A day in the life...
What has the group been up to the past few days? They've been on solo. This is a designated time, where participants are spread out (within visual site of one another, but not necessarily hearing) and they spend a significant amount of time- anywhere from 24-48hrs- by themselves. It's a period of reflection, fasting, and time alone with God. The instructors do occasional checks on them, but after the 24/7 intensity of community over the past several weeks, it's a time to just....be. I'm sure we'll have some pictures from the time in the next day or so.
In the meantime, here are some more student reflections and a few more random pictures from daily life in the wilderness. Enjoy!
On the trail, moving between campsites.
Sometimes you find the occasional friend on the trail...
Remember that post where I mentioned talus? This is what crossing one looks like.
Remember that post where they hiked for 9 1/2hrs? This is a picture of what pure exhaustion looks like....the ability to sleep anywhere, even on top of your pack!
There is nothing like fresh fish in the backcountry!
Just a glimpse of some of the beauty that they are seeing.
“The battle of finding rest as a man without patience has been a main theme for me in the wilderness. My mind is frequently counting down the days until I return home to modern convenience. Paul has told me to focus on finding and allowing myself to rest amidst the discomfort. This summer has been eventful, but tiring. We haven’t really stopped, or like my mom says, ‘had a minute’. It has been a fantastic blessing to be here, but it has also not been as Paul says ‘a ride on a little pink duck’ aka, it has not been easy. It has been physically and mentally demanding, but it is nothing I can not handle. I also feel like I have gotten more answers to the questions I came in with and even generated some while being here. I’m excited to hike more and dig more deeper, but it will also be nice to return home in 19 days.”
In the meantime, here are some more student reflections and a few more random pictures from daily life in the wilderness. Enjoy!
On the trail, moving between campsites.
Sometimes you find the occasional friend on the trail...
Remember that post where I mentioned talus? This is what crossing one looks like.
“Learning to balance photography, being part of a new community, and being LOD have been challenging. The urge to capture raw moments conflicts with needing to make leadership decisions. Capturing great moments also comes with having to step out of a situation to create the photo. I am gradually getting better at this by getting faster with my camera’s settings and also understanding when the camera should come out (and when it should stay in the bag). Capturing photos allows me to share moments of friendship, life in the mountains, and God’s creation.”
“I’m so glad I brought my climbing shoes, I almost didn’t. The rocks and mountains here are awesome and completely different from anything I’ve experienced before. Climbing and talking with these people has entirely changed the way I think about climbing. I love it here, I’m having a blast!”Remember that post where they hiked for 9 1/2hrs? This is a picture of what pure exhaustion looks like....the ability to sleep anywhere, even on top of your pack!
There is nothing like fresh fish in the backcountry!
Just a glimpse of some of the beauty that they are seeing.
“The battle of finding rest as a man without patience has been a main theme for me in the wilderness. My mind is frequently counting down the days until I return home to modern convenience. Paul has told me to focus on finding and allowing myself to rest amidst the discomfort. This summer has been eventful, but tiring. We haven’t really stopped, or like my mom says, ‘had a minute’. It has been a fantastic blessing to be here, but it has also not been as Paul says ‘a ride on a little pink duck’ aka, it has not been easy. It has been physically and mentally demanding, but it is nothing I can not handle. I also feel like I have gotten more answers to the questions I came in with and even generated some while being here. I’m excited to hike more and dig more deeper, but it will also be nice to return home in 19 days.”