In the summer of 2019 I set out to fulfill a life long dream of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. My good friend Jerry O’Farrell joined me on this quest. Our goal was to hike the entire 2,650 miles from the Mexico border to Canada. We didn’t achieve that goal. Weather, excessive snowfall and other issues prevented us from completing the journey.The reality that Jerry and I were 64 and 66 years old respectively was also a big factor. However, we did hike over 1100 miles, including Southern California, a small portion of Oregon and all of Washington State. We touched both borders and a lot in between. It was a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience.

When we returned to Arizona and resumed our lives, we assumed that we would not have another opportunity to return and complete our journey. Two years have passed and to make a long story short, God has opened another door and opportunity for us to go back on the trail. In a few days we will drive to Walker Pass on the Southern end of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and head North to the gateway of the Sierras and a legend on the PCT, Kennedy Meadows. From there we will, with the Lord’s help, press on to the California/Oregon border, another 1100 mile trek.

Our hike through the Northern Cascades in Washington State two years ago was a spectacular experience. Because of the Northerly latitudes the tree-line is very low and the peaks give the illusion of being dramatically high but in reality the average height is only 7,000 feet. In the first few weeks of our trek through the Southern Sierras, we will pass at least three mountain passes above 12,000 feet. We had hoped to summit Mount Whitney, (14,505 ft) but were unable to secure a permit so we will wave at it as we traverse Forester Pass (13,160 ft), the high point on the PCT.

Jerry and I will be joined on this leg of the journey for about a week by Michael Thang. Michael is a former refugee from Myanmar (Burma). He came to the US with his family over 10 years ago. Sharon and I, along with others from our church, helped Michael graduate from Hope High School and then from Grand Canyon University. He is like a spiritual son to us and we have watched him overcome mountain peaks of adversity as an immigrant adjusting to a new culture and language. Michael reached the summit of his goals last week when he was sworn in as a US citizen. Unlike many in our nation right now, he has a deep love, respect and appreciation for America. The mountains didn’t move away from Michael but God gave him grace to ascend and conquer them.

The Scripture says, “delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I never dreamed that I would be able to hike 1100 miles of the PCT in the summer of 2019. When that challenge was past, the idea of continuing two years later seemed inconceivable. Jerry felt the same way. But here we are, on the cusp of a new adventure. Having ascended to higher ground in 2019 we are returning to even higher ground next Tuesday, July 6th, now at 66 and 68 years old , respectively. As before my wife and partner in ministry, Sharon Griffin, who has partnered with me (or I should say I have partnered with her), will be taking the wheel (Jesus, take the wheel too!) and our Associate Pastors (Emilio and Mary Parada), staff and elders will all be stepping up as well. Jerry, Michael and I are in good hands and the church will be in good hands also. Keep us all in your prayers.

Keep watching this blog site for regular postings and updates on our journey.

Pastor Len

“The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps (Prov 16:9).”

My original desire and goal for the PCT was to hike the entire trail in one season. I knew that it might not be possible so my plan was to go as far as Lake Tahoe in Northern California and then evaluate our progress and decide whether or not to continue. In this decision I gave me wife veto power. I wanted her to be comfortable with the decision and if she wasn’t, I would not proceed. I also wanted the agreement of the Elders of our church.

As it turned out, we never made it to Tahoe. We learned about a month into our hike that almost all the hikers were planning to skip the Sierra Nevada Mountains because of record snow fall. We decided to do likewise. So we went up to Ashland Oregon and started to hike there, thinking that conditions would be better. They weren’t. After a week of plowing through deep snow, postholing constantly and losing the trail often, we knew that it was unsafe and unwise for us to continue. More importantly, we new God had blocked our progress. Though dissapointed, we returned to Arizona.

I resigned myself to the fact that our hike was over. It was hard for me to understand why a door that God had clearly opened for us had closed prematurely, it seemed.

A couple weeks after our return, Jerry called and said that God had put it in his heart that we should start again in mid July at the Washington/Oregon border and hike the rest of the way to Canada. To make a long story short, that is what we did.

Now that it is over we can see the Lord’s hand at work in all of this. Several significant things happened during our six week hiatus in Arizona that wouldn’t have happened if we had not been here. God’s plan was clearly a better plan.

So many times in life we make plans that don’t turn out the way we had hoped. I had a plan in my mind of how my pastoral ministry would unfold when I started 40 years ago. It has turned out to be almost nothing like I expected. But it has turned out the way God has directed. I am at peace knowing my life’s dream of hiking all 2650 miles of the PCT ended up being only about 1100 miles. How many people can say they hiked over 1100 miles in a summer?

