Situation: A 25 hour continuous climb up Mt. Jackson (10,000+ feet), Glacier Park, Montana...half way down, up over the summit again, and finally down to base camp a little after dawn, in the habitat of Grizzly bears, mountain lions, Black bears and mountain sheep. Alone.

         Images: Being very alone with my Creator; wondering how elastic rocks are! (One boulder I loosened bounced at least 50 feet into the air several times before landing on a glacier and sliding out of sight into seemingly nothingness, unforgettable); looking down at the earth on both sides of the Continental Divide.

         Feelings: Tugging on a rock hold and feeling it come free in my hand, letting it bounce its way thousands of meters down and feeling grateful for my low trust level at the moment; hugging a cliff overhang while feeling my pack wanting to flow with the natural but deadly pull of gravity; wanting nothing but water and continued dialog with my Creator; entering into the womb of an ice cave, following the previous sounds of dripping water and lapping it up like a grateful dog at the Master's feet; then thinking of my family and friends and how to get back down in the darkness. I remember the words of Isaiah (40: 29-31) reverberating within: "He gives power to the faint, and those who have no might he increases their strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

         Situation: Arrival at base camp 25 hours later; feeling good and alive; feeling nerve damage in my toes which lasted over a month, an ever present reminder of that climb and dialog with the Divine.

         Feelings: Greeting my two companions who were filling their canteens at the creek with both love in celebrating comradery and distance over an experience that, sadly, could not be shared or understood; desiring a strong, hot cup of black coffee and, later, a nap, for some dreamtime at the foot of Mt. Jackson. I hiked out of the backcountry of Glacier Park that evening in the night, watching the moon cross over Mt. Jackson all the while. I heard from the rangers that a boy had been mauled by a lion that day. They tracked and shot the lion six hours later. My night walk out of the wilderness was tinged by sadness and acceptance. The boy was doing what boys do, and the lion what lions do. Both died.

         The words of St. Paul came to mind, "I have fought with wild beasts...What good is it if the dead don't live on? Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we may die." (1 Cor. 15:32)

         A grounding and sobering reflection. In other words, let us live in the here and now, for that is all there is.

Environmental Experiences, Inc.
John S. Hilkevich, Ph.D., Director
www.prayergear.com
counserv@aol.com