Coping with the Cold and Growing as a Group at Lookout Mountain

Getting excited to explore the mountain!

Arriving at Lookout Mountain on a chilly winter morning, the Storm Wolves were excited to be back out exploring the forest. Our last outing consisted of a more focused, stationary, skill in coal blowing spoons at Larrabee State Park and it was clear these Explorers were ready to romp in the woods and play some games. Gathering up we took a look at the map and picked out a destination for our base camp. Hiking along the trail we cruised quickly up to the waterfall lookout where we paused for a snack and some water before continuing on. Our final destination was just a ways about the waterfall where we found a nice flat area to set up shop.

Keen on seeing what we could find, we dropped our packs and spread out to investigate the nearby creek and follow it to the top of the waterfall where we were able to peer down at our snack spot and get a new perspective of the landscape. Although playing near a creek poses some challenges on a chilly day, we managed to get away with only a couple wet boots and some lessons learned in “slow is fast and fast is slow.” The rest of the outing those of us that rushed the stream crossing were reminded of this lesson as we had to figure out how to manage our body temperature and suffer a little bit to learn our lesson. 

Hiking down to check out the waterfall

Enjoying the view

After exploring for a bit it was time for a game of Spider’s Web. Although not everyone played, those that did found the thick Salmon Berry and uneven terrain an favorable area for Flies to sneak up on the food source. That being said, the Spider was on top of his game today and managed to make life very difficult for the Flies. While most of us were playing the game, those of us who were feeling the cold a bit more than others campaigned for a fire. Recalling back to our past outings the boys spread out in search of Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar bark, and we even found some “fat wood” or chunks of food that can be found in rotting stumps that is saturated with resinous sap. There was plenty of downed limbs that were dry and off the ground for us to harvest and saw into manageable sizes, and soon we had all the pieces to the puzzle to start a fire.

Processing fuel for the fire

Fat-wood shavings, Cedar bark nest, and Western Hemlock kindling bundle ready to go!

Sitting back and trying to let the Storm Wolves take the charge on starting the fire, the mentors noticed that these guys were still having difficulty stepping up and taking the lead. Out sympathy, and a bit of boredom, the mentors helped the group prepare the materials and with a strike of a ferro rod from that one of the Explorers had brought we had our first flames. Still, there wasn’t much initiative taken by the Storm Wolves to tend the fire and we soon were back to square one. Reprocessing our tinder and kindling we tried for round two and were a bit more successful this time. With some assistance from the mentors we finally got a reasonable little fire going, elevated on a platform of logs and only large enough to warm our hands, to help ward off the cold. 

Using a ferro rod to create a hot spark to ignite the fire

As our outing wound to a close, some of us found time to try and make a quick atl-atl, an ancient spear throwing device that functions much like a “chuck-it” tennis ball flinger used for playing fetch with dogs. With only a little time left and only a few smoldering embers left to our fire we finished with closing circle. After sharing some gratitude and apple slices we made sure to properly care for our fire and cover up our tracks to ensure we left no trace. Douse the embers with water until everything was cool to the touch, digging a pit and burying any of the charred material, scattering any leftover scraps from processing the wood, and sprinkling a fresh layer of duff on top of the disturbed area we effectively covered our tracks and left the area as close to the way we found it as we could. 

Getting the fire bundle going, transitioning to adding fuel to the fire

Although we had some fantastic moments of exploration, play, and skills work, the mentors were left a little unsatisfied in how this group handled themselves today. There was a need for the mentors to really reign in the interruptions during circle, a need for the mentors to significantly assist in the process of fire making and tending, and a bit too much complaining about the cold without taking any initiative to try and improve the situation by the Explorers who were unhappy with the chilly winter weather. This by no means is to say this wasn’t a very fun and memorable outing, but after many years in Explorers Club and a couple really strong seasons under their belts, this group is held to a higher standard than most and there were multiple opportunities this outing for them to step up when they didn’t. Although some of this is likely due to new group members settling in and old group members learning how to step up as leaders, the mentors will make sure we hold ourselves to a higher standard on future outings. With only a few seasons left before graduation, it is our hope that this group can get it together and have a strong, productive, and fruitful finish to their Explorers Club experience. They are more than capable of it, but only time will tell.

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

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 make fire in the rain

Last time we met, the Storm Wolves were greeted with a shining winter sun. This time around, we were met with the light rain more typical of our region. Our focus being the Art of Fire, this presented us with the perfect opportunity to take our fire lighting skills to the next level. Last time we were out each of the boys were given a single wooden match. This time the group was given a book of paper matches with only four matches remaining, and challenged to ignite a small fire. First however, we had to find an appropriate location.

Planning and navgation

Heading over to the map, we figured out where it was we had been last time we visited Lookout Mountain and a general area we thought we might like to set up our base camp. A course of action decided upon, we headed out along the trail. We stopped and checked out the remains of a deer that had died some weeks ago and discussed what could have happened to it. Only the spine and skull remained and we decided that coyotes must have been feeding on it for so little of the deer to remain.

