Gray Wolves Learn Coal Blowing at Larrabee State Park

Arriving at Larrabee State Park on a beautifully sunny Sunday, the Gray Wolves were thanking their lucky stars to have an outing on one of the nicest days of winter thus far. Not only did they show up with an eager enthusiasm, but we also got to welcome a new group member and have an Explorer join us from another group. After getting to know each other a bit better during our opening circle and sharing our highlights from winter break, we jumped right into things.

Right off the bat the Gray Wolves were focused and ready to learn. Luckily we had an extensive topic to talk about: carving and coal-blowing spoons. Unluckily, the mentors were not anticipating such a promptness and eagerness to learn this skill and had to take a little bit of time to prep the materials while the Gray Wolves entertained themselves by starting up a game of “Where’s My Egg?” and searching for the best walking sticks. Not only were the mentors impressed at the focus the Gray Wolves brought from the get go, but their ability to adapt and make the most of things was also quite incredible. 

Settling in at the beach and picking out our carving stations

With materials prepped, a quick crow call got the group to gather up. Tim took some time to review the basics of carving, and talk a bit about what we will learn as we advance our carving skills. Today we got the opportunity to try out our first advanced carving task by taking a block of wood and carving it into a spoon. It sure does sound simple on paper, but once you begin working with the wood, getting to know the flow of the grain, identifying the knots that will take some extra attention, and just being able to visualize a spoon within the wood, there is suddenly a greater appreciation for something as simple as the humble spoon. 

Of course there is always time to play at the beach too

Talking as a group we decided to take our carving projects to the beach to maximize our time in the sunshine. Not only was it nice to get down by the water, but the rocks we usually climb around on served a new purpose as premium waterfront carving station. Hanging out at the beach alone could have made for a fantastic outing, but we had a lot left to do so after some lunch we rallied together and trekked back up to the fire pit to get our fire going. Tim took the opportunity of lighting the fire to introduce the Gray Wolves’ next skills focus; The Art of Fire. The first lesson will be using a kindling bundle of Western-Hemlock branches and a single match to start a fire. With plenty of sunshine and pre-prepped materials this task was a breeze, but on future outings when we aren’t so lucky things might get a bit more challenging.

Gotta get a fire going to make any coals!

After getting a fire going and demonstrating the importance of preparation, intentionality, and anticipation to properly process and organize your fuel it was time to transition to coal-blowing. With our initial “spoons” taking shape due to some expansive carving time, we were ready to transition to making the concavity. Being careful with our coals and remembering to be aware of those around us, the mentors extracted coals from the fire for the Gray Wolves. Placing the red hot ember on the wood and using a stick to press down on the coal, the Gray Wolves each began blowing steadily on the coal to increase the heat and transfer the heat into the spoon. After a few seconds the wood of the spoon began to heat up and become an ember in itself. After exhausting their coals, each Gray Wolf took some time to scrape out the charcoal on the concavity of the spoon and before they knew it their spoon was taking shape. This process must then be repeated until your concavity is sufficiently shaped to the coal-blower’s specifications.

 

As our outing was drawing to a close a younger Explorers Club group, the Black-Tailed Deer, showed up for their outing. There were definitely some familiar faces as this is the same group the Gray Wolves helped teach shelter building at Stewart Mountain a couple months prior. Today, however, the Black-Tailed Deer were beginning their journey in the Art of Carving. Interested in our spoons and the process of coal-blowing, we made a big circle around the fire and the Gray Wolves shared a bit about their projects and offered up some bits of advice that they thought would help the Black-Tailed Deer as they begin to learn the Art of Carving themselves. With just enough time for a closing circle to share some gratitude to end our day the Gray Wolves were whisked away by parents to head home smelling of campfire and with a new carving project in their packs.

