No really… we did shovel over two feet of snow off the cars by the time we left on Sunday morning! Though Boys Explorers Club hosted the third annual Baker Lodge weekend at The Mountaineers’ lodge at the end of March, the snow fell like it were the middle of winter. We had a low turnout as most folks headed to warm places for Spring Break. But for the hearty snow-seekers, we got exactly what we signed-up for!
Everyone arrived to the lodge for our 6pm Burrito Bar dinner. There were only a few other guests staying with Boys Explorers Club on Friday night but they were friendly and also excited to help us eat the mountain of Mexican rice and refried beans that we made. Our gracious hosts, Becky, Dale, Linde, and June presented desserts that filled our bellies even more. We learned about “Betsu Bara,” the Japanese phrase for having a split stomach- one for dinner and the other for sweets!
With the light lasting well into the evening, we only got a true hour of night sledding before we turned in for the night. We whetted our appetites for snow by getting on the sleds. The snow fell throughout the night while the resident pine martin stalked the basement of the lodge and we slept "soundly" on the third floor.
Actually nobody slept well the first night because nobody ever sleeps well the first night :) In fact, this mentor woke up because of someone snoring… and then again later when it was deafeningly silent. Both were uncommon experiences for this city dweller.
Boys and parents were chipper the next morning; Explorers were excited for the snow explorations to come and parents made it through one or two cups of coffee. The grinder and French press were great additions to our morning routine. Folks dressed quickly and our exploration began. Two hours of digging and sledding and getting used to the snow exhausted everyone. A couple of us threw snowballs and learned about tactical advantage to being atop the hills and most everyone else went in for an early lunch!
Explorers and parents didn’t make it very far distance-wise; our entire outing consisted of the lodge and its immediate vicinity with a couple trips back to the vehicles. What a great example for our future explorations at home! We can find the most amazing learning and fun opportunities close by. We don’t need to walk a long distance away from our dwellings to practice exploration mode. And when we add friends to the mix, it becomes even easier.
After a long lazy lunch, Explorers were keen to stay inside playing games and relaxing. The mass momentum was in lounging, until a couple of the youngest Explorers began to chirp. We fueled up on hot chocolate (I certainly did) and then made the way to our wet clothes in the basement to prepare for another session in the unyielding snow.
The mission at hand: snow caves. Small groups built the best snow shelters they could. After a time, Matt gathered everyone to share a personal story of hypothermia and incorrect snow cave building. We learned the important of clearing an area prior to digging the cave; otherwise we lift too much snow! With more good work under their belts, Explorers fled back to the lodge for more games and undoubtedly hot chocolate.
One dad on the other hand, spent the next part of two hours working on the snow cave. By the end, he had cleared a pretty sweet space that comfortably fit five Explorers and probably would have kept them insulated through the night had they chosen to sleep outside.
Mentors got even wilier. Matt and Dave added snow to the arc that the Explorers created. The arc turned into a tunnel and then a deep sledding chute. Then the front of the tunnel developed eyes, a nose, and teeth. Next, some spikes appeared along the top and the tunnel took on the appearance of a monster! Boys had finished their break and came out for an afternoon of sled-course building. Seeing this monster got everyone excited and many hands worked together on the community sledding course.
Next thing we knew, Explorers and parents worked together to build a starting ramp, high-banked walls, and really cool tail! It’s inspiring to see everyone working together, throwing snowballs, sledding, having fun, and laughing. What’s more impressive is that the snow continued to fall and that our warm hearts kept us dry when our clothing soaked through.
Yummy dinner followed and then we went right back outside to sled into the monster. Flashlights in the flanks reflected the sled course in the monster’s belly, red lamps made and eerie glow in its eyes, fun Christmas lights adorned the curvy, spiked tail, and the iced course made for a perfect evening of night sledding. Explorers helmeted-up and prepared to “Enter the Dragon,” so to speak. Parents sat in the peanut gallery commenting on the various sledders’ techniques and oohing and aahing at the course completions or premature wipeouts. We all laughed and played as the monster ate and expelled various community members!
From what I understand, everyone slept well the second night. With chocolate brownies in our bellies we slumbered; and the snow STILL fell. When we woke up, we saw that our entire sledding course was buried! Recognizing that our cars were engulfed in the same snow, we knew that we had a lot of digging to do if were to ever leave. Explorers admirably took charge of cleaning and organizing the lodge while adults journeyed to start the car unburying process. And suddenly the lodge was clean, empty, and everyone was out in the snow together! Great work Explorers.
We dug out the cars for an hour. Littler Explorers slid on their sleds and helped dig out cars. Bigger Explorers started the engines of their vehicles and used ropes and winches to pull out other cars. Folks shuttled out the last of their belongings and trash from the lodge. Those who remained held a closing Circle of Thanks and then all headed out. The mountain wished us to stay longer I suspect; we were halted in front of the Firs lodge as DOT personnel blasted and cleared the road.
Perhaps that was the snow’s way of reminding us that we can have fun and be safe in the alpine and that we have to be respectful of those high places. While it’s fun to explore and play in the snow-capped mountains, it’s paramount that we remember that the same snow melts into water and provides us with our drinking water in Bellingham. Let’s take care of our alpine too!
Thank you everyone for a great outing! Please see more pictures in the photo gallery. If you have other pictures to add, please let us know so that we can post them here too! Welcome back to Spring!
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