I am at peace knowing that as I approach retirement down the road, I have fulfilled God’s plan and not my own. May we all learn to let God direct our steps, even when they don’t seem to follow our preconceived ideas.

Ogress

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one falls when there is not another two lift him up (Ecc 4:9-10).”

I was blessed by the Lord on my PCT hike in that I had no significant tumble or fall. I had a lot of foot pain on the Washington portion and had to get different hiking shoes. They helped but didn’t resolve the issue completely. God gave me grace and Tylenol.

One afternoon Strider (Jerry) had gone ahead to secure a tent sight for the evening at Blue Lake in the Indian Heaven Wilderness. (It should be renamed Mosquito Heaven Wilderness. I was reminded of Pippin’s line in LOTR when he said, “What do they eat when they can’t get Hobbitts?)

I was tired and limping toward the lake when I turned my ankle on a root and started to go down hard. I just had time to pivot slightly and landed on my left shoulder. As I lay there a little stunned, I took stock of my situation. My ankle was fine. My shoulder didn’t hurt. Everything seemed OK. Then I said to myself, “I’m just going to lay here for a while.” So there I lay in a heap on the ground. It felt good to rest.

Though Strider wasn’t with me in that instance, his consistant presence and patience with my somewhat slower pace was a comfort and encouragement. There’s an African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

A lot of people try to travel through life alone. Bad idea! My experience on the PCT convinced me that I couldn’t have done it alone. Thanks to Jerry for making it with me.

“And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised up above the hills and the people will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob (Micah 4:1-2)”

Snowdog and Stryder are back on the PCT Trail in Washington State. We took six weeks off from our adventure (more on that later) because of unmanageable and unsafe snow conditions. Now our goal is to reach the Canadian border. The PCT in Washington is drop dead beautiful. Many consider it the crown of the hike. I agree.

One of the first things we noticed about the trail is how various mountain peaks dominate and define the trail. When we left Cascade Locks and crossed the Bridge of the Gods into Washington, we immediately started climbing (the Columbia River is the lowest point on the entire trail). And we climbed and we climbed. Within a few days we were high enough to be able to survey the landscape. To the South stood Mount Hood, rising up in Northern Oregon. To the North Mount Baker dominated the horizon. Off in the distance to the West was Mount St. Helen’s. She famously erupted back in 1980, losing almost 20% of her elevation and taking 19 lives in the process (blowing your top never increases your stature). A week or so later Mount Rainer came into view further to the North.

Mountains are amazing things in general and the Mountain Peaks of the Northwest are especially impressive. There are about 10 peaks above 10,000 feet, with Mount Rainer leading the pack at 14,411 feet. Together they form part of the Ring of Fire that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. All of these mountains are volcanoes and most are extinct, but not all, as Mt St Helen’s reminds us. Each of these mountains has their own stories and legends. A group of miners was bivuoaced on top of Mount Baker during a fierce thunder storm when lightning struck their shelter. One of the miners was knocked unconscious and awoke with a permanent brand on his derier from a pair of plyers he had in his back pocket.

The Holy Land has it’s own mountain peaks. Sinai, Hermon, Gilboa, Nebo, Bashan and Zion, to name a few. Mount Zion would not be very impressive compared to the majestic peaks of the Northwest. But it will prove to be the most significant mountain of all time. Who knew?

Stature and significance are not measured in feet or mass or by any natural benchmark. The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. Mustard seeds usually escape notice. The day is coming when everyone will notice and be drawn to the mountain of the House of the Lord. Our experience climbing up and down and around these mountains has drawn our hearts to the One who made them.

Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name?” One of the customs that has arisen on the Pacific Crest Trail thru hike is the assignment of trail names. There are no set rules or protocols but it is generally accepted that you should not choose your own trail name but let others have that honor. That is risky but typically someone will notice something about you and slap a name on you. You don’t have to accept that name but if you reject it you should say so immediately. On the first day of our PCT hike, within a couple of hours, a young man walked by wearing a crisp, brilliant white shirt. My first thought was, “who wears a white shirt on a hike for 5 or 6 months in the dirt?” He walked up to us and introduced himself, saying, “Hello, I’m Doctor Mindbender.” He had apparently assigned that name to himself. I thought to myself, “that sounds kind of pretentious, I think when I see him again I will call him Nurse Mindbender.” You know, chop his ego down to size. However I realized that would not be very kind or gracious of me and after all I am a Christian and a Pastor, no less.

I mentioned in an earlier post that Jerry and I have the trail names of Strider and Snowdog respectively. I gave Jerry his name because I saw that he had a long stride and walked much faster than me. He reminded me of Strider (Aragorn) from Lord of the Rings. He wasn’t familiar with that character but he liked the name because he has a personality that is easy going and takes things in stride. Jerry gave me the name Snowdog because when we passed through the deep snows on Mount San Jacinto, I was able to traverse the snowfields faster and easier than him. He recognized an ability in me that I didn’t know I possessed.

