Pine Martens (Martes americana) have an extremely high metabolic rate. They are known for their fierce hunting instincts, a trait that allows them to eat enough calories to keep up their fast paced lifestyle. As the boys gathered for the first time of their 2017/18 season, they certainly embodied the excited and curious demeanor of their animal counterparts. After finally checking everyone in, we were able to sit down for our opening circle.
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| Warm, sunny weather on our first day together! |
There was so much anticipation for a day of exploring that our opening circle took us a bit longer than usual. The mentors expected this; after a long summer apart, it can be hard to remember some of the culture that we had created together last season. After using some breathing to calm our bodies and minds, we were able to agree on a general plan for the day. After one last stop at the restroom, we took to the trail and headed into the trees and towards the beach.
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| One interesting section of the stream |
“The Ravine”, as it has been come to be known by Explorers throughout Explorers Club, is a small arroyo that seems to be about as close as you can get to a ‘perfect’ spot for exploring. There is a small creek containing frogs and salamanders, steep hills covered in tall sword ferns and huckleberry, prominent rocks that afford good views (excellent vantage points for the Spider during a game of Spiders Web!), and even some fossils in the eroding stone at the head of the creek! We enjoyed time to reconnect with each other by exploring and getting lost in all of the natural wonders that this place holds.
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| Any salamanders in here? |
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| We found one! |
After we had satiated some of our curiosity for the natural history mysteries all around us, the group decided to set up a game of Spiders Web. This is certainly an Explorer favorite and we all enjoyed getting to play this game. One of the mentors was elected to be our spider and provided a challenging game for the flies. While playing this game, we got to revisit our motto Play with honor.
Upon finishing our game of Spiders Web, we felt that it was time to have a snack and circle up to decide how best to spend the rest of our day. We all agreed that before our day ended, we wanted to get to the beach where we would be exposed to the warm sun and have a chance to investigate some interesting tide pools. So, we packed up our packs and descended through the forest toward the sandy beaches and impressive sandstone cliffs that give this stretch of coastline much of its character.
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| Getting ready to leave the ravine |
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| Descending on steep trails to the beach |
Some highlights from the beach include: finding a dead seal, discovering that thousands anemones can live in small cracks in the rock and watching red rock crabs scurry through some shallow, clear water. Of course, we had lots of fun climbing along the sandstone rocks that line this coastline and have been shaped into Dr. Seuss-esque formations by many years of wind and rain.
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| Checking out a dead harbor seal |
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| The mystery below |
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| Such an interesting place to explore! |
At our closing circle, we had the opportunity to share our gratitude with each other for the first time since last spring. This practice of our motto Attitude of Gratitude helps us to remember that Our Cup Overflows while also continuing to build a strong sense of community. Many of us expressed specific gratitude for being able to spend a day together after a long summer apart. We made the short but steep hike back to the parking lot and met our rides. During the mentor debrief (after all of the boys had left), we shared our excitement for the coming year and for having the privilege to see how these boys will continue grow and learn together in their own, unique way.
Be sure to check out the rest of our photos from the day here!
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