Yesterday we went on two hikes in New Hampshire. Both were on the Appalachian Trail. A part of me wishes I could do it — take a few months off and go from Georgia to Maine. But would it still be fun after that first month? Would the twenty miles a day — sometimes with heat and sometimes with bugs — get old? I like the idea of doing it a week or two at a time over many years.
Here are some things I picked up about hiking from reading Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods : Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
First the joy is in the journey. You can’t just hold your breath waiting for Mt. Katadin at the end of the trail in Maine. It has its own thrill — and there really is a goal for the trip! — but the deepest joy comes every day. It’s the people you meet; it’s the shelter you find; it’s the trees, wildlife, hills, and streams. Bryson mentions once finding an old paperback novel in one of the shelters and the great delight he found in having something to read.
Second, weight matters. He made fun before his trip of the people who walked into hiking stores willing to pay exorbitant prices just for “better,” lighter gear. But on the trail, he realized that over the long haul it made a lot of difference. It was indeed worth paying for the lighter tent and the lighter backpack. (Now, check out Heb. 12:1: “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”)
Third, you don’t walk alone. There may be times of solitude, but you find encouragement by traveling with others. There are those you hook up with for a few miles, those you come across at the shelters, and those who sit around in the local pubs to visit before pressing on. Plus, there are all those who’ve come before you to actually make the path. The goal isn’t to find your own way. You have to trust the wisdom of those who’ve preceded you.
And fourth, you must endure. If you’re going to finish the Trail, you have to press on. Past bugs, past exhaustion, past blisters, past boredom.
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Today, that counter hits a million. Leave me a note with your real e-mail address (that doesn’t get published in the comment). I’ll get back with you in a day or two. (We’ll be traveling today.) Good luck!
These last few posts about your adventures in New England have got me longing for the forests, streams, and trees of NH and VT, where I grew up. Enjoy the peace and the hiking! We can hike here in Taipei, but it’s nothing like hiking in New England.
And those three drunk guys at Fenway the other night? I think they must be the same three drunk guys I remember from my 6th grade class trip to Boston (back in 1991).
Thanks for stirring up the memories of my homeland…
Mike, I love what you have learned from the trail. I will have to read that book. I am struck by your Hebrews reference. Yes, we need to travel lighter, even if it is expensive to do so. Emotionally we need to drop that terrible baggage we are carrying around…yes, you might need to pay a therapist and yes, it might be painful to go digging around in your past and yes, some others might be uncomfortable with us looking at our past…but we need to do it in order to lead the abundant life. Also, our lives are full of too much stuff…too many material possessions…stuff that weighs us down…and yes, some people will think we are crazy to not care about looking right or being cool but in order to live the abundant life..some of that stuff has to go. Also, theologically we need to travel lighter…too many rules and too much black and white pushes the Spirit out of the picture and leaves us carrying around our rulebook and measuring everyone else by that rulebook. This limits our connections with people and Jesus wanted us to connect.
Wow, didn’t mean to preach a sermon….just hit me this morning that it is so important to travel light.
Mike,
Sponsor a fundraising walk of the Appalachian Trail. Instead of going to the Holy Land with your favorite semi-celebrity preacher, walk the Appalachian Trail. Seriously, bring along various experts like English or Biology profs, and it would be a great two months. ACU could turn it into a course, both for undergraduate and graduate, and then you may have more people.
The minimum for each hiker could be $2,500 for the charity, plus their expenses. Something to think about.
Lots of rich “God lessons” to learn from Bryson’s book on the AT. Here are a couple that stand out to me:
- As Christians, we often forget that salvation is more broad and deep than the promise of Heaven. I think this goes back to the traditional protestant view of salvation as only a point in time at which a person’s sins are forgiven. We must begin to see the “joy in the journey” and salvation as the offer of “life to the full” while on this earth. (while, of course, looking ahead with hope to our real home in Heaven)
- Weight matters. We must travel lightly, in every sense of the term. The more stuff (physical, emotional) we have, the harder it is to find joy in our new life in Christ. Christians must begin to take seriously the concept of traveling light, not quickly attaching ourselves to the things that the world holds up as important.
- We often equate our “journey with others” with “going to church,” and the sad truth is that more and more faithful Christ-followers are finding that church attendance is not doing the job. These people (myself included) are finding that a smaller group of fellow travelers — which may or may not be a part of the traditional church — are more suitable for the community and accountability that we need as people of faith. “Fellow travelers” implies forward motion down a path, and sadly, many Christian faith communities today do not seem to have this momentum.
I hope your travels continue to go well. Once you’re home I hope you can address my question on the Kingdom.
All the best,
John
Yeah, I’d take the ACU class, absolutely
Mike,
Love the hiking stuff. My wife and I, along with a very large portion of our families, are hikers/climbers. We live in colorado, so the hobby is easily served. My Dad and I have concluded that one of the big reasons we like hiking is a new life lesson that is learned, or is taught to us by God. Those are great points you highlighted from that book. And of course, obvious when your on the trail.
If you’re ever in colorado and need some hiking companions, we are always available. And if you’re ever yearning for some thin air, our 14ers always make a wonderful trip.
Thanks for the insights. Your words are always a blessing.
Logan
We have a part of the trail not far from us here in Georgia. When Steve and I met, I found out that taking a hike on that trail just lit Steve’s day up. You will often find us there on weekends. What is it with you Neosho boys? I find a peace there too. We live on a lake and I can’t think of anywhere else I would rather live, mainly for the peace it affords.
2:40 CST - looks like the 1M mark gets crossed this evening - in the 7ish range. I’ll be mowing my yard in 90% humidity - hooray. Congrats to whomever gets the prize!
