The Firestalkers piled into Stubbs soon after arriving at the Sehome Haggen parking lot and we took no time to drive out to Racehorse Falls. Despite being sunny in Bellingham, our destination hosted scattered rain showers that Dave claimed would make the Four Shielders, “cold, wet, and miserable.” Christian quickly disregarded this statement by saying, “we may be cold and wet, but no one will be miserable.” He was right!
In fact, the rain let up rather soon after our arrival and we put up camp under dry skies. No one turned out to be cold nor wet, let alone miserable! We looked around Racehorse Creek for a good place to setup our things. Matt challenged the mentees to find the best shelter place they could in five minutes; most then followed-up by sleeping in those locations to see if indeed they were good shelter areas.
Firestalkers worked with each other to synch down knots in all the right places so that their tarps would protect them from any possible rain. After some exploration in the place, we gathered together to rebuild our fire pit, make preparations for fire and our dinner, and go through a tutorial about filtering water. It seems that our basic needs were being met: shelter, water, food, and fire.
The catch is that the food was based on having boiling water in which to cook. Dave set up his stove and was prepared to teach the basics of backcountry cooking, but got coyote’d; turns out that the leather camp in his fuel pump was all dried up. So the stove wouldn’t actually pump! Firestalkers would have to rely on their namesake and develop their fire making skills using the “primitive” but sure-fire :) technique of fire-by-friction.
For two hours we toiled at making a fire by friction. Whereas some of us were close, no one could make a coal. Fortunately Matt saved the day with his alder kit. Soren nearly stymied the efforts by kicking over the nest, but the coal still caught and Matt blew it into flame. Slowly we fed the fire, without smothering it, and shortly thereafter, our water boiled, we cooked, and ate dinner under cover of dusk.
Valuable learning experiences: Get the fire going early. Practice our fire-by-friction skills. Don’t rely on technology. Be able to work for our needs. Learn to eat things “outside the box (package).” Don’t be afraid of hunger or fasting; we may in fact thrive with the chance to be humbled.
With the lulling whisper of the creek singing to us in the night, some of us arose early to enjoy a night’s rest. Others slept until the last possible second. And I am convinced that Marcus might still be sleeping if we hadn’t woken him up! We ate cold breakfasts, packed up our things and loaded it all on to the bus. Dave also gave us a tutorial on the importance of how we pack our backpacks.
Parents, please ask your son to explain how he should load his pack and the ways it should balance. See if he remembers the different straps to adjust and encourage him to play with the pack every couple of days so that he feels comfortable using it for the Ozette Passage. If Shielders or you have anyquestions, please ask them sooner rather than later. Let’s all be educated and prepared for this summer’s incredible opportunity!
The last hours were spent along the creek and in the nearby forest. We set an intention for our summer excursion, enjoyed the space during a sit spot, and rekindled our love for games and having simple fun. As boys skipped rocks and explored the creek, Mentors observed how all of us had “amped-down.” Even one day in the backcountry had let us calm down from our fast-paced lives, abundant electronic screens, and over-packed schedules. In forgoing all of that, his weekend was a healthy recharge to what our lives need and want: some unscheduled time to observe, learn, share, and have fun.
Stubbs started and we drove back to Bellingham. For perhaps the first time in the Firestalkers’ history, we were early to meet parents! We had a circle of thanks and re-focused our intentions to what we can do to practice for this summer. Thank you to Kyle’s father, Steve, for joining us during our closing circle.
Thank you Shielders for your adult-like courage and your child-like playfulness. You are inspirational and thoughtful young men. It makes us smile to watch you develop and grow into such balanced men. Parents, thank you for your support and constant encouragement. The stories you share with us about your sons are the fuel that feeds our mentor fire and keeps us excited to do this work.
It’s not too late to sign up for any summer EMA opportunities! Please check the website and consider signing up to be a mentor for the Explorers during summer camp. The Summer Solstice Gathering will take place on June 20th at Hovander Park. Another reminder for you is that Ozette is July 27th -- August 1st. Fill out the questionnaire if you haven’t already. More pictures from this outing can be found in the photo gallery. And stay in touch this summer!
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