(NOTE: This is an excerpt from themountaincalled, a website dedicated to our journey on the John Muir Trail in California back in 2014. You can access the original article here.)
You would be surprised the amount of effort it takes to go for a walk…
….a 220 mile walk that is.
Garrett and I since 10:40am this morning will only go 300 miles by train and bus…it will be a 10 hour trip. That is slow. It has given us many opportunities to practice one of our vices: patience. Of course in comparison to the next 220 miles we travel, that’s rocket-ship speed. Our backpacking portion will take us, the Lord willing, 16 days.
Oh boy…Good times!
Sitting on the bus heading directly for our starting point in Yosemite Valley, my mind and heart tend to wonder what things we will see, learn and experience on our journey.
- Will this be as amazing as people have made it out to be?
- What will God teach me out here?
- How will Garett and I grow closer as brothers in Christ?
- Will we both experience some great epiphany?
- Will we survive?!
So honestly that last one I’m not really worried about. Garett and I have logged many “pack” miles through the years and survived some pretty epic outdoor encounters. But, it should be said that we both know that this will be no walk in the park either (it is actually a walk through..count them… 5 PARKS!).
All this to say, we are SO READY to begin our great adventure on the John Muir Trail. As Garett said to me just now on the bus, “I think I am just going to breath a big sigh of relief as soon as we step on the trail.” This for sure means more for him because he has been the master mind behind the whole trip for the past year. His day job has taken a toll on his adventurous spirit. So he is more than ready for a getaway. Me, I’m just feeling like someone who has one the lottery and can’t believe this opportunity is happening to me.
So let the journey begin!