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!

Salamander Efts Explore The Rock Trail

Up and up the Salamander Efts went along the twisting, pot hole infested road on their way to the Rock Trail. If the bumps and bounces didn’t wake them up, the army of gnats atop the mountain certainly caught their attention. We could only admire the gorgeous view out onto Chuckanut Bay and the San Juans for a few seconds at time before needing to swat at the swarm of bugs. Finally everyone had arrived and it was time to hit the trail.

Getting out of the parking lot, we moved down the trail keeping an eye out for a good location for an opening meeting. While admiring the transitioning forest, we discovered numerous signs of spring in fresh growth, flowers, and a variety of birds that have returned north after vacationing south for the winter. With a nice clearing in sight we hopped off trail and circled up. Despite our relatively small group, the boys were rather chatty in circle were finding it much more amusing to goof off and try and get some laughs than to focus on making a plan for how to spend our day. The mentors took moment to discuss what truly listening to someone means, how you listen with not only your ears, but with your body, your eyes, and most importantly your heart. The Salamander Efts took to this advice and soon realized that focusing on one another and collaborating on our plan for the day meant more time playing in the woods and less time sitting in circle with a couple of grumpy mentors.

With a game plan figured out, we hit the trail and were soon making our way down an impressive series of staircases that the Washington Trails Association (WTA) had spent many laborious hours putting in. Little did we know we would be able to thank them for all their hard work just a little further up the trail where they were working on finishing up a section of trail. But before that we were stopped by the first major rock formation along the Rock Trail. A large sandstone cliff left us trying to answer a variety of mysteries. Some of us took the time to analyze the layers of sediment that had accumulated to create the Chuckanut Sandstone. Others got out our native plants field guide and took some time identifying a variety of fern species growing on and at the base of the sandstone. Finally it was time to continue on.

Stopping along the trail to check in with the WTA personnel we made sure it was clear to hike past and as we continued along our way thanked everyone for all of their hard work. Dropping into a valley we discovered half a dozen or so gigantic boulders amongst the forest floor. We had to stop and check them out so we trekked around a few and just beyond one of the boulders was a perfect place to set up a base camp. Hanging out for a bit to eat lunch we re-evaluated our day and decided to play some games to get to know this incredible landscape a little better and then have some free time to carve and explore. The game for the day was Eagle Eye where one Explorer is “it” and others must hide in a radius around him. Every round they must move closer and closer without being spotted. The kicker is that the time to move closer while the Eagle has his eyes shut diminishes each time until the final round where you must jump out of hiding, tag the Eagle, and get back into hiding. This is always a great game and forces one to read the landscape, planning movement from one hiding spot to another. The plentiful Sword Fern and young Western Hemlock provided excellent cover and the rocky terrain made this a fantastic game of Eagle Eye.

After some free time for carving, crafting, and exploring our surroundings, it was time for a Sit Spot. It had been awhile since the Salamander Efts had the opportunity to partake in a Sit Spot, so this seemed like the perfect occasion. The sun had come out and was illuminating the freshly grown Big Leaf Maple leaves so they popped a brilliant bright green. Along the forest floor were oases of sunshine where gaps in the canopy let the warm light through. Everyone spread out and found a comfy spot to hunker down for about twenty minutes or so. As we calmed our voices and bodies the birds and other creatures of the forest began to come out. Woodpeckers, Winter Wrens, and even a few mystery birds began calling out to one another while foraging for food. It truly felt like spring was finally here. With a quick closing circle and some apple slices in our bellies we packed up and trekked back up the trail. Even though we didn’t hike the entire trail, we found that the mysteries and simple pleasures of exploration that lay just off the trail can sometimes be the true treasures of the day.

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from the days outing here.

Salamander Efts ford Deming Homestead Eagle Park to track along the banks of the Nooksack's North Fork

Our exploration began in the belly of Explorers Club’s new bus Moose, which saw us safely to Eagle Rock Park in Deming. There we circled up in the grass beside an eddy of the North Fork which, swelled by rain had submerged our crossing on the alluvial flood plain which stretched before us to the banks of the Nooksack’s North Fork, the sight of which was occluded by young alders scattered amidst tall bracken and shrubbery.

After catching up with each other’s different winter season’s goings on, the boys set to dividing jobs, discussing logistics and this season’s skill focus – Tracking and bird language – with alacrity. We were all excited at the prospect of tracking on the alluvium of the flood plain, and seeing what animals had been about since the rain from the night before had washed a fresh layer of sediment over the ground – perfect for tracking!

The winds were calm, and we waded across onto the flood plain, where we set off through the slightly stirring scrub in search of tracks and a path to the river. We found the substrate remarkably undisturbed by the passing of other animals, yet how much do we miss the tracks of robins and mice?

Once we broke through the underbrush to the sand and stones of the riverbed, we broke for snacks and water. Heading south along the riverbank, the boys broke up into bands, always within eyesight and crow-call, to explore for tracks, dig into the sand, build forts, and establish a base camp for fire and shelter along the breach. Tracks of deer and dog from before the rains could still be made out, though mostly obscured from weathering, and a few deer and what may have been a fox or young coyote could be seen by their trail signs left behind that morning.

The weather was generous to us, with the clouds staying light gray and refusing to drop more than the occasional sprinkle of precipitation, and the winds stayed bedded down, offering us only soft breezes as gusts. The boys wanted to start a fire, and along with the mentors used their camping and art of fire-making skills to start a fire with a spark starter and a nest of damp grass, dried with friction, while others built a windbreak to shield the ember while it caught. We were working with the driest of damp materials available, and all felt pretty proud of the group’s accomplishment once we were fanning the flame of our fire!

