Cave Dwellers
2019-20 Season
Congratulations Cave Dwellers on completing your sixth year in Explorers Club (EC)! The start to our 2019-20 year marks the Cave Dwellers' final year in the program. The Cave Dwellers' outing structure will look and feel somewhat different from past years and will include: three (3) extended day-long explorations, two (2) campouts (one early fall, one late spring), one (1) five-hour outing, a graduation potluck, and the opportunity to serve with our younger Explorers Club groups at our Connelly Creek Service Site by volunteering as an Explorers Mentor Apprentice (EMA). Please email stormie@wildwhatcom.org to get your two required EMA service opportunities scheduled.
In addition to being required to EMA for two service outings with younger groups, we would also like to offer members of the Cave Dwellers the opportunity to deepen their EMA experience and leadership skills by signing up to EMA with a younger group on a consistent basis throughout this year. Please review our new EMA webpage for information on this program, the responsibilities you would have and for details on how to sign up.
Please look over the schedule upon registration and give us as much advance notice as possible if there are any conflicts for your child attending. For more information, please visit our Missed Days and Make Up Policies. Please know that these dates are subject to change due to inevitable circumstances. We will update you if any dates do change!
Be sure to use the Be Prepared Checklist when getting ready for each Explorers Club outing. Wild Whatcom Mottos guide much of our program so please read them over with your Explorer.
Mentors
Nick Engelfried (he/him/his) | (360) 941-3085 | nick@wildwhatcom.org
Benjamin Schieber (he/him/his) | (503) 583-1117 | benjamin@wildwhatcom.org
Cave Dwellers 2019-20 Schedule
OUTING #1: Saturday, September 14, 2019: 9:00-4:00PM
EXTENDED EXPLORATION: Self Love/Self Care, Hannegan Pass
We will take a Wild Whatcom bus out Highway 542 straight to the heart of the North Cascades. We’ll find ourselves alongside the upper headwaters of the North Fork of the Nooksack River, then a hemlock- and spruce-laden forest as we climb further into the mountains. After hopping off of the bus, we’ll take a trail into the glacier-carved Ruth Creek Valley. Eventually it leads east to Hannegan Pass or follows the Nooksack Cirque Trail to its terminus with the Nooksack Glacier. With continuous views of the Nooksack Ridge and waterfalls along the steep cliffs of Mt. Sefrit to the south, this location will surely inspire and excite us. In addition to exploring these stunning external vistas, we will take some time to turn inward and consider what Self Love and Self Care mean and why they’re important in our lives. How does my inner voice impact my view of myself? Who am I and how do I learn to love that person fully? How can I be vulnerable with others, and why should I? We are excited to learn from and share with each other as we dive into this fundamental realm of adolescence.
Directions: From I-5 take exit 250. Turn west onto Old Fairhaven Pkwy for .5 of a mile. Turn right onto 24th St for .3 of a mile. Turn right onto McKenzie Ave for .2 of a mile to Cascades Montessori Middle school. Map.
OUTING #2: Saturday, October 19, 2019: 12:00PM - Sunday, October 20, 2019: 12:00PM
CAMPOUT: Forest Service Road 3070 via Salmon Ridge Sno-Park
For this outing we will take a bus to one of our campout spots on the banks of the Nooksack River, a fantastic place to celebrate the beginning of and set the tone for our final year together in Explorers Club. We will spend some time reflecting on our Explorers Club journey, looking ahead to the end of our time together, and of course work on skills, play games, explore, and engage in camp tasks.
Directions: From I-5 take exit 250. Turn west onto Old Fairhaven Pkwy for .5 of a mile. Turn right onto 24th St for .3 of a mile. Turn right onto McKenzie Ave for .2 of a mile to Cascades Montessori Middle school. Map.
OUTING #3: Saturdays and Sundays in October
EMA Opportunities at the Restoration Sites: Connelly Creek Nature Area and Happy Valley Park
For their final service outings, the group will get to head out with a younger EC group as an EMA. You will have an opportunity to Teach Who You Are as you share your experience and wisdom with the next generation of Explorers while serving alongside them. Service outings will be running every weekend day of October with the exclusion of Sunday, October 27th. To schedule this service day, please reach out to the Explorers Club management team at explorersclub@wildwhatcom.org with a few available days. We'll work together to get you on the October service calendar!
Directions: From I-5 drive west on Old Fairhaven Parkway for 0.1 of a mile. Turn right onto 30th St. and drive for 0.3 of a mile. Turn right on Donovan Ave. and drive for 0.1 of a mile. Turn right onto 32nd Ave. and drive for .2 of a mile. Turn left into Bellingham Park & Ride (WSDOT) Westside. Map.
OUTING #4: Saturday, November 23, 2019: 10:00-3:00PM
WORKSHOP & CHALLENGE: Art of Surviving, Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve
Shelter. Water. Fire. Which of these will we focus on today? Are there other skills you would like to engage with? We will follow the group’s desired focus as we discuss, practice and synthesize our survival techniques on this outing at Lookout Mountain. Regardless what kind of weather we encounter, we will have an opportunity to put into practice many of the skills that we have learned together. To be prepared for this outing, make sure to bring any supplies you need to practice your favorite Earth Skills (fire starting material, knife, carving projects, etc.) Make sure you get plenty of sleep the night before and eat a hearty breakfast so that your most important survival tool, your brain, is ready to go for our day together.
