You're listening to the Dudes and Dads
Podcast. A show dedicated to helping men
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by building community through
meaningful conversation
and storytelling. And now here are your
hosts,
Joel DeMon and Andy Layman.
Chester T. Layman, hello.
Oops, I just, I'm, I'm, I'm bad at this
today. I, I'm,
I can't even get us both on video. This
is how bad I am today. You are here
though. I can see you right across from
me. Hello, there we go. You're looking,
you're looking, you're looking wonderful.
Hey, so hi Andy. Hi, Joel. Hi. Hey
everybody, welcome to the Dudes and Dads
Podcast.
Glad to have each and every one of you
here with us
as we, uh, looking forward to a fun
conversation.
Lots of moving pieces tonight. Uh, Andy is
navigating
a whole plethora of, uh, technical
wizardry.
You can say that again. Uh, so we've got, we've
got several guests.
We're, we're gonna have a good
conversation. Looking forward to
all of it.
Uh, in studio, uh, if we can put it that
way because that's
the way I should put it because it's
accurate. Uh, we have our friend
and Dudes and Dads, Dudes and Dads,
Dudes and Dads Podcast alumnist, alumni,
alumna, whatever. Not alumna.
Not alumna. Alumni. Uh, Greg Neumeier is
with us in studio. Hi, Greg.
Hello guys. Hi. Uh, I'm trying, I'm really
messing it up tonight.
And as, and as always,
uh, Andrew is right across the table. He's,
he's dialing in the remote employee,
remote employees.
Remote, remote guests.
There we go. Yes. Those guys. And making
sure that they are,
I'm trying to get them on. If you guys
want to talk, if you guys want to talk
real quick.
Perfect. And yeah, I'll talk. You punch
your
buttons and we'll see what happens. Uh,
so first of all, the conversation tonight
and we're super looking forward to this
is a recap of our recent trip
out to the grand Tetons.
Yes. Get that French inflection. It needs to sound
French.
Uh, it needs to sound French and slightly
suspicious.
Um, because, you know,
we had, uh, we had a really great, uh,
experience out, uh, out west. And the thing,
um, and we had talked about, we had had
the conversation with Greg prior of
talking about kind of the elements of
wonder and awe and kind of the
experience of going out into the
wilderness and doing this all.
Um, with also in the context of this
group that we were putting together,
six, I'm going to try 16 total of us.
There were 17 of us. There was two. So
there's myself and a co-guide and then
15 of you.
Wonderful. And, uh, what an experience it
was.
Greg tried, you know, he does his best to
give us the essential details of the
trip and give us an outline of what
we're going to be looking at, but you
really can't know.
You cannot know until you go. There's
definitely meant to be some mystery to
it.
Oh boy. Oh boy. So much prizes along the
way. And I want to say,
yes, indeed, mystery and some things that
I wish had remained a mystery, uh, that
have been
that were, that were uncovered or
whatever brought, uh, brought to the
surface. But no, um, and I, I think I just
absolutely want to say what a, what a joy
the trip was, what a, what a really
amazing experience was for me in
particular, because I was bringing along
Josiah, my 13 year old son, um, and, uh,
having, uh, the rest of you all, um, sort
of, yeah, come along on your father-son
trip. Yeah. Like, right. I just invited all
these people on my father-son trip. No,
uh, that we were just welcomed in and,
and allowed to be a part of the group
that was from Clinton frame, which is
really, really, uh, awesome experience, a
major blessing. Um, Greg, I'm wondering
just to kind of give some context, uh,
really what this trip was about some, uh,
we did three hikes and ish and, and some
excursives, uh, right. And that annexed
trips, little walkabouts, uh, boondoggles,
whatever, whatever we want to call them.
Um, when you, when you're getting us
ready, uh, to take these, when we're
going to take these hikes, these, you
know, there are, I mean, the idea is that
they're sort of building upon each other
a little bit. What is the, um, because I
would argue, and as I've told everybody,
we did a, a beginner's hike, an
intermediate hike and one that, and then
one that I don't have a category for.
And, and I, there might still be some for,
for those of us that, for our friends
that are here with us this evening, uh,
there might still be some bitterness over,
uh, over, over hike number three. Greg,
tell us 15 people who joined us there.
We, we, we got five of them to join us.
The rest of them are dead. That's why
they're not even alive anymore. No. Uh,
Greg, talk just as much as there is, talk
to us about the strategy of kind of
building into the building, into those
things and kind of what you're, what
you're hoping we experience as we kind
of engage in the, the trip. Yeah. Well,
so some people were coming in, uh, some
people had driven in like yourself. So
that's the absolute best way of
acclimation. You're just taking that
slow ascent from Indiana and the plains
States up into, uh, North, North West,
Wyoming, uh, where we were going to be
camping just about 7,000 feet. So, uh,
those who had flown in and others who
had come in kind of on a shorter, you
know, driving in the big thing is you
just want to make sure that we give
ourselves some time for acclimation. I
mean, acclimation is a, is a huge
component. I think that that translates
into life too. Sometimes we just want
to, we just want to jump into the deep
end and what we can end up doing is
hurting ourselves that way. Uh, so what
we did was our first hike in, um, was a
nine, about a nine and a half mile out
and back and a relatively flat the
entire way. I mean, there's just some
kind of some up and down, but we don't
really go up into any canyons. There's
no mountains at all, but it's along the
Lake shore every time. So we've got Lee
string Lake Lee Lake, uh, bear paw Lake
and trapper Lake that was immediately
the grand is kind of down the South
range. You got Mount Moran right on top
of us the whole way. And you just get
this major sense of, Oh my goodness,
here I am. Yeah. And so that kind of
awakens this sense of I'm hiking
somewhere different now, the bear
experience on that trail on the way back.
That was exciting too. Yes. Uh, sharing
the trail with the bear and deciding,
okay, you can have this trail too. Sir,
you can, you go right along your way. We
will yield, um, our, yeah. So that's kind
of that like, Hey, wet your appetite. I
want to make sure, I mean, as a guide or
as somebody who's kind of leading
things, I want to see if you're capable
of the distance. Um, cause at that point
you really just have altitude and then
you have distance there. It's Hey, we're
going to do nine miles and we're going
to do it at 7,000 feet. And you just
came from roughly 600 feet. I don't know
what Indiana is six or 700 feet.
We're at like seven, 720 feet right now.
Because we're 20 feet up in this building.
