Sunday, May 31, 2009

First Backpack Trip
































































This past Friday night, I took our two oldest children on their first overnight backpacking trip. We traveled to a nearby state park where we began hiking under cloudy skies. As we made our way past several scenic waterfalls, we felt some rain spitting at us. We continued our 3-mile trek up the river as the storm grew worse. We put up our hoods as rain increased and the sound of thunder and lightning grew louder. We spaced ourselves further apart and moved quickly along a high ridge scurrying to lower ground as rain began to pour heavily on us. Bravely, A & H kept moving forward inspired by the thoughts of shelter at camp and dry clothes. They did great! By the time we reached camp, the storm had passed and the nearly setting sun could be seen through the trees.

Warm, dry clothes and a hot dinner brought comfort and smiles to a tired group. We were the only people on the trail and at the campsite. We hung our food, said our prayers and slept well.

I was awakened by a woodpecker drilling nearby for insects. The morning sunshine filled the tent and showed promise for a beautiful day. We filtered water, threw rocks in the river, ate breakfast and packed up our camp for a hike back down the river. Blue skies, warm sun, reflecting water and freshly watered vegetation made the earth picturesque and our hike incomparable.

I learned a lot about my children on our outing - about their courage, their fears and their love for God's creation. We built confidence and trust in eachother and made lasting memories on this fun, weekend trip.


1 comment:

Cindy Smith said...

I'm glad you all made it safely through the storm, and that you had a fun time. I hope you will keep us posted on your blog after you move, we will miss you!