Tracking Larrabee State Park with the Jumping Mice

We could sense it was going to be a good outing when we found ourselves basking in cool sunshine as we gathered for a different kind of adventure on Sunday. What a great day for the Jumping Mice to begin their spring season! 

After a last minute change of drop off location (thanks for being flexible, parents/guardians), we set out to traverse from the Lost Lake trailhead to the Larrabee State Park camp area along the west side of Chuckanut Drive. After crossing Chuckanut, Mentors Jedidiah and Brian talked with the boys about tracking...they wanted to play in the creek. In fact, there was considerable “antsiness" in the ranks. Opening and decision circles were marked by repeated talking over of the speaker. We talked with the boys about respect; of course it didn’t help that Mentor Brian forgot our “Talking Stick”, an important tool in our efforts to bring a tone of decorum to our circles. We are, each one of us, continually working to improve how we treat each other. 

So, after some free exploration, we hiked north intending to play Spider’s Web along the way, but chose instead to try an unknown trail. It led us to a spectacular overlook of the islands and Salish Sea, a bonus on this clear day. We took a break, then participated in a tracking activity, which seemed to sharpen the Explorer’s focus. We then finished our traverse to the camping area, where we were joined shortly by parents and friends for a pot luck dinner/campfire. The weather contributed to a fun, safe social time.

I think the Mentors learned an important lesson with the change in the boy’s behavior when we introduced the structured tracking activity. We should do more of this. We saw a similar response to a navigation activity last year. We’ll try to incorporate this approach more in future outings.

Perhaps the view should get credit for calming the Jumping Mice. It was just after we took in this spectacular vista that we tried our hands at tracking and the tone of the outing improved.

Scanning through these photos I noticed that there was more interaction that didn't involve physical contact, a sign these boys are getting older. In fact, yesterday was Archer's tenth birthday. Happy birthday, Archer!

One of the Explorers is into geo-tracking and knew of a geocache along our route; needless to say, we couldn't not investigate.

In the camp area, the boys spied a rabbit, a few nests and investigated a stream. This curiosity is a critical foundation for tracking. Now, Mentors Brian and Jedidiah just need to stoke that curiosity!

Parents and Explorers work to set up our potluck.

Congregating around a campfire provides an excellent place for socializing and relationship building.

Our skill for the spring is Tracking and Bird Language. As Mentor Jedidiah introduced our tracking activity, one of the boys asked, “I’m an animal; should I track myself?”, to which Jedidiah responded, “That’s the end of the trail.” I’m pretty sure the boys thought he was joking, but there was wisdom in the question as well as the response. As Jed pointed out, whether tracking animals or one’s self, it helps to begin by slowing down and becoming more aware of yourself and your surroundings. No illusions here that the Jumping Mice are going to “get it” any time soon, but be assured that our purpose doesn’t end when we find “scat”, exciting though that no doubt will be for the boys.

More photos here. We next get to explore the Stimpson Family Nature Preserve - on Sunday, March 26. Thanks for all your support with the potluck/campfire gathering — great fun. 

The Jumping Mice explore N. Chuckanut and Arroyo; 12/4/16

A jumping mouse is a humble creature. Yet, in the Jumping Mouse story passed down from the indigenous northwest peoples, our hero stretches his edge (see mottos) and emerges a much more complete critter. 

Our Jumping Mice Sunday showed many signs that they’re on a similar journey. As individuals and as a group, they walked unfamiliar trails, crossed barriers (streams, fears), engaged risk in a careful and confident way and collaborated on a shared goal. 

With the help of a useful tool called a talking stick, they focused better in circle. We discussed that while it’s called a talking stick, as much as anything it’s about listening to honor the speaker. This creates the setting in which any boy is free to speak from his heart knowing his peers will respect his thoughts and feelings. An ambitious goal, to be sure. First step, calm the group. We made good progress with that on this outing.

Led by their appointed Tribal Elder, they planned and executed a project to build a fort while learning about ethical harvesting (our skill for the fall). Wild Whatcom believes that when you engage a child’s natural passions, the boys connect heart and soul with your message and embrace, often unknowingly, the learning. So, rather than talking about how to cut a branch off a live tree for your shelter, we put them to work building a fort using downed materials and a live branch or two which we harvested in a way that minimized damage to the tree. Ask your Explorer what we did with the fort’s insulating leaves when we were finished and why.

With mentor guidance and little else, they also carried out several Boys Explorers Club cultural mainstays such as the sit spot, circular leadership and thanksgiving. On our first ever outing last year, one of the Explorers wound up in a sticker bush in the middle of our sit spot. Given that the 5 S’s of a sit spot are Solo, Silent, Still, Safe and Senses, no one should ever wind up stuck in a bush! Well, what a difference a year makes. We had very few distracting moments on this sit spot, a key building block for connecting with nature in this profound way.

Whew! It was a very full, and fulfilling day. 

If you've hiked from the N. Chuckanut trailhead, you know the trail...except we went the other way. Ask your Explorer about how the creeks are running (hint: fast, with lots of energy and wonderful noise).

So......how did this Coho jaw bone make it THAT far up the hill?

The boys organized themselves into gatherers and designers/builders and we were soon under way with our fort project.

They don't seem troubled by the lack of insulating material. However, the structure was sound so with more leaves and fern fronds, they'd have a fort that all 12 of them could fit in...mostly.

If your Explorer is having trouble relating what we did with the insulating leaves, show him this picture.

An engineering marvel.

Another child passion is sneaking and hiding. Spider's Web is a great game for learning how best to do that.

Why walk on the trail?

Mentors Brian and Joey were impressed by your Explorer’s burgeoning inner strength on this outing. Like the jumping mouse in the story, they showed an independence we hadn’t seen before. It feels like our foundation is forming. It’ll no doubt be a two-steps-forward, one-step-backward progression as your boys morph into adolescence. Even the jumping mouse returned home to rethink his actions. But from our perch, we’re seeing the fruits of your incessant labor with these boys. We’re honored to contribute, however humbly, to that vital work.

Remember, we’re going to have an outing during the winter as part of our expanded schedule. Our winter/spring schedule will be posted soon. And the Jumping Mice photo gallery is where you’ll find the rest of the pictures from this outing. Take care.