It was a blustery Sunday afternoon as the boys gathered at the Galby Lane parking lot. It was no secret this was a beautiful day as numerous cars packed the tiny parking lot and many mountain bikers made their way over to the Galbraith trails. However, for the explorers, all our adventures awaited us just beyond the stand of young alders that separated the parking lot from the mature forest wonderland full of mystery and adventure. With all the boys present and accounted for we were ready to begin the outing.
The outing began as all good outings do: with an opening circle. These opening circles are of the utmost importance to set our intentions for the day and get us all back into the Explorers Club mindset. We chatted for a bit about our earth skills focus for this season; The Art of Carving. Each boy either brought their carving project from last outing, or picked out a fresh piece of wood to begin a new project. In order to get the boys in the right state of mind for carving, we decided to begin the outing with a sit spot.
Once we got a ways back into the woods, we hopped off trail and found a cozy place to set up shop. Each boy shared what they wanted to carve, and then all the boys found a quiet place to settle down, calm their minds and bodies, and begin envisioning their masterpiece. It was a great thing to see this group of boys so calm, quiet, and focused. They set strong intentions for their carving time and transitioned seamlessly from sit spot to confident and composed carvers exhibiting superb technique and concentration.
Everything was going well until we heard a loud CRACK off in the distance, followed by a rush of rustling leaves and resounding boom as a large tree was brought down by the persistent winds. It was a ways off, but still a strong reminder to this group of boys of the power of the forest. The Grey Fox Kits are no novices when it comes to widow makers having had a close call last fall with a tall cherry tree. All the boys came together with the mentors and upon inspecting our surroundings, felt it best to find a better clearing to carve, away from any potentially hazardous trees.
We were faced with two options: return to the parking lot and carve beside the cars and mountain bikers for another three hours, or hike further into the woods to a deforested strip of land that had been clear cut to create a tree free path for the power lines. Both options were not ideal but we decided it was time to move and we’d rather remain surrounded by the green of the forest and ferns than the grey of metal and gravel. So we headed out down the trail towards the clear cut where we hoped to resume our carving without the hazards of our current location.
Along the trail we marveled at the beauty of the forest with a keen eye focused on the trees. Although we were scanning for widow makers and other hazards, we began to notice more patterns and intricacies within the trees than we ever had before. It’s beautiful when the old adage holds true: the more you look, the more you see. But despite all our looking and seeing, it was what we heard that caught our attention.
Another loud crack, but this time not off in the distance, a sound that was felt as much as it was heard. We all looked up in unison as a large branch from an alder burst from the canopy and began descending upon us. There were only moments to take action but the boys drew upon their past experiences and reacted with the swiftness of a sparrow to swoop out of the way. When the branched landed on the trail next to us it was a moment filled with adrenaline, emotion, and amazement. There is a lot for a person to process when faced with such an experience. Many of the boys were scared, as they should be, because they were faced with the reality that bad things can happen to anyone, including themselves. Many of the boys were overcome with a flood of emotion as would anyone, young or old, in such a situation. And many of the boys were filled with an exhilaration and rush of adrenaline that left them bubbling over with excitement because they were touched by the vast awesomeness and immense power that is imbued within the natural world. No matter how the boys reacted, however, it was time to get out of the woods, and fast.
We all hustled back down the trail headlong for the parking lot. Despite the chaos, something magical happened in this moment. All the boys were running. Some even still had tears on their face; evidence of the extreme emotions within them taking physical form and being released through their tear ducts, but all the boys kept looking back. They may have been excited, scared, or flooded full of so many other unexplainable emotions, but they still looked back. They weren’t looking back to see if more branches were falling, or if something else was coming to harm them, no, they were looking back for their fellow explorers. They were looking back for their friends, their brothers, their family. It was in this moment that it was undeniably apparent these boys care deeply for each other. Perhaps they won’t admit it, or even be fully aware of it themselves, but it was clear to the mentors that these boys share a deep bond with one another. They may all be incredibly unique individuals but they will forever share experiences like the one they shared today and will forever be able to come together as the Grey Fox Kits, or perhaps the Widowmaker Warriors would be a better fit.
Upon arriving at the parking lot we rallied together, checked in with one another, and formulated a game plan for the rest of the outing. We decided to ferry the boys carload by carload to the big field next to the Lake Padden dog park where we could finally relax and revel in the glorious wind. We laughed and played and celebrated our wellbeing. Our circle of thanks at the end of the day was filled with a sincerity that can only be felt while reflecting upon such a powerful experience. All in all it was an incredible day. Incredibly focused carving, incredibly emotional experiences, incredibly relieved to be alright, incredibly happy to get lost in play, and incredibly thankful for our well being, the well being of those close to us, and the powerful experiences mother nature provides us.
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