Darn, does being the 1000005th count for anything
lol
So close! 0999997! Then a refresh yielded 1000001… Oh well, I don’t think I could use the prize anyway. Congrats to the real winner
Hey Mike,
My name is Blair Crigler…and I was the 1,000,000 person to visit your site! I have been reading for a couple of years, but never commented. My husband is the youth and family minister for Niceville Church of Christ in the pand handle of Florida. My e-mail is blairdroberts@hotmail.com, feel free to e-mail me (I check it all the time). May God continue to bless you and your family!
Blair Crigler
Blair -
Congrats! So glad it goes to someone who’s been reading for a couple years. I’m at Logan Airport in Boston right now. When I get home, I’ll e-mail you.
Hope you can use the Zoe Conference registration. (If not, I’ll be glad to send the copy of PILGRIM HEART signed by Darryl Tippens.) Either way, I hope you’ll also enjoy the 1-year subscription to wineskins.org.
Mike
Congrats to Blair! Well, I guess my timing was off - I predicted 7 pm. But, let me tell ya’ Mike - that turnstile of yours was spinning like a top today. It’s raining here in East Texas, aka, free outdoor saunaland, so, my mowing is on hold.
A MILLION hits!! How does that feel? My little blog is just three tics from a mere 2000 which amazes me. There certainly aren’t that many responses, thank goodness, LOL
Anyway, a million congratulations, Mike - especially on your wonderful vacation. It has been entirely too long since I’ve been able to enjoy the beauty of our northeastern states. So happy you could travel to that gorgeous area and with the WHOLE family! What a treasure of memories you must be storing up for future family reunions.
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!
Thanks Mike for the update of your travels. Vacation are special times.
Doh! I was 1,000,490. You know, technically, the 1,000,000th hit really was not the 1,000,000th hit. If you are counting according to Jewish hits, which I’ve heard you’re supposed to do in stuff like this, the first hit was actually hit 0, and hit 1,000,000 would actually be hit 999,999. Now, the way I see it, since you messed up and all, if you add to 1 million the number of times that Jesus said to forgive your brother who sins against you (70 times 7), which you obviously have done here, that would be 1,000,490. And that would be me! Whad’ya think????
Brad, you are in error, betrayed by your own reasoning. Hit number 1,000,489 would be the true possessor of the 70 times 7, since we started counting at zero, right?
Mark,
Ah, so you think, but are you sure???? You forgot to factor in the day the sun stood still in the days Joshua, actually 23 hours and 20 minutes. Then, of course, you have to factor in the 40 minutes that the sun went backward in Hezekiah’s day, which of course makes an entire 24 hour period, 1 day, all of which has just been recently discovered by NASA computers while trying to chart satellite orbits. So, you put all this information together, with the missing day and all, and you get 1,000,490 and that would be me. Sorry number 1,000,489. You should read your Bible more.
Just so we don’t give the NASA lost day thing more legs than it already has…
http://www.snopes.com/religion/lostday.htm
Have a great day!
Karrie, I bet that next you’re going to deny that Madlyn Murray O’Hair is petitioning the FCC to get “Touched By An Angel” kicked off the air! What am I going to do about all those email petitions I’ve forwarded to everybody in my address book?
LOL, Mark
Hey — my blog hit the 10,000 mark the same day Cope’s blog hit 1,000,000. I guess that means Mike is exactly 100 times more popular than me.
Story of my life.
Congrats on 1,000,000. Seems like just yesterday you were rolling over 500,000.
Don’t despair, Jeff. You’re not doing too bad. I did the math and this blog is approximately 1120 times more popular than mine. (And mine is two months older.)
Congratulations on 1,000,000 hits to your site. That is amazing! Have you thought about what your going to do when it hits 2,000,000. How long do you think that will take?
Don’t know. The 500,000 was 6 1/2 months ago. (I didn’t have a counter for a long time.) That would mean about 13 more months. I don’t know if I have that much more blogging left in me.
I can’t say as I’d blame you if you feel daunted by the thought of continuing to blog for another 13 months. As much fun as it is to say things like “he’s got 1000 times more hits than me”, I’m not sure I’d be able to manage all that comes with having so popular a blog.
Please keep blogging–I can’t believe that one of the best sites I visit on a regular basis is the cheapest…whatta deal.
I’ll take the trip to Zoe Conference in October, Alex.
So that’s what I get for going to the movies with the kids instead of sitting here checking Mike’s blog! Ah well, I’m planning to be at Zoe Fresno next January anyway. And I just finished reading “Pilgrim Heart” today (I’ll be sharing that one).
I used to back pack on the AT about 2 or 3 times a year. After I got married, my wife went with me. Since we had 4 kids we haven’t been able to go but maybe once every 2 years. I used to take our youth group from church. It was amazing how many lessons you could teach them on the trail.
One of the best lessons I taught was when a burden got too great for one person to carry. We would distribute most of that person’s weight among the group. You still have to carry your own load, (we couldn’t carry anyone) but we learned what it means to bear one another’s burdens.
Don’t stop blogging! Your blogs have provided my friends and I with hours of great theological discussion. Your blogs have been a huge encouragement to us and each of our ministries. Congratulations! May the Power of Christ rest upon you!
Cheryl
Mike,
Congrats on the popularity…you know they call the thru-hike of the AT “a walk of 5 million steps.” Coincidence that your topic on this 1 million hit day is the AT–I’d like to think not. My ‘97 trek of the AT (with the trail name “Optimist”) was the best 6 months of my life until my twin daughters were born last year. It was a spiritual experience. If you ever think about that end-to-end, I can pass along some of those experiences.
Brad