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

Talking with the Black-Tailed Deer about carving

The Gray Wolf Pups finish the fall season by exploring the 100 Acre Wood

“One would approach at first warily through the shrub oaks, running over the snow-crust by fits and startslike a leaf blown by the wind, now a few paces this way, with wonderful speed and waste of energy, making inconceivable haste with his "trotters," as if it were for a wager, and now as many paces that way, but never getting on more than half a rod at a time; and then suddenly pausing with a ludicrous expression and a gratuitous somerset, as if all the eyes in the universe were eyed on him…” Walden & on the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Thoreau, Henry David

“Fits and starts” describes the Gray Wolf Pups on our Sunday outing at Fairhaven Park/100 Acre Wood. My guess is I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, but it was blindingly obvious to Tim and I that the Gray Wolf Pups stand at the precipice of… well, of what I’m not sure, but their meandering focus testified to a state of flux. Perhaps it was the cold; maybe the fact that it was the last outing of the season. Whatever the cause, the mentors and Explorers Club Apprentices (EMAs) Jordan and Max took note of the numerous shifts in focus in our five hours together. 

After introducing ourselves to the EMAs, we headed to the 100 Acre Wood, Bellingham’s recently reimagined tract of land bordering Fairhaven Park. The boys have been here before, as was apparent from their unhesitating stride into the forest. So far, so “starts”. Before long, we came to a trail junction and the concomitant decision point. Information from one of the EMAs helped us decide against the trail that led to a parking lot (that was easy) and we were on our way again. At the next junction, we experienced “fits” for the first time. In this case, all directions were possible and our information about each scant. Mentor Tim coached us to look up into the forest canopy for clues as to how dense the forest in a given direction. This  helped, but not enough to forestall conflicting, largely baseless assertions on the optimal direction to follow. We were “suddenly pausing with a ludicrous expression”, if you will. Our Tribal Elder called for several votes as we hemmed and hawed through the shifting sands of conviction until we reached subdued consensus. 

Emboldened by our successful resolution, we hiked all of about 100 yards before dissolving into the woods where we found an excellent spot for our base camp. These explorers have done good work with their carving throughout the fall; the plan for this final outing was to reward their effort with free play and games….and carving, if an explorer wanted to work on his project. So, building off our hard-earned momentum, we threw ourselves into…wait for it….free exploration! 

This really gets to the essence of Explorers Club - no need to schedule an activity; no rules to follow; with only nature to guide, do what 10-11 year-old boys do - run, imagine, laugh, climb, jump, get dirty. And, apparently, get hungry. Time for a lunch break (hmmm, can you take a break from free play?). 

Newly fortified, we chose more structured play in the form of an Explorers Club favorite, Spider’s Web. As usual, we began with the necessary evil - deciding on the rules of play. Tackling pivotal questions such as how far from the web must the spider remain or where to place the “food source” and “web” raises the stakes just enough to stretch the boys’ edges. We can sometimes spend 15 minutes or more coming to agreement. We did pretty well this time, even deciding on the somewhat uncommon two “food sources” and, logically, two spiders. Sounds good, no? 

I wasn’t a very stealthy “fly” on this day, which meant I was quickly consigned to the web, where I was greeted by one of the spiders, who had legally, and frustratingly, found a perch with a mostly clear view of the web, which seriously hampered the ability of captured flies to re-enter the field of play following release by a fellow fly. The decision to go with two spiders, one of which could too easily hold us to the poorly located web, quickly led to creative thinking and rule-bending because it “isn’t fair”. We were back to “fits”. The game wasn’t working and even the spiders knew it. So, we regrouped, made some changes and had a good second game.

Amid the fits and starts, we see the challenges young boys face and the qualities they illustrate. Their male energies prompt direct, forceful action while social conventions induce collaboration and consensus. The resulting conflict can, as it did in the 100 Acre Wood this day, manifest itself in “fits and starts”, with “wonderful speed and waste of energy”.

We capitalized on our renewed focus with a fun game of Where’s My Egg?, then retreated from a gratifying fall season with eyes on celebrating further spasmodic growth in the spring.

Tim and I (Brian) truly enjoyed spending time with your boys in the outdoors. Their humor, energy and sincere spirit make these times rewarding and enriching for us. Thank you for supporting their growth and our efforts. Click here for the full slate or photos from our outing.

