God on the Trail

“Not infrequently, tales told by hikers, backpackers and other outdoorsey-types include inspirational moments when individuals experience a deep and meaningful sense of God. Often these encounters with the Divine are life-changing in their impact.

I couldn?t seem to find a thread in this forum that addresses the topic. Would some of you be willing to share your own experiences in this one? I?m sure that many of us would be interested to read. I certainly am.

Serious/genuine replies only please.

Thanks.”

“Uh, oh....
You mean you haven't managed to run into any of the "religion" or "God" threads here?

You're going to be sorry you brought this one up.
You may want only serious responses to this, but lots of people just can't resist temptation.
Good luck.”

“Mel's right. This does come up regularly. Use the search feature at the bottom of the page. Search on one word at a time for best results.

When I am up at the higher altitudes I sometimes feel closer to God, even though he is just as close as ever. I think that being out in nature reminds me of him more than concrete buildings and freeways do.

One of my favorite movies is Sergeant York. One of my favorite scenes is when he goes up to the lookout point in the mountains with his Bible and his dog. Great movie and great moment.

Good luck! People don't come to this website for a whole lot of "serious" stuff.”

“GOD
I need more GEAR!
Thank you.
Amen”

“The only Divine experience I have ever had was the out of body chemically induced type. The "Liqiud War" days of my youth.

I see more Mother Nature than I do God when walking the earth. When I do feel a God's presence it is normally in his place of worship. Especially those old churches and those newer ones styled like them. Other than that I call it luck or fate when God makes his presences”

“I have a theory that Matt has a script that looks at the thread list. As soon as the gun/god/politics threads fall off the end, it generates a random number between 2 and 26. It then waits that many days before adding a slight variant of these popular threads under a newly generated user name.
Why? Look how many posted to that last 'Guns on the trail' thread...again.
Just a theory.”

“Ever since seeing the ballot for your favorite troll, I've gotten paranoid about every newbie (and I was one but 6 weeks ago. . .sigh) who posts threads like this. Sorry I feel that way Ag. No offense meant.

As far as God is concerned, like most of us (I think at least, what the hell kinda can of worms am I opening now?) experience the Great Spirit, God, Yahweh, Allah, Houdini, or whomever predominantly if not solely on the trail. AS not to bore anyone, I'll spare y'all the stories of being struck down by the blinding light on the road to Damascus (the AT in Virginia).”

“Mr. M Silver is a real person...just ask Sparky. Ain't that right Ms.G?

Wasn't Jesus the first documented barefoot hiker?”

“I would put my money on Adam.”

“There was a dude who thru-hiked the AT on crutches. He was in his 60's and had MS. He attributed his success to his relationship with Jesus, he also did a few hundred miles with 2 broken ribs.”

“Let's talk about politics instead. How 'bout them Democrats?”

“Hiya Mar! :o)

hmmm...being "out there" does tend to bring me closer to whatever spiritual fulfillment you wanna label it(God, Goddess, Gaia, Divine spirits). That place is here within me though, on the trail and otherwise.

Shades of pale pinks and reds swirl
Rising softly in mist of morning
The dew that blankets the meadow
wets my feet as I stroll to the song of
Sunrise just beginning...

All speak to me
Of another magical day
Splendor and wonder my companions
Leading me on
Beckoning my notice

Secrets early risers only know
as fawns frolic
fox retreats, rabbit emerges
How birdsong resounds before dawn
Greeting the new day

Come, shall I whisper my thoughts
that you shall too know this beauty?
only but it cannot be told by other than itself
a truth heard only within the heart
revisited at the mere closing of the eyes and a wish...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Here's another archived thread that stayed somewhat civil:
Spiritual backpacking

Some good replies(and the usual riff-raff) there.

Warning: This thread will deteriorate in approximately 45 minutes...or whenever it is that Tarpy gets in to work!
heh heh heh

Good luck!”

“I agree with Amy. I am closest to the Creator when I am worshipping with fellow believers. The entire world is God?s creation and while I do like the creation I see on the trail better than the ones I see in my home town I know He?s there too. I feel closer to God when I?m sitting on my couch reading the bible than if I were on the top of Everest looking down on all the world.

[stop talkin? an? hit "enter" before the thread goes south!]

Anyhow, that?s how I feel.”

“Nigal, I'm quite the opposite. I have had some of my best conversations with the Lord on the trail. We kind of get one on one. He always seems to hook me up with other Christians on the trail though. MSilver, I like these threads you will get some good responses dispite the ones from the selfish and the ignorant.”

“AmyG is Gaia!”

“Selfish and ignorant? Hey, if you guys want me to contribute, put that in the thread title so I'll find it quicker!

There is religion in everything around us; a calm and holy religion in nature.”

“Upon reading this thread and the one that AmyG posted a link to (thanks Amy!) I'd have to agree with some people that my connection with the one I call God isn't dependant upon the trail, but how still my mind is.

If I'm working 50 hours a week, going out with friends, cleaning the house, shopping, driving in rush hour, etc., my mind isn't very still.

When I'm backpacking (or driving for a very long distance, which I love) I have time to relax my mind and slow things down. This gives me time to think and to reflect. When this is happening I realize how grateful I am for the simple things, like spirituality.

Makes you wonder what I'm doing living in a city, eh? Makes me wonder too.

Is living the fast life worth it when you're losing touch with yourself and spirituality? Backpacking for me helps with balancing the two.”

“The poster asked for our experiences, not a list of reasons why he shouldn't ask the question, or a suggestion to change the subject, or a smart aleck retort. So I am going to attempt one.

My first trip on the AT was a 3 nighter from Fontana Dam to Wesser. It was the toughest hiking I had done in my life to that point. After a very difficult climb up Mt. Cheoah and a night spent in a decrepit shelter when it downpoured for 13 hours solid, I hit the trail for the descent into Wesser. About 2 hours after leaving, the sun came out and I could see the southern Nantahallas through a clearing, as the steam and fog burned away. It was exhilarating. I do not have an active prayer life, but had to respond