Mountain Goats Build Character While Building Shelters

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.

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.

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.

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.

Making the initial framework using two Y-Sticks and a Backbone

Beginning to add on the Ribs

Adding Debris

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.

Group One's Shelter

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!