Reflection: Hiking in the Flat Irons

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn~John Muir.

While it has been a few months since this hike took place, I came along the above John Muir quote recently, and it made me think about all of the times I have spent hiking in the wilderness, and most recently our foray into the Flat Irons.

Jamie and I ventured out on a sunny Saturday morning with our good friend Derek Roberts after a week long conference where we were able to share Nuru in Colorado. Another friend of ours, Kris Woyna, had been encouraging us to check out the Flat Irons for a few years, and so we finally took an opportunity to do so. Jamie wasn’t feeling up for any summits above 10,000 feet this year, and so the Flat Irons seemed like a great place to explore.

The trails were absolutely beautiful. Like John Muir says, “Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.” As we made our way through a few different trails along a four mile hike, our spirits felt more and more alive, and our hearts more peaceful.

Anywhere we travel, Jamie and I like to carve out time to be outside. Even when we are at home, we strive to get at least thirty minutes outside daily. Sometimes we are hiking trails, but many times we are hiking through our neighborhood. Our preference is always the forest though.

There’s something about wilderness that restores and refreshes us. Our conversation moves quickly into laughter and joy as we soak up new views and new experiences together. While we were in Acadia National Park earlier this year, we learned about a phenomenon called “Forest Bathing.” Apparently, there are extensive studies around the idea that being in the woods has lots of health benefits that can’t be reaped in city life. The article we read about it said that forest bathing will be the next ‘big thing’ like yoga has become. Who knew that all of us hikers, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts were so far ahead of the trend.

If you ever make it to Boulder, be sure to hike the Flat Irons, but if not, get out in the woods and enjoy the gift as ‘the winds blow their own freshness into you.’ May we each take time daily to soak in the gifts of God’s creation and respond in gratitude to their benevolent Giver.

Climbing Mount Bierstadt In Colorado

Well, last week was a banner week to say the least. I met the President of the United States, I had an opportunity to share Nuru with more than seven hundred top-tier software developers, and then, Saturday morning, Jamie and I woke up at 5AM and began preparations to leave our hotel to journey with my old roommate and incredible friend, Derek Roberts, on an epic adventure. We set off with Derek at 6AM for Mount Bierstadt, and arrived around 730AM at the parking lot. Jamie and I were supposed to have a seventeen mile run that day, but I think three hours of hiking upward at altitude (made the summit by 1030AM) were probably a pretty decent substitute workout.

 

Mount Bierstadt was named for the artist Albert Beirstadt who was attributed with the first ascent in the 1860s. Bierstadt was part of the Hudson River School of artists (founded by Thomas Cole—one of my favorite American artists), and painted hundreds of scenes of the American West.

As we hiked from the parking lot onward and upward it was not uncommon to see people stopping to rest (we did it a few times ourselves), and we also saw some people get discouraged along the way and decide that they would stop and turn back, or just stay in one place and rest and enjoy the sun, but we kept moving, albeit sometimes more slowly than others.

We also were drinking a lot of water. I believe we went through about 1.5 liters on the ascent, and we probably could have used more. The temperature peaked at 68 degrees back at our car, but it felt much warmer. We had definitely exerted ourselves heavily on this trek. By the time evening rolled around we were all three more than ready for sleep. I think we were each in bed by 10PM which may have been our earliest sleeping time during our visit to Colorado.

Along the hike I had a few thoughts stick out to me. That while the lessons came from the ascent, I feel like these can hold true for other areas of life as well.

The adventure is always better with friends. As we made our way up the slope, each of us offered encouragement and shared our food with one another, and we were able to celebrate together at the summit too!

When the going gets tough, persevere. Every time we encountered a steep portion of the trail, we would notice several groups convening to decide if they were going to keep going or not. It’s easy to let doubts creep in during those times, and almost any reason to turn around feels justifiable, but you really need to keep track of your internal compass and intention during those times.  Don’t let your self-talk derail your focus. Don’t quit.

