Join Me on a Hike

I want to share a journey with you.  It is both a literal journey along a trail to a prominent local landmark as well as a spiritual journey to a greater appreciation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  My words are far less important than the promptings that our Father sends through the Spirit to each of us.  I hope the verbal picture that I try to paint leads to productive thoughts for you.

Let’s Go on a Hike Together

For more than ten years I have been hiking regularly with several friends.  We get up quite early and hike once or twice a week if we can get away with it.  An early start allows us to hike to interesting destinations and still be back in time to get to work and engage in the activities of life.

One of my favorite hikes begins at the mouth of Rock Canyon just east of the Provo temple and ends at the very top of Squaw Peak.  Join me as we hike up this trail.  Because of our early start time we often begin our hikes in the dark of night.  At that early hour we can just make out the faint outline of the peaks on each side of the canyon against a starry sky.  Dim outlines of trees on each side of the trail are visible as we carefully pick our way into the canyon.  Occasionally we will stumble as we make our way up the rocky trail.  The dramatic beauty of the canyon is hidden from view in the darkness.

As the morning progresses we become aware that we can see our surroundings a little better, with a little more detail.  The sky begins to turn grey in the east.  Leaves on trees and rocks on the trail become visible.  The size of the canyon can be seen as the arrival of dawn opens our range of vision.  Colors are not yet visible, but the world is slowly revealed in a dim black and white outline form. At that point we look up at Squaw Peak and wonder at the elevation and distance still to be traveled.

As this first light of dawn arrives we see the sign marking the left fork and the trail up from the canyon to Squaw Peak.  We hike through trees up a steep drainage to the meadows above.  We can hear birds and animals beginning to stir.  As we work our way up above the canyon we begin to notice a pink and purple glow in the clouds overhead.  The world takes on pastel hues.  At that point I find myself stopping in my tracks to marvel at the beauty of the morning light.

Not long after we experience this burst of color from the first light of day, we walk out of the trees into a beautiful meadow.  The sun is still below the horizon and the full color and detail of our surroundings are still muted.  But we can see that we have arrived in a great place for a break.  It might be tempting to stop here and turn around to go home given the enjoyment of the hike so far, the company of friends, and the beauty we have seen but we would miss the best part of the hike if we were to stop now.  So, we pause for a drink of water, and a snack to restore our energy, and continue on.  It feels as if we should be almost there by now, and yet there is still some distance to go and several hundred feet of elevation to gain as we continue our hike along the ridge towards the summit.

From the meadow we will work our way up the rocky ridgeline and enjoy the light of the sun as it crests Provo Peak and warms us from the morning chill. The world is now well lit.  The scenery around us is vibrant in color and detail.  And, finally, we arrive at the summit of Squaw Peak. Our tradition is to raise our arms in celebration upon arriving at a destination and then to soak in the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the canyon below.  The view is spectacular.  The whole of Utah valley lies before us.  We can look down to the mouth of the canyon and see the little, tiny shape of the car we arrived in. We are impressed by the distance we have come.  And, we feel gratitude for the blessing of this beautiful world God has created for our benefit.

In my next post I will try to use this hike to better understand the process by which we come to know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.