Several
years ago my son Nate and I hiked 7 miles into Chicago Basin and spent the next
two days climbing the three fourteeners there. In Colorado peaks over 14,000
feet are commonly referred to as fourteeners.
There are 54 of them. The first
day we climbed Sunlight and Windom. The next day we climbed Eulos Peak. On the south side of Eulos we glissaded down
the valley and made it down in record time.
Glissading is where you ride on your bottom using your ice axe to control
or arrest your descent. It is thrilling
but oh so cold on the bottom. Mine was
numb when we finished. It was the middle
of the afternoon when we arrived back at camp, so we took a nap. Since it was warm we left our tent flap open
and laid on top of our sleeping bags.
After about 30 minutes Nate felt a tickle on his ring finger toe. He
looked up and saw a marmot staring him in the face and looking at his toe. Then the marmot clamped down on his toe and Nate exclaimed, “Dad that marmot just bit me!” So
I looked at the toe and we dressed the wound and put Neosporin on it. Fortunately the toe did not give Nate any
problems the next day as we hiked out seven miles. In all of life there are marmots that could destroy
meaningful experiences relegating them into the marmot madness category. I think God plans it that way so we will continue
to walk with him by faith and not by sight. Allow marmot madness to cause your eyes to
look up in faith.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Marmot Madness
Several
years ago my son Nate and I hiked 7 miles into Chicago Basin and spent the next
two days climbing the three fourteeners there. In Colorado peaks over 14,000
feet are commonly referred to as fourteeners.
There are 54 of them. The first
day we climbed Sunlight and Windom. The next day we climbed Eulos Peak. On the south side of Eulos we glissaded down
the valley and made it down in record time.
Glissading is where you ride on your bottom using your ice axe to control
or arrest your descent. It is thrilling
but oh so cold on the bottom. Mine was
numb when we finished. It was the middle
of the afternoon when we arrived back at camp, so we took a nap. Since it was warm we left our tent flap open
and laid on top of our sleeping bags.
After about 30 minutes Nate felt a tickle on his ring finger toe. He
looked up and saw a marmot staring him in the face and looking at his toe. Then the marmot clamped down on his toe and Nate exclaimed, “Dad that marmot just bit me!” So
I looked at the toe and we dressed the wound and put Neosporin on it. Fortunately the toe did not give Nate any
problems the next day as we hiked out seven miles. In all of life there are marmots that could destroy
meaningful experiences relegating them into the marmot madness category. I think God plans it that way so we will continue
to walk with him by faith and not by sight. Allow marmot madness to cause your eyes to
look up in faith.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Summer is here
Summer is finally here. Yesterday my wife and I hiked the Twin Peaks trail and came out at the Silversheild trail-head in Ouray, Colorado. The wildflowers were just coming out of a long winter's nap. We saw lupine, strawberry, holly, pasque flower, Indian paintbrush and many others in splendid natural arrangements. And this is just the beginning! I'm always amazed at creation waking up after winter. Spring in the high country is much later but no less vivid. In late July the southern Colorado mountains put on an explosion of color that tickle the senses and encourage the soul. God wrote about that in his Bible. His creation is designed by him to reveal his eternal power and divine nature (Rom. 1:20). Once we acknowledge that in creation we know God is there. So I encourage you to make the most of this summer and spend time relishing God's creation from splendid wildflowers to majestic mountains to meandering streams to unique wildlife. You will be refreshed and your spirit will be renewed 
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