We still have a lot of snow ahead of us, and it remains to be seen if I will live up to my trail name. Tomorrow we begin the ascent of Mount Baden Powell which is still heavily snowbound at 9400 feet elevation. Later in May we will approach the Sierra Nevada’s which also have record snow levels. There is a lot of fear mongering about the conditions there and a lot of hikers are planning to skip the Sierra’s and shoot up to Oregon, hike to Canada, and then return later in the Summer to finish the mountains when most of the snow has melted.

We don’t know yet what we will do but as I contemplate the challenging conditions before us I have a peace and feel calm and confident, because after all, “I am Snowdog! Hear me howl!” The name that has been assigned to me seems to give me an inner peace that I can do this.

All of us go through life carrying “trail names” that have been assigned to us, or that we have acquired along life’s journey. Some we are aware of, some are not. Some are earned or deserved, some are not. Have you considered what trail names have attached themselves to you and how they may be affecting your life? God intercepted Jacob on the trail and gave him a trail name. He said, “you will no longer be Jacob (conniver and manipulator), you shall be Israel (Prince with God). That name changed his destiny.

Most PCT trail names are just clever or cute. Many try to press the boundaries of appropriateness (or trample over those boundaries). Some are just silly and insignificant. Unfortunately, so too are the lives of those who seek no higher calling or purpose in life; who aspire to no transcendent reputation or persona. They are ultimately just insignificant. God wants to give us a new “trail name” that can shape us and guide us toward a meaningful life. He said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it (Rev 2:17).”

I pray that the Lord will reveal any and all inappropriate, inaccurate, judgmental and confining “trail names” that have been slapped thoughtlessly on you and show you the new name and new identity He wants to shape within you and manifest from you.

Carrrying a backpack on a thru hike is like carrying your life on your back. Everything you need to survive must fit inside. I met an ex Marine at a Verizon store in Beumont CA while dealing with my phone issue. When he saw my pack he told me his field pack in the Marines weighed one hundred and thirty pounds when he was deployed somewhere in the Middle East. Survival on the PCT is not the same as survival on the battle field.

As we were planning our hike, Jerry and I found lots of gadgets and devices that were supposed to make a hike more comfortable. They would all advertize as “only” X number of ounces. we woud say, “It’s only X ounces, that shouldn’t matter.” We also made gear choices that we came to regret. We found a great clearance deal on 65 liter packs and purchased them online. We purchased tents on sale that were “just a little heavier” and rationalized that they were sturdier and roomier. We would read about ultra-lite hikers who would cut the ends off their toothbrushes to save half an ounce and say, “that’s just silly.” Some of our food choices were too heavy and we started out carrying five and a half liters of water.

About a week into our hike we came to a startling conclusion. We would never make it to Canada with all that weight. We would be trudging up the hills (50% of the PCT is uphill) gasping for air, being passed up by seeminly everyone on the trail. A bubbly young woman with the trail name of Jukebox marched up behind us on a long uphill climb and passed us whle singing… singing! I can’t even talk, I’m too busy breathing. REI has a great return policy so we decided to return our packs and our tents when we got to Idylwild. We purchased new light weight packs and tents and had a fellow experienced hiker do a pack “shakedown.” “You don’t need that.” “Get rid of that!” “Why do you have a whole package of Q Tips?” etc. The bottom line is that we shaved some signifcant pounds off our load, we are enjoying it more and we have more confidence that we can actually do this.

Most of us go through life with too heavy a load; too much stuff we don’t need, gadgets and gizmos that don’t really improve the quality of our lives. Or we carry a lot of little burdens, thinking that none of them are really that heavy but cumulatively they weigh us down until life itself seems like just a burden. Do whatever you can to shed the excess weight. Jesus offers to take our burdens and give us His yoke. His yoke is easy.

E

To hike the PCT in one season requires a hiker to average 15 miles a day. So far Jerry and I are averaging only 11. Granted, we are less than three weeks in and are still developing our trail legs, but we have a long way to go. Jerry walks faster than me, a fact that has earned him the Trail Name of Strider. I can’t keep up. In fact, it seems like almost everyone walks faster than me. The young bucks and lasses skip up the trail like it was a speed bump on the highway to whatever destination they are seeking. Then they bound down the descents at breakneck speeds. Oh to be young and reckless again.

I am finding it easier to power up the hills but my 66 year old knees and ankles can’t take the punishing impact of the steep declines with the weight of my pack on my back. So I gingerly pick my path and gently lower myself over obstacles. I would rather go uphill than down.

