The 10 Mile Hike #3: Berries

After the Sandpit you walk down a dirt road for a while until the hard left back into the woods. It feels like a real hike again.

Not long after the path leads the hikers up a slight hill. Atop the hill ther is usually a brief stop, unless Al is leading, then there is no stop here. Either way, there follows a path that does a couple switchbacks down a slight hill. This is one of the best berry picking places in my memory. There are certainly others, but this one sticks in my memory as one of the best.

These raspberries and blueberries provide a much needed pause of tasteful delight. There is still sand in the shoes at this point, despite strong efforts to rid them of sand. The canteen might be empty of water by now, or is at least getting close to empty. These little snacks remind us that there is provision, free of charge, available to us all along this journey home.

Not only is there provision, it is wonderfully delicious. And there is enough for everyone. Not once has there been a time when there were no berries to be found.

The 10 Mile Hike #2 - The Sand Pit

Talk about getting a rock in your shoe. After surviving the Fire Tower, hikers travel on a short distance (although when you are a kid it is really long) to the Sand Pit, another dangerous endeavor.


Oh, the feel of adventure and danger, how intoxicating. Although I have seen a few Evil Knevals hauled off to the camp or hospital after doing flips from the top or getting a little too much speed on the way dawn, I have seen legions more filled with joy and excitement descending the Sand Pit. No where else in their lives were they able to adventure like this. The coddled suburbs or vast farmlands from where they came did not offer such an excitement.

The Sand Pit is entertainment unplugged. It is engagement with the earth far, far from the virtual world of Ipods, Playstations, and internet.

It is also the traditional half way point of the 10 mile hike. An important emotional shift happens after the brief rest, water break, and unloading of the shoes after the Sand Pit. A sense of "we're headed home" begins to invade the psyche. This is an important feeling for someone to have. It is similar to the feeling one gets when they contemplate their faith journey.

We're not home, but we're headed there - what a hopeful feeling. A few times here and there, we get a little glimpse of the elevated tree line that we know is the place where home is located. Then we wander back into the forest not seeing much but the next step immediately ahead, trusting that what we saw in the glimpse really exists.

The 10 Mile Hike #1 - The Fire Tower

For Flaming Pine veterans, the fire tower holds a special place in our memories. Once upon a time, the "10 mile hike" inlcuded a stop at the fire tower. Just after a stop for water at Thistledew Lake, we would make our way up to the fire tower. Not only would we go to the fire tower, we would ascend to the top of the fire tower.

As a parent of two kids , the thought of sending children up to the top a rickety old fire tower always in need of repairs kind of puts a shiver up my spine. At the same time I really wish I had the chance to take my kids up to the top and see for miles and miles the expansive deep green forest broken only by the occasional blue of the lakes.

I remember the feeling as a kid climbing the stairs (there was always one or two missing requiring an extra big stretch of the legs), a feeling of adventure, fear and excitement wrapped together. The sway of the tower in the wind could not be avoided. The best part was finally getting to the top platform and standing to see the view that was so much earned for the long and winding climb.

There must be some kind of life lesson in this experience. Hard work toward an exciting and rsioky goal reaps great rewards - something like that.

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