Right. We're on the second floor. Uh, so
for what I want to see is, can you, can
you even just at this altitude, can you
do this distance? And I mean, I think we
had a good time with that hike and it
wasn't, I mean, it, it gets a little sweat
going. It gets your juices going like,
Oh, okay. I now have fresh air to deal
with in my lungs. I'm going to drink
water. I'm going to eat healthy. And even
that alone was kind of a stretch for some
folks. Um, all of a sudden it was like,
man, this is a healthy lifestyle here
that I didn't know was, uh, something my
body is not used to, uh, that our next
hike is, um, well, I'm going to ask you
so our people who are joining us, are
joined with us. If you guys have anything
to put on this first hike, feel free to
speak up. Like how did it make you feel
the very first time that we went on that
very first hike?
I felt like, Oh wow, this is pretty
simple. You know, I can do this. It's flat.
I did get tired faster than back here in
a flat in the Anna. Um, but no, I thought
this is, this is doable. Um, just great
to just to walk along those lakes and
look across the lakes and see the wonder
of those mountains that just shoot up
out of the earth. It's just amazing how
that, that style of mountain is. I think
it's, it's really neat. Um, and it's just,
it is wonder because you just walk in.
It's like literally boom. It juts up out
of the earth and it's just so different
than what we have back here. And so the
whole day I was just kind of observing
that and just, Oh wow, this is really wild.
Yeah, you're, you're totally right. Marty.
That's yeah. The, the style of the range
is called a drop fault mountain range. And
so it really, it has no foothills. What it
has is just a bunch of these glacier, uh,
these glacial melt lakes at the base. And
so it is, it's extremely dramatic. It's a
very dramatic, uh, kind of landscape to
find yourself walking along and to be on
Lee Lake, especially in string Lake, which
are very calm lakes, unless the wind's
really whipping, which is difficult at
the base there. Uh, they're often so still
you get those reflective kind of
experiences with the photos. And I know a
bunch of guys got pictures with, you know,
like mountains on top of mountains in
these lakes. So I appreciate that you, uh,
kind of stopped and took that in a bit.
Yeah. Anybody else's thoughts on the
first, uh, the first hike? Yeah. The other
thing that made that hike nice, uh, was
the fact that, like you said, it was kind
of easier kind of along the Lake. And so
it was pretty heavily traveled, meaning
the path was wide enough for folks to
walk side by side, most of the way. And
so that was kind of a nice refresher
after being in a van for 28 hours, 26
hours, whatever, just kind of, kind of
walk side by side with a buddy and just
have a lot of conversation. So it was a
good intro to the week. All right. So
then, then moving on the second hike.
Yeah. So then, uh, let's see. So our, our
next hike, what we wanted to do was get a
little bit more, um, elevation gain, just
see what happens if we've got to climb
some Hills a little bit more. And so we
did, uh, the Taggart and Bradley loop and
we did it in the reverse order. That is
usually recommended. We went
counterclockwise on that loop so that we
saw the incline right away and climb up
to Bradley over the first, uh, two and a
half miles or so. Um, and, uh, and that,
man, that one, uh, we, we, I saw, we found
some guys kind of pushing their limits a
little bit more there. I was like, Oh,
this is what it means. Now we did that in
the direct, uh, exposure. We had the sun
right over top of us. And so there was,
it was unseasonably warm. I just want
everybody to remember and know that like,
I, I always think of going to the
mountains and it's like, it's going to
be a high of 76 and it's going to be dry
air and cool. And we had 90 degrees.
It was warm. Um, so, uh, we, we got some
elevation gain, saw some more lakes, uh,
encountered a lot more bears on that hike
than, I mean, I mean, there was more bears
on that hike than I think in my previous
two or three years, all combined, um, less
traffic on that hike again, and it
narrows out a little bit. And so you've
got some steeper, I think we hit some 30%
grade on that hike a few times where it's
just like, Oh, we've got to go up and
wind and just mini switchbacks. And then
we had some elevation gain and, uh, I was
kind of listening for, I was listening for
that more than anything, just as far as
like, how do you get to the top of the
mountain? And I was like, okay, I'm going
to go up and wind and I'm going to go
up and wind and I'm going to go up and
wind and I'm going to go up and wind.
And I was like, okay, I'm going to go
up and wind and I'm going to go up and
wind and I'm going to go up and wind.
And I was like, okay, I'm going to go
up and wind and I'm going to go up and
wind and I'm going to go up and wind.
And I was like, okay, I'm going to go
up and wind and I'm going to go up and
I was listening for that more than anything just as far as like how are people's footwear holding up and were they feeling it as
far as the the altitude just
we only we only gained again 800 or 900 feet on that but
That's significant when you've been in the van like I said when you were in Indiana two days ago
Right or those of you who flew out because some of them especially for you actually
I'll pick on you for this one Greg or Dave since you guys were part of the group that flew out
Let's start with Greg. What what was that second like hike for you?
Especially since you had flown out and not had the time to acclimate in the in the car. I
Thought it was I was good with it. I had a great time
you know I said before I'm not the fastest hiker but
Yeah, I thought it was I thought it was good. I didn't
Yeah, I thought I was prepared I mean I thought it was pretty good hike
And I actually found the first day harder than second day
I don't know why
But first day was harder for me than the second day second day was starting to get in a groove. Yeah
So yeah, I know for me the first day
I was starting to cramp my calves were cramping up and then after I got used to that then the rest of the hikes were fine
You just got used to the camping. Well, no, it didn't
Dave how about yourself? How is how was that second hike for you?
Well, that was that was the day that we set back. So right
Was easy for you
I think I would say
maybe using Joel's terminology or
self self defined there was a couple of us that
Joined the wimp club and since Dustin's not here. I can throw him under the bus and
Him and I leading that way
knowing that
Our L our elder bodies were were suffering a bit. But yeah the first day I
Didn't I've anticipated a bit more
altitude adjustment
Then then I what fell you can you knew you were there you knew you're elevated and you knew you had to work a little
more with the oxygen levels, but it was not enough to create headaches and some of those other altitude type of
Uncomfortableness so it it you know, and maybe it's the on the beauty and the wonder that is there that
takes your mind away from some of that but you know, I think Greg did a great job of
educating us on the front side and you know
Preaching the you know hydration and you know the footwear conversation
and all that which certainly helped so
Yeah, I was really glad that there was actually just to be I mean to be perfectly honest
I was really glad that there was you Dave and
Dusty and I think was there one other with you
Sebastiano on the overnight. Okay, but that that one particular day, I think Ben
And we took it he had to go to town
So it was our job to get in town
Well, I just I mean the way that we approach the retreat is it needs to be something where you are where you're too truly attentive
to the needs of your soul, but as much as attentive to the needs of your body and
The opportunity and the and the recognition that not everybody needs to do everything
but to opt in and opt out as you honestly reflect on the need of your on the need of your life the need of your
soul and
to take a day sometimes to just take a day and go like I just I'm gonna lean into the
Opportunity to breathe and rest and be in on being wonder here and I don't need to exert and I don't need to work and stress
My body in order to prove anything to myself or anyone else
But I can I can do that and I I was very very glad that there was a few of you who decided who?
