Marathons and Mountains

On March 4th I decided to go for a long run. The Lord Hill Trails Fun Run gave me a good opportunity to run with some others while challenging myself to run further than I have in several years. I'm toying with the idea of running the White River 50 at the end of July. I ended up doing two loops eleven mile circuits for a total of 22 miles on the rugged and muddy hills near Snohomish. The only really difficult part was the final six miles. I finished in about three hours. I have a long way to go before I'll be ready for a 50 mile run.










Today I followed up with an attempt at Mount Dickerman Trail #710. The sun was shining and Big Four Mountain looked just spectacular. A thin layer of snow covered the road for the final ten miles of driving to the gate at Deer Creek. From there it was a 4.5 mile run to the trail head (on the snow-covered Mountain Loop Highway). I was cautious about this climb after learning of two fatalities that took place on this mountain this year (see the article linked to this heading). It was haunting to think about what had happened here only a month ago and I prayed for the families of those who perished here.

As I made my way up the rugged and icy trail, all tracks disappeared after one mile. From then on I was breaking trail, and the trail was often difficult to find. After three hours of climbing (following the run), I lost the trail completely and made the wise choice of heading back. I was able to get some nice photos -- a couple of which I have posted. It was a great workout. As I ran the road back to my car I contemplated the appeal of the wilderness. I found encouragement in thinking of the Biblical characters who spent time there seeking God (John the Baptist, Elijah, Moses, Jesus...). For me it is a place to quiet my heart and my mind, to worship, to relax and to enjoy God's creation.

I recently read a climber's comment in Outside magazine who said "Life is lived in valleys, not on the summits."

This has had me thinking about the beauty of mountain tops but the absolute necessity of lowlands and valleys.

Christians love "mountain top" experiences with God. These are special and should be enjoyed -- but when we're in the valleys, or walking life on what feels like an endless plain, we must not think that God has abandoned us. Passionate spirituality is meant to happen in the valleys even though we may be longing for another summit experience.