Salamander Efts Fire up the Bow Drill at Lake Padden

Meeting at Lake Padden on an early March morning, we arrived in the presence of light rain and snow. However, even in these mixed conditions, the first signs of spring were apparent. Skunk Cabbage poked its head out of the depths, Indian Plum was leafing out, and a group of robins squabbled over some territorial dispute. In contrast, the last time we were here was in the torrential downpours of early October. As this group grows older we as mentors like to hand more of the group process and decision making over to the boys, and, with only four Salamander Efts on this outing, group decision making went quickly. We discussed our options and decided to head southeast along the trail for some tracking and exploration, meanwhile looking for a place to settle down and work on skills.

Heading out for the day

We took a circuitous path through the woods, clambering over and across logs. We climbed down giant root balls and circumnavigated a swamp. Along the way we encountered a great diversity of sign as well as bird life. We encountered the sign of almost every woodpecker species native to our region, and were surprised to have close encounters with three of those species: Hairy, Downy, and Pileated. It is a great joy as a mentor to see these boys progress and how well they can make their way through the woods on their own when compared to some of our younger groups. After about an hour of exploration we decided it was about time to find somewhere flat and dry to settle in and practice our skills.

Red-breasted Sapsucker sign. These are rows of sap wells the bird has drilled into a living tree.

Sign of a Pileated Woodpecker. Notice the rectangular shape of the holes.

Beginning with our last outing, the Salamander Efts have begun working on the Art of Fire by Friction. This skill is an almost perfect incarnation of our seasonal focus, the Art of Thriving, in that it is built upon a foundation of many other skills, and symbolic of their mastery. From awareness of fire conditions, to harvesting and carving the components, to coaxing the coal into life and blowing it into flame, the boys must draw upon almost every other skill we have previously practiced in Explorer's Club. It is also a skill that requires a great deal of patience, perseverance, and self-motivation for success. The Bow Drill challenges even those most skilled and experienced in the outdoors.

Setting up shop.

We found someplace as dry and clear as we could and set up base camp. Our conditions were somewhat challenging to say the least. With a full night of rain and snow the forest was dripping wet and after just a few minutes of sitting down it started to feel rather cold. Starting a fire even by traditional methods would be difficult. However, something we know from the past is that when we need fire the most, conditions are often are often also the most challenging, even more so with Fire by Friction. These challenges were taken in stride as we moved out to collect materials. The Bow Drill has four major components: bow, spindle, fireboard, and handhold. We all collected these components and began shaping them to our basic needs.

Firing up the Bow Drill in the rain.

Once our sets were crafted we started putting them to use, burning the spindle into the handhold and fireboard. After learning the proper form, dealing with loose strings, wobbly spindles, and cracked fireboards, we realized this skill might not be as simple as it initially looks. Although none of us created a coal this day, we learned a lot about the physics and mechanics of the Bow Drill, which is the foundation of future success. We learned that this is a skill that very much relies on form over force, and that a well crafted and smoothly operated kit is the key to success. Our goal is for every one of the Salamander Efts to succesfully make fire with the Bow Drill by the end of this season and we will continue working on this skill each time we go out.

Crafting kits and working on form.

We rounded out the day with a sit spot, spending around 15 minutes in silence and solitude contemplating our day and our time with Explorers Club. As this is the Salamander Efts last season with Boys Explorers Club we wanted the boys to think about what their time here and their experience with the natural world means to them, and what lies in store for them in the future. For our next outing we will be traversing Chuckanut Ridge and hopefully delving deeper into these subjects as well as continuing to perfect our Bow Drill technique.

Hairy Woodpecker lets us get a good look at him.

Check out the rest of the photos from this outing here.

 

Salamander Efts Find Their Namesake at Lake Padden

With the rain pouring down the Salamander Efts arrived at Lake Padden knowing they were in for a wet one. Luckily, being comfortable with a cold, wet forest is part of being a salamander and today this group lived up to their name. We were at Lake Padden because of some unfinished business that we left from a spring outing where we got a start on a group shelter but never finished it! Trekking through the downpour, and up a fresh flowing stream that was at one time the trail, we clambered off trail up a steep hillside and at the top found our old shelter right where we left it!

Taking shelter under the tarp for lunch

Getting to work on the roof of our shelter. Giant slabs of Douglas Fir bark made for nice shingles.

