Posted 3:11 PM by Luke
Untitled

The air in Colorado at 10,000 feet is thin. From the outset of a hike, anyone not used to the altitude will be gasping for oxygen. The climb suddenly looks a whole lot higher than it did from the valley what isn't too far behind.

You could turn back, I thought. If it's bad now, it's only going to get worse. I hadn't expected to feel as if I were dying within the first ten minutes of our uphill journey, but there I was, 21 and I thought I might need the assistance of an iron lung. But I wasn's stopping, not a chance. The summit of Mount Quandary, which sits at 14,100+ feet, was in view through the trees where we struggled around 10,000 feet. It looked impossible.

"I don't think I can do this," my roommate David said as he turned back toward the parking lot. Others around me cringed as the sucked what oxygen they could from the air. Those in the lead steamrolled on, most of them a bit more used to the altitude. I pushed on, despite my uncooperative lungs.

As we continued through the forest, groups began segmenting. Those in the lead got farther and farther ahead, and those in the back got farther and farther behind. I stayed with those in the middle. I had been under the impression that we were going to climb at the slowest person's pace, but that was certainly not happening. They'll stop and wait eventually, I thought.

I began to think about what it meant to be a man, especially one claiming faith in Christ. The desire for adventure that John Eldredge describes in "Wild At Heart" came alive in me as the trees thinned and I was able to get a glimpse of the sides of some nearby mountains and the trees below. Suddenly, the pain became a joy. "This so resembles our walk with Christ," Jay said. He pointed out the constant uphill climb, the rocks jutting out to throw us off, the false summit and of course, the real summit that would put us face to face with God's glory for eternity. The climb became an adventure, a battle, in my mind. I was even becoming acclimated to the air. The summir, still far off, didn't look so insurmountable now.

Nearly an hour had passed since the start of our hike, and it was quite apparant that those in the lead weren't going to slow down for us. The gap between us and them only grew larger. Still, there was a false summit in view. Perhaps they will stop and wait for us there, I thought doubtfully. We tried to minimize our stops in hopes of catching up with them. We were coming up onto the rocks of the mountain itself, and leaving the forest behind.

That's when I saw it. As we rounded the edge of the mountain, a stunning vista came into view. Snow-peaked mounatins spread out across the horizon. There was nothing in sight except valleys, mountains, blue sky, and clouds, some below us. I had never seen anything like it before, other than on the movie screen. It was unreal, indescribeable. All I could do was fall to my knees as my legs turned to rubber under me. Jay and I tried to express the grandeur to one another, but we both began to weep. It was uncontrollable, unlike anything I had ever felt. God's glory became so much more abundantly clear to me than it ever had been before. In front of me was a terrifying, majestic beauty that I can't attempt to dampen with too many words. I stood to walk to the edge to get a better view, but I eventually fell to my knees in tears again. "What must heaven be like?" I said to myself. "Don't let me forget this Lord. The climb was more than an adventure after that, it became epic. Nothing was more important at that moment than reaching the top, where I would be able to see this view from all sides.

The journey upward continued steadily as we lost sight of those in front and behind. Several stops were made to subdue the pain in our legs and catch our breath, but we trudged onward. "What did Christ do for me?" Jay asked, comparing the minute pain we were feeling to the incredible suffering Jesus took upon himself. There is no comparison, but he made me realize just that much more what Christ went through for me. God's grace was ever before us as the climb got steeper and steeper.

When we finally reached the the final chunk of the mountain, a treacherous angle, we were all utterly exhausted. It again looked impossible. Knee-deep snow covered one side, while unstable rocks covered the other. Niether seemed enticing at that moment, but we chose the snow side for the most part. If we tread carefully, we could walk on the tightly packed surface rather than sinking in repeatedly. But not always. There were many stumbles and awkward falls, face first into the snow as my legs got weaker. Water and catch-your-breath breaks became more frequent, but we kept moving as best we could. We could see others at the top, and some were even on their way back down.

As we climbed the final leg toward the summit, my legs ached and cried out in rebellion. I fell several times, and even crawled at points. There was no pride left as I neared the top of one of God's most magnificent creations. We were all beat, but nothing could stop us now.

And finally, the five of us - Sean, Jay, Max, Ross and I - reached the summit, more than three hours after we began. I ran across the peak with my arms thrust in the air. An epic battle won. I won't even attempt to describe the view, other than by saying that gorgeous, snow-covered mountains were sprawled out in every direction. There was no end to the wonder of what I was soaking in. I have pictures, but they'll never do it justice. Someone mentioned that we could see the southwest corner of Colorado from up there. Breckenridge, which is near the mounatin, is nowhere near southwest Colorado! I'll have to do this again sometime to experience the glory, but it will never compare to this first one. God, in his wonderful grace, had given me the strength to stand 14,100 feet in the air, looking down upon his glorious creation. Don't let me forget, Lord. And with my body refreshed from a mountain-top lunch, I walked down the mountain, las Bebo Norman would say, with my heart held high, more to tell about my creator than ever before.
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Such is my journal entry from after my epic climb on Saturday. As John Mayer would say, maybe I'll try to tell you more when I'm in the mood to lose my way with words. I can't say anything more right now. It was the most incredible thing I have ever done. I thank God for the opportunity.

For those wondering, Vail has been amazing, with the hike being my number one thing, obviously. God has challenged me, encouraged me, pushed me, and given me rest here in just the first two weeks. That hike, along with another to a waterfall, have been my experiences of his amazing creation. We have done a few outreaches and seen the challenge of telling rich people about Christ. We have spent time getting to know the other 40 some odd students and 15 some odd staff here. We have spent time in the word and in conversation, in prayer and in relaxation. Most of us have gotten jobs - I start Friday at Walmart baby - WOOOWWEEEE! The Lord has much to do over the next eight weeks, and I just want to keep soaking it in. My biggest prayer right now is that I will just be open to soaking it in - it's hard even here to have the proper focus on things. That my heart would bleed for the lost, that God's glory would be my ever-present need and only concern - those are my prayers.

In musical news, Radiohead's new album, Hail to the Thief, is downright incredible, of course. They have succeeded once again to change their sound while still being distinctly Radiohead, and making incredible music. It takes listen after listen to truly soak it all in. Amazing. AND, they will be playing in St. Louis in August, after I get back from Vail!!!! AWESOME!!!! Tickets will be procured this Saturday :) Next up, Guster's new album, Keep it Together, June 24. Tata for now.