by Seth Herlinger
For almost two decades, Eastbrook’s annual Wilderness Trip has provided a summer backpacking experience for high school students. This year marked my eighth Wilderness Trip; I have done three as a student, one as a junior leader, and now four as a leader. It is always a unique experience due to physical demands, as well as how it pits you against the difficulties of living away from the comforts and conveniences of modern civilization. God routinely uses these raw encounters with nature to speak to us in ways that are much clearer and more definitive than what we might glean from Him in our regular day-to-day.
This year’s trip took us to the Uncompahgre Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Two days in, our group came across a trailhead that led to the summit of Uncompahgre Peak, the sixth highest “14er” (a peak with total elevation surpassing 14,000 feet) in the state of Colorado. We couldn’t pass it up! We set up camp near the end of the valley, waking the next morning to empty our packs of anything that wasn’t water and snacks for the day before setting out for the peak.
Spirits were high as we ascended the mountain. Unlike our previous days on trail, the weather was perfect: not too windy, not too sunny, and most importantly, not raining. We watched as marmots scrambled across rocks and chased each other along the mountainside. We listened to a chorus of little pikas belting out their signature “MEEP!” call, immediately adopting it as our group’s mantra. Best of all were the views; every few hundred feet of elevation gain revealed new panoramic landscapes, a kaleidoscope of peaks and valleys bathed in sunshine or clothed in mist and clouds. On the top ridge, we could see and hear a storm passing behind the mountains lining the other side of the valley. We started to wonder just how magnificent the 360° view at the summit would be, increasing our excitement and motivation to reach the top.
It was early afternoon as we approached the bottom of the rocky dome that forms the mountain’s peak. A steeper portion meant our hike turned into more of a vertical scramble. Despite the increased difficulty, every member of our group was able to make it up to the 14,000 foot mark; now, only about 300 feet of elevation sat between us and the top. A few of us began to scout ahead when my co-leader Megan noticed that the storm appeared to be getting closer. Within minutes, the rain consumed the far peaks, clearly making its way across the valley right toward us. It was hard to imagine turning back now, so close to the summit — but mountain thunderstorms kill hikers every summer in Colorado, and we were not about to gamble with the lives of our students. After a quick group selfie, we reversed course — and not a moment too soon: rain blindsided us just as we began to descend the scramble. It would have been difficult enough to climb down this portion dry! I sensed trepidation spread through the group, and then I felt it myself — a brief but genuine moment of fear for my own life.
I was mentally transported, as if I was looking down from the mountain and observing the last four years of my life from above. Four years ago, I was not in a great place mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. I had dropped out of college with no clear path forward for my career, had neglected my own health, and struggled with some serious doubt towards my faith in Christ. These weren’t issues I could fix overnight, but rather by the grace and direction of God, I was able to navigate them to become the more joyful, healthy, and purposeful person that I am today. This observation immediately filled me with overwhelming peace, the thought that if I were to die in this moment, I was so grateful that it would be as the person I had become now rather than who I had been back then. God has more to show me.
I snapped out of reflection mode and into action mode, praying aloud, asking God to hold back the storm and allow us to descend the mountain safely. Our prayers were answered as the intensity of the rain held steady, any lightning staying miles away. Our entire group got o of the peak safe and sound, albeit wet, cold, and probably a little disappointed.
Despite not getting to soak in the full 360° view from the top, God had given me a 360° view of my own life. He had shown me where He had brought me out of darkness, and that He had great plans for my future. It felt a little like Moses, observing the newly-freed Israelites from the summit of Mount Sinai, and then again just before his death, looking upon their Promised Land from the top of Mount Nebo. There’s no guarantee that you’ll have such a profound experience every time you step into the wilderness, but I know firsthand that God loves to use the struggles that nature so readily provides to break through our cluttered minds and strike at our hearts with the things He has to show us.
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10) ■
Seth Herlinger is a longtime Eastbrooker, serving this summer as an intern in Communication & Design. He also has served as a leader in Student Ministry for the past few years. He is a recent graduate of UWM and is moving to Chicago this fall.
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