Prepare ahead of time.  Our culture values spontaneity, but without proper prior planning we could have run out of water really quickly (and we did run low on the descent).  The weather was incredibly cold as we started, but the temperature warmed quickly (especially as our blood was pumping) as we journeyed upward. Be prepared. Think thru details ahead of time. Good counsel for almost every scenario. Also, in spite of the ascent being considered an “easier” seven mile round trip, I don’t think it would have been wise to attempt if we were not already in decent cardiovascular conditions.

Enjoy the journey. It is really easy to get so focused on the goal (being focused is a good thing) that you miss out on the view along the way. Every time we paused to drink some water, we were intentional about looking around us. The view was ever changing. As we increased altitude, we saw summits that were previously hidden. We discovered valleys that were spread for miles, and we enjoyed a sky that was steadily changing as the day progressed. Part of the journey in any arena is taking the time to enjoy the beauty all around you.

It’s worth it to keep going. Similar to my comment on perseverance, when we arrived at the summit, it was a massive celebration. We ate some snacks that tasted even better with the knowledge that we worked through all of the mental and physical challenges along the way. Those were some of the best snacks and bars I think we have ever had. We shared laughs, and even celebrated the moment with one of Jamie’s #starjumps. The view was incredible, and we had the privilege of knowing that we were among a select few who have made it far enough to enjoy that 14,060 ft view.

Stay focused after you attain your goal. Climbing down from the summit presented a different array of challenges. We were already tired, and gravity tempted us to take faster steps than our tired body could handle. If we were careless, we slipped, we stumbled, and we fell. In the beginning we thought the goal was the summit, after the summit, we had a new goal was to arrive safely back to our car.

Encourage others on the path. As we climbed and as we descended, I couldn’t help myself from saying words of encouragement as I saw the struggle on the faces of strangers. On the ascent I spoke as a fellow-sojourner. On the descent I shared as a successful rookie explorer. No matter where we are on the journey we can take time to encourage others and spur them onward.

Now, I don’t think I’m going to become a “summit bagger” or anything like that in the near future. Who knows, I may never climb one of the 50+ “14ers” ever again. But I hope I have the discipline to apply the lessons of this journey to my life daily. And regardless the locale, I look forward to the next adventure, the next journey, and the next goal as Jamie and I continue to explore this world and seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our Creator in sweet community.

Perspective: Running At Altitude

As Jamie and I continue our training in an effort to complete the 40th Marine Corps Marathon (and our third) in Washington DC this October, we have taken the training as a great opportunity to explore as well. By the way, want to join us on team Nuru this fall?

Yesterday, we ran about six miles along the South Platte River in Littleton, Colorado. The weather was absolutely beautiful. The sun was shining, and this river was just stunning to take in as we ran. But as we ran, we also had the realization we were running at an altitude higher than any point in our home state of West Virginia. Amazingly we were keeping up a faster pace than our typical longer runs, and we were feeling great...but our hearts and lungs were working harder to keep us going. I think I was averaging about 170 bpm for our little jog, but we both felt great. There are many elite athletes who train for long periods at higher altitudes because it makes their bodies more efficiently use oxygen--we won't be in Colorado long enough to take advantage of that perk tho.

And while our bodies were working a lot harder in this unfamiliar altitude, I think that because we have been very disciplined with our training and fitness, we were able to adjust somewhat well. And running at altitude gave me a different perspective than what I had anticipated. I had anticipated the hard work of my lungs and heart, along with great conversations as we explored this little riverside trail together, but I was granted something more.

It was this. Sometimes we need to change up our routines and rhythms to get fresh perspective. As we journeyed along the South Platte, our bodies were working hard, and every step afforded us a view of something largely unfamiliar to us. Whether it was snow capped mountains to the West or the fast running flow of a wide and shallow mountain stream there was a freshness and a crispness to the images and the air.

As we ran, I began thinking about the little miracles we have opportunity to see each day, if we just get out of our ruts and routines and take a look around us. Sure there are a number of hurts and tragedies in this world, and probably every person who is reading this has found themselves the victim of some hurt over the course of their life. But, at the same time, we have been given incredible gifts. We have been given today. We have been given an opportunity at a fresh start. We have been given an opportunity to either keep moving or start moving.

