Sturgeon - Wolf Eels 2023-2024
Please note that the Sturgeon and Wolf Eels have combined for 23-24, so dates and outing locations will have changed from the two groups’ original schedules.
Welcome to Explorers Club Season 5! Mentors are excited for a season filled with nature exploration and group connection. This season, we will continue to deepen our skills of carving and wilderness travel that we began last year. Otherwise, our main technical skills focus will be on fire safety and fire by friction. Our socio-emotional skill focus will be storytelling, place-based history, and team building.
All outings, including dates, times, locations, and staffing are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances and without notice. We will notify you of any changes as soon as possible.
Resources
Explorers Club Pack List
Mentor Contact Info
Adam Yost (he/him) | adam@wildwhatcom.org
Nick Engelfried (he/him) | nick@wildwhatcom.org
OUTING 1 | saturdAY, September 16 | 10:00-4:00PM
HIKE | Fragrance Lake
For our first outing back after the summer holidays, we’ll strap on our packs and lace up our boots for a day of hiking + reconnecting on the Fragrance Lake Trail. While this hike is a bit of a climb, Explorers in their fifth year of EC are certainly up to the challenge! Our time on the trail will be spent catching up with old buds and getting to know new friends. Along the way, we will practice our trail etiquette and the Do’s and Don’t of hiking in a group. In preparation for our season of fire skills, we’ll also work on our tree ID by identifying hemlock, cedar, and vine maple. Please come prepared with a hefty lunch + lots of H2O, rain gear, and a good pair of trail shoes or boots. If your kid is also a squid, be sure to bring closed-toed water shoes and a bathing suit.
Directions: 100-104 WA-11. From I-5, take exit 250 (Old Fairhaven Parkway/Chuckanut Dr). Head west on Old Fairhaven Parkway. Turn left at 12th St, then left again at next light onto Chuckanut Dr. for approx. 5.5 miles. The parking lot is a short distance past the main Larrabee State Park entrance. It will be on your left and is signed Lost Lake Parking Lot. Map.
Reminder: A Discover Pass is required for all parking at state parks. If you do not have a Discover Pass, please stay with your vehicle and plan to make drop-off and pick-up quick.
OUTING 2 | sUnDAY, October 15 | 10:00-3:00PM
SKILLS | Kindling Bundles | Lookout Mountain
The art of making and tending fires is a true ancient skill of survival. We will start the day by reviewing our knowledge of tree and plant identification, reconnecting very specifically with the Western Hemlock. As we hike into the woods, we will begin to gather materials and learn how to create kindling bundles. Lessons of 'Leave No Trace,' and fire safety will be intentionally woven throughout the day. Hopefully, the group will leave this outing with an appreciation of the intricate art of fire-making and a firm knowledge of fire safety.
Directions: Lake Louise Rd at Gate 9. From I-5, exit 253. Drive east onto Lakeway Dr for ~3.4 miles. Turn R right onto Austin Street and drive for ~.5 miles. Follow onto Lake Louise Rd and drive for ~2.5 miles. Lookout Mountain Preserve parking lot will be on the right. Map.
OUTING 3 | sunDAY, November 19 | 10:00-4:00PM
EXPLORATION | Whatcom Creek Traverse
As salmon swim upstream, so too will we be walking upstream on this urban exploration, following Whatcom Creek through downtown and into Whatcom Falls Park. We'll begin near the creek's mouth behind the Bellingham Public Library and follow it through the city, discussing the history of both, making observations and asking questions about what we encounter along the way. We’ll work together to navigate both physical and emotional landscapes as we traverse across space and time on this very special outing.
Drop-off directions: Lottie St and N Commercial St. Head West on Lakeway Drive and continue for ~.3 miles. Lakeway will become Holly St, continue for ~.5 miles. Turn R onto Commercial St and follow for ~.3 miles. Drop off will be on the corner of Lottie St and Commercial St, behind the Bellingham Public Library- Central Branch. Map.
Pick-up directions: 1700 Silver Beach Rd. From I-5, take exit 253 (Lakeway Dr.). Head east on Lakeway Dr. for approx. 1.4 miles. Turn left onto Silver Beach Rd. and drive for .4 miles until you reach the parking lot near the playground and fish hatchery. Map.
OUTING 4 | Sunday, January 28 | 10:00-3:00PM
SKILLS | Intro to Bow Drill | Birch Bay State Park
For many thousands of years, the skill of fire building was passed on from elder to youth. Over time, the young people grew in skill to become masters themselves. While we won't achieve fire-building mastery on this day, we will certainly continue to hone our skills. With a firm grasp on kindling and its role in fire creation, we’ll turn our focus to tinder: its role, how to find/harvest/create it, and how to work with it. We’ll also learn the basics of the official Explorers Club fire-by-friction tool: the bow drill! All of this skills focus will be hard work, so we’ll be sure to play games, and leave lots of time for free exploration as well!
Directions: 5105 Helweg Rd. From I-5, take exit 266 for WA-548 N/Grandview Rd. Turn west onto WA-548 N/Grandview Rd. After approx. 6 miles, continue on Grandview Rd at the traffic circle for 1 mile. Turn right onto Jackson Rd. for 1 more mile. Turn left onto Helweg Rd. and the main entrance to Birch Bay State Park. Drive through the campground and arrive at the main campsite parking lot. If you’ve driven out to the beach, you’ve gone too far. Map.