Investigating a deer carcass and wondering what could have happened

With the boys leading the way, we soon arrived at our destination and cut off the trail to look for a place to set up shop. Once we thinking about setting up and lighting a fire, the first thing everyone noticed was how much wetter it was today than last time we started a fire. It was obviously going to be more difficult to get the fire going this time around. After deciding on a location and doing a little site preparation we discussed what it would take to light a fire in these conditions. Our mentors, Tim and Jedidiah, showed the boys how to collect and prepare bundles of the finest Western Hemlock twigs for kindling, and everyone went out in search of this necessary fuel.

Setting up shop

Kindling

Once we all reconvened with our twig bundles, we realized that the difficulty wouldn't end there. Now we actually had to get them to light. We reviewed some of the lessons we learned on our last outing; remembering that the three pillars of fire are oxygen, heat, and fuel, as well as that fire will always travel upwards through fuel. And so began the process of ignition. One, two, three matches were used with limited success. The fourth match was used and although fire caught in the twigs, it didn't hold. We all came together and discussed the difficulties of fire and where we would go from here. One of the boys remembered he had some wooden matches and everyone decided the wanted to keep trying. The twig bundle we built was rearranged and improved, and with just a single wooden match fire sprang to life in the kindling. We started laying on finger thick wood we had collected earlier and after a few minutes added some wrist thick wood.

The final paper match

Building up

With some team efforts at stoking the flames and arranging fuel, our fire became self sustaining. As is apparently now tradition, we all dug through our packs to find anything we could to roast. This time included such gourmet delights as peanuts, orange slices, a cheese stick, and a granola bar. After making sure our fire was fully extinguished and erased we headed out happy with our accomplishments and looking forward to our next adventure with the Art of Fire. Next time we'll be heading out to Pine and Cedar Lakes for an epic day of hiking and exploration!

Be sure to check out the rest of the pics from this outing here.

The Storm Wolves Play in the Wind at Lookout Mountain

Yet again, the Storm Wolves live up to their name as they ventured out onto Lookout Mountain for their second outing of the year. The incoming weather system brought with it blustery conditions and a drizzle of rain. Luckily, the Storm Wolves weren’t the only group at Lookout Mountain today; the Branch Hoppers were also meeting at this location. The mentors thought it would be great fun to bring the groups together for a gigantic game of Spider’s Web to start off the outing before splitting off for the rest of our outings. 

The Storm Wolves and Branch Hoppers combined opening circle/name game

Making a big two-group circle, we played a name game to get a little more familiar with one another and had opening circles before hitting the trail. But before we could get more than a few steps an ambulance pulled up to the gate and paramedics hopped out. This was odd, but we made sure to get off the side of the trail and out of the way as best we could. The paramedics opened up the gate, hopped back into the ambulance and cruised up the trail past us. We found out from the other group, who spoke to one of the paramedics, that someone had called in a possible allergic reaction to a bee sting and there was potentially a hiker up the trail going into anaphylaxis shock! This was a wake up call that sometimes things don’t go as planned in the forest, and we hoped for the best for all involved in the incident. Further along the trail we had a second ambulance arrive on the scene and as they parked and unloaded at the trail junction they asked if they could commandeer a backpack to haul their gear up the trail. Of course we obliged and one of the mentors unloaded his gear into an extra dry bag and handed off his pack for the paramedics to use. We were just glad we could help in whatever way possible! (FYI we got the pack back at the end of the outing at the fire station)

The ambulance driving up the trail!

Everyone hunkered down in the forest for snacks before our big game of Spider's Web

Carrying on with the rest of our outing we trekked down a trail to find a good location for our game of Spider’s Web. Satisfied with what we had found, we hunkered down for snack and some water while a few of us set up the course. A few minutes later we were lost in play, sneaking through the forest, scampering down hillsides, hiding in hollows, and just having a blast getting lost in the moment. The game was fairly challenging and stretched some edges, but in the end we were all just glad to get out in the forest exploring through play. While the game carried on the wind picked up a bit and the alder stand behind us swayed in the breeze. For a few of us this was a bit unnerving given the history of the group, but after the game was over we parted ways with the Branch Hoppers and trekked back into the more established forest near the waterfall for lunch.

Storm Wolves hiking down the trail

Playing "Where's My Egg?" at the waterfall after lunch

 Hanging out this group always finds a way to have fun. Jokes and horsing around were in abundance. After lunch the Storm Wolves decided to play one of their all-time favorite games: Where’s My Egg? For such a simple game, these boys have so much fun, and learn so much at the same time! They organize themselves, work through disagreements, goof off, and eventually end up in a gigantic dog pile trying to steal the “egg” from the nest. Everyone ends up having a blast and the group shows so much cohesion and comradery during this game that it is difficult to call an end to it. But alas, it was time for closing circle. Giving some gratitude and hiking out, it was great to see how this group has grown and how they were able to overcome some unsettled nerves during the blustery moments by the alder grove to have a fantastic outing of playfulness and goofing off in the forest. Next up is our service outing where this group will be called upon to be role models for the younger group and help guide our stewardship outing at the Connelly Creek Service Site. For some reason I think this group will be up for the challenge!

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

A pack of Storm Wolves eager to get started playing "Wheres My Egg"