Gray Wolf Pups Personify Play at Padden

Arriving at Lake Padden it became immediately apparent something big was going. It just so happened that our outing coincided with the NCAA Division Two Cross-Country Championships! Although this afforded some great entertainment, it also complicated things a bit, but thanks to great parents, drop off went down without a hitch and just as the starting pistol sounded for the Women’s race, we shot off into the woods and away from all the hustle and bustle. Travelling up the horse trails we quickly found a nice area off trail for opening circle. Despite some boisterous energy, we took some time to discuss our earth skills focus of The Art of Carving, and what our next steps would be down this path. The Explorers learned about the different trees, what properties each type of wood has, and what sorts of things they are good for making. Then the challenge of carving digging sticks was given to the boys. But before we could get into practicing our skills, it was clear these guys just needed some time to romp in the woods.

Tearing off up a steep hill, the Gray Wolf Pups quickly found themselves lost in the present, enjoying one another’s company, and working together on building some earth shelters. Despite the mentor’s intentions to jump into carving, they adapted to the energy of the boys, and scampered up the hillside after them and soon began helping out with the shelter construction gathering resources and offering pointers here or there on material usage and structural design. Pausing for a moment to reassess our plan for the outing, we formed a circle, collaborated, compromised, and came to a consensus on how best to utilize the time we had to balance free play interaction with the landscape and honing carving skills by getting plenty of time to get our blades into some wood.

After a good amount free play, boys naturally gravitated back down to our packs for some lunch and water before harvesting some materials for digging sticks. Utilizing a downed cedar, we focused on the slightly curved branches, a few inches in diameter, for a stick that already had a natural shape conducive to digging and the strength and rigidity of the denser branch wood that would hold up to some abuse unlike the softer, straight grain trunk wood that is great for fashioning fire boards and spindles for a fire by friction kit. Working our knives into the wood, boys quickly found the many knots of the branch wood difficult to work with and required patience, persistence, and sound technique to work through. Despite the strong focus, and disciplined tool usage, the Gray Wolf Pups couldn’t help but continue joking, laughing, and fostering a continued companionship amongst themselves that grows outing after outing, season after season. With some strong focus and good work under their belts, we had just enough time to scurry back up the steep incline and get in a little more play time on the landscape.

As the boys transitioned back into free play the mentors took some time to chat about how the outing was going they realized that things had gotten a little too quiet for comfort. Trekking up the hillside after the boys, they were headed off by another Explorer who relayed the message that a fellow Explorer was “stuck.” This could mean many things, but in this instance, once the mentors arrived on the scene they found an Explorer rimrocked on a small cliff along the hillside. All it took was a helping hand from one of the mentors to get out of the situation and everyone was just fine, much to the relief of a particular Explorer. Taking a moment to debrief the situation, both mentors were thoroughly impressed at how the situation was handled. When we adventure in the woods there is always inherent risk, and the difference in being safe or getting hurt comes down to how that risk is managed. In this situation both Explorers involved kept an even keel, assessed the situation, made a plan of action, and when things got beyond their ability, they sought assistance from a mentor. This exemplified great risk management. It’s very easy for someone who is not involved in a dangerous situation to quickly get themselves in harm’s way by doing too much to try and help. Additionally whomever is in a sticky situation can quickly escalate the level of danger by letting their emotions get the best of them and panicking. Neither of these things happened and the risk presented in the instance was navigated with a level of skill and ability that exemplified that maturation of not only the two boys involved, but all the Gray Wolf Pups.

In addition to debriefing our risk management, we took a moment to address a game of “war” that the Gray Wolf Pups wanted to play. Although they were just using pinecone projectiles and kept things light hearted and fun, the language associated with such games required some attention. A few of the Gray Wolf Pups recalled a previous discussion during a summer camp and shared what they had learned with the group. Language and words carry many connotations, and although something like “war” is thrown around in video games, sports, and other contexts where it takes on a meaning of good-natured competition, it is important to acknowledge the full spectrum of connotations a word can hold, and not allow ourselves to become desensitized the what something such as war truly means. This acknowledgement is not always easy, or comfortable for us to do, but is necessary for us to honor and respect something as serious as war and all of those whose lives have been lost or forever changed because of it. In a society where violence in video games is the norm and desensitization to violence and its true implications in reality are becoming increasingly present, it is paramount for these boys to hold that space of honor and respect by retaining their sensitivity and awareness, be it through language or action. Luckily the Gray Wolf Pups are a tremendous group of boys who will one day grow into strong, sensitive, and compassionate men. Whether through play, practicing skills, sharing laughs, or participating in tough conversations, these boys are flourishing into a powerful group of well-rounded individuals full of promise and potential for their bright futures.