Reminder: A Discover Pass is required for all parking at State Parks. If you do not have a pass, please stay with your vehicle and plan to make drop-off and pick-up quick.
OUTING 5 | Sunday, FEBRUARY 18 | 10:00-3:00PM
SKILLS | Bow Drill Practice | Larrabee State Park
On this winter outing, the group will meet at Larrabee State Park for a day of skills practice and connection. We’ll continue our journey with fire by friction. This is a challenging skill with lots of lessons - we will need to Grasp the Nettle, Aim Beyond the Target, and remember that Slow is Fast if we hope to create fire from nothing but sticks and string. Please send your Explorer with an empty mug for hot beverages.
Directions: 245 Chuckanut Dr, Bellingham. From I-5, take exit 250 (Old Fairhaven Parkway/Chuckanut Dr.). Head west on Old Fairhaven Parkway to 12th St. Turn left at 12th St and then veer left onto Chuckanut Dr. for approx. 5.0 miles. Turn right into the main park entrance and park in the first lot on the left. Map.
Reminder: A Discover Pass is required for all parking at state parks. If you do not have a Discover Pass, please stay with your vehicle and plan to make drop-off and pick-up quick.
OUTING 6 | Saturday, March 23 | 10:30-2:30PM
SERVICE | Connelly Creek Restoration Sites
Explorers Club has two official restoration sites that we work on every year in partnership with the Bellingham Parks Department. In the decade-plus that EC has worked at Connelly Creek trailhead and Happy Valley park, the landscape of each site has changed dramatically. Explorers of all ages have helped to remove Himalayan blackberries and dig out their persistent roots. We’ve planted over 100 native plants, shrubs, and trees. Existing plant life has been freed of ivy, reed canary grass has been covered in mulch, and morning glory has been dug out by the root. Explorers have removed hundreds of pounds of trash and hauled almost 100 yards of mulch.
With the help of Bellingham City Parks and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), we are contributing to the very important work of salmon habitat restoration. Salmon are keystone species of the Northwest, playing important roles in every ecosystem and community they interact with. They are economically, culturally, and spiritually significant to Indigenous peoples, including our Lummi and Nooksack neighbors. Our restoration work creates a positive ripple effect that is felt in communities beyond just salmon and gives us an incredible opportunity to be part of a legacy of stewardship and protection. Please remember to print, sign, & bring the Park and Recreation’s Risk and Liability form to drop off.
Directions: South Bellingham Park and Ride (West). From I-5, take exit 250 (Old Fairhaven Parkway/Chuckanut Dr). Head west on Old Fairhaven Parkway for 0.1 mile. Turn north onto 30th St for 0.3 mile. Turn east on Donovan Ave. and drive for 0.1 mile. Turn south onto 32nd Ave. and drive for 0.2 of a mile. Turn east into Bellingham Park & Ride (WSDOT) westside lot. Map.
OUTING 7 | Saturday, APRIL 27 | 10:00-4:00PM
EXPLORATION | Campfire Creation | Lily-Lizard Lakes
For our second to last outing of the year, we’ll have a hike and campfire! The group will get a chance to test their skills that they’ve practiced over the year. Will they make a coal using a bow drill, or choose to light tinder with a ferro rod? Will they skip tinder altogether and light kindling with a magnifying glass? What shape and style will they choose to build their fire in, and will they be able to maintain it? How will they make these decisions all together? How much mentor help do they want? All this and more is up to the Explorers on this culminating day of the season.
Directions: Blanchard Mountain Trail Upper parking Lot. Take I-5 South to the Alger exit (240). Turn right onto Lake Samish Rd. Turn left onto Barrel Springs Rd. In another 0.7 mile, turn R on 5 Mi Blanchard Hilltrail, a good gravel logging road. Pass the Lower Blanchard Mountain parking lot. At the T in the road, continue straight for the Upper Blanchard Mountain Trail parking lot. Map.
Reminder: A Discover Pass is required for all parking at State Parks. If you do not have a pass, please stay with your vehicle and plan to make drop-off and pick-up quick.
OUTING 8 | Saturday, June 1 | 10:00-4:00PM
EXPLORATION | Place-Based Storytelling | St. Clair Park
Time to put your imagination caps on, friends! This outing will be all about immersing ourselves in a woodland adventure that is meant to test our Explorers’ technical skills and deepen their communication as a group. The group will work together to solve various challenges, all with the goal of deciphering a coded message. Riddles, treasure maps, and fantastical thinking will abound on this day. Remember to bring your nature journal, a pencil, and an adventure item (cape, eye-patch, captain’s hat, staff/wand, etc) to this outing!
Directions: From I-5, take exit 254 (Iowa St.). Head east on Iowa St., to Woburn/Yew St intersection. Use the middle lane to turn slightly left onto Yew St. for .5 miles. Turn right on Texas St. then right onto St Clair St. Follow to the end of the street. Parking lot will be on the right side. Map.
Questions
Please contact your group’s mentor(s) listed above or explorersclub@wildwhatcom.org.