The Daredevil's Club Traverse Chuckanut Ridge

We couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous day for the DareDevils Club to kick of the Spring 2015 season. Blue skies, sunshine beaming down upon us through the trees, a new explorer to welcome to the DDC, and a traverse along Chuckanut Ridge awaiting us. As we began our ascent to the ridge, we became aware not only of the plentiful bird language, but also of a beautiful outlook to over the San Juan Islands. What a wonderful place to take a moment and fuel up or bodies with lunch before hitting the brunt of the hiking. Maintaining proper energy levels and nutrition on a hike will be key for those of the DDC who will be going on the backpacking trip this summer. This is just one of the many skills the DDC will be focusing on this season as we prepare ourselves for a summer time multi-night backpacking trip. 

Soon enough we were at a junction in the trail. What better place to get out the map and compass and figure out where the heck we are?! Many variables are at play with navigation, so the boys took a moment to focus on their surroundings and focus their awareness. The sun, the landscape, landmarks in the distance, sounds. Next we transitioned to map and compass to ascertain more information to help our decision making. Finally we settled on a route and took the left path instead of the right. Perhaps a seemingly simple decision, yet one path led toward home and the other away from home. The difference between warmth, shelter, and food, or a cold, dark, hungry night in the woods.

As we traversed upon the upper most section of the ridge, we were suddenly surrounded by a new noise. Not one easily heard at first, but more like a meandering stream in the distance. Only this stream flowed with cars not water. Without the mountain to deflect the sound waves, the interstate suddenly became very aware to us. Along with the new noise was a tremendous view of Mt. Baker glowing in the afternoon sunlight. These observations not only help us hone or senses, but are vital bits of information that we can patch together to determine our location and the direction we must go.

Descending down the northern most section of the ridge we began to notice one of the concentric rings extending outward from our unseasonably early spring. Sprouts and buds. All around us plants were beginning to push out fresh new leaves, some even beginning to open up there flowers. Incredible at this time of year! Not only is it fascinating to witness the arrival of Indian Plum and Salmonberry blossoms, but to notice the arrival of the Roufus Hummingbird and other creatures who rely on these flowers for nourishment. What will happen when the Salmonberries are ripening? Will the Swainson’s Thrush know to plan a return flight from Southern Mexico three weeks earlier than usual?

After some pop quiz plant I.D. to pass the time on the trail, we finally arrived at Arroyo Park. There’s nothing quite like a giant glacial erratic with an enormous downed tree teetering atop it to suck explorers into a vortex of interaction with their natural environment. Free play; there truly is nothing quite like it. 

Alas, to end our day we gathered upon the top of the large boulder for a closing circle. While sharing apple slices we each shared something we were grateful for in that moment. This gave us a pause in our journey to reflect on where we had been, what we had done, and what we will be taking with us from this experience. Some of us taking home bird language in our ears, others a lesson on the difference between what you can do and what you should do, but all of us learned a thing or two about the concentric rings of influence that ripple out from an action we, others, or the natural world makes.

Make sure to check out the photo gallery from our outing! There you can see all the pictures from our outing.

Scouting Arroyo Park with the Daredevil’s Club

On a clear, frigid, nor’easter morning, the Daredevil’s Club met at North Chuckanut Trailhead for a scouting outing! In Explorers’ Club Scouting refers to an exploration during which we travel, or traverse, from one place to another. It involves dedicated supporters who can drop us one place and pick us up at another. Thank you parents and partners of mentors who helped facilitate this experience!

This was the day when we learned about and practiced the motto, Dance to the beat of your own drummer. We played a game that involved dancing, so that Asher could learn everyone’s name and we could simultaneously realize the value of being different. Asher is a member of the Firestalkers group and also involved in the Explorers Mentoring Apprentice (EMA) program. He joined us for the day and added tremendously to the DDC’s experience.

We started our hike up the hill and enjoyed a small lunch break at a quiet bend in the trail. Of course we played Hide and then Incoming because the surroundings were perfect areas to camouflage. Ask your Explorer the difference between these two games.

As we hiked onwards, Asher taught many Explorers about licorice root. The root is a part of the Licorice Fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza) which is a native plant to the Pacific Northwest. Many Daredevil’s Club Explorers can recognize this plant and how to successfully and responsibly harvest it. Next time you are outdoors with your Explorer, please ask him to identify this plant and maybe you too can taste the sweetness that our environment has to offer!

A bit further up the trail, we dropped our packs, made a base camp, and played a wild game of Spiders Web. With two flags and two spiders it was a challenging round, and only teamwork could save the flies. Though the flies were the winners, all Explorers learned about the natural world by hiding and crawling around in the underbrush.

We gathered round and heard a story about a professor at Western who has gone legally blind, but now leads groups of “sighted” folks out in the woods and teaches them about birds and trees.  He “sees” with his other senses and teaches others to see in this way.  We discussed how important it is to have people with different ways of seeing and being in a group.

We then decided to experience a different way of seeing with a drum stalk. In this activity, blindfolded Explorers learn to see with their feet and trust their ears while scampering about slowly in the forest. The goal is to walk toward the drum beats they hear and to patiently study a landscape they can’t see. In the end their environmental awareness increases because they engage with the land with more than just their eyes. Apples awaited our arrival at the drum!

As Explorers figuratively danced to their own drum beats throughout the day, there were times of discord. But these proved invaluable experiences as we explored the theme of “escalation” and how to create a discourse of listening, compassion, and forgiveness. We are on the road to creating space for others to move to their own beats as well. And the words, “I’m sorry,” have become a part of the DDC culture.

As light faded into grey, our traverse ended with a sit spot by Arroyo Creek. For a couple minutes at the end of a long outing, Explorers had more time to hear their beat and connect it with the music of the natural world too. When we all got back together it was clear that the rhythms of nature, self, and community were running through us and that were open to hearing it. Our ending Circle of Thanks brought us back to the motto,Attitude of Gratitude.

Again, thanks parents and supporters for facilitating this traverse. And a big thank you to you Explorers for the courage to dance to your own beat and to accept the dances of others.

Please check out more images from this outing in the photo gallery. And be prepared for the next outing too! To get a richer understanding of Explorers’ Club and the themes that guide our activities please look at our mottos.