Gray Wolf Pups Revisit Carving at Clayton

Our outing started as all outings do; with an opening circle, however this was an especially fun opening circle. With such a warm and sunny summer there were plenty of stories and memories to share with one another. Trips abroad, time with the family, or just a silly story, everyone had something to bring our circle. After sharing summer highlights, we discussed our plan for the day, what hazards we would encounter along the way, and passed out jobs to help us as we explored Clayton Beach. Enough chatting, time to hit the trail!

Crossing the ever perilous Chuckanut Drive, we dropped down to the main trail and headed for the beach. It felt good to be back out with the Gray Wolf Pups back together hiking down the trail with a full day of exploration ahead of us. The first thing we did when we got to the beach was establish a base camp on a rocky bluff and settle in. Before we got too excited about scurrying on the sandstone or perusing the tide pools, we needed to revisit our Art of Carving skills focus. Gathering as a group we reviewed the safety parameters required for using a knife. Carving technique, awareness of others, and strong focus were some of the main topics we focused on. With our minds refreshed it was time to carve.

Spreading out along the sandstone bluff, each Explorer received two lengths of wood to be carved down into a pair of chopsticks. If some remember this was our initial task last season as well, but for round two of carving the standards have been raised. The Gray Wolf Pups needed to not only make a reasonable attempt at carving chopsticks, but show their ability to create a straight, cylindrical chop stick that tapered and didn’t have any obvious edges. This requires patience, skill, and focus. Many of the boys were grateful for tips from the mentors on how to adjust the angle of their blade: steep angles result in more wood carved, shallower angles less, much like using a planer. Although the mentors were pickier this time around, many of the boys were able to produce quality chopsticks and continued to hone their carving skills and ability to focus. Alas, carving can only compete with Clayton Beach for so long, and now it was time to explore.

After a quick lunch, we reconvened for a group circle to plan out how to spend the second half of the outing. The Gray Wolf Pups needed a little bit of a refresher in our group decision making process, but with a little help from the mentors we Collaborated, Compromised, and came to a Consensus. Each Explorer voiced their opinions, the Tribal Elder offered a few options and we all voted, checked in with the minority, compromised, and developed a plan that everyone agreed with. With a solid game plan we took off to the south to find good climbing rocks. Explorers scurried and scampered up and down the sandstone getting lost in free play and allowing their imaginations to take hold. Some became merchants trading trinkets they found on the beach, others formed small clans and claimed territories along the rocks and back into the forest. Before we knew it, the time to head north to explore a new part of the beach was upon us. With a quick check in the boys decided to stick to their plan and head out.

Just a few hundred yards away, traversing along the rocks due to the rising tide, the Gray Wolf Pups found a whole new beach to get to know. With great climbing, and an incoming tide, everyone was quickly back into free play mode. Whether that meant discovering what lay at the top of the rocks and beyond, or building a wall of sand in a futile attempt to withstand the incoming waters, everyone was having fun. But like they say; time flies when you’re having fun. Time for closing circle.

Circling up for one last time, we shared our gratitude and munched on apple slices. Many were thankful for the pleasant weather and cooling breeze, others appreciated the rocks and all the entertainment they provided. No matter what we were grateful for, across the board we were all happy to have had such a fun day and to be back with our fellow Explorers learning skills, building friendships, and discovering the wonders of the natural world. What a wonderful way to kick off the Fall 2015 Season!

Gray Wolf Pups Adventure at Arroyo

On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon the Gray Wolf Pups gathered at Arroyo Park for their second outing of the spring 2015 season. Once most of the explorers had arrived, the boys immediately gravitated toward the lush, green, damp landscape next to the parking lot. As explorers scurried across a fallen log over the skunk cabbage filled swamp the rest of the boys trickled in and it was time for our opening circle. We quickly decided to get out of the parking lot and dove straight off trail into the woods.