Recognized that that was the opportunity in front of you and took advantage of that. That's just that truly was meaningful to me
Yeah, and I think if there's anybody else listening that would say boy
I would like to to get on that that list or go hang out with
Greg and Adam and do something like this in the future
the thing that was attractive was exactly that was that hey there there is not a
Expectation of any type we we anticipate participation
But that definition of participation does not mean
110 miles every day at 110 percent
Hiking there was there was lots of value and those those three of us Dustin and Ben and I we had some really awesome
awesome conversation
That day it was very much
appreciated so
You're seeing your spot on and that was
Greg laid that out to us in the beginning and that was very very attractive to me
So so after that that hike what was our was our next thing there mr. New Meyer so that evening
I believe that evening was actually
When we went out to visit old Pat then oh, yes
So yeah without spoiling the without spoiling the grandeur of old Pat for everybody who's not aware there is a
There's a there's a tree in the in Grand Teton National Park
That's kind of been lost to history because of moving a road and different things, but used to be an iconic stopping point
For visitors, and we still make a trek out there
I find it almost an angry will pilgrimage for myself to go and visit old Pat. That's referred to as the old patriarch tree
But I think that evening was when we all and every single one of us that was I think that was myself
and then this the the 15 of you so there's 16 of us that actually made it out to old Pat and
So that was our evening kind of little walk about excursus if you will wasn't a full hike we have to bushwhack but
the destination is much more the
Point than the journey on that one yeah, and in that again with without
Devulging all the all the sacred goodness of that experience
I think you know something I would just say because again having
Both myself and Josiah out there. You know that was an opportunity
and I would just I would say this to
In it was an opportunity for I think a really a significant reflection
You know and I would just say I would say this to to Dave and it was something that Dave
shared and even directed toward Josiah that
Included him in that conversation, and I mean it's something that Josiah is going to remember for the for the rest of his life
That made us really really significant
Impact and so I get again. I think you know much to Greg's credit like he has he has
Not and not and just being like not in a manipulative sort of way
But in a very intentional sort of way like staging these experiences out and and and right timing the conversation
Around what we're what we're experiencing
Where I think you know after a good hike. I don't know you're you're more open
And it's you're tired
But you're you're more open to just sort of like breathe it all in and just mmm
slow yourself down and to reflect and to have
And to have good content just have good conversation. Yeah, I think for me again with that without spoiling old Pat
So I mean that's hard to not do but it was it was nice to have a conversation
or it was nice to have a hike that was
that was easier, but had just as much purpose as
The other hikes you know for the other hikes we got to see the grandeur of the mountains and the lakes and all the beauty
in
that the mountains provide
But this is nice because it wasn't necessarily in the mountains, but it was a nice hike and then just the
Pretty nice
I don't know the the the way that you
talked about the tree and
Then just the time of reflection
Because we were able to reflect and we were like silent and that for me was was great
Cuz it was a time to just no one was talking. There was no one talking. We were just sitting there with with God and us and
Whatever he was speaking to us. And so that was yeah, that was a good a good time. I
Find that place is just that particular scene is is very meaningful to me
I love introducing others to it and inviting you to have a you know, maybe your own moment there. I I'll
Openly say the first time that I made it to that spot
I mean, I made it there with tears in my eyes just going like this is I
Don't know what's going on right here. I don't know what's happening here, but it was just like this like collision of visual
tangible expression of something
Mystic almost that I don't that that I've read about and seen in Scripture and seen a value for but here's this tangible
expression of it that has just kind of become an icon of
Sorts of what we've talked about out there. So I hope that that was meaningful to other people as well. And
You know if part of the man up experience anyone who wants to do these retreats in the future
will will go and visit old Pat and
We'll talk about it. Yeah. Yeah, so
So after that experience then as we're getting as we're well, we're not really getting ready the next hike
Who had anything to say? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, hey ever Greg or Jonathan or Marty who yeah, even Jason Jason
His name yeah, I
Really enjoyed the the hike out to old Pat because it was it was it was short
But it was meaningful just to see something in this kind of country. That's that old I thought was just
really
fascinating if you ever travel overseas
There's a lot more age in those countries and we don't have that as much here and just just to hear the
Story of the tree the age of the tree
it was a very
meaningful
short time that that we had there and
without
Getting anybody in trouble
It did produce the the most enjoyable rock that somebody brought home on that. We're not gonna mention any names, right?
We won't we won't mention your name. I mean
Yeah, and the way that
That Greg set up the that hike to for anyone planning on going on this trip
He didn't take the direct route to see this tree
we
We went about it in such a way that you get a different perspective on it and the takeaway from that
Everybody was free to take away their own
meaning from this experience
my meeting
Or my takeaway was different from everybody else's and and so it was a neat experience that it was the shared
shared experience the shared height
Out out into this open area
But yet it was also very individualized it was probably one of the moments on this trip
That was the most individual for me as well me being able to take away something
That was just for me. Like Andy said we have there's a moment of silence there where I could be
reflective on just my own
Heart situation whatever was going on
Yeah, so so we were originally going to we were originally going to hike up and over right there was gonna be an overnight hike
that we were gonna originally like up and over and
The mountain and then camp to a new campsite you had the option to do that and those who wanted to do that could could
do that
But then with the previous week you there was some smoke and you said me as I experienced hiker can't even do that
So I'm not taking you guys up there
Which I?
Appreciated that I mean I would have loved to do it
I appreciate I felt like when Greg was explaining that all to us. There was this
collective sense of relief
And by the way false relief, I just want to be clear we were we were relieved
We were not gonna have to go through that experience and little did we know home that we were not off the hook, right?
But yes, but so yes we ended up by my video went away
So yes, we ended up
hiking and we
There's our video
Again technology, so we ended up not doing that but we all drove to the second campsite
yeah, and then from there we went ahead and
Those who wanted to do the overnight hike could could do that and so we set out on a journey and
And yeah, what happened Greg tell me what happened
So what we did was we broke camp like you're supposed to we broke camp we packed up everything that what was it Saturday morning
I think it was
Yeah, Saturday morning, and we had a nice lovely just a lovely drive. It's a great down and around the mountain
So rather than take the pass we took the scenic route. So you saw the Palisades
Reservoir you saw the the lake you've got to drive through some of the most incredible mountain back roads
Just some of the most yeah, beautiful beautiful roads that Idaho and Wyoming have to offer collectively in that
Caribou Targhee National Forest coming in and out of everything
We made it to so
Yeah, so rather than spend all of our time
Exclusively in the National Park boundaries what I really
Enjoy doing is getting outside of the park and getting into what the designated wilderness area
So we we we were in a National Forest campground
Which is the Teton Canyon campgrounds beautiful campground back in Teton Canyon one of the oldest
one of the oldest
campgrounds in the in the area, I mean there are pictures of
130 140 years ago of people with their covered wagons camping in those same spots that we were
and
taking the same hikes up the canyon and so the Teton Creek comes down the canyon during the June June July that Creek is
Rushing it is a massive massive river that can be actually pretty formidable to cross
So we went up Teton Canyon and the first two and a half miles are easy going. I mean what was it 250 maybe?
