, play some games, and share hot chocolate. Mentor Tim rocked it with a thoughtful explanation of fire-starting tools (matches, flint-and-steel, Ferrocerium rod, lighter and more), gathering fuel to burn and cautions about safety. He then split the group into teams and challenged them to collect fuel for the “3-match challenge”.

After searching for dry kindling for 15 minutes, each group attempted, with 3 matches, to start a small fire. Given the very damp conditions, no one was surprised that a burning match was the biggest flame for each group. Then Tim set his kindling bundle, which he had carefully dried inside his coat since harvesting it on the hike up the hill, aflame. Lesson learned - in the wilderness, careful forethought can be the difference between a warm fire and a cold damp experience!

We’ll incorporate these skills into future Cave Dweller outings as a way to help your Explorers internalize learnings such as this one for their own hiking/camping/backpacking adventures.

We next head up to Mt. Baker to build snow caves (Sunday, Jan. 29). Look for the usual reminder in the preceding week. In the meantime, check out the rest of the photos from Saturday’s outing.