What started off as a cold cloudy morning in Bellingham turned into a crisp, sunny day when Explorers reached Semiahmoo Spit for what was billed as a birding adventure (Please don’t mind the pun!) We arrived and three juvenile Bald Eagles glided overhead, a sign to this mentor that we were on the right track.
Here’s a major thank you to David Krzesni, a new volunteer to the Boys EC, who stepped into leadership as a full mentor. As Greg had to tend to an immediate family predicament (don’t worry, everyone is OK), David took the 8am call and happily joined the outing for the day. We wouldn’t have had such a great outing without you… thanks David!
Logan B asked if a spit was a peninsula, and we answered that a spit is indeed land that is surrounded by water. More specifically, a spit is “a depositional landform found off coasts” (Thanks Wikipedia) meaning that Semiahmoo is most likely composed of the tremendous amount of sediments that washed up on its shores. It’s shaped in a northeasterly direction from the prevailing currents of the Strait of Georgia.
Upon arriving, we took shelter on the northern, White Rock, Canada- facing side of the spit. Explorers and mentors briefly learned about binoculars and their importance while birding; the birds get scared off if we get too close :) We practiced with binos and correctly identified a group of Mallards, both drakes and hens.
That was about as much birding we did though. Recent weather conditions nurtured a large mass of sea ice on the south side of the spit. Despite mentor warnings, Explorers were fascinated with this ice that existed on top of the salt water. And of course, our natural tendency is to see how much pressure it would take to break the ice.
Thus, boys learned about the basics and importance of dry and warm feet. Even on sunny days, cold and wet extremities can cause us to shiver, get cold to the point of pain, or experience mild hypothermia. Cotton clothing compounds the cold because that fabric takes a long time to get dry once it’s wet.
Once we wrung out as much water as possible from our socks, pant legs, and shoes we were still cold. We covered our heads because preventing heat loss from there would give the rest of our body energy to warm up. We also took to games of tag in order to move around and warm up. After about five minutes, boys may have been uncomfortable still but they were warmer and in much better spirits.
We took to the seaward side again, protected from the breeze, as we traversed the spit toward the water tower. Our goal was to look for the Peregrine Falcon pair that live there.
Along the way, boys called Hide. Representatives from five Explorers Club groups played games together and shared in our universal culture through games and passion to explore. One of the most inspiring parts of this outing was seeing how boys were bound to the same culture and love for play.
Vespula Veterans, some Red Tailed Eyas, and an Alevin created their own challenges in various rounds of River Otter Steals a Fish while Grey Fox Kits, Branch Hoppers and other Alevin and Eyas took to jettisoning driftwood into the water so they could throw rocks in the hopes of sinking the logs.
Lesser Scaups drifted in the water, Western Gulls warmed up all along the shore, and the male Northern Harrier dipped and dove over the spit’s slight ridges. All the while, these twelve Explorers enjoyed one another’s company and got to know the landscape and features of Semiahmoo Spit. We learned about the cold and about winter conditions along the completely-exposed coast. And we discovered that the best way to stay warm is to engage with community, play games, and have fun exploring.
We never did see the pair of Peregrine Falcons but your Explorer can tell you about his story on the sea ice. The most popular birds were the Explorers as they transformed from boys into penguins that explored, slid on, and broke various types of ice.
Thank you Explorers for once again braving the cold and learning that we can explore in the winter! You are blazing a trail for future generations of Explorers who will appreciate winter outings. Thank you parents for supporting your boys and this program. We sometimes let them suffer so they learn the lessons like Cold; mentors deeply appreciate your trust in us to facilitate the boys as they stretch their edges.
Please see pictures of this outing in theWinter Photo Gallery. Have a great day!
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