350
Elevation gain Jason might know and then you got to come to this fork in the road and do you want to take wilderness or?
National Forest trail number 27, or do you want to take National Forest trail number 28 now?
I I will just I'm just gonna remind you I was there to take
Road 27 we were gonna go good old lucky
beautiful
Mile more mild ish
27 27 was the one I had taken before
But the sign who are we who are we right to deviate?
from Greg's
known
Known route who are we the sign did did issue, so we don't have all of these
Individuals with us today, but the sign threw down a challenge of sorts the sign indicate gave it threw down a gauntlet
And it just said devil's staircase right which was yeah
It was a challenge like you said yeah, and there was a collective
Do we really want to and then there was I thought it was very actually I thought it was very inspiring to me
Personally like as someone who was like I I would rather do route 27 here like that'll be great
But there was this collective rallying of no we want to do like we want to suffer like we
I'm not sure that that's actually what we we said
You heard that's the way I heard it
and so we then
opted for route 28 and went and veered then south to go towards the devil's staircase and
Three and a half miles later
We had experienced all that it had to offer
Go up another
2500 feet so yes, so I want to hear from each of you that were on devil's staircase
I want to start with Greg. I want to start with Greg
As you are climbing
devil's staircase
What is going and I'll ask each of you this what what is going through your mind
What are the words what what is the conversation that is internal to you as you are?
Heading up that that elevation I
Was uh I had I was having a complete high. I was total loving every minute of it I
I
wanted to take that route and I wanted to see
See what it had in store for me, and so what was going through my mind was a couple things one
Don't quit mm-hmm and
Just keep going one step at a time like I've said before I'm not that I'm not a fast hiker
I'm not that's not who I am, but I'm a plugger and
That's it my style real well, and I just kept going I just kept going and I felt like I was getting stronger as the day
As we went up
and I just I was on that was one of the highlights of the trip for me that hike along with old Pat so I
Was just with sheer awe and wondering that moment being in that spot
Being able to push myself that way so I was having a great time
I loved it why we made that decision
The other thing that was going through my mind is and I shared this little pad
There's a course that is near and dear to me
And it's the course of I will call upon the Lord and and I sing that often on the trail
I probably sang that course more often on that trail because when when you're faced with adversity when you're faced with
challenges
am I gonna call upon the Lord and
so while I was facing this physical challenge in front of me I
Called upon Lord and and so that was just a it was a high for me
And I don't use that pun lightly that we were on a mountain
But I was I was drinking it all in I had a great time. That's awesome
Marty Marty what was going through your your brain?
Well most of what
Greg said, but probably first of all it was like what the hell am I doing?
It was steep yeah, and
It was kicking my butt and I like to be challenged. I like to be in better shape when I'm challenged, but um
But yeah, I was standing there. I think we were going. I'm not sure who was
Leading, but we made it like 300 feet. I think J. And I stood there, and I'm like
Wow, this is amazing
It was amazing just in the in the view it was amazing in the just the challenge and how
Literally how hard it was I mean these first few days that we talked about
hiking
You know we we were walking we were walking without packs and so it was like oh
This is this piece of cake and now we throw 15 20 pounds on our back, and now we're walking on a 60 degree
65 degree incline and and you're just
there's just a lot of
different feelings and aspects and and
Pains and and highs too, but um yeah, no it was
It was enjoyable. It's kind of stuff that I like to do. I wish my body could do a bit more but um
Yeah, I would I would agree with a lot of what Greg said on that yeah, Jason Jason. How about you man?
Well, I'm thinking you know let's just get this over with at the beginning
Let's just go ahead and tackle all the elevation gain within a few miles
And then just be done, and I heard the word a few times a mistake. I never really thought it was a mistake
I thought it was actually a happy little accident
It was grueling it was it was challenging
actually had to take some time to just be aware of your body while you're doing it and
You know just that awareness of where am I at rather than just getting busy and trying to go fast and hard yeah
So yeah, that's right same thing for me. You know I think it was it was
My experience of it was this so there was two different groups
Or three different kind of we kind of all strung out because we all have different abilities
Those of you those of you who show off a lot and we're way ahead of us
Like a quarter mile ahead of us and and I remember look I I just got to the top
I think I was with Ian and we both just made it to the top of Devil's staircase
And I hear Greg Greg Neumeier shouting you're on the wrong path, and I'm like oh, no
Are you kidding me like no? We're not like I'm at the top. I'm not coming back down there because this is ridiculous
I'm not going back down there, and so I'm trying to shout and scream to the people in front of us
I have a whistle and I'm like whistling and trying to get their attention and say hey like you guys are on the wrong path
too and they started coming back and then I
Was like I again
I'm still in my mind refusing to walk back down because I'm like I'm not walking back down this thing to have you Greg decided
we're coming back up and so I stayed there and the next thing I know you guys start coming to us and
What ensued was I mean I do really think that God had us in the right spot like I mean yes
it was tough and it added to our total length of the the trip or of the that nightly trip or whatever but
The campsite and well just the experience before that even was amazing
And then I remember we were all kind of getting thirsty because we were running out of water
And then we found this tiny little stream that we were all like
praising Jesus that we found this dream and we were bent down and filtering a water out of it and stuff and then
We walk on and continue on from there
And you just are in this beautiful field of like flowers and and things and then we decided to make camp and like that
That view is something I can't even explain
Yeah, people and I think you said even Craig like this is a more beautiful view than the original site
I was playing it take absolutely was yeah
And I mean when we opted to go south on on route 28 and head on the devil staircase
there's another there was a fork that was about a
third of a mile up that path that would have continued the same kind of trajectory and
Steepness if you will the pitch the gain
But we missed that fork and so we ended up going a much wider and
You know, we ended up going much wider around so it did add some overall length to our hike
But happy accident is completely acceptable. I definitely wouldn't call it a mistake
