Day 5 - Coming Back Home
Mile Markers: 38 to 39
Elevation Gain: 50'
And so, we draw this great adventure to its rightful conclusion. Day 4 had tuckered us, but day 5 was filled with a new hope: Home. Our hearts were filled with song.
A victorious hike was sprung to the tune of When Saints Go Marching In and various other hiking tunes. There is rest upon each of us, a simple happiness: just two miles from the bus to civilization. Indeed, we were relieved, but there was also a different gladness in our hearts: that of accomplishment: 38 miles behind us.
It was a familiar trail to most of us. We had hiked to the shelters and back earlier in the year as our first hike as a group. This was also the route taken by the gals the night before for Helen's departure. The trail at times resembled a bog more than a trail. Puddles and bogs seemed trivial compared to what we had already overcome. Nonetheless the dry gravel road followed by the warm bus were very welcome sights.
As we swung along the open road in the fall of the year, with the hope that we would soon rejoin our fellow traveler Brother Roman with song. "God Grant You Many Years."
For many years to come we will recall Day 2, the day of downpours, Day 3, the joy of the Sabbath, and 4, the longest day, but let us not forget this day. Day 5, the day of song and also a day of reflection.
We leave this place, the joyful misery of the outdoors, and return to the real world. The hope of outdoor leadership is that this joyful misery will help us to grow in virtue, as individuals and as a community. We now ask ourselves and heartily affirm that we have grown, we have been challenged, we have changed. Virtue happens when that habit of serving our brother and sister, built here, leaves here with us. There is a great joy and peace in service, even when you are utterly exhausted, and drawn to your last.
Yes, we have said it was hard, but this is not a story of discouragement, but of joy, and it doesn't end here. The friends we found in these woods we will likely ne'er lose. Now we reunite with Thomas, our brother in Christ. Now home we rest and recover, commiserate, laugh, and remember.
We remember how Dr. Krom would try to "sell" us his snacks (to decrease his weight), and how we bet on who could fall asleep faster laying on the bridge day 1. We remember how every time we looked up from our soaked toes, we were hit the stunning beauty of the autumn wood speckled with misty droplets. We remember what joy there was receiving our Lord on the mountain top.
We will remember how we told our stories and built our fires. We remember how we ate together, laughed together, prayed together, sang together. Yes, we will even remember how much our feet hurt after 38 miles in the cold and rain.
May we remember.
May you never lose your love of the Lord and His beautiful creation.
-- "The Mountain Man", David C. P. Richman