Deadfalls and doghobble 12/14/05

Deadfalls and doghobble  12/14/05

 Yesterday I finally got "ahead" enough for a bit of a hike up on Beauregard Mountain. My self-assigned challenge was to hike down an unmarked ridge that I had climbed last month, connecting Junnywhank trail with Noland Divide trail, 1000 feet above Deep Creek.

The ridge is a mile of pure pleasure. There are several laurel thickets, and a couple steep slopes, but mostly it affords unmatched views, open spaces between huge trees; like a walk in a park, but with lots of awesome solo time.

Going up that ridge last month was hard work, but easy to navigate. As long as you keep going up a mountain you are not lost; you will get to the top. Bushwacking back down is more of a challenge. You can go "down" in almost any direction, and you might come out miles from where you expected to be.

So I loaded up map and compass, emergency poncho and fire kit, an apple and a power bar. I let Joanna know the plan, and soon I was huffing the 90 minutes up Noland Divide trail. I filled my water bottle at a sweet little spring, and then found the spot where I was pretty sure I had emerged from bushwacking up the ridge last month. I dropped off; down, down through the woods, heading 120 on the compass. I was on my way.

After 10 minutes of steep descent, I saw a lovely ridge stretching out ahead of me. It was easy going for 30 minutes, 40 minutes, taking long strides down a gentle slope. A bit of laurel tangle every now and then, but not as bad as I had found it coming up.

Suddenly it didn't look right -- where did this stream come from on my left? and here was another on the right . . . my ridge ended abruptly where they joined. I was in a gully.

I studied the map . . I took a bearing on the lay of the gully . . I couldn't be sure how far off track I was, or how to get to the ridge I wanted to follow, but I could tell I was in the upper part of Junnywhank Branch. I decided to follow it out.

I have been in plenty of gullies . . . they are not the most pleasant places to spend an afternoon. They are choked with deadfalls and doghobble, and the ground is uneven and damp. Plenty of thickets and sawbriars. Navigation was not an issue now, but the bushwacking began in earnest.

A couple years ago Joanna would have said, "Honey, you look like you've been sortin' bobcats!!" It's a local saying, very cute when it doesn't apply to you personally. Now she barely glances up and it's "oh, you're home? don't bring those boots in here!!"

After cleaning up a bit, and sharing some black beans with Micah, I got to thinking how life can be like my little adventure. You're booming along, not paying close attention maybe, and suddenly, you're in a gully. You followed the wrong ridge. It may be a long way back to where you want to be.

But God is faithful. If you seek His wisdom, if you trust in His map and compass, the very Word of God, you will find your way out. There may be some deadfall and doghobble to push through. . . you may even have to sort a few bobcats. But God will not allow you to be tested beyond what you are able. With the temptation or trial, He always provides a way out. You can do it!!

Joel