And if we start, while there's no guarantee that tomorrow will be better, it seems like it is a whole lot easier to keep going.

As we ran, Jamie and I reflected back to a run we took together in Westminster, Colorado two years ago as part of training for our first marathon. We didn't run as far. We didn't run as fast. And we were really tired at the end of our jog. But this time, we were able to go far, go fast, and we weren't nearly as tired. We have introduced a variety of habits into our lives related to fitness, to emotional well-being, spiritual growth, and mental sharpness during our journey together, but we shift the way we engage and develop those habits, and it keeps us fresh, it keeps us moving, and it keeps our perspective not on the mountains ahead, or the hurts of the past, but on the blessings of the present.

Wherever you find yourself today, may you be able to take time for some fresh perspective and some fresh air along the way. Keep moving!

Celebrating The Birthday Of One Of Our Amazing Friends, Naomi Triggs

Last week Jamie and I arrived in Denver, CO and we have been privileged to connect with a wide array of Nuru supporters and friends in this beautiful state. In fact, last Thursday afternoon we were able to meet with a few of Nuru's most longstanding supporters during a short trip to Colorado Springs. In addition, we had a rare privilege of connecting with one of Nuru's first supporters on the continent of Europe and a long time friend Naomi Triggs, AND it was her birthday!

Her story is just incredible, so I wanted to take a minute to reflect and share. She's quite the heroic individual and a definite change agent for good in the world. Back in 2003, Naomi joined about 30 other Americans (mostly from CO and OH) to start a church in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She traveled there as a student, worked as a nanny, and eventually went on staff with the church called Amsterdam50.

In 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2009, I had the privilege of visiting the church and bringing small teams from our church back in Morgantown to serve the community in Amsterdam. Jamie actually was on the last team with me in 2009. During each of those trips our teams were always blessed with the conversations we had with the community and staff of Amsterdam50 including Eric Asp, Patricia van Engelen, Sokol Hakrama, and Naomi Triggs. As I write this, I'm tempted to write about how each of these (and many others) have influenced and encouraged me by their examples of life and faith, but it's probably best that I focus on Naomi and her birthday. ;)

Naomi had been one of the key contacts for teams coming to the Netherlands, and during her years of living in Amsterdam, God had placed a deep burden within her for the hurting and the broken in the world. She found herself leading social justice initiatives in the church, in the city, and around the world. She spent time in India and Kenya working with orphans, she organized water walks through the city of Amsterdam, and in 2009, she set up an opportunity for me to share Nuru with a gathering of people from around the city.

Amsterdam is famous for many things, and not all of those things are good. One of those things is its Red Light District. While at the church, Naomi also got more involved in working to address the issues around prostitution, sex slavery,  and human trafficking as well aftercare for women who have been able to escape these traumatic experiences. And her work on these issues led her back to the US. She is considering attending a seminary and getting a counseling degree so she is better equipped for caring for women who have been trafficked when she returns to Amsterdam.

When we arrived we had the realization that Naomi was back in the US for a brief period, and thanks to Facebook, we also had the additional realization that we might be able to see her on her birthday--AND WE DID!!! It was wonderful catching up with Naomi, and at the same time it was a bit surreal. Jamie and I had never seen Naomi anywhere other than Amsterdam (and vise versa). Interestingly, Jamie and I are working to learn Dutch, so we were able to get in a little practice with Naomi. :)

We have been honored to know Naomi for quite some time, and seeing her on her birthday was extra cool, but more than that, being able to follow the trajectory of her life has been amazing. She has been faithfully living out her calling as God has nudged her increasingly toward compassionate care for those who have been downtrodden and abused. Although this post is a few days after her birthday, our prayer is that this year would be one of deep focus as she continues to pursue the vision God has given her.