It was just I mean something that kind of I kind of kept in mind for
most of our I mean for the we're doing these things is that flexibility begets opportunity like
You're not gonna you're not gonna stumble into something amazing
surprising
Without being flexible if you if you stay rigid to your plan if you stay rigid to your map
And it has to be this way we have to go like this
Then you always know what to expect and you maintain a fault kind of a false sense of control then and if you just go
Realize like you know
Okay, so we paused I think Joel and Josiah and I and somebody else standing there with Jonathan
I think were you standing there with us too, or you were just a little bit up the trail
With Ben maybe yeah, we were halfway between you guys and
Andy and the rest of the pack was trying to play a game of really bad game for telephone
But I just we just paused right there and it was one of those like okay
I'm gonna be still for just a minute and just try to lean in and
Ask the Lord honestly as well. I did was just pray it was just like
Okay, are we do we maintain this path or do I need to call people back like and it's not okay wrestling through the
Don't want inconvenience people, but I also don't want to like if we go the wrong direction
we could end up in trouble here because we're I don't know where we're going then and
Just leaning in and I felt like this. I just felt like an overwhelming piece of just keep going
And we were so we kept going and it was interesting and interesting enough
There was there was a there was a guy coming down
Yeah
That's their case that we that we ran into and and Greg just voiced to him because he had come from that route
just voiced him kind of the dilemma and
In his his thing was if you're at this point
You might as well you might as well if you've done this so far you might you might as well keep keep on going because otherwise
You're you're probably adding just additional. Yeah. Yeah, just additional length to your trip that you know trouble than it's worth
Yeah, yeah, the payoff is gonna be better. The pay is gonna be better. And so yeah, that was
But I completely agree with Andy that is my favorite wilderness campsite I've ever I've encountered and I mean
There's a few of us around Alaska Bay a few of us are getting a tattoo because of it. Oh, yeah
Oh
I'm in I am in my wife is gonna hear this episode and I'm gonna have to explain to her but nevertheless
So for us this trip I had a 13 year old boy doing this with me and
Josiah
Number one, yeah, she's not good. I don't want to embarrass him
But it's just Josiah Josiah had had to use the latrine the non-existent latrine
Well, I was a bush. Yeah, well on devil staircase, which I guess
If you I mean going going doing your business out in the wilderness
There's you know, it's it's gonna be a particular challenge or whatever to it
But you know you get used to it
But doing it on the side of a mountain where you're like one minute one miss if you don't secure yourself
Properly you could you could tip over
I just don't like it's so funny like giving your son like hey
Hey, bud, just like make sure that you make sure you got good footing
Make sure you're planted kid wasn't that dude was a trooper, but you know
He when we got to the top of devil staircase
I mean we we were have I was having the conversation with him as we kind of kept on going
there were a few periods of time where he he was physically really like really struggling and
And there was this kind of
there's just kind of sphere that was starting to take over him of like
Cuz he because he did not know it was hard to articulate when our campsite was gonna be how much more
No, we didn't really know right because we needed a certain certain
Circumstances for what we needed for our campsite to be like it. We needed to find this find this spot
It's kind of like well, I could be a little ways so I can't tell him
Hey, dude, just 30 more minutes and we're gonna we're gonna be there if I would have said that that would have been a lie
but
Having a conversation with him of hey
We're gonna go 20 feet at a time or 50 feet at a time
And if you need to if you need to stop after doing that, we'll do that
But we're just gonna we're gonna keep on going going back is not an option which he knew and understood
logically, but he's like, you know and and
That kid he he got up. He did it. We got to the camp. We got to the campsite
I've never been more relieved in my in my life is like as a as a parent to
arrive somewhere with my kid
And but that night we're laying we're laying in the tent and and guys you all experienced this and it's really hard to explain
the way the wind
through that
That basin and you would hear it hear the wind off and along that like I can't really before explain kind of haunting
a little bit like you'd hear the wind off in long distance and it would just like
kind of the wind would almost echo through the canyon and then would get to you and then would swirl around and like head off in
Another direction and I just I mean I like that was like Holy Spirit wind man
That was like, you know, no, I have no idea where it comes from where it goes
It was you know, it was really really amazing because we're laying there at night just I was like so dad
But how much farther do we have to hike up?
Tomorrow and I was like well and I had I had at least some context of what we had to do I was like
We're gonna get we just gotta go this much farther up
About was about 500 feet 500 feet couple we had a couple had a couple miles to this about three quarters of a mile
It's a 300 feet three quarters of mile 500 feet and then it will be all down way down. Yeah, he's like, oh, okay
I think he fall asleep woke up an hour later dad remind me again. How much?
How much farther do we have to go?
This is another 500 feet up and it'll be all the way down and and
But but that was I mean that was an anchor maybe an anchor memory for us
That's something that we something hard that we did that it's only he and I that did it
And that and that he had he had all of you guys
You know those around that hike
You know cheering him on for that and just and speaking just words of that's where I really felt like there was that that was
The communal aspect of that just the encouragement
cheering him on
when he when he got there and
For you know, I would say for a kid who just does not give himself enough credit for doing doing the stuff that he does
I that was you know, I just kept on saying like you should
like have some pride that you were it is okay for you to be like, yeah, I
Accomplished this and just give yourself permission. It's it's not like it's not like you're you know
Not being humble to say that was a good thing that I did that. I'm glad I'm glad that you did
So I don't say this you both were carrying
Serious packs. Yeah
You had some ultralight guys here you had I think Jonathan just had a like a bedroll tied to a backpack and a water container
and and Greg was just like I mean you you and you get you and Josiah were carrying some serious packs and
And really I would do the hammock camping next time
I'll just I'll say that that that that is now attractive to me in a new way
So I want to I want to touch base here a little bit
So we also have Dave who didn't go on this hike stayed back with Sebastiano and Dustin and Adam
And can you talk to me a little bit? So obviously you you didn't do this hike, but what was the time like for you?
