Vespula Veterans Explore Grouse Ridge

The end of summer is the peak time to visit the high country in the North Cascades.  The snow has melted back as much as it will for the season and the highest trails and ridges are accessible for travel.  Steve had this in mind when he planned the season way back in the spring and ever since then the mentors have been anticipating this exciting opportunity to explore with the Vespula Veterans.  As the boys arrived the mentors challenged them to look over the map of our travel area and find our route, both on the forest service roads, as well as the trail.  Finding the way forward is some of the most important work the Vespula Veterans are doing right now in Explorer’s Club and beyond.
Once on the bus we made efficient progress to Glacier with a brief stop to enjoy the comforts of a roadside public toilet…then off to Glacier Creek Road and the winding network of forest service roads.  Steve expertly piloted trusty old stubs across deep water bars gently rubbing our cargo rack over every single one finally arriving at the end of the road and the start of the trail.

Navigating the land is something we often do in explorers club without the aid of a map and compass.  Places like the Hundred Aker Wood have no reliable maps, and others like the trail to Clayton beach we use the flow of the creek and the grade of the trail to lead us to the ocean.  However in the mountains where trails end or are covered in snow or there is no trail at all the map and compass become a critical combination of tools.  Navigating could easily be thought of as an art or language.  As with learning all languages one must have a healthy balance of immersion and study.  The Vespula Veterans excel in immersion, but no doubt there is less time in their lives for studying maps.  We will have one more opportunity this season to do more navigating in November when we explore more of the south Chuckanuts.  The mentors are plotting a way to send an electronic copy of the map to all of the Vespula Veterans so they have the opportunity to study it before we depart.  For as we look forward to the summer, we will be planning our backpacking trip and using the map will be critical for both the planning process as well as the actual navigation.

After a brief morning meeting we found the trailhead (more navigating) and began to climb.  The trail wound across and up old avalanche paths filled with tangles of Sitka Alder, Black Huckleberry, and Oval-Leaved Blueberry.  Just before reaching a grove of ancient Western Hemlocks and Alaska Yellow Cedar trees we encountered two hunters descending the trail.  Both were dressed in camouflage, one was carrying an empty pack frame for hauling, and the other a rifle slung over his shoulder.  We stopped and chatted briefly and asked if they had a successful hunt.  They had been hunting Black Bear and it was the final day of the season.  We asked about the trail condition and said farewell.  After the hunters left we gathered the boys to discuss two things. First we asked how they felt about encountering hunters along the trail who had been pursuing Bear.  If your family hasn’t had a chance to talk more about this encounter we suggest you make space.  Unsurprisingly, our brief conversation yielded a rich spectrum of feelings about the encounter.  The second thing we discussed was if we needed to amend our travel plans since we learned that another pair of hunters was up beyond the ridge.  We discussed that our bright clothing and conspicuous noise would help make our presence known.  With that we continued up the trail.

The abundance of Huckleberries and Blueberries was staggering!  It was easy to see why the bear hunters and bears were in this area.  Our progress was slow through the berry patch, but nobody seemed to mind.  The incredible sweetness was too good pass by, so we lingered and walked slowly eating berries by the handful!

By lunchtime we had reached our first vantage point of the ridge and it was clear that given our time frame for returning to Bellingham, we would not be able to reach the part of Grouse Ridge that we had originally intended to.  Steve offered up an alternative location that offered a view of Mt. Baker and the Coleman glacier that was only a few minutes away. 

Once we reached the broad saddle the group spread out and enjoyed lunch.  After refueling the boys explored the grassy steep sided gully that emptied out into a incredible view of Mt. Baker.  The boys investigated wildflowers, quartz crystals, and abandoned dens.  We finished our time in the alpine zone with a short sit spot and then began our descent back through the berries and alder to Stubbs.

At our closing meeting the mentors posed an important question after all had offered up a gratitude for the day.  The question was this: “was this outing ‘worth it’”?   We estimated that we spent four hours driving to and from our location and four hours exploring.  Obviously everyone would have enjoyed more time to explore, especially given the gentle summer weather, but was the trek worth it?  This question was followed by another quick but focused discussion about the value of coming to a place like this even given the longer travel time.  Greg and Steve would like to host a winter planning session with the Vespula Veterans after fall season has concluded where they can participate in setting the spring season schedule (in terms of outing types and durations).  Look for more information as the season draws to a close.

The mentors would like to offer our humble thanks to the Vespula Veterans for joining us to the magical alpine zone with all its abundant late summer berries, magical vistas, and less familiar plants and animals.  Truly we are fortunate that a two-hour bus ride can take us to one of the most incredible landscapes on the planet.  The mentors would also like to offer deep thanks to the parents who support the work we are doing with your sons.  We so appreciate your trust and support.  Thank you!