After lunch eaten around the fire on in a wooden fort, the winds and rain began to pick up just enough that we were worried for our fire. The boys then conceived a tarp shelter over the fire, and cut four dead limbs for posts, digging holes deep in the ground to anchor them; securing these finally with rocks and sand before securing the tarp to the posts. The Salamander Efts had a vision for this outing, and executed it with passion and confidence! It was a shelter entirely isolated from natural windbreaks of driftwood stacks, yet it was a warm place to weather the brunt of wind and rain that came our way towards the end of the outing, and a source of gratitude during our closing circle around the embers left to die from our fire.

The weather once again blessed us with calm and dry as we broke camp and scattered all sign it was ever there, packed our bags and headed back to the park – the richer for the experience and for a few plaster castings of tracks. Crossing back to the bus, the water that has been so painfully cold at our journey’s beginning now was a joy that our explorers splashed back into with abandon. An auspicious end to our first out of spring. 

Salamander Efts Return to Lizard Lake

On a beautiful blue, crisp November morning the Salamander Efts met up at Samish Woods Montessori to load up into “Stubbs” our Wild Whatcom bus. From the moment the mentors met up before the outing it was clear this was going to be a great day. Not only were there no clouds to be seen, but we had the fortune of an extended eight-hour outing that would allow us to maximize our time up at Lizard Lake near the summit of Blanchard Mountain. With the bus full of Explorers and eager energy we hit the road and drove along the back roads to the trailhead. Twisting and turning through the forested highway and skirting alongside the eastern shore of Lake Samish was a perfect segue to the beginning of our outing.
At the trailhead the eager energy made coming together for an opening circle a bit of a chore, however, the eager energy would be a persistent theme throughout the outing create some great opportunities to grow as individuals and a group. As much as the boys wanted to hit the trail the mentors made sure to take the time to hand out jobs for the day and set a strong intention for what was to be accomplished this outing. Despite a jittery focus, we managed to lay out a game plan to hike up to the lake, practice some skills, then spend the rest of our time exploring and interacting with the land.

The hike up to Lizard Lake takes a logging road for a little over a mile, past an old quarry, and up the Alternate Incline Trail all the way to the lake. While passing the quarry the boys took a moment to admire the snowy peaks of Mt. Baker and peruse the rocks for what they believed to be petrified wood. It was difficult to pull these eager beavers away from the rocks to get back on the trail and headed toward our destination, but once we did we made good time. Hiking up the Alternate Incline trail we paused from time to time to re-group, adjust our layers, and drink some water. Each break we made sure to discuss the importance of setting a good pace for the entire group and making sure we stick together even if that means hiking a bit slower or faster than usual while maintaining a constant awareness of where everyone in the group was.

Finally, we arrived at our destination of Lizard Lake. A few other groups of hikers were relaxing beside the lake and the mentors made sure to have a quick chat about respecting others ability to enjoy the peacefulness of the icy lake as it glimmered in the sunshine by giving them space and keeping our voices down. Soon the hikers continued along their way and allowed us the opportunity to get some skills work in. Revisiting our first outing of the season, the Salamander Efts were left with the task of setting up a sturdy tarp shelter. The mentors made sure to provide a time to revisit some of the knots, but for some reason only one explorer seemed interested in a refresher on how to tie which knot. This was a missed opportunity because once the Explorers started putting up the tarp they quickly realized they did not remember the knots nearly as well as they thought they did.

Giving the Explorers half an hour to set up the tarp seemed like ample time. The mentors stepped back and focused on a project of their own in starting a fire. As time passed by it became apparent that only a handful of the boys were actually setting up the tarp and the rest of the group was much more intent on throwing rocks and sticks into the lake in an attempt to break the ice. After some time the
mentors realized the tarp was far from satisfactory and stepped in to harness the group’s focus for another attempt. This time, however, the handful of boys that were doing all the work were not allowed to tie the knots thus requiring those who were more focused on breaking ice to be the ones to do more of the work. Yet again, the eager energy that persisted from the beginning of the outing to the end, compromised the group’s ability to focus on a simple task. What should have taken fifteen minutes took well over an hour and left no time for further skills practice in some of the other camping skills like pumping water, using a camp stove, and setting up a bear hang. Somewhat disappointed the mentors made sure the boys were at least going to learn a lesson from this debacle. Gathering up, the group discussed the importance of taking the time to do the job right the first time. The BEC motto of “Slow is fast, and fast is slow” came to mind and was exemplified in the tarp challenge. If the boys had come together as a group, taken the time to find properly distanced trees and tie the knots right the first time, they would have had nearly an hour more of exploration time at the lake.

Despite the rough go at setting up the tarp, the boys all learned a valuable lesson of what it means to work together as a team to accomplish a task and how to harness their focus to take a bit more time to do the job right the first time. After debriefing our experience and lessons learned we gathered around a toasty fire to warm up on a chilly day. The boys had a great time chatting and joking around the fire before a nice sit spot along the shores of Lizard Lake. Although the Salamander Efts struggled with their focus on this outing, their eager energy demonstrated a passion and excitement for exploration and adventure that is great to see. As they grow older they will continue to learn how to harness their focus and accomplish the tasks at hand. This outing was a great learning experience for all and an opportunity for growth as individuals and as a group. On the bus ride home the laughter and smiles made it clear that everyone had a wonderful time. It was great to see the Salamander Efts wrap up their Fall 2015 season with an extended outing full of powers and challenges that demonstrated room for growth while maintaining an undying eagerness and energy that embodies what it means to be an Explorer.

Make sure to check out the rest of our photos from this outing in the Salamander Efts Photo Gallery!