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.