Sipsey Wilderness Adventure

Once a month I try to find the time to spend at least 24 hours in a remote location so I can have a one on one personal retreat with God. I love to backpack and be in the mountains or at least the woods. I’ve always heard Sipsey Wilderness was a great place to hike so I tried it. I usually go with another person but this time I really needed to be alone in a quiet place to pray and get into the Word. About 5 miles into my hike I found a great place to camp. It already had a primitive rock fire ring and a great place to hang my Hennessey Hammock. I knew it would be cold at night so I built a roaring fire and carried an additional eight pounds of winter gear with me. I’m glad I did because it was bone chilling when the sun went down. The best part about it was that the only sound I could hear was crickets. Talk about solitude. I sat by the fire and just prayed and listened to God. Last night was one of those times when I felt very compelled to read the book of Ephesians. It is my favorite of Paul’s letters because it reminds me of who I am in Christ and what He has done for me and how I can be victorious even in uncertain times.

Something else I really enjoy about backpacking is the correlations between walking with God and walking along a wilderness trail. Here’s what God spoke to me as I hiked and camped:

1. There were times when the trail seemed to just disappear and I had to rely on my map and orienteering skills. What a picture of life. Just when we think we are going in the right direction, the trail disappears. It’s in these times I have to rely on His Word as a spiritual compass/map to help me continue in making decisions and moving in the right direction.
2. You have to see the immediate and the big picture at the same time. When I first started hiking I was way too focused on my next step…probably because my next step was somewhere in West Virginia or Western Maryland where I stood a good chance of toppling off a cliff if I didn’t keep focused on the trail. As I gained more confidence in hiking I learned to look the next step and also enjoy the big picture. I was reminded of the delicate balance of that yesterday. I had been eying a huge rock outcropping in the distance and was trying to figure out how to get up there. But something told me to look down and I’m so glad I did. Nothing like a water moccasin to get your attention. He had been laying in the sun next to the Sipsey river and I interrupted his nap. He saw I had a couple of trekking poles and wasn’t afraid to use them and he slithered off. Another picture of life. I love to dream of God-sized things the future may bring but I have to stay focused on today as well. The serpent is always looking for a chance to strike!
3. There will always be things that go bump in the night and scare the “you know what” out of us! When I got ready to call it a night, I climbed into my hammock and crashed for a few hours and was rudely awakened by something rummaging around my campground. There is nothing like the sound of a buck snort to get your heart racing…especially since I heard a friend’s story of being chased by a black bear the day before. I had tons of things going through my mind like “do I turn on my head light to get a few of whatever this animal is”, “do I reach for my pistol?” Whatever it was it left and I went back to sleep only to be awakened by the occasional sound of a fox or screech owl in the distance. Talk about some freaky sounds in the middle of the night! I decided that I really want a set of night vision goggles so I can get a better look at whatever is checking me out next time. The cool thing is that I know God is my protector. When unexpected things come up, I know He is there. He has never left me and never forsaken me…even in my darkest, scariest moments.
4. Baggage…we’ve all got it. Since it was so cold at night I had to pack some extra winter gear. My pack weighed 43 pounds. That gets pretty heavy about mile 8 and it feels great to take the backpack off. It’s funny because you get used to walking a certain way with all the extra baggage and once you shed it, it takes a few minutes to adjust to a walk with no baggage. I’m so glad that Jesus is continually showing me how to shed the extra baggage that is weighing me down. I want my walk to be free from all the junk that weighs us all down!.

Here’s a few pics of the trip. Who’s up for a wilderness adventure that comes with lots of God moments that will refresh your spiritual life?

You haven't lived until you have climbed one of these on a windy day! OK...I know your not supposed to...and I didn't climb this one...but I have climbed several in New Mexico and Maryland and the views are amazing! Where do I sign up to be a forest ranger!