Spending it with just those those other gentlemen
Yeah, so
Another opportunity to have some intimate conversation and I think but I I know Dustin would echo this
as well as Sebastiano that
You know Adam we really didn't did not know
prior to
like and that gave us an opportunity to
interact with him
Hear his story. I want to I was just telling Greg shank this today. I said I
in several of us would love to go to weeping water, Nebraska, yeah and
See him see his church and see what he does his story
the ministry that he is doing in that community is amazing and
Part of what
We were we were doing is is listening to his story and and
providing some
Support hopefully some guidance and rejuvenation for him in that process
And we also chose to say hey, we're gonna go ride the ski hill lift
mountain lifts
And get up to 10,000 feet look over the top of that mountain with a fantastic view and could see
Where you guys were ending up so we took again the wimp way
To the top and said we got to 10,000 feet just like you did
For a small fee
So that was that was beautiful beautiful views and still gave us a little bit of perspective of where you guys were going and
still felt
included in that process awesome and
Adam was able to
Kind of give us the lay of the land and point out to where things were and that was very helpful
So we had a very very enjoyable 24 hours
Together and having some really phenomenal conversations and
And hearing each other's story, so it was it was fun and an Adam is such evidence evident to me
I'm sure it was especially evident to you guys the the dude is such a servant leader like oh
Like I was you know you just you meet those you meet those sort of people you're like
Whatever it is whatever whatever it is you're doing with your life like I want I want more of like
You are you are teaching just in just in his presence teaching me more about God
I like I legitimately I can think of no
no higher compliment to him than to say that I was a
Man of a man of few words, but of deep words and clearly I I just was immensely grateful for him
And all that he brought so that yeah, that's I'm so glad I'm kind of jealous quite honestly
You got you guys got that that time. That's that's really really cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm sure though that I know that I know that that was meaningful to him. I know that that was
extremely valuable time for him to spend that with with you and Destin and
Sebastiano just having a and I mean this in the most complimentary way to spend some time with elders and have your
Have your ears have your your hearts in alignment with his and just to give him support and encouragement
I really I know that that was worth more than
Worth more than gold in his world
He's a really important person in my life
And I'm very glad that he was that you guys were all able to
Meet him and be introduced to to his ministry and and know that there's more of that more of that to come
I'll just I will say it's in another small world. So in the water treatment industry
It's that I became acquainted with some folks in in Omaha and I thought no way does he know them
He knows them like the back of his hand
They are in the weeping water area. He's played coached some of their kids. Yep, and it was like no way
Oh, that's it. That was and so that you know, this this small world we live in is really really cool and got a way of
connecting us
which was fun too and
speaking of elders, it wasn't lost on me that
Everybody on that mountain overnight was younger than me. And so while that in some ways was a little intimidating, you know
You know it it challenged me and it spurred me on to know that
We're all gonna get up this mountain no matter what our age is. So
That was pretty cool. Yeah, and to your credit Greg. I had not made that connection until you just
Just said that your ability once I never
Brand new thought to me as well. You were in the front pack. I think
Devil's staircase. So I yeah, you were you're way in front of us Lisa. These are hustler
So aside from Josiah then I don't know so I don't know the whole gamut of you know, the whole
Group of the people Jonathan were you the youngest outside of Josiah then who?
Headed up headed up well, so Owen was
Owens 20 right I think okay. All right
So yeah, I had forgotten about Owen, but I know Jonathan had some significant, you know
He I I know I've gotten some reflections from different people on their new experience
And I know Jonathan had some thoughts on the devil staircase and the the mountain meek campsite as well that those
I don't know if you'd like to share anything here
Before yeah, I think I think actually yeah besides
Josiah and Owen I was probably next in line for for youngest there. I think I just edged Jonathan Morris there as next
Yeah, devil staircase was its own challenge, but I think someone else said on here you just keep plugging along
You know, you've kind of got these doubts in your head, you know, can I do this? Can I do this and
Before you know, you're at the top. It's it's kind of amazing how
Without realizing it your body just does what it needs to do and and it gets to the top and then
And then yeah the campsite and the trek to the campsite. Oh my goodness and that
That field of wildfires that we walked and that was probably
Easy a half a mile almost a mile long and I might be exaggerating where you're just walking along. You've got this
giant cliff face
to the right of you and
to the left of you is the open canyon and you're in the middle of this field of just nothing but
Flowers all of them in bloom. I I don't know how lucky we got down in season, but all these fires were in bloom
And you got every color under the Sun there
And and it was hot there was there were bugs there, but what struck me
in that moment walking that
Probably last mile up to the campsite was just the enormity of the silence that was there
There was no sound of cars no sound of generators no sound of
Anything else out there?
It was you and the sound of your footsteps walking in that field and and your elevated pulse
Quiet cursing of the people who decided hey, we should do this trail and Jonathan
You just made me think this Greg did I hear the the numerical variety of wildflowers in in that region?
Was someone's I someone said a number I thought I heard but it's it's like staggering like the number of different plants like flowers peaches
Are there I don't know if you I don't believe it, but I don't know the I don't know the specifics of theirs
I'm not even so and we definitely hit a very narrow probably a two-week window to hit all to see that many in bloom all
at once
yellows purples pinks reds
All right, yeah, yeah all the what oh my gosh whites orange. Yeah. Yeah, it was blue. I mean it was everything
Yeah, it was amazing
No, I was with Jonathan there in that just like when you got to the top when you were out of the canyon
And it's like okay. We're just gonna walk until we find a good campsite now
But I did notice that I didn't I didn't feel a sense of urgency to find a campsite
I just wanted to walk slowly through all of those flowers
Yeah, I just wanted to take that a little slower to have a 13 year old boy with him going
How much farther
I don't know just go ask Greg
Yeah, I think it was it was cool too because as we as we found that that campsite
I know that like Ian and I were ahead and we kept saying oh
There's a bunch of trees to be the thing we had to take into consideration was the fact that we had eight
hammockers with us and so we had to find trees for these hammockers and
We'd find a bunch of trees
And we get there and then they were either two dents and and also had a bunch of undergrowth
And so yeah, then we finally found one and yeah, it was just the most beautiful campsite ever
Yeah
the I mean one of the things that we had to take into consideration for that trail was I'm not sure where we're gonna make
Camp we're just gonna have to
Collectively recognize we have hit a limit for the day and this will be good
But you still need factors in in play you needed water. You have to have water nearby
There's gotta be and you want it to be living water
You won't you don't want it to be a lake you want it to be living water nearby so we have living water nearby
we need a flat we need some flat ground for our tent campers and we need trees for our hammockers and
We just kind of kept passing patch after patch after patch of trees and going like man
There's got to be one up here somewhere until we got far enough ahead and it's like well
We're just gonna keep walking until we get it and the one that we found
Really just couldn't I couldn't have asked for anything better really couldn't have it's still I mean it will
Absolutely be one of my favorite places that we've ever overnighted
I could have I could have spent a couple days there saying yeah, they're been very happy. Yep. Yep, very very cool
so when we wake up the next day and
We're gonna head our head on our way down
and it and Greg remind me what is like what is the official name of this loop that way is there like the
apart from the number 28 27
well devil's staircase was technically from that point on the Y where 27 and 28 diverge to
Where it terminates at the Teton Crest Trail, which was the highest point
Okay, that whole stretch of trail that probably four miles is the devil staircase. Okay. Yep
Gotcha, and then so as we're then heading our way down it there's a point at which you feel like you
From that valley that you're in
You enter another world you do the Alaska Basin. Yeah, which is which is just
between the rock formations and
Some of the small glaciers that we're walking by there as we're entering into that
That phase and the lakes and the river and the river and the rivers and then just yeah the rock formations
But what an 11 mile?
descent I think was 10 from from where we hit our highest point of
9860 was 10 miles from there back to camp. Yeah, which I will say
I really felt that that trail at the very end should have been a couple miles shorter than what I remember
I remember it being a couple miles shorter Jonathan you were in my group
I just I remember like each bend when we would go around I'm like, certainly I'm gonna see that end of trail sign
It's gotta be there
Nothing was more disheartening than getting down into that one section of the valley and and we see a sign and we can go great
It's a sign and it says campsite
7.7 miles. Yes
Thanks so much
But but again another I mean a beautiful hike down I it's interesting
down hiking down at that grade and pretty pretty good a
Steady grade levels out at some point some as you're going through the forest and things that's a level
but for that distance you're using a different set of my own yes down and
Your toes are getting jammed into the front of your shoes of steel
Yeah, all of that. And so there's a different like and I've just said the last mile and a half of the trail out
I I lost all feeling in my feet
I just didn't I did they it was like they were
They were there in as much as I knew I had to move them to keep going forward
But like that's that's how I felt and then and then you know, and then we were done
So it was it was it was fine
So I think Marty Jason and Greg were all in the first group to come out of the canyon
Is that right? Was it the three of you and all together with then Ben with Ben?
