Hiking rocks! It just does. There’s something about being out in nature, exerting yourself, feasting on the stunning scenery spoken into existence by the Creator.

On a recent hiking trip, my husband and I had hiked up a particular trail for about 4 miles. We reached our destination, enjoyed lunch and a rest at the mountain lake, and then turned to go back down. On our way back down we saw an offshoot trail. It was still early enough in the day that we had time to do some exploring, so we did.

The trail went around a particularly steep, rocky area and back down the other side of the mountain. We could have followed the trail, but it seems that whenever we see a peak that seems reachable, we simply have to give it a shot. 

Besides, the continuing trail went down. Way down. And if you happen to be a hiker, you know exactly what that means. What goes down must go up! Whatever you hike down, you must then ascend on the return. We much prefer to exert ourselves on the ascent, and then enjoy the relative ease of the trip back down. A little up and down on the trail is okay, but this was a significant decline, which would mean an equally significant incline on our return trip. Uh-uh. Forget it. Just no.

A relatively small peak lay to the right of the trail, and it looked promising for a good vista point. It was a “make-your-own-trail” adventure of our very own, as it was ALL ROCKS. But we enjoy a good scramble, and it didn’t appear to be very far to the top.

My husband, with much longer legs than are attached to my petite frame, ascended at a much faster rate than I. Many of the rocks were of the size that, though he could step right up, I had to use my entire body to climb over them. 

During his climb, he discovered a hidden refuge in the middle of the mountain. An oasis of sorts. It was the only non-rock area we saw on this particular mini-jaunt. It was secluded, the rocks surrounding it in such a way that it was completely sheltered from the heat of the sun and the rip-roaring of the winds, and even contained a bit of flora.

In his excitement, he rushed back down to where I was still climbing, eager to tell me about his find and to embolden my own ascent so that he could share it with me.

We had the brilliant idea to remove our backpacks to make the climb easier, and so took them off and placed them in an out-of-the-way spot on a large rock. It did indeed make the climb easier to not be loaded down with the packs containing all of our necessities: high-energy snacks, a first-aid kit, rain jackets, hand sanitizer, and an ample supply of water. 

We made it to the secret spot, where he marveled aloud about how peaceful and beautiful it was, and I questioned how many mountain lions might also find that spot peaceful! 

After enjoying a short respite in our newly-discovered hideaway, we continued the climb to the top and were greeted by magnificent views of the Sierra. Truly, it’s difficult to find ANY view of the Sierra Nevada that is not magnificent, but I never grow tired of the picturesque view.

Once we, and our cameras, had had our fill, we began the perilous climb back down. Descending a rocky slope is a bit trickier than climbing, as rocks have a tendency to slide under your feet and you can easily lose your footing. (I could show you a picture of a rather large and quite colorful bruise that would make my point, but I’ll spare you.) On some of the bigger rocks it’s often better to turn around and go down backwards, searching and reaching for the best handholds and footholds. It can be quite challenging!

As we made our way back down, we began looking for the backpacks we had left behind. Weren’t they right over here? Or maybe they were just around that corner. Maybe that big rock down there? I don’t remember this part at all from the upward climb! Everything looks different from this direction! What were we thinking, choosing an obscure parking place for our packs instead of a right-there-in-plain-sight one???

We wandered and rambled and climbed and scrambled and traipsed until we began mentally calculating the cost to replace our packs and speculating whether we could make it all the way back to the trailhead parking lot before becoming dehydrated (The 4 miles we had hiked up seeming much closer to 40 miles at the prospect of having no water!).

I’m not sure how long we searched, and I’m sure it wasn’t the 3 hours that it felt like, but dear hubby finally spotted the backpacks, we made our way to them, and all was once again right in our world. We vowed to 1) never leave our packs behind again, and 2) if we broke Vow #1, to make sure we left the backpacks in a highly visible spot!

How often, as we hike through life, do we leave our spiritual “backpacks” behind in an out-of-the-way place? I’m thinking of  resources such as prayer, God’s Word, community with other believers—those things that keep us connected to God. At times they seem like a burden that, when laid aside, would make the journey faster and easier-going. And perhaps it is for a time. Then “life” hits, the hike gets more difficult, and we learn that it would have been better to just carry the backpacks with us.

…you cannot do anything without me.

John 15:5

“I [Jesus] am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me (emphasis mine)” (Contemporary English Version, John 15:5).

Staying connected to God through His Son, Jesus Christ, is the only way to ensure that we will be adequately resourced at all times. How much easier it is to stay linked to Him than to have to search for Him when the way gets hard! 

Is it simply me? Have you ever missed out on peace because you put your “backpack” down somewhere along the way? 

Or maybe you’re not sure if you even have a backpack. If that’s the case, please contact me. I would love to help you find your way down the mountain with everything you need for the journey. 

If you ARE staying connected, what practices have you found that keep you joined to the vine?