Getting off trail abruptly brought the Gray Wolf Pups’ awareness to their immediate surroundings and the moment at hand. Talk of birthday parties, video games, etc. dropped off and boys began discussing where to go and how to get there. Soon we found ourselves in a predicament however, some boys wanted to take the lower route through some Devils Club, Salmon Berry, and Slide Alder, but other boys thought trekking up the hillside and finding a route above us may be better. Unable to comfortably form a circle perched on the hillside it became

apparent that explorers were lacking the structure and focus required to come to a consensus. Many of the boys were talking over each other, goofing off, or showing no interest in engaging in the decision making process. The mentors decided it was time to step in and helped guide the Gray Wolf Pups down the path of collaborating and compromising to eventually come to a group consensus. We balanced the pros and cons of each route, the hazards, and personal preferences, but eventually decided to cut down, brave the brambles, and make our way to the creek.

After slipping and sliding our way down a muddy hillside using slide alder as a “vegie-belay” we arrived at a perfectly placed log laying perpendicularly across Chuckanut Creek. We couldn’t have asked for a better bridge. One by one each boy crossed the creek and we found a beautiful section of rocky streamside to settle down and do some carving. The mentors challenged the boys to each carve a pair of chopsticks. Sounds like a pretty simple task right? But trying to create a tapered cylinder out of a roughly split section of cedar takes far more dexterity, patience, and skill than most of the explorers initially thought. The group held a strong focus, and slowly but surely carved down each section of cedar to resemble chopstick like creations. 

Holding that focus over time proved easier for some than others, but luckily we were streamside in the sunshine and surrounded by countless natural wonders to keep the boys entertained. Some explorers caught water striders, others clambered along the stream banks exploring the sword ferns and shrubberies above us. Eventually it was time to gather up and determine our next course of action.

The mentors had promised a game of Spiders Web if everyone focused on their carving and each finished a pair of chopsticks. Unfortunately not everyone was able to find enough focus to complete their carving tasks. So, the mentors made an agreement with the boys that if they worked on their chopsticks at home, and brought their finished product to our next outing we could move on and get into a game of Spiders Web. The mentors emphasized the importance for the boys to understand that making an agreement with another, a group, or yourself (i.e. completing a pair of chopsticks) is not something you can just brush of as something we didn’t finish. Instead we gauged our present situation with the group, realized that it would be a lot easier for us to carve on our own later than it would be to play a game of Spiders Web. So instead of blowing off our chopstick agreement, we re-analyzed our situation and amended our agreement to better suite our ever changing circumstances.

Quickly traversing up to the trail, we hiked along the creek, crossed the bridge, and looped back around toward the parking lot for pick up. Luckily one of the mentors knew a great place for a quick game of Spiders Web. All the boys except one played, while the other explorer just couldn’t get enough carving in and had a strong drive to finish his chopsticks. Surprisingly the Gray Fox Kits managed to complete an entire game of Spiders Web in just twenty minute! At the end of the game the Spider was surprised when he realized the flies had gotten the food source so quickly, but instead of being upset about losing (which happens rather often with boys of this age, or any age for that matter) he simply said to the Fly who secured the food source; “Great job. I didn’t even see you!” All that was left was to gather together for our closing circle, share our gratitude, eat some apple slices, and hike out to the trailhead where parents were eagerly awaiting to welcome their explorers back from yet another successful outing.

Remember to check out all the rest of the photos from our outing at theGray Wolf Pups Photo Gallery!

Gray Wolf Pups Learn The Art of Carving at Clayton Beach

Kicking off the Spring 2015 Boys Explorers Club Season, the Gray Wolf Pups reunited for an exciting exploration of Clayton Beach. We gathered in the parking lot before cautiously crossing Chuckanut Drive and escaping off into the safety of the forest. The boys were eager to hit the trail and almost left the mentors in the dust! Nothing a little crow call couldn’t fix. Without missing a beat the boys gathered up and found a nice opening off trail to set up our opening circle.

