Cave Dwellers revisit Fragrance Lake trail

As the first few Explorers arrived for Sunday’s Cave Dwelling, Hairy-legged Vampire Bat (Cave Dweller) outing, I started to get concerned hearing the boys remembering their prior experiences at this location. Thoughts of, “Will they be disappointed because we’d already been here?” and “How will we make it new for them?” ran through my head.

I needn’t have worried. Throughout the outing, Mentor Tim and I heard repeated exclamations of “Hey, remember when…….” Their reaction brought back to mind the power of place. In Explorers Club, we get to experience a place with all our senses, and like the smell of that cabin you stayed in as a child or the feel of a lady bug crawling on your skin for the first time, the connection you make is deep and abiding. 

So we got to build on memories such as the deer skull Mentor Tim found a few years ago and the shelters we built near the root-bound boulder last year. This time, we headed first to the view point, where the Cave Dwellers gave voice and motion to their desire to have a pine cone “war”. This distinctively male need to compete and strategize has long been a hallmark of the Cave Dweller cohort. Interestingly, we see maturation even in this most primal of activities. A few years ago, one could safely predict one or two breakdowns in protocol involving actual fighting; not at all this day. 

Another, possibly more significant measure of progress for the Cave Dwellers; their sensitivity to the needs of each group member and willingness to adapt their activity to include all. This focus on inclusion has become a group norm. You can be proud of your Explorer’s caring attitude!

The “wild” in the boys released, it was time for some carving. The boys are past the initial flush of excitement at getting to use a knife and showed mild interest in creating a finished product. They have experience and a degree of skill, though, that we’ll work to integrate into future activities.

Following carving and lunch, we hiked part of the way down to the root-bound boulder for a few games of Spider’s Web. The first game was very short as our focused spider made quick work of getting all flies back the web for a rare spider victory. The second game saw the flies work a little harder to achieve a draw.

Our last circle of thanks for this year was expanded to include a discussion of desired places for us to explore next year. As if to reinforce my point about the power of place, Fragrance Lake was high on their list. They also called out the mud flats (usually a Summer Camp location), old growth forests out SR 542, Clayton Beach, Mount Baker and more. They liked the idea of traverses and of more distant outings that would require bus use. I can’t promise anything at this point, but expect a mix of familiar and new in 2017-18!

Tim and I are deeply grateful for the opportunity to spend quality time with your Explorers. We feel privileged to do this meaningful work; thank you for welcoming us into your lives. Check out the rest of our photos here.

The Cave Dwellers search for sn.....err, the Two Dollar trail?

It’s about the journey, not the destination (Boys Explorers Club motto). Our intent to search for snow in the Chuckanuts was a non-starter after last week’s instant snow melt, so with this motto in mind, we switched to a Two Dollar trail hike to Fragrance Lake. In an attempt to preserve the spirit of timeless wandering underlying the search for snow idea, mentors Tim and Brian asked the Explorers what they were interested in doing: lots of games was the strong response. 

So off we went. Almost immediately, we found a side trail; I could swear I heard a disembodied voice whisper, “This way for timeless wandering”. So off we went. A few hundred yards later, in a small opening, we came upon a pile (gaggle? bunch?, pride?) of rocks and an adjacent “crater”. To the Cave Dwellers, this formation was tailor made for a “pine cone war”, so they divided into two groups and began pelting each other. Before long, however, one of the boys got caught up in the heat of battle and picked up a rock instead of a pine cone. In an instance of very good aim and extremely bad luck, his throw found in unintended target - another Explorers head! 

The good news is that the injury, as of Sunday evening, involved a cut that had to be glued together, lots of pain and some bleeding, but nothing more. He should be fine soon.

That put a stop to that activity, of course, as Mentors Tim and Brian attended to the injury and contacted the injured Explorers’ parents to come pick him up. In an example of taking responsibility for his actions, the boy who threw the rock was contrite and apologized to the injured party. The mentors gathered the Explorers and spoke with the group about taking care of each other and learning from our mistakes. In all, the incident exemplified another motto - 

The Trail is the Teacher On the trail, as in life, the lessons emerge as we walk our individual and collective journeys. Everything that appears and unfolds along the way – whether happy or sad, joyful or difficult – is a teacher. Lessons are often unexpected (and sometimes unwelcome) but we learn to use them as opportunities to learn and grow.

After lunch, we decided to settle in and play games rather than strike up the trail for the lake. It wasn’t how I’d envisioned it, but through a few games of Spider’s Web and Hungry, Hungry Marten, we achieved the timelessness, if only for a while, for which mentors Tim and Brian were hoping.

It's easy to see why the Cave Dwellers were attracted to this spot for their "pine cone war". 

"Happy or sad; joyful or difficult..." the motto proved out on Sunday. We had difficulty with an injury to one of our number and we had quiet reflection in mottled sunshine. 

After we administered to the injured Explorer, we decided to regroup over lunch. 

The Cave Dwellers (formerly Raccoon Kits) have been together for several years now. They have "signature" activities such as pine cone wars and joke telling that indicate group identity and cohesion.

Here we're deciding what games to play.

Hungry Hungry Marten is a current favorite after a rousing series of games at Lookout Mountain a while back. The boys really get into it, sometimes diving at a tree to avoid being "eaten" by the marten.

There is a lake further up the trail...really, there is. This is the place that called out to us, though, and it's where we compressed several emotions - compassion, joy, anxiety, reflection, reconciliation, and more - into a few hours together in the outdoors. 

Our journey was quite short as measured by the steps needed and our intended destination proved elusive, but our experience was rich nonetheless. We worked and played together; we got dirty, made mistakes and were keen to discern the distinction between intent and outcome. Mostly, we took care of each other and connected...to each other, to nature, to our inner maturing selves. With best wishes to a full and fast recovery for our injured brother, we look forward to our next opportunity to hone our positive social behaviors.

Check out the gallery of photos here. We're looking forward to our next gathering - March 11 at Stimpson Family Nature Preserve.