The Bible says it is not good to compare yourselves among yourselves. Everyone goes through life at a different pace. The PCT is not a race. Life is not a race. Find your stride and walk the path God has given you. The race goes not to the swift but to the faithful.

Every adventure will have its share of setbacks. Three days into our PCT hike my brand new “smart phone” performed a random reset. All my email accounts, Facebook, apps, contacts, etc., gone. The next day, the battery died and the phone would not recharge. After some intense negotiations with my carrier (by Sharon) they agreed to send me a new phone. I picked it up in Idylwild a few days ago and headed up Mount San Jacinto the next morning. We faced record high snows and traversed extensive snow fields. It took four days and three nights to get over the mountain and down to the desert at Cabazon Pass. Yesterday we were knee deep in snow at 8500 feet elevation, today we shuffled through a sandstorm at 1300 feet on the desert floor.

Why am I telling you this? Not for sympathy, though that is welcome. It’s all part of the adventure of faith. Today we pressed hard to reach our resupply boxes at the Cabazon Post Office (thanks to Carol O’Farrell). We weren’t sure we would make it but God provided. PCT hikers call it Trail Magic. I call it God. We expected to try to hitch-hike to Cabazon. Instead we were met by a team of kind souls who welcomed us down from the mountain, gave us food, cold pop, fruit, and Snickers, lots of Snickers. Then they drove us to the P. O. Yeah God! and all of His servants.

The Journey of faith is like that; unexpected setbacks and surprising breakthroughs. We can choose to focus on one or the other.

Tomorrow morning, very early, Sharon will drive Jerry and me to Campo, California and drop us off at the Pacific Crest Trail trailhead. Then we will start walking north, and we will walk, and walk, and walk . . . We have been planning for this journey for three months and it is almost here. As I have pondered this adventure I was reminded of a sermon I preached at least ten years ago about the Journey of Faith. That messages was prompted by some reflections I was having at the time about The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R R. Tolkien. It is such a compelling story and I was thinking about what elements go in to making a truly great adventure yarn. That got me thinking about the parallels we can see in the adventure that all believers embark on when they begin this journey of faith with Jesus. All of us who follow Christ will encounter these aspects and stages in our journey.

The first is , Very Interesting Characters: From the heroes of faith to the villains and enemies that dog us in this walk we are surrounded by a host of fellow followers and a great could of witnesses. We are not alone on this journey.

The second is, A Compelling Purpose: We have a great commission and a high calling, Who is sufficient for these things? None of us, in or own strength. But we have a cause that is worthy of our utmost commitment, knowing that it is God’s strength that works mightily within us to accomplish His will and purpose.

The third is, A Daunting Opposition: Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy. We wrestle against spiritual principalities and forces of wickedness in heavenly places (and here on earth as well). Never underestimate the lengths to which he will go to resist us.

The fourth is, Unexpected Setbacks and Unforeseen Delays: Our Journey is not a straight line to the finish, it is more like that long and winding road that leads us eventually and ultimately to our destination. Failure is not failure if we get back on our feet and press onward and upward in our journey.

The fifth is, Surprising Breakthroughs: Though there are ups and downs on this walk, it is a walk from glory to glory with the mountain peaks rising higher and higher with each successive victory as we ascend the Mountain of the Lord. Our High King has an amazing ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

The sixth is, A Cliff-hanger Ending: We can’t see the specific end of our own journey but we can anticipate that there will be some white knuckle moments along the way. But we’ve read the end of the Book. We know who wins.

Finally, The Good Guys Win!

Thanks for joining me!

Over the mountains and the sea, Your river runs with love for me, and I will open up my heart and let the healer set me free.   Martin Smith

In about a week I will set out on my PCT Hike with my good friend Jerry O’Farrell. We are Ascending to Higher Ground. There is a literal and spiritual dimension to that phrase. Obviously we will be climbing in altitude a lot (and declining). However we will also be ascending to a higher place in our walk with our creator. I will be on sabbatical from my position as Pastor of Covenant of Grace Christian Fellowship in Phoenix Arizona. Jerry is retired. My wife Sharon, who is also Co-Pastor at COG, will be assuming the full weight of leadership responsibiity during this time. That she has been willing to affirm and bless this crazy idea of leaving her for several months to pursue this dream is a testimony to the love she lavishes on this undeserving soul.

I invite you to join me on this adventure, if not physically, at least through this blog. I plan to post devotional thoughts, insights and experiences, as well as pictures and videos that will help you share in the awe of God’s majestic creation as often as I can. I have also created a GoFundMe account by the same name (Ascending to Higher Ground), just in case you might like to help with the considerable expensess assocsated with this trip. I look forward to the journey together.