As residents of the
Bellingham area, we are lucky to have Lake Padden in our backyard. I have hiked the trails there so many times,
but there always seems to be new pockets left to explore. It was my pleasure to share a winter
adventure at this location with the Alligator Lizards. They are a young group, but they are meshing
together and internalizing Explores Club practices with each new outing. These boys love to play in the woods, and
that makes for rewarding day outside.
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| Grabbing a quick snack |
After opening
circle we hiked back into the forest above the lake. The mentors had a specific spot in mind, but
along the way we came across an interesting area with huge and ancient fallen
trees pushing up against the hillside.
The explorers decided that this would be a perfect place to deviate from
the game plan. They decided as a group
to check out this area before heading onward to the next spot. The group crossed a small muddy area where
some chose to spend there time building a bridge to keep out of the mud. The others spent the next 45 min. exploring
and playing in the “Ewok Village.”
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| Fun in the forest |
Our next stop
was a basecamp set in a little draw.
This spot provided much to explore while at the same time creating some
very defined natural boundaries that kept the explorers within “crow call”
distance. Here the boys played countless
rounds of hungry, hungry martin and hide, and there were some who focused
intensely on building a fort between two fallen trees.
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| Hungry, Hungry Martin |
After a couple of hours of free exploration and games, the
mentors felt it was good time to switch gears a little bit. We hiked down the trail a little ways and
found a good spot to have a “sit spot.”
Sit spot is an important part of Explorers Club. The participants find a spot away from their
fellow explorers and sit still and quiet for a set amount of time. It is a good time for reflection,
observation, and learning to be comfortable with your own thoughts. The Alligator Lizards did a great job with
this activity. They were silent and
respectful for the full 10 minutes! When
time was up we got in a circle and talked about some of the things we
observed. There were many incredibly insightful
observations and thoughts shared.
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| Finding great spots for reflection |
As the outing was coming to a close, we found time for one
last area to explore. We played a couple
more rounds of hide and drank some hot chocolate before we ended our adventure
with a closing circle. Thanks Alligator
Lizards for bringing such enthusiasm, interest, and creativity to our day at
Lake Padden. Click here to view the rest of the photos.
