Looking Down, Looking Up

Psalm 40:12 “Innumerable evils have compassed me about . . .so that I am not able to look up . . .”

Hiking in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) of northern Minnesota is almost always a rocky experience. In order to maintain your footing it is absolutely critical that you look down. At Camp du Nord, I helped develop two trails connecting a new property acquisition called Pine Pointe. One of the trails is affectionately referred to as the Goat Trail. It is the shortest distance between the properties, crossing rocky outcrops and shaky footholds. The second trail was carefully plotted out for it’s level terrain, and though longer, this trail can be enjoyed walking side by side with your companion. This is called the Pine Pointe Trail.

The vision for the Pine Pointe Trail was to create a pleasant experience. It provides an ability to enjoy the scenery by LOKING UP and not needing to be so concerned about tripping. The more popular trail has become the Goat Trail. It seems that folks are more interested in taking the path that appears to get you to your destination more quickly even though it is more dangerous and not conducive to looking up. To be clear, the scenery on the Goat Path is more interesting, however, most people do not stop to enjoy.

After carefully measuring and timing my walk back and forth on both paths, I discovered that the longer Pine Pointe Trail was actually quicker than the shorter Goat Trail. There are times when we are walking on a smooth path and we have the ability to enjoy the journey and see clearly the way forward. There are other times when we are on a narrow rocky path; we feel alone and look down in our attempt to maintain a sure footing. We must look down so that we can be aware of our adversary and not trip and fall. We must also stop along the rocky path and take time to look up. It is at these moments that the view is the best and the glory is the greatest. Both paths have a purpose. Enjoy the journey.