Gathering together we decided to set up a tarp shelter to keep us and our gear dry during the outing. This was a great practical pop quiz for the Salamander Efts who managed to get a somewhat passable tarp shelter up before they hunkered under and ate lunch while the mentors and a few of the more determined Explorers put the finishing touches on the shelter utilizing a few specific knots like a Trucker’s Hitch and similar adjustable knots to get the desired tautness of a quality tarp shelter. With our tarp set up we set out to put a roof on our shelter. Gathering more sticks and proper latticing material the structure of the roof was finished. Next onto covering the roof. With some puzzlement one Explorer discovered an old Doug Fir log allowed us to break planks of bark off that we shingled on the roof. Next for debris we scrounged around scooping up armfuls of duff to add insulation to the roof. While doing this we discovered our group’s namesake… twice! Not one, but two separate species of salamander were discovered. What a fitting way to wrap up our outing.

We found or first salamander while gathering debris for our shelter.

Out second discovery of a different species of salamander.

 See if you can figure out which species we discovered on our outing using this guide!

With the roof on, we reflected on what we had accomplished, and what we could improve upon. Again, work ethic and feeling a sense of urgency to complete the shelter was missing this outing. Of course our time on outings is often valued for the fun that can be had goofing off with friends in the forest, but it is important to get into the right headspace when you’re practicing survival skills. We practice so that when we are faced with a real situation we have the confidence in our abilities to stay cool and calm under pressure and execute the skills necessary to stay safe and sound. Luckily, we have plenty more outings to continue to grow and learn how to practice with a purpose. In the end, the Salamander Efts survived, if not thrived, during the rainstorm finishing the roof to their shelter while discovering two species of native salamander along the way. Despite some moments of getting lost in goofing off, when called upon to get it together this group rallied and finally finished what they started in the spring.

With the roof on we reflected on our work and took a moment to review important keys to a survival shelter

Make sure to check out the rest of our photos from this outing here!

Salamander Efts Build A Shelter While Building Work Ethic

On a gorgeous spring day the Salamander Efts met up for their final outing of the spring season. After gathering together and catching up we hit the trail and trekked up into the horse trails behind Lake Padden. Stepping off the trail in a clearing we had our opening meeting and discussed our skills focus, where we’ve gone so far this season, and what we wanted to spend our time doing on our outing. With some time spent this season on Tracking and Bird Language, we began shifting to our skills focus for the fall; The Art of Surviving. 

Reviewing “The Rule of Threes” we discussed how someone can live three minutes without air, three hours in inclement weather, three days without water, and three weeks without food. The first pertinent skill we felt like focusing on was building a shelter. Although our clothes are our first line of defense against bad weather, our ability to construct a shelter to keep ourselves warm and dry could be the difference between life and death.

Trekking straight up the hill we got far enough off trail to find a location that could handle the impact of constructing a shelter. First we spent some time scouting the area to see where would be best for building a shelter. Taking into account hazards, resources, and convenience we picked a spot and got to work. Well, we tried to get to work. Tossing a few big sticks up on a couple of logs, the boys thought they could just stack up a shelter and be done. Not so. The Salamander Efts seemed to really struggle with coming up with a legitimate structural plan for their shelter beyond building a “fort” in the woods. After letting the boys struggle for a while, and seeing a pretty low level of motivation to get things rolling, the mentors stepped in. 

Re-assessing our situation we started from square one. First we got a structural plan in place, next we took inventory of our resources and began sawing out Y-Sticks and ribs out of fallen branches and downed trees. Despite more structure and planning, the work ethic and motivation was just not there. It became clear that these Salamander Efts will need a more realistic survival scenario to spark a sense of urgency to fuel them to exercise a quality work ethic. This was unfortunate after a strong service outing of quality work ethic and leadership with the younger group.

With the mentors stepping in, things started coming together. Utilizing cedar roots as cordage, the shelter grew into a solid structure that could support a strong roof with sufficient debris for waterproofing and insulation. Running out of time it was clear if this was a survival situation we would be in trouble. The shelter did not get completed and the boys didn’t seem to really care. As they grow older they will begin to understand that practice is what will make or break application of these skills in a real situation. 

Finishing up we debriefed our shelter building, ate some food, and hiked back down the hill away from the swarming mosquitoes and down to the lake. Along the way we found a variety of edible berries that we munched on. Red Huckleberry, Salmonberry, and Indian Plum were all on the menu. Finally we got to the water for a quick swim before returning to the dog park for pick up. All in all this was an outing that was challenging for the mentors and a wake-up call for the boys that we have a ways to go before they could comfortably survive an emergency in the woods. This will be a great outing for us to revisit in the fall as we begin our true journey into the Art of Survival. 