In our first opening circle of the season we handed out the usual jobs that help us explore; front scout, back scout, tribal elder, medicine man, earth keeper, Totally Terrific Toilet Paper Person (aka TTTPP), Knowledge Keeper, and a few others.  We also got a chance to check out the brand new knives that SOG Knives donated to us! The mentors took a moment to give some thanks for the generous donation from SOG Knives & Tools. Last week SOG donated a set of thirteen high quality fixed-blade carving knives to the EC. On behalf of the Explorers Club the mentoring team would like to thank Chris Cashbaugh and Nando Zucchi at SOG’s marketing team, and the rest of the staff at SOG Knives for reaching out to Lisa Meucci and making this donation a reality.  Thank you for supporting our Explorers. Our cups truly overflow with gratitude! But before we could use the knives, it was clear that the Gray Wolf Pups had way too much pent up energy so it was time for some games.

We played a few rounds of Poison Dart Frog and Head Honcho sharpening our observational awareness before hitting the trail and heading down to the beach to catch the low tide. Quickly making our way down through the forest we soon encountered our second big hazard of the day: the train tracks. Once we were all together and ready to cross the boys made sure to be completely quiet for a few seconds (a rarity in Explores Club) and listen for a train. With the coast clear we crossed and were scampering around on the sandstone rock faces in no time.

At the beach the boys finally had space to let their energy out. Whether it was climbing on the sandstone, stealthily scurrying along the ridgeline, or poking around at the shells and sand dollars, the beach always has something for each boy to get lost in. We spent a good amount of time lost in free play, mixed in a few rounds of Otter Steals Fish, checked out a cool driftwood fort, and culminated with an epic session of pinecone tag that had mentor and explorer alike ducking and diving cones like they were in the Matrix. Finally we had gotten the wiggles out and were ready to trek back up into the woods and begin our journey with The Art of Carving.

About halfway up the trail we revisited a wonderful downed Western Red Cedar that had a perfect chunk of seasoned wood protruding for us to harvest and use for carving. As one of the mentors sawed away the boys gathered up and discussed the importance of tracking your energy while maintaining a calm yet focused demeanor for carving. These boys had already proven their ability to safely use sticks as tools and how to respect blood circles, but knives are so powerful that it takes a deeper, stronger focus than they have ever used in Explorers Club before. Next we covered some of the more basic safety logistics of working with knives; how to properly unsheathe/sheath a knife, how to check your blood circle and maintain awareness of others’, how to hold your knife and carve in a safe and controlled fashion away from your body, what posture and positioning you need to ensure personal safety and safety for others. The Gray Wolf Pups showed a tremendous focus and ability to comprehend the guidelines showing they were ready. Time to get our blades into the wood.

For over an hour the boys sat and carved away chatting amongst one another. Despite the occasional outburst of laughter or flurry of activity, the boys all maintained quality knife safety practices and reaffirmed their readiness for The Art of Carving. The mentors took time to travel around from boy to boy and offer helpful tips and pointers in regards to the greater intricacies of handling a knife and carving. Both were impressed at the explorer’s readiness to learn and eagerness to improve their skills. But alas, some of the boys managed to develop a waning interest in carving and quickly organized a session of Hungry, Hungry Martin. Not all of the boys wanted to play and some remained deeply focused on their carving projects, impressive mental fortitude for boys of their age after nearly an hour and a half of focused carving.

With our blades sheathed and tucked away for the day, carving projects in hand, it was time for our closing circle. The Gray Wolf Pups were reminded by the mentors of the importance of closing circle, and the level of respect and attention they must give to one another as they share their gratitude for the day. Not only is it important to reflect upon our outings and recall what stood out as particularly fun or exciting, but it is also important to express gratitude for those good times in addition to all that allowed for those good times to be had. Gratitude was given to the forest and the beach, the wood from the downed cedar that we carved, the knives that were donated by SOG Knives, the wonderful companions we shared the outing with, and even the apple slices that we were munching on during closing circle. What a wonderful way to kick off the Spring season and exciting journey through the Art of Carving for the Gray Wolf Pups.

Make sure to check out all the other photos that didn't make it in the blog in the Gray Wolf Pups photo gallery!