Storm Wolves Showdown Games Day with the Branch Hoppers

The Branch Hoppers and Storms Wolves met at Lookout Mountain for a day of games. The outing also marked the third time in the fall season that the boys had shared an outing together. Once everyone arrived the group hiked out in search of Steve and Brian who were busy setting up the course for, Life and Death in the Forest.

The morning was brisk and damp and a great reminder that without the proper gear and preparation for the day this combination of weather can be a miserable experience. Making their rendezvous with the mentors, the group circled up to listen to the rules of the game while they snacked on some food.

The mentors explained that Life and Death in the Forest teaches us about the intricacies of the food web through playful embodiment of those who call the forest home. Herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores make up the basic players in the game with food and water sources represented by cards hanging from string scattered throughout the playing field. A player not only has to collect a certain amount of food and water sources in an allotted time, they must also keep their own life which is represented by a specific number of rubber bands depending upon one’s status within the food chain.

With our game set up, the rules explained, and participants prepped, all that was left was to start. The herbivores got a head start to disperse into the landscape and begin stealthily scouring the forest for food and water. Next the Omnivores were sent off needing to pick a priority of plant food, water, or hunting to begin the game. Finally, the carnivores were let loose much to the dismay of the herbivores and omnivores who now flinched at every twig snapped and fern rustled.

For twenty minutes Explorers and Mentors alike ran, crawled, climbed, ducked, dove, scurried and scampered. The struggle between life and death becomes surprisingly real when time starts running out and the only thing standing between you and that last food source is a hungry Carnivore licking his chops for a shot at one last meal.

At the end of the round we circled back up and debriefed our experience. Initially we had picked what we thought would be a balanced ecosystem, but it turned out that the herbivore and omnivore populations had been demolished. This was a great time for the group to think about what would happen the next year to our population of carnivores. Picking new roles and trying once more to balance our numbers within the food web we played another round.

Coming in a half an hour later tired and sweaty the group circled up once again to debrief. The Explorers struggled to focus and the mentors had difficulty tracking whether it was environmental factors at play or if the boys had just reached their limit. This was a great time to talk about our expectations for the elder EC groups to be present during our outings and take initiative. After a few more reminders and some unfocused leadership the boys made the decision to clean up the game, have a closing circle, and then head back to the trailhead so that the Storm Wolves could show the Branch Hoppers their favorite game, Where’s My Egg? Although they had difficultly making decisions the boys held a solid closing circle and shared what they were thankful for openly and honestly.

Back at the trailhead the mentors took a step back to watch the Explorers try and get their game together. Similarly to what the mentors had experienced, the boys talked over one another causing some frustration and confusion. The group was able to overcome this hurdle and it was fun to watch their playfulness and companionship engaged with one another. This ended our games day on a high note and the group internalized their need for focus during circle time. The mentors also learned an important lesson that occasionally we need to step back and observe the dynamics of the group in order to be more targeted and effective mentors.

For more pictures for our Showdown outing please visit the photo album from the day. Thanks for reading!

Storm Wolves Get Back to the Basics at Stewart Mountain

The Storm Wolves arrived at North Lake Whatcom Trailhead on an overcast day. We were getting ready to practice Wilderness Travel skills and taking the next step on our journey learning the Art of Fire. Hiking the trail leading up Stewart Mountain we crossed through the power line clearing and got off trail to settle in for the day. Since we spent so much time on our first outing of the season hiking up to Lizard Lake and the North Butte, we decided to set up a base camp and hunker down in the same spot for the day.

Exploring and hanging out before practicing skills

Starting off we spent some time exploring our surroundings and getting oriented to the area. The mentors took this time to prep for our skills lesson and let some of the Storm Wolves get a head start on fire starting with a ferrocerium rod (aka “ferro rod” or “fire steel”). With everyone getting enough time to explore we gathered together for our opening circle. The group had a discussion around what materials are important to have with you for “surviving” in the outdoors. A simple method of the “Five C’s” is an easy way to help prioritize; Cutting, Combustion, Container, Coordage, and Cover. All of these items are prioritized by what is the most beneficial in maintaining your “Rule of 3’s” (3 minutes without air, 3 hours exposure to inclement weather, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food) and what is the most difficult to reproduce in nature.

Starting a fire with a Ferro Rod is much easier than making a bow-drill kit!

To mix things up, the mentors wrapped up the lesson and tossed out a tarp for the Storm Wolves to try and set up. This was a pop-quiz of sorts and as the mentors stepped back the Storm Wolves took a minute and quickly formed into a circle and began to collaborate and compromise on how to set up the tarp. It was great to see this group draw on their group decision making skills that they have been honing for the past few years. With a little bit of a struggle they got the tarp up and tried to all squeeze under it. After reviewing their strategy, the mentors shared some tips, taught how to tie a “trucker’s hitch” and set up the tarp in a basic ridge-line set up. 

Circling up to Collaborate and Compromise on how to set up the tarp

The finished product was creative but managed to fit everyone in despite the close quarters

The mentors then demonstrated a "ridge line" set up which offered up a bit more space!

The simple yet effective "Trucker's Hitch"

After our tarp excercise we transitioned to basic fire starting methods focusing on using the ferro rod, and cedar bark processed into a tinder bundle. Additionally we learned about “fatwood” that is the resinous wood you can find in old stumps.   

Working together to learn how to use a ferro rod

Success!

Finally, we rallied to get in a few rounds of Spider’s Web. It was great to see this group get out playing games again, laughing, sneaking through the ferns, and even getting creative by engineering a portable fern blind to hide behind.

Making a portable Sword Fern blind for Spider's Web

Where did he go!?

This was a great outing for this group to get grounded back into the basics of Explorers Club. We got off trail, explored, learned some skills, and played some games. Most importantly we collaborated and compromised and managed to continue developing group comradery incorporating our newer members. This group is always a ton of fun to be a part of on outings and a breath of fresh air for the mentors who are trying to break in some new groups. Their resiliency, creativity, ability to focus when needed yet get lost in the moment, and overall perpetually positive morale makes each outing not only fun for the group, but something the mentors look forward to each month. 

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