Not only will these Salamander Efts be trying to learn the primal skill of survival, but the Salamander Efts will be one of the eldest groups in Boys Explorers Club this fall. They will be embarking on the journey of becoming Explorer Mentor Apprentices where they will have the opportunity to come out and volunteer with younger groups, learn from the mentors, and get a chance to practice what they learned about mentoring with the younger group. This opportunity will further emphasize the importance of the Salamander Efts growing, maturing, and not only having a strong work ethic for themselves, but to lead by example and demonstrate to the younger groups what a work ethic looks like and why it is important. Perhaps this incentive will help provide the push to get the Salamander Efts focused on what it means to buckle down and learn a skill, do some service, or just take advantage of the five hours, once a month, four times a season, where they get together and explore the land and learn from the mentors. Only time will tell, but the future holds a bounty of opportunity for these boys and we all hope the Salamander Efts take full advantage.

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from our outing here!

BEC: Art of Carving with the Salamander Efts

After a long day of rain the Salamander Efts met at Galby Lane to recreate their group culture and learn the first steps along the Carving Journey. With Greg out due to sickness, Matt swung over from a different outing to guide the Efts through some important considerations as the boys learned to use their edged tools.

Reminder about Explorers Club: Safety is a huge consideration in our program. If we are prepared with equipment, tools, knowledge, and compassion then we have different means to survive and thrive in outdoor settings. Indeed, we can consider the forest home once we see the abundance of food, medicine, shelter, water, and fire available in the ecosystem.

As we are learning those basics in every successive season, it is crucial that Explorers come prepared to outings with a backpack, water, extra clothing layers, food, and other items that will make their day fun. They’ll even need some space in their pack to carry group gear like our snack, toilet paper, and various resources. Boys usually make the mistake of wearing cotton clothes… hopefully they only make that error one time. Many of the Explorers were prepared but it’s important to reiterate this message to everyone. If you have any questions, please contact us!

Though we had an objective for the day, the slippery efts had other tasks in mind. The first, and most important, was to redefine the culture of the group. There were new faces to welcome and old faces to remember. As such we had a round of names and an opening meeting. Explorers kept their eagerness to carve on the backburner as we participated in these fun first steps.

We also had to go over the rules and then play a round or two of Hide. This game, as simple as it is, is really the first steps in nature connection. We use our awareness to help us quickly discover a fun and creative place in which we are to camouflage ourselves. We reawaken our innate ability to find a safe place in a given environment. If you are new to BEC, then please ask your son where he hid! If you have been involved for one or more seasons you may even ask your son to teach you how to play :)

Boys were eager to work on shelters they had built in the fall. How did they hold up through the winter? What new puddles and down trees would there be? As such we found that location and boys took to building shelters. Other groups took the responsible role of breaking down pre-existing shelters. Not for the sake of destruction but as a way to redistribute the shelter resources back into the ecosystem.

Some boys began to destroy a huge stump without awareness of the living mosses and other bryophytes growing in conjunction with the decomposition. They were asked to put things back to the way they once were, including every particle of sand. In this impossible task, the question came up: Is it ever possible to redo the impact we make? This is an important question from which we can all learn.

This may hopefully resonate for the boys in their lives as they let it settle into their hearts. As we gathered our things late in the day, boys found small sprouts; with some consideration and care they replanted these baby Bigleaf Maple shoots in those hopes that they might grow into mighty trees. Explorers have started processing the lesson about our human impact as their power takes root in a healthy way.

With a lunch break, the carving journey began. Matt told us a story about his teacher; exemplifying the motto, A Tool is an Extension of the Body. Dave then explained the basics of knife use and boys were keen to share their knowledge too. A also identified an important motto, The Difference Between a Tool and a Weapon is You. Ask your Explorer to elaborate on those mottoes if he remembers.

Boys found safe spaces to carve (we call them Blood Circles) and were handed some green Red Alder pieces to practice making a feather stick. Blade control is crucial for these boys and simple tasks of learning the blade and its resistance to the wood helps their hands’ muscle memory. Along with the emotional content of being responsible for their own safety and learning, these boys were focused and intent on their carving journey for well over 30 minutes. It was tough for mentors to ask them to stop so we could have closing meeting and a circle of thanks.

Following the motto, Attitude of Gratitude, we’d like to thank Explorers for their diligent work in a short outing. It was great for us to start this Carving journey alongside you as guides. Parents thank you for the trust as we use knives with your sons. They are gaining valuable strength and power through this skill and your support is much appreciated.

Please look at the photo gallery for more pictures from this outing. Next outing is next weekend; please see the schedule for details and come prepared to continue the carving journey and have a fun day of exploration- we are soon due for a game of Spider’s Web!