Hiking Buddies

We recently got to spend 4 wonderful days in Glacier National Park. If you haven’t been, put it on your bucket list. It’s stupendous. We enjoyed a trip years ago that our son Neal planned as part of his 5th grade state report on Montana. Unfortunately on that trip the Going to the Sun road wasn’t open yet for the year. We have always wanted to go back.

This was a trip just for Brent and I and we treated ourselves to a night at the Prince of Wales hotel in Waterton on the Canadian side of the park. We enjoyed it so much, complete with high tea. The view out of the windows is breathtaking and we just sat and drank it in.

Thankfully, the Going to the Sun road was open this trip and we got to travel it twice. Once upon arrival late in the day, and then two days later at dawn to catch the sunrise. I wasn’t sure getting up so early would be worth it, but wow! The mountains glowed pink and then orange. As we waited at Logan Pass for the sun to rise again, big horn sheep wondered by. Because we were up that early we got to see multiple bears from the safety of our car.

There are signs everywhere that you’re in bear country and your safety is not guaranteed. There was also bear spray for sale at every store. We weren’t sure how much hiking we’d be doing so hadn’t purchased any. Because we were up so early we were able to get a parking spot for the hike to John’s Lake. A park employee had suggested it as an easy to moderate hike that I might be able to do.

We started up the trail encouraged by the sign that the hotel horses take that trail & lots of footprints. Then we came to a y. There was a sign but it indicated other trails you would connect to but didn’t mention John’s Lake. We started down it but it was obviously less traveled and with the concern of bears and the altitude I was struggling to catch my breath.

We turned around and tried the other side of the y, obviously the horse trail. We didn’t find a lake so we had decided to give up and return to the car. On the way down we passed another couple who asked us if we’d found the John’s Lake. We explained we hadn’t because the signs weren’t clear. We all wanted to see the lake & debated what to do. They had bear spray! And the horses started coming up the trail. We were able to get some clear direction from the wrangler and another hiker so we started up the trail less traveled, again.

Wow what a difference it made being all together and knowing we had bear spray, if needed. I could now breathe! As we started getting to know each other, we found we had several things in common. We both had two sons, we’d spent many family vacations visiting national parks, and both wives had fought cancer.

I mentioned that I was painting a lot post cancer and looking forward to getting a picture of the lake. I threw that information out there hoping it would be encouraging, but what happened was I got encouraged! My new hiking buddy then told me about her journey with lymphoma and her husband told us how she’d bravely faced reoccurrence multiple times. She had needed a bone marrow donor and her college age sons put out the word. Many of their friends registered to see if they were a match and several ended up donating marrow and saving someone else’s life. Thankfully Kim is now 11 years cancer free, feeling good and they were ready to hike the park and enjoy the beauty.

I wish I could live each day with such an awareness of God at work in my life. It was so obvious that even with all the little decisions we made that day, the four of us were supposed to meet on that trail. The threat of reoccurrence is an ongoing emotional battle for me especially after our loss of Brent’s sister Marissa this summer to brain cancer reoccurrence.

It was as if God dropped Kim and Jim into our path to encourage us that reoccurrence isn’t necessarily going to be my story but if it is, we can face it with courage. It was a clear example of God’s care for me also because I really wanted to do that hike! Once we were together and my system calmed due to being together and the presence of bear spray, I could not only breathe; I could hike and talk 😂 It was also a measurable sign of my stamina and decreased pain in my feet.

Once we found beautiful, calm John’s Lake, we took many photos including a selfie of us four. Upon arrival at our cars we parted with hugs, connected by our shared experience with cancer and unwanted knowledge of what it means to look the possibility of death in the face.

Life takes courage every day. It’s inspiring to hear others’ stories of courage and they can help us not feel alone on our own journey. It can even make the difference between success and giving up. Companions who come alongside us to help us keep going are such a gift, multiplying our joy.