And for the rest of us, may we each grow more keenly aware of the opportunities that are presented to us to grow in our care for our neighbors and to work toward being instruments of healing, restoration, and reconciliation in this beautiful and hurting world.

Eagle Cliff Mountain Colorado

On our last day in Colorado, we took yet another trip to Estes Park, and this time we visited the YMCA of the Rockies, an incredible YMCA that sits on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. We traveled again with Josh, Carri, and their son, and at the YMCA, one of my long time friends from my old job at GCM, John Drage, greeted us and he and I had a brief reunion. We had about 2.5 hours to hike around before we left for the airport with the Drakes. (Love the Drakes!)

John, knowing we had limited time, and knowing he would not be able to join us, pointed out Eagle Cliff as great nearby summit to take in one last look at Rocky Mountain splendor. We took off immediately. We started at about 7000 feet along a stream, and ended at 8300 feet in elevation over a one mile stretch. I don't think I would have been able to do it if I didn't have a week of high altitude conditioning in. Josh and Carri scampered straight up (with 2 year old on back and soon to be born second child).  We made it to the summit in record time, and again, it was absolutely beautiful. We took some time to soak it in and ate a lunch that Jamie and Carri prepared earlier that morning. We turned around and made our way back down Eagle Cliff just in time to be greeted again by John.

I'm immensely grateful that I was able to spend this last day in Colorado with many friends. John had tried to get me to visit Colorado and attend a summer leadership training program GCM organized for college students, but I never made it out there until this summer. It was wonderful to be reunited with an old friend, and to be physically challenged as Josh, Carri, Jamie, and I pushed our way up to the summit and back in record time.

May we each make the most of every day, and be attentive to the adventures and the fellow adventurers that come across our paths.

Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, Colorado

 Well, it's been a little over a month since Jamie and I had the amazing privilege of being able to visit with a couple of amazing friends in Colorado. We were invited to share Nuru's story at a Java software developer conference, and while in the area, we were able to visit with our great friends Josh and Carri Drake and their young son. Josh and Carri, aside from being die-hard Mountaineer fans and lovers of the great outdoors are both pretty amazing athletes.

Josh picked us up in the Denver airport, and took us to their home in Fort Collins, CO. Josh is a graduate student working on a PhD in Exercise Science at Colorado State University. Carri also has a background in exercise physiology, and they are both incredibly fit folks. Josh rode on the cycling team at WVU, and Carri was a gymnast on WVU's team as well.

When considering where to take us to experience Colorado, they decided on Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park (we also spent some time exploring Fort Collins which was pretty cool too!).

My hope for the trip was that we would be able to see Elk (Wapiti in Shawnee), and almost immediately upon arrival to Estes Park, we saw a herd hanging out in a neighborhood, and eating the blooms and leaves off trees. It was absolutely amazing to be so close to an animal that once roamed the entire United States. They were truly beautiful creatures. The only way this experience could have been better is if I would have heard an elk bugle. Perhaps another time.

After our brief stint in Estes Park, and our visit to the Stanley Hotel (site of The Shining), we traveled into Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked a trail that was fairly level, but was at 9,100 feet elevation. That was the highest point Jamie and I had ever experienced together. We hiked along for a couple of miles, and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. While we were hiking, we may have been adjusting to the higher altitude, but Carri was six months pregnant, and Josh was carrying his two year old son on his back. At our turn around point, I traded Josh and carried their son on my back all the way to the car.

It was a lot of fun hanging out with Josh and Carri, and singing Shawnee songs to their son along the way. I'm so grateful that Jamie and I had the privilege of seeing some great friends while we were away from home. Not only that, but it was absolutely beautiful country. I felt like I was walking along a movie set the entire time.








If you ever have the opportunity, you should definitely visit Rocky Mountain National Park--it is truly a beautiful place. And even if you never get to visit this park, my suggestion to you is to go outside, and explore the beauty that is around where you live. Walking in nature helps us to slow down, and simply appreciate life and the gifts that each one of us is given. And we could all use more time spent in appreciation.