As the boys gathered in the gravel lot of the Stimpson Reserve Trailhead, we all marveled at the beautiful weather shining down upon us. After our previous outing, and the weather reports calling for thunderstorms, we were all relieved to have the sunshine warming our faces and a cool breeze from time to time to keep us cool. After waiting for some explorers who never ended up showing, we decided it was time to hit the trail.
Our trek out into Stimposon Reserve was a nice transition into the woods. The sunshine gleaming through the fresh leaves of the canopy provided vibrant greens to offset the darker, damper, gloomier greens of the mosses and ferns along the forest floor. Boys marveled at the varying species of moss, how they differed, and what could be the reasons for their unique shapes and growth patterns. This focus of intricacies and minutia helped hone our awareness to tune into the finer details of things.
But soon enough we were confronted with a large log across the trail elevated about ten feet above us. Of course it was an Explorer magnet and all the boys were eager to cross the log. It was important, however, to pause and gauge the hazards and personal comfort with such a task. At first some boys were a little cautious, but quickly aligned with their center of gravity, found their focus, and were across the log in no time. The first time was a nice test run, but of course the boys had to do it again, some even three times, and one felt confident enough in his abilities to perform such a feat backwards (it helped that he spent the entire time previously walking backwards along the trail navigating on his ability to feel the levelness of the ground with his feet!).
After honing our awareness to detail, and stretching our edges, it was time for some lunch. We plopped down at Geneva Pond Viewpoint and filled our bellies while watching the wind on the water and talking about everything from YouTube videos to what type of comedy we enjoy. Some Explorers broke off and waged a war against one another using horsetails as ammunition, others just continued socializing, and one Explorer dove into the world of tracking by studying a multitude of deer tracks and determining where the deer came from, what they did, and where they went.
Eventually we all had to circle up and decide how to spend the rest of our day. It was surmised that we should pick up our horsetail mess and try and “leave no trace” before following the deer path off trail and into the depths of the forest for a nice game of Spider’s Web. The Salamander Efts have had plenty of experience with group decision making, but it still took a little longer than expected to collaborate and compromise given our small group for the outing. As these boys grow older they will begin to understand the importance of such skills as group decision making, and are already beginning to realize that if decisions are made in a timely and efficient manner it leaves that much more time on outings to play, explore, and discover the mysteries of the natural world.
Immediately after we got the group off the main trail, skirting ridges and ducking through the underbrush just as the deer do, all the Explorers stopped chatting about the internet, school, or other external and distant topics. Instead they began interacting with their environment, finding wonder in their immediate surroundings, and tracking their movements on the landscape. Shifting one’s awareness and focus to the present is an extraordinary gift that not only helps these boys get the most out of every outing, but will provide them with an ever growing mindfulness towards themselves, others, and their present situation. The mentors later marveled at the power of the natural world to grasp the often scattered attention and erratic focus of the boys and channel it into a greater awareness of themselves and their surroundings.
With their minds focused on the present and their immediate surroundings, the boys quickly found a beautiful valley in which to play Spider’s Web. Not only did they manage to find a location in a timely fashion, but once down at the bottom of the gully the boys circled up and using their freshly developed decision making skills decided on where to place the web, the food source, rule intricacies, and designated roles for the game. Both mentors were impressed at the efficiency in group decision making the second time around, and were glad to witness the growth that occurred from our last circle.
Once again we found ourselves lost in play. Explorers scampered through the sword ferns, traversed ridgelines, and disappeared into tree hollows to avoid detection by the spider. Everyone was having a blast. One Explorer even took the time to hunker down and strategize by making a map in the dirt out of sticks and sword fern leaflets designating major land features, where the food source likely was, and areas where the spider was most vulnerable to infiltration. Other boys teamed up on covert missions deep into the spider’s territory. But before anyone won, the pressures of time exerted their control over us and we had to call it quits. However, one Explorer was heard saying “No one won, but it was fun.” Perhaps we have the makings of a new BEC Motto…
As boys bubbled over with excitement and stories from their adventures during Spider’s Web, we formed our closing circle and regained our composure in order to give thanks for the wonderful outing, beautiful places we discovered, and the new stories that were formed from our adventures that day. Yet again the Salamander Efts demonstrated efficiency in circle and allowed us just enough time to eat our apple slices and hit the trail. But as we were packing up one boy hollered “BONES!” and sure enough right where our closing circle was taking place was a smattering of very old, moss covered bones from what we suspect was once a deer. Wow, what a coincidence that o
ut of all the many acers that make up Stimpson Reserve, we just so happened to find the resting place of the very animal that guided us off trail and into the wonderland of ferns and fungus, bark and branches, mud and moss. We had just enough time to hustle back down the trail, sharing each other’s company along the way, and even saying hello to a hefty Garter Snake that was sunning itself by the shores of Geneva Pond. Yet again, another overwhelmingly successful outing full of growth and fond memories for all.
Remember to check out all the rest of the photos from our outing at the Salamander Efts Photo Gallery!
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