Hiking the PCT 2021 Announcement
Did you know that Kira and I started dating by leading an outreach where we backpacked to villages in Nepal to rebuild homes after the earthquake?
Maybe you saw my wife’s post in Feb, maybe you didn’t. She expands on how in the simpler world of pre-2020 we “set a goal to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in 2021. A 2,650 mile trail spanning from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington. Hiking this trail has been a dream of mine for the last 4 years or so and I convinced Brook that we HAD TO DO IT SOMEDAY. ”
Well, its now 2021 and we’ve hit some big milestones. Big birthdays, anniversary, yadda yadda yadda. Also I have been doing ministry in the same Org since 2012 in WI (that means next year could be 10 years in the Midwest 🤯). And though it has been overall good to or for me, I still desire more. I want to live a radical life, at least the way I live: live it with a radical emphasis. Whether its the international trips with my ministry, evenings at the skate park or BBQing, radically loving and caring for the family we create soon enough, or radically being present to God and others at a simple beach town or rural mountain town.
One way to keep this emphasis in my life was agreeing to pursue a radical dream of Kira’s while it was still more attainable. They say “it’s best to act it out and understand it” - so I’m acting it out. Additionally it happens to be a good time to take a step back to:
Rest and recover physically (well, maybe), emotionally and spiritually
Reflect and refocus for the future
Realign to the vision God has given us
We will not be doing the whole thing, but we do hope to do at least half of it, maybe over 2,000 miles! We will be going from LA through the High Sierra and into the Cascades and as far north as we can accomplish within the time frame, budget and physical ability. Possibly walking all the way back to our car we’ll be leaving with my parents in WA.
I have been thinking about how this hike is not only a physical pilgrimage from Southern California into Oregon, but how it also feels like a special Pilgrimage with God. This trip feels pretty symbolic in a lot of ways.
Let me get a little philosophical. When preparing for a backpacking trip, you have to sort through a lot of gear and decide what you are bringing and what you are leaving behind. You can’t bring everything, your backpack is only so big and your legs and feet so strong. You really have to PRIORITIZE and MINIMIZE EVERYTHING. Everything you bring needs a purpose, or else it gets left behind. The items that I choose to bring had to be carefully considered, weighed, or modified. I cut down my toothbrush not to only save half an ounce, but make it fit better in a zip lock bag. The items, food, and water I choose to carry with me will be a burden on my shoulders, hips, and feet. I'm contemplating not only what gear I choose to leave behind, but also what aspects of life now will I cut off or leave behind? I will leave behind the burden of my car and it’s expenses. I won't have the distractions of Netflix or Youtube in the evening. Communication will be minimal as we will not have service for days at a time. I will only have Kira, the wilderness, and its creator. Kind of like Eden….just my wife, God and creation.
I need to carefully consider every piece of gear that I will bring or leave behind, and I need to do the same to my mind and heart. What is good to carry with me? What is not? What is a burden? What will I learn to embrace or re-embrace? What will I let go of? What will I learn in packing and unpacking myself and my things? What all will I bring with me on trail, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually? How will I protect this journey with God? We want to disconnect from the internet, media, pandemic life, emails, work and be intentional to declutter and prioritize not only our backpacks but also our minds, hopes, dreams, and goals as we prepare for and go on this long hike.
As I prioritize and minimize my gear and my mind, I also look forward to simplifying. My meals, joys, daily activity, and routine will be really simple. Wake up, eat something, pack up camp, hike, snack, siesta, take pictures, enjoy beauty, get really cold, really wet, really hot and dirty for days on end before I walk into town and get a motel for a night. This will be a fun outdoor adventure, but I think God has so much more for us than just that. I believe it will be a significant pilgrimage with God on many fronts.
I believe God is inviting the two of us to get out, be inspired, lay everything down, and unpack stuff in our relationship with him, with each other, and with our lives. I like how Matthew 11:28-30 in The Message captures this thought:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. This is a time to quiet the noise of life and hear the voice of Jesus.”
It's crazy to consider how even God himself in the form of man, went out and would spend time alone in the wilderness, even for 40 days at a time. That's a lot of time with your thoughts and God. God invites us to go out with him, to learn what real rest looks like and to show us the unforced rhythms of grace. He doesn't have for us heavy burdens or loads, but a light and free way of life. And in spending this time with him, we quiet the noise of life and hear his voice. It's lot of time to clear the cobwebs out of your head and heart. I really am looking forward to this trail.
We will fly to LA on May 19th, start the trail on May 20th, and see how far north we make it. We are aiming for Crater Lake (1,300 miles) or Bend, Oregon (1,500 miles) or all the way into WA. Who knows?
In dreaming about and preparing for this trip over the last 2 years, we have been working extra hard to make it happen. We have been blessed by the generosity of others as well as different job opportunities that will help us cover the cost of the trail and bills back home.
If you would like to contribute to our trip there are a few different ways you can do so:
Care packages: we will be able to receive mail as we pass through the towns along the trail. If you want to send us a package, let us know and we can give you more details of where to direct it!
Finances: like we shared above, we have worked hard to cover our trail costs! However, finances are always helpful and appreciated!
Meet up with us: if you live nearby or happen to be passing through the areas we are hiking in, we would love to meet up and grab lunch and tell you all about our adventures 😉