Storm Wolves – Lizard Lake – 9/10/17
The Storm Wolves gathered together at Samish Woods
Montessori for their first outing of the 2017/18 BEC year. Reuniting, we
quickly noticed that there were some unfamiliar faces in our group as well as a
few faces missing. As a group we introduced a few new members who were joining
us from other groups as well as acknowledged a few long time Storm Wolves who
had transitioned to new groups of their own. Additionally, the Storm Wolves
were introduced to their new mentor, Adam, who will be joining the Storm Wolves
for the 2017/18 season. Adam will have a tough task trying to fill the shoes of
Jedidiah who is now working as full time instructor with Alderleaf Wilderness
College. Though we will miss Jedidiah and the depth of natural history and
primitive skills he brought, Adam brings his own powers to this group as a
father and someone who has a deep and lifelong connection to the wilderness. We
are excited to see how Adam’s energy and passion for helping others connect to
the natural world will emanate throughout this group.
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| Checking the trailhead board for any info that may help us explore |
With our check in out of the way it was time to load up and
head out. We cruised along the east coast of Lake Samish as we approached our
destination; Blanchard Mountain. A short drive up a logging road and we were at
the trailhead. Per usual, we passed out jobs, discussed our game plan for the
day, inspected the info station at the trailhead, and hit the trail. Along the
way the mentors shared tips and strategies on how to manage a group traveling
through the wilderness. Variables like pace, weather, trail condition, taking
breaks, and checking in with the group consistently all play key roles in safe
wilderness travel.
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| Turning up the Alternate Incline Trail |
Along the way we passed a bounty of Western Hemlock that
exuded a surplus of dead, dry branches that would be ideal for starting fires.
It just so happened that the Storm
Wolves were prompted with the task of starting a fire with matches upon our
arrival at Lizard Lake, however, time and time again they passed by these ideal
resources. The mentors attempted to give the group hints by gathering materials
themselves, yet the Storm Wolves seemed more interested in rekindling their group
comradery (which is a fair trade off for the mentors!). As we neared the lake,
the mentors gave a big reminder that prompted a flurry of fire starting
material procurement.
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| Harvesting Western Hemlock for kindling bundles |
Arriving at the lake, we settled in, ate some food, and
quickly transitioned to our fire starting pop quiz. The group was split into
three sub groups who were each provided with three matches. The first group
took their kindling bundle of fine, dry Western Hemlock branches and lit their
first match; close but no fire. The second match proved tantalizingly close to
igniting the bundle but was snuffed out just before taking off. For the third
and final match, the team regrouped and through strong focus and intention
willed the flame from the match head to spread throughout the rest of the bundle;
success! To the dismay of the Storm Wolves, Tim quickly stomped out the flame
of the first bundle as we transitioned to the second group. Having gleaned some
insight from the first group’s trial and error, the second and third groups
both proved they learned something last season by getting their bundles burning
strongly with only one match! As the Storm Wolves warmed various items from
their lunch over the flames, the mentor’s hearts were warmed by the notion that
this group truly retained the skills they developed in the spring time when
they were first introduced to the Art of Fire, the benefits of Western Hemlock,
and the intricacies of manipulating matches to maximize their effectiveness.
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| Exploring Lizard Lake |
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| Testing our balancing skills while looking for more Hemlock branches |
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| Signs of beaver were all around |
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| We even found a few frogs! |
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| Igniting the kindling bundle with a match |
With our skills work out of the way we decided on a whim to
make a strong push up to the summit of the North Butte. The mentors set a quick
pace, but the Storm Wolves kept up without missing a beat. Before we knew it we
were scrambling up a rocky out cropping and were greeted by a vast view of the
San Juan Islands. Soaking it in, taking a few moments to snack and rehydrate we
relocated to the east side of the butte for an incredible view of Mt Baker.
Finally we moved to the north of the butte where we carefully situated
ourselves beside the northern cliffs that dropped away to a sea of conifers
blanketing the Chuckanuts, offering a foreground for the ever sprawling
Bellingham and glimpse further north into Canada. This is a special place for
Tim, as the North Butte was one of the first places he ventured to regularly
with his friends while he was establishing his personal connection to the
natural world. Having the opportunity to share this place and its inspiring
views with the Storm Wolves will be something he won’t forget any time soon.
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| Checking out the San Juan Islands from atop the North Butte |
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| An look to the east revealed this view of Mt Baker |
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| Gathering for our closing circle with plentiful views to be thankful for |
Running short on time we had a quick circle of thanks atop
the North Butte before cruising back past Lizard Lake, down the Alternate
Incline Trail, and back to the bus. The mentors reflected afterwards that we
really pushed the Storm Wolves on this outing. We asked a lot of them from
physically hiking over five miles and gaining a couple thousand feet of
vertical elevation to mentally tasking them with remembering the intricacies of
fire starting after a heavy dose of rain the day before. However, not only did
the Storm Wolves respond without missing a beat, but they did so while
welcoming new group members (and a new mentor) with open arms, had smiles
plastered on their faces all day, and were still eager for adventure upon
return to the bus. This proved to be an incredibly strong beginning to our
2017/18 year of Explorers Club and leaves mentors and Storm Wolves alike eager
for our upcoming adventures together.
Check out the rest of our photos from our outing
here!
