Trip #3 –

6-18-17 – 6-20-17

Back with StillWaters on a much shorter trip, but still with the appropriate amount of excitement that I am coming to expect with these trips.

We started out in the Dix wilderness, just getting caught in a thunderstorm before coming to our shelter. About a mile before we passed another shelter with four people from Maryland who offered to make space but we decided to go ahead to the next shelter. As the rain pounded on our heads and the lightening flashed around us, we were regretting that decision.

Mount Dix

6-19-17

We got an early start and it seemed that maybe we would have a day without rain. I got a good view of Dix Pond and thought that maybe it was going to be a great day. The trail up the mountain was very nice with streams and such and things seemed to be going well. And then… the skies began to open up again.

At the top of the mountain the winds blew and the rain fell and I was almost blown off the mountain:

But we eventually found the top of Mount Dix.

The prayer for this peak was my last from Teresa of Avila:

Give me the grace to recollect myself in the little heaven of my soul where You have established Your dwelling. There You let me find You, there I feel that You are closer to me than anywhere else, and there You prepare my soul quickly to enter into intimacy with You… Help me O Lord, to withdraw my senses from exterior things, make them docile to the commands of my will, so that when I want to converse with You, they will retire at once, like bees shutting themselves up in the hive in order to make honey.

Such imagery and interior reflection in the midst of wind and rain. I really tried to imagine the idea of God being close to me and warming me in the cold weather.

Our plan was to find a trail that would lead to other mountains but in the midst of the rain and the wind we missed it. More than halfway down the mountain we realized that we missed the turn and went back up the mountain to find it. We missed it again and as the weather got worse and worse we decided to call it a day. Probably a very smart decision.

Big Slide

6-20-17

The next day I came to a decision. The rain is going to do what the rain is going to do and we cannot let that stop us from doing what we are going to do, so StillWaters and I decided to drive to “The Garden” and hike Big Slide Mountain via the Three Brothers.

This turned out to be a great decision and a great day. The Three Brothers are three places with wonderful views of the mountains on the way to Big Slide. We could see clouds floating and threatening us as well as sunshine peaking out and tempting us.

Eventually we made our way to the top of Big Slide (named after a water park, I think).

The prayer for Big Slide Mountain was my first from Francis of Assisi

I beg you, O Lord, that the fiery and sweet strength of your love may absorb my soul away from all things that are under heaven, that I may die for love of your love as you deigned to die for love of my love.

It seems that Francis is asking for a deep and very intense level of love, but to compare it to the love that God has for us helps to put it all in context.

The hike down was on the longer side but very enjoyable and it was a late night drive home.