Hitting the trail we hiked up towards the top of Chuckanut
Ridge. Taking a few moments to appreciate the views from a lookout, we pressed
on and eventually hit a juncture in the trail. But before we could get out our
map and compass it was time for a game of HIDE! With that out of our systems we
ate some food and got out the map to figure out where we were, where we came
from, and where we wanted to go. Orienting the map with our compass, we tuned
into the surrounding landscape taking clues from the terrain, trail signs,
topography on the map, trail directions, and how the angle of the trails met at
the juncture. There was plenty of evidence to allow us to find our location on
the map. The mentors made the comparison to using the scientific method when
using a map. You create a hypothesis for where you are on the map, then use a
variety of clues and information you can gather from the map, your
surroundings, and your compass, to support your hypothesis. With our location
pinpointed on the map, we looked ahead along the trail to see what noticeable
landmarks we would be keeping an eye out for to support our hypothesis of which
trail we were on and which direction we were going. With a straight section of
elevation loss leading to a 180 degree right hand turn in the trail that would
drop us down onto a four trail junction, we had our landmarks to keep an eye
out for.
Continuing down the trail along the ridgeline, we had
numerous peek-a-boo views out to the east of the towards Raptor Ridge
and the vast terrain of the Chuckanuts. Looking further north at one of the
viewpoints we got a great view of south side Bellingham allowing us to
calibrate our internal compasses. The boys were reminded to constantly take the
opportunity to check your surroundings at these view points and notice changes
in terrain and the ebb and flow of the landscape to keep our internal
compasses on point. Pressing on down the descending ridgeline we soon hit the
wide 180 degree turn and arrived at the trail junction. With even more evidence
to support our trailside hypothesis, we felt good about our navigation thus
far. Looking at a nice, new trail map, we were able to pick a route to follow
out to Arroyo Park and eventually North Chuckanut Trailhead for pickup. 
Pressing on down the trail the boys were faced with a
pop-quiz on plant ID. Not only is navigation about map and compass, but a lot
can be determined by tracking the plants that are growing all around us.
Additionally many of these plants can aid us in our travels; food, medicine,
tools, even toilet paper, they can all be found in the forest if we know where
to look. We identified Western Red Cedar, Sword Fern, Cottonwood, Big Leaf
Maple, Salmon Berry, Thimble Berry, Vine Maple, and a variety of other plant
species as we traveled down the trail. At each one we discussed identification
properties and what uses each plant provides us. This was a great way to pass
the time and revitalize our natural history knowledge as we get back into the
groove of exploration and adventure.
Following our route we crossed through a few more junctions
and finally made our way to Arroyo Park. Here we found a nice little place to
dip off the side of the trail, set up camp under a lovely Western Red Cedar
that sheltered us from the light sprinkle of rain that started up, and jump
right into a game of Spider’s Web. This was something the Storm Wolves needed
no help doing and were soon off sneaking through the Sword Fern in pursuit of
the food source. After some trial and error, the Flies found a weakness in the
Spider’s defenses and secured the food source. Flies win! This was a quick yet
exciting game that got us back into the mindset of maneuvering off trail.
With just enough time for a closing circle, we gathered up
and passed around the apple slices to share. One of the mentors reminded the
Explorers of why it is important to give thanks, and why we need to respect one
another especially while opening up and sharing gratitude. Our cups truly overflow
with all that we have in our lives, our friends, family, clothing, food, homes,
woods to explore, time to play games, and a community that supports us. There
is so much to be thankful for that we often forget about it all and there is
nothing like listening to others share what they are grateful for to remind us
of those little things we sometimes forget about. With apples in our bellies
and gratitude in our hearts we loaded up and hit the trail for a quick hike out
to the trailhead. Dropping down to the parking lot we successfully navigated
along Chuckanut Ridge, down to Arroyo Park and out to the North Chuckanut
Trailhead. Quite an accomplishment for a pack of wild boys who despite
appearing a bit unfocused, were able to utilize map and compass to navigate,
and identify over a dozen plant species and discuss their various traits and
uses. What a great way to kick off our fall season and welcome in a new chapter
of exploration and adventure in the Pacific Northwest. Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from our outing here!