I think Eric, you know Owen were first first to Eric and Owen were first and then we were the next group
Yeah
and then I think I was third group and I think that was amazing too to come out and
As you come out of the parking lot and because our campsite there
Where Dave and the rest of the group was positioned like it was cool
Cuz we turned the corner and they stood up and like clap
Yeah clap for us and it was just an amazing feeling of going, you know, there's someone cheering you on
Yeah, like even though like obviously they weren't with us along the side
Like they knew how hard this was for us and it was cool to see them and their support. Yep
When when we were coming through so they so the search party came out for the last of us
Just I don't know how far not I mean not terribly far up the trail
but they came up the trail and as we were coming in and and Adam came and
He just look came up to me and he goes he goes give me your pack and I go
Is this you asking or you telling telling me?
He goes I've been where you've been before and I'm taking I'm taking I'm taking your back which was which was great
but I think you get into the end of that we we had an
Excite our group before had an exciting bear encounter just you know up, you know a few miles out from the end of the trail
We were walking along and you know
I started seeing like bear scat on the trail like like every 15 feet or whatever and I was just like we are going to
See it like there's going to be one and boy. Oh boy
You're I mean it is it's part of the challenge of your tuck you're tired
and but you're trying to stay aware of your surroundings stay aware of your surroundings and
all of a sudden
25 feet in front of me this huckleberry bush just starts shaking
I'm in front. I did one of that. It's almost like a cartoon sort of thing of like stop
Like everybody kind of crashes into each other
you know, we're all just like along everybody just kind of like bumps into each other and yeah, and this and this
Bear just looked out probably and probably a female. I was a little bit smaller, but
Not that I care because it's a bear. It's on the trail
And it's you know and just took a couple steps toward us and we just started making our big bear our big our big bear
Noises and then walks up the hill a little bit and just sits right down and kind of watches us as we like Jonathan
I just thought like again unconcerned by our present are unconcerned by our presence there whatsoever. I thought but
It could have cared less. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, what was so funny about that that moment is, you know, we were all
Yeah, yeah, you were in front Joel and then you know
We stopped we see the bear and then there's this
Moment where few seconds pass by as the four of us and this group realized none of us had any bears
But you know who did Jonathan Greg who was just up the trail a little bit farther best guide ever
No problem no problem. No, it was
Just again a reminder. Look the the the hike wasn't over until the hike was over right?
like there's there is this definitely the sense of
remaining appropriately vigilant and aware and I'm through through the end and
And and that's why you are never so glad is when it when it's done it's really done
yeah, and I wouldn't put my feet in a river that was maybe 50 degrees if I if we were lucky and
And it was Andy had laid in the snow that had formed that river the day before. Yeah
Yeah, that's
So I got to hike with I got to hike with Greg for a little while because he was with Ian and
Andy and I and we we had a nice leisurely nap on a on a big flat white rock. That was
That was wonderful and how nice for you. It was nice that we had to try to figure out how do we I mean
It's interesting going along the trail when you realize that the group has kind of split up and you know
Okay
Do we at what point do we stop and wait and I think that was that was an interesting kind of
Moment for us because we wanted to find water right but we also wanted to rest ourselves
But not rest long enough to get stiff. Mm-hmm. And that was probably about halfway
I mean, we were probably only about halfway right there. I would say maybe five miles down
So, I don't know if Greg had any
Reflections on that moment because there's a nice picture that Andy got of us all
Yeah, I mean it was kind of an interesting, you know dilemma, you know, I I was out of water
I was
Drank way more water than I normally drink hiking. I had three liters gone in a heartbeat
And I'm normally not the person that likes stopping
Partially because of my age I get stiff really quick, but it felt really good to lay on that rock
And just kind of chill a little bit and get some rest. But then yeah, the dilemma is like, okay
I'm out of water
Do we hike back to someone has a filter do we just keep sitting here do we press forward and just kind of working through?
all that but
At the same time not getting too stressed out because it felt pretty good. Just sitting on that rock
Mm-hmm and just chilling and looking at the sky. So that was that was pretty awesome
Yeah, I think at that point even Marty was still behind maybe was in the group behind us
So when we all gathered up together that was I think the last time that the entire group was all
Together on that trail when we got around maybe a quarter mile down and we had the cascade
there was a cascade and the stream in there and
Filled up on water had some trail mix and then I think fell in
Somebody couple people. I think a couple people maybe fell into the water
there
But I think that was the last time that everyone was together was probably right at that halfway point and there was a refueling of
Okay, so we had some got out some food
Everybody recharged on water and then it was kind of now we're gonna now it was kind of right then it was think it was a decision
internally maybe un unspoken but an internal decision of and now we're gonna push for the camp like we're pushing for the campground now like it's
We have we have we're putting into another gear right now and we're now pushing for the campground. Yep
and and then we broke camp and
Like once we spent the night at the campground, yeah, and then we we broke camp the next day and
Those who flew flew those who drove drove
Back home and I took and I by the way full disclosure. I took the pass
Back through cuz I sort of we I was yeah, I was like I was like I'm curious to this this and boy. Oh boy
We were just as like we were following a guy
It was a it was carrying an air and put an airstream down down that or whatever and I was like just uh
I want you to keep it on the rear axle because I think it might light on fire
You could smell it you could smell it and but that was I mean that was an interesting experience in of itself
but yeah, there's
And and I managed to record a fake history over
Pierce hole why is everything a hole out there? I mean, it's it's
You could say Valley
Pierce Valley sounds lovely piers hole
Questionable anyway, so we come to the end of our trip. I want to hear from each of you
Just one final thought on on the trip itself. So let's start with Dave
Though I still have to come back to kind of the the spiritual highlight the st. Pat
I was old Pat
And I want to throw you know throw
drag shank the compliment of
following the Holy Spirit's leading and you know a
group of men out in the middle of
Teton Valley, yeah
Stinging yeah praises to God that clearly was
Was an awesome moment and for those that know my situation
That was a that that was the that was a healing healing moment good
That that meant a ton and not knowing not knowing what to expect out of this trip
Not just yeah going why eyes wide open
That that was that was the ticket and I thank each of you guys there
each of you here and all the others that aren't aren't with us to to making that a special holy moment and
in from the music to the prayers to the comments to the conversation and and for Greg for leading us to there and and for your
your inspiration and guidance
In in the words to yeah to give us give us those moments. So that one that was a highlight
Alright moving on to Jonathan
Yeah final thoughts
For anybody that has the opportunity to take this trip
Go for it. I was kind of invited last minute. I want to say
You know that the trip had already been decided on and I was invited to come along and
Throughout the first whole part of the trip. I was kind of wondering why in the world me, you know
You know what? Why me? Why was I invited? Why am I here and
Slowly as that trip went on, you know, I I discovered my own reason for being there
And for anybody else who's kind of questioning. Well, it's not for me. It's not it's not something I would want to do
you know, I had those questions going into this thing and
Coming out of that trip. I am so glad I won
The opportunity for for growth for healing and and for discovering your own reason you find that along the way
You don't have to go there with a predetermined. I'm going to accomplish this
You figure it out
Marty what about yourself?
