Gray Wolf Pups – North Galbraith Mountain Trailhead – 3/6/16
– 10:00AM to 3:00PM
Arriving at North Galbraith Mountain Trailhead, the Gray
Wolf Pups were surprised to see not two, but four mentors and a whole posse of
explorers. This was an unexpected but pleasant surprise as many of the Gray
Wolf Pups began noticing peers and school friends in the other group; The Red
Tailed Eyas. Originally on the docket for the day was to get a quick game in
with the Red Tailed Eyas before trekking off on our own to delve into the Art
of Navigation. However, things began to naturally unfold in a different way
and in Explorers Club fashion we took it in stride and had a blast.
The first unexpected occurrence this outing was when we
dropped down off the main trail onto an old logging road that had been used by
numerous groups previously to access a tremendous series of valleys and ravines
prime for exploration and adventure. But right away things looked strikingly
different. The old logging road had clearly been developed with a re-leveling
and fresh layer of gravel. As we pressed on the road carved a deep scar into
the landscape with countless trees cut down and strewn by the wayside, entire
hillsides displaced as the road cut straight through the previously rolling
landscape. Of course the excavators and other heavy machinery sporadically
parked alongside the road took most of the explorer’s attention, but for the
mentors there was a sense of shell shock and surrealness that left them
quietly strolling along in silence.
After a fair distance covered on the new roads, which
mentors are presuming are for accessing the land for further residential
development, we were befuddled as to where our old stomping grounds were. It
was incredibly hard to find our bearings in this strikingly different landscape
so we decided to just get off trail and see what we could find. The dense
underbrush and varied terrain quickly slowed down our pace after flying down
the flat gravel roadway. The boys began taking in the landscape as they
scurried over logs beneath the swaying Western Red Cedars and Big Leaf Maples.
We found a nice clearing to plop down, take a break to eat some food and re-hydrate, then get into a circle to discuss a grand game of Spider’s Web with
both groups.
Clearly, two groups mean double the explorers in circle and
unfortunately double the time it takes to set up a game. With so many more
faces in the group it became easy for explorers to feel a greater sense of
anonymity and a greater inclination to lose focus in order to joke with their
buddies. Eventually the mentors had to ask for everyone’s agreement to bring a
strong focus and calmed energy in order to get through the pre-game set up and
review of what rules we were going to play by. Everyone stepped up and before
we knew it we were scouting out a location to set up boundaries, plant food
sources, and establish a web. With three spiders, two food sources, and a whole
mess of flies this was shaping up to be an epic game.
Taking into account the large stands of Big Leaf Maple on
either side of us, we decided to set our boundaries along a ridgeline of
conifers that pose less of a threat to drop branches if a big gust blew in from
the south. Dropping down into a valley of deep, lush Sword Fern and sporadic
sandstone boulders, the Spiders set up their defenses the flies came up with
their game plan, and off we went getting lost in the presence of play. Quickly
we found out that three spiders was going to pose a great challenge for the
flies. Some frustrations arose but were met with a greater competitive fervor
that allowed the flies to truly match their abilities with a great challenge.
Playing for a long stretch of time and having quite a lot of fun, the mentors
realized this would be a stalemate and it was time to reset the game. We took
another snack and hydration break, revisited the rules, and reset the game with
two spiders this time. This challenge was a better match with our ability
levels and it was much easier for the flies to get into a “flow” where personal
growth is maximized. The concept of flow was later reiterated to the boys
during our debrief of the game, but for all you parents, “flow” is the concept
of maximizing growth by matching an individual’s ability with a challenge that
is not too easy yet not too difficult either. If a challenge is too easy, one
is not pushed to utilize their full ability and meet their true potential.
However, if the challenge is too great, the individual’s ability will be
overstretched resulting in frustration and failure. The first game was a bit
too challenging for the flies, but our second game with only two spiders was
just right. 
Having lost ourselves in play for the majority of this
outing we had just enough time for a closing circle and brisk hike out of the
woods and back to the trailhead. The Gray Wolf Pups and the Red Tailed Eyas
parted ways at this time and found their respective locations for closing
circle. As we calmed ourselves and transitioned from the excitement of our game
we settled down on a beautifully sunlit hillside and nestled in amongst Sword
Ferns. Everyone was grateful for the opportunity to join up with the Red Tailed
Eyas and play an epic game of Spider’s Web. We were also very grateful for the
break in the weather that permitted a day without worry of getting too wet or
needing to relocate due to hazardous gusts of wind. Unfortunately we didn’t get
to practice any navigation today, but we all agreed our game of Spider’s Web
with the Red Tailed Eyas was well worth it and we will bring extra focus and
emphasis on our skills work next outing. Despite the unnerving transformation
of this landscape, there is still so much forest to be explored and adventures
awaiting us at this ever enticing location.
Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from this outing!
