[pct-l] JMT yo-yo completed

[Ned Tibbits]

I want to announce, as any proud father should, the completion of my 19-year-old's 25-day sojourn down and back along the JMT from Yosemite to Whitney to Yosemite!  He Began on July 4th and ended July 28th. Although he had snow-camped with us (Mountain Education) for many seasons since he could walk (practically), this represented his first summer backpacking trip. 

His physical completion of the trip pales in comparison to the maturity and spiritual growth he gained along the trail. Although he bicycle-toured for two months in Europe last year, and it was, indeed, quite a learning experience, I believe he would say that this trip was not only more beautiful but touched his heart in ways he never expected. To say he returned a new son, doesn't begin to describe what the long-trail did for him. 

He went alone, for the most part. I started out with him for the first three days, then he went alone for 7 days until his mountain-climbing cousin joined him down off Bishop Pass all the way to Mt. Whitney. Then he was alone, again, for the last 9 days back to Yosemite. The reality is that "alone" isn't true during the summer along the JMT. In the first 3 days, we were passed by up to a dozen north-bound thru hikers per day. Thru, JMT, and section hikers abound in the High Sierra, so you're rarely, truly, "alone."  Yet, inside, with no one else to share your daily experiences, you can feel alone, especially with your feelings and thoughts. Suddenly, in the absence of societal distractions, commotion, noise, and the rush of life, all sorts of realizations are re-discovered and prioritized. Issues like, what truly matters in life, who is important to me, and what have I done with my life to this point bubble up to the surface as if to finally get your attention and say "HEY! STOP ALREADY!"

Sometimes a short trip can allow you enough space to have this happen to you, but it's the longer ones that provide the time to reflect, the rhythm of trail life to remold your habits, and the space to allow the Spirit to hear, as if for the first time, what is true in life.

So, in celebration of his accomplishment, I encourage everyone on this List to get out on the trail for long enough to allow this sort of experience to happen to you. For many of the veterans of long trails, the inner growth became more important than the physical challenge, and certainly more lasting, often beckoning to us for years after (huh, Paul, Greg, Monte and so many more who can't break away as often as they'd like to revisit the trail).

I thank God for keeping my son safe and giving him an intimate encounter with Him and His Creation along the John Muir Trail.

>From one proud Dad to his son, "Way to go, John!"


Mtnned

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