Well, I would kind of agree with
John Jonathan on some of those things. Um, you don't
have to have a reason why right away but
for me it was just I
I'll be
Honest, I didn't want to go
Because I didn't want to have to have that challenge because I know that I would do it because I have to do it
In a serious in a weird weird weird way, but I wanted to go because being in a group of men is a very
Healing it's a very it's what we need to do as men. We need to do more of that and
Sometimes we just get caught in life and we're kind of stuck and we don't do enough of though the man things and so
so Greg I was I was very
thankful for you for
Leading us as a as a group of men and and letting the men kind of work their way on their own
personal level
There was no real big push to you have to accomplish
X Y & Z and so it was just great to have conversation on the trail with so many of these guys and
And it's it's worth it's a worthwhile trip. Whoever has the opportunity to do it grab on to it
Greg Chang
You know trying to find a high among highs is
Is very difficult, you know, we've talked about old Pat
We talked about the Alaska basin. We talked about devil's care staircase. We talked about
the camaraderie with the with the guys it's just so hard to
Pick the pinnacle moment among pinnacle moments and yet I am
still so drawn to
The first day's
devotion book
on Thursday morning and
You know Psalms
1 21 1 through 8 I will look up to the mountains does my strength come from the mountains?
no, my strength comes comes from God who made heaven and earth and mountains and
You know Greg put together a great trip
we got a great devotional book and I worked through all those but I still couldn't get past day one and
As we tried to find strength in and of ourselves to make this physical challenge
I was continually reminded and broke down on the trail many times
To say no my strength doesn't come from these mountains and I will call upon the Lord and though
Probably the highlight was just starting right out bang that verse
Greg just had a great way to provide verses that were
Just geared towards me. It felt like me and to us as men that we feel like we need to provide our own strength
We need to have the answers. We need to have control. We're supposed to lead our families are supposed to do all these things
And it's not of our own strength and so day one's
Devotion I couldn't hardly get past it
I didn't need the rest of the booklet because I was still stuck trying to process day one and
You know, I still remember that one of the challenges for day one
Devotion was to draw a map of your journey of life
I still don't know how to start drawing the pencil still in my hand and how do you even bring that into words? So
I'll just stop here and just say the pinnacle moment of pinnacle moments
I'm gonna come back to that scripture verse from day one and learning the lesson that my strength doesn't come from me
and
Sometimes you have to go to the Tetons to find that out
Jason we're what about you for me unplugging
slowing down and
Just taking time to share and other men's stories and to share my story
Which is great
It's a recharge and a reset for my soul that God needed to give to me. So that was great that part
Joel
All great moments I will say there's
The first morning we woke up and we're at our kids campsite and we're
In the morning the the pink light of the sunrise hits the range
And we had a clear a relatively relatively clear morning that morning
So it had been some haze and things like that and I'm I'm standing up on the hill that's kind of over our up
above our campsite a little bit and just and just watching this and
And
You know a good gift God
Josiah walks up that hill and then you gonna again know my son. It's not it's not par for the course
I'm I'm standing there having a moment with with the Lord and the kid walks up and just puts his arms around me and
doesn't say word puts his arms around me and we just and we just see the mountains there together and
I
Will just treasure that forever that like that is it
Just as good as it gets
for for me and it's kind of
That feels like that set the theme for our for our
Togetherness in the midst of this journey with all the with all of you guys and doing it with you
It really set the theme and the precedent for me and kind of what we experience of like like oh
God's giving us this opportunity. We're connecting in the unique way in the midst of it because I'll be honest with you
There's a little bit of stress guys
Like when you're like, I don't want this
I don't want to put more pressure on this trip than is it is due to make it do certain things or have it whatever
And just in God just showed up just absolutely showed up
but it was exactly the right thing at the right time and
really really grateful and we had we had a couple days in the car together too on the way back to
process some more things and and all that and
Mostly just I just wanted to sleep in the back of the car
Don't blame them. But yeah that definitely for me. Yeah. Mmm for me it was the
Waking up getting out of my hammock and sitting wherever I was at
so whether it be right with a lake or you know in the
Mountains were on the overnight trip or in the campground
Sitting and doing my devotions with God amongst that
That beauty like there's nothing like like you kind of said Joel
I have a great picture of it on my phone of the the pink light just hitting hitting the mountains
And yeah for me that was that was it. So Greg, what about you?
That's hard, that's that's hard I mean for me I mean maybe the lat I mean honestly I think the
The last day Monday, you know would have been two weeks ago tomorrow like for me
It was it was a great adventure like the adventure was not being there and and doing the trails
I mean we did multiple trails that I had not done before many trails that I have done many times before
it was the
The the great adventure for me was do I have what it takes to do this with you guys?
Like okay, I've done this with multiple, you know smaller groups six men eight men nine men eleven men
but 17
That was for me that was the big adventure the big challenge was
Can is this has has what I have envisioned did I oversell anything did I know did I did I did I cast a vision
That is within the step of the spirit and getting to the last day and seeing the smiles and seeing the satisfaction seeing
Hearing the stories
For me that was the that was the moment of of deep fulfillment was oh wow these guys really got it like they I
Think these guys all actually got it
That was that was extremely meaningful for me
Yeah
awesome
well
We definitely want to say to all of our guests Greg brother Greg. Thank you so much and
Dave Greg Jonathan Marty Jason and all of our other co-journers want to say thank you guys so much
for a great experience
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Until next time guys we wish you grace and peace