Directions: From Bellingham, take Lakeway Drive East for 3 miles. Continue for another .5 miles as it turns into Terrace Ave and then Cable Street. Take a right on Austin Street, Austin becomes Lake Louise Rd follow for 3.3 miles. Destination will be on the right. Click here for the Google Map Destination.
OUTING #5: Sunday, February 23, 2020: 9:00-4:00PM
EXPLORATION: Birding and Being, Skagit River Wildlife Area
Heading out on the Wild Whatcom bus we'll navigate our way south just past La Conner to the North Fork of the Skagit River delta. The Skagit River delta provides rich estuarine and freshwater habitats for salmon and many other species of wildlife, and is a premiere area to observe migratory waterfowl and raptors. Birding is a deeply contemplative and grounding activity, which we will use as a springboard to consider what being really means. What does it mean not just to look, but to see? What is our relationship to time? Does the past/future exist? Woah, what?! We will take an wide angle look at existence and consider how we can make Be Here Now a larger part of our daily lives. Make sure to bring your rain boots for this exploration! Also, if you or your family has a pair of binoculars that they are willing to let you bring along, please do so!
Directions: From I-5 take exit 250. Turn west onto Old Fairhaven Pkwy for .5 of a mile. Turn right onto 24th St for .3 of a mile. Turn right onto McKenzie Ave for .2 of a mile to Cascades Montessori Middle school. Map.
OUTING #6: Saturdays and Sundays in March
EMA Opportunities at the Restoration Sites: Connelly Creek Nature Area and Happy Valley Park
For their final service outings, the group will get to head out with a younger EC group as an EMA. You will have an opportunity to Teach Who You Are as you share your experience and wisdom with the next generation of Explorers while serving alongside them. Service outings will be running every weekend day of March with the exclusion of Sunday, March 29th. To schedule this service day, please reach out to the Explorers Club management team at explorersclub@wildwhatcom.org with a few available days. We'll work together to get you on the March service calendar!
Directions: From I-5 drive west on Old Fairhaven Parkway for 0.1 of a mile. Turn right onto 30th St. and drive for 0.3 of a mile. Turn right on Donovan Ave. and drive for 0.1 of a mile. Turn right onto 32nd Ave. and drive for .2 of a mile. Turn left into Bellingham Park & Ride (WSDOT) Westside. Map.
**CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19**
OUTING #7: Saturday, April 18, 2020: 9:00AM - Sunday, April 19, 2020: 5:00PM
CAMPOUT: Larrabee State Park (via Main Day Use Parking Lot)
We will take a bus to one of our trusty campout spots for this outing. Whichever location we choose will provide a fantastic place for exploration as we celebrate the end of the groups Explorers Club career and reflect on our experiences. What does our relationship to nature look like? What will it look like going forward? What challenges do we anticipate as we age and what skills have we developed to help us meet those challenges?
Directions: From I-5 N, take exit 250 for Old Fairhaven Pkwy and turn west onto Old Fairhaven Pkwy. Follow Old Fairhaven Parkway toward Fairhaven and turn L on 12th St./Chuckanut Drive. Drive south on Chuckanut Dr. for 5 miles. Turn R into Larrabee State Park. Follow the road to the left and meet in the day use parking. NOTE: WASHINGTON STATE REQUIRES A DISCOVERY PASS FOR PARKING. To avoid a ticket, stay with your car. Click here for the Google Map location.
**CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19**
OUTING #8: Saturday, May 30, 2020: 10:00-3:00PM
EXPLORATION: Hundred Acre Wood via Fairhaven Park
We will begin our day where the group's journey began, the Hundred Acre Wood, for our final exploration! We will follow-up on some of our conversations from our final campout as we reflect and complete our adjournment process. The mentors will make sure that the group also has an opportunity to decide how we spend a significant portion of our time together as this will be the final outing of the group! In the early evening following this outing, we will meet with families to have a potluck and celebrate this groups completion! See below for details. Explorers will stay with the group to set up for the graduation from 4:00-4:30PM. Parents and families will arrive at 4:30PM.
Directions: From I-5, take the Old Fairhaven Parkway exit (250). Head west on Old Fairhaven Parkway toward Fairhaven. Turn left on 12th St/Chuckanut Drive. Turn left into the Fairhaven Park Entrance. Turn right into the first parking lot. Map.
**CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19**
EVENT: Saturday, May 30, 2020: 4:30-6:30PM
Graduation Potluck and Slideshow, Fairhaven Park Pavilion
Parents and families will join us for a celebration to commemorate the Cave Dwellers' journey through Explorers Club at Fairhaven Park Pavilion. This will be a potluck so please be on the lookout for details and potluck sign ups from your lead mentor as this date approaches.
Directions: From I-5, take the Old Fairhaven Parkway exit (250). Head west on Old Fairhaven Parkway toward Fairhaven. Turn left on 12th St/Chuckanut Drive. Turn left into the Fairhaven Park Entrance. Turn right into the first parking lot. Map.