NatureBridge Explorations

This morning we fueled up on pancakes and sausage before launching into team-building challenges. Our mission accomplished, we piled into a van and drove an hour to Second Beach on the Pacific coast of the Olympic Peninsula. We started our hike to the beach with a ritualized introduction to trailhead port-o-potties. With that particular and memorable fragrance firmly imprinted in our minds, we sanitized our hands and marched toward the distant sound of surf crashing on the beach. The trail was about a mile of breathtaking old-growth rainforest. We stopped many times for hands-on experiences identifying flora, fauna, and fungi—we even tasted some trail-side Salal berries, yum! 

Finally, we emerged onto the long sandy beach guarded by dozens of rock spires, stacks, and an arch like the remains of a medieval fortress. At the high-water mark of the beach, we ate lunch on a matchstick pile of old-growth timber bleached white by the sun. From there, it was off to play at the edge of the surf and explore the tidal pools, where students discovered many sea anemones, barnacles, small mussels, sand fleas & more. 

Back at camp this evening, we gathered around a campfire and made skits about our many experiences here at NatureBridge. We ended with a classic scary campfire story told by Mr. Lindsay and, finally, a dance party in the cabin. 

Tomorrow morning we go on one more adventure and then look forward to seeing our families and sleeping in our own comfy beds.