The wily Explorers’ Club veterans met together in the afternoon at Arroyo Park to experience the dusk and early evening hours together. As the light faded throughout this outing, Mentors were hard-pressed to take pictures so there aren’t any to show! Also, it was important to keep our eyes protected from light and the flash from the camera would have hurt our night vision.
A couple of Explorers met at the upper parking area so they showed up a smidge after the majority of boys. This was the perfect setup as boys hid in the forest to make themselves invisible. After a surprise ambush of a hello, the group was together and we headed out for our evening excursion. We considered the motto for the evening, The Only Way Out is Through. There is no other way to learn about the dark than by experiencing it!
Through the woods and over the creek and up the hill we went. We had our opening meeting at the intersection of two trails. As Explorers ate, we considered our fears and wrote them onto pieces of paper. We then burned them all together; this activity was designed to acknowledge and release our fears from holding us back as opposed to a way of discarding them and saying they don’t matter. As such, our confidence grew as the dusk enveloped the forest.
Vespula Veterans prepared for the change in light by discussion eye cells: rods and cones. We recalled that colors would fade into greyscale and we considered red by focusing on Adrian’s beanie and Nate’s scarf as beacons to check throughout the night. We hiked to a huge glacial erratic (boulder) and Explorers climbed every square inch of it! While there, Matt told us a story of hiking in the dark that prepared us for the challenge to come.
Steve and Dave set up a group walk in the dark, followed by an evening sit spot. With mentors at either end of the line, Explorers were spaced apart for some solo time in the near-pitch-black forest. Though boys had varying thoughts and experiences during the sit, it is clear that everyone passed through an important rite of passage.
We all were stretched to the edges of our comfort zone and grew as a result of the challenge. Congratulations everyone for such dedicated effort! Parents, please ask your Explorer to share about his challenges and strengths that night.
Following the solo time, we had a group bonding opportunity. We walked like shrews to our gathering point. Instead of biting the tail of the shrew in front of us while tunneling underground, we held onto the shoulder of the person in front while Mentors guided us above ground. The rendezvous point was the huge Douglas Fir tree with the smiley face at the base… and we found it precisely despite being in the dark!
With an electric lantern we took turns debriefing our story and listening to others. We also practiced the motto,Attitude of Gratitude, by incorporating a Circle of Thanks into the debrief.
The last activity, called Fire Stalk, was a way for us to celebrate the power of light and dark. Explorers practiced night vision, communication skills, and stealth movements while creeping around the forest. Please ask your Explorer more about this night stalking!
As we ended the outing, Dave brought out some “mouth fire rocks.” We took turns chomping on them so other Explorers could see the fire sparks with each bite. It was a winter-minty end to a cold spring night.
Explorers, thank you for such devotion to make this night outing an opportunity for growth. Parents, thank you for your support and encouragement. We’d remind you to look at the photo gallery, but there were no night pictures! But please do check out the website for information regarding the next outing on March 30th at Fairhaven Park.
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