Galbraith Mountain is a medley of lush forest, diverse trail
systems, and interspersed areas of clear cut. Unlike most of our outing
locations, this is one spot that has experienced an extreme amount of impact.
With our focus on learning the Art of Shelter, we were primed to be able to cut
loose and utilize the abundant resources left over from logging to construct
our very own “debris huts.” A Debris Hut is a form of primitive shelter that
utilizes a modified tri-pod structure combined with a thick layer of vegetation
debris to create a mini microclimate. The primary purpose of this shelter is to
keep you warm and dry which is a very important thing when it comes to living
in the Pacific Northwest. Once all of the Mountain Goats had arrived we trekked
out looking for our basecamp.
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| Hiking through the lush forest of Galbraith |
Our first stop was at the dirt bike jumps to let everyone
get some wiggles out. Unlike most Explorers Club groups, the Mountain Goats
explore after a day of school so it is extra important we get to cut loose
before trying to focus on learning a new skill. Cruising along the dirt jumps
we transitioned into a few rounds of HIDE before gathering for opening circle.
Talking about the day the group was introduced to the basics of constructing a
Debris Hut and setting some intentions to play a game of Spiders Web before
gathering our things back up and relocating.
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| Taking in the impacts of clear cutting |
Passing through a large clear cut was a great opportunity
for the Mountain Goats to learn what an extreme amount of impact can have on a
forest landscape. The former forest we passed through used to be an old
stomping ground for Explorers Club groups, but due to the constant pressure for
development this landscape now looks like a warzone. Understanding the impact
this area has gone through helps develop perspective for our Explorers and
build one end of our spectrum when thinking about our impact on a landscape. With
this in mind we found a section of forest beside a stream to call our new
basecamp. We explored the area to get to know it a bit before jumping into our
shelter building session.
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| Exploring beside the stream before shelter building |
The group was split up into two teams that would “compete”
in a shelter building contest. Focusing on the primary components each group
found: Two ‘Y-Sticks” and a longer Backbone to form the elongated tri-pod that
would be the base of our shelters. Next each team scoured the landscape for
‘ribs’ that would be laid along the backbone to round out the structure.
Finally the groups transitioned to adding debris. This can be the most
demanding step as a completed debris shelter should have up to a full
arms-length of debris on top of it to create sufficient insulation to keep you
warm throughout the night. Additionally, it is important to pile up debris
inside the shelter, specifically creating a nice bed of insulation to prevent
body heat conducting away into the cold ground. Although there was a bit of
discouragement during the shelter building, the groups rallied and after
discovering a downed Western Hemlock tree that they harvested bows from for
debris.
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| Making the initial framework using two Y-Sticks and a Backbone |
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| Beginning to add on the Ribs |
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| Adding Debris |
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| Checking for gaps in the shelter |
With our outing coming to a close we stopped to reflect on
our work. Each group shared their shelters with each other and the mentors
discussed a couple of key characteristics of survival that each group showed.
The first group got off to a quick start diving head first into the shelter
building. They displayed a “sense of urgency” to complete their debris hut that
is a key trait in any survival situation. Without an ever present pressure
urging you to push yourself it is easy to become complacent and compromise your
ability to overcome challenges you are faced with. The second group encountered
quite a different experience. Getting off to a slow start and faced with some
low morale, it felt like the shelter was taking forever. Becoming demoralized
is like getting stuck in a whirlpool; the further you get sucked down the
harder it is to get yourself out. With a little encouragement and support from
the mentors the second group got things turned around. Seemingly moving faster
and with more purpose as each minute passed they second group epitomized a
“strong finish.” Demonstrating the characteristic of resiliency to rally when
losing hope is one of the greatest tools for anyone in a survival situation.
Despite their slow start this group got things turned around and learned a bit
about themselves in the process.
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| Group One's Shelter |
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| Group Two's Shelter |
Running late, the Mountain Goats shared some gratitude in
our closing circle before loading up our packs and hustling back to the
trailhead. Once again this group proved themselves worthy of the title of
‘Mountain Goat’ as their quick pace and ability to push up hills and down the
trail allowed the group to get back just in time. The mentors reflected after
the outing that this group always seems to surprise us. We got off to a slow
start on our outing. There was a lack of focus in opening circle and some
difficulty getting started on our shelters. That being said, the Mountain Goats
turned things around, like they always do, and left the mentors impressed at
their performance. This group demonstrated a sense of urgency, an ability to
rally when down, and of course an ever present playfulness. We made a strong
start on learning the Art of Shelter and can’t wait to get back to it on our
next outing!
Make sure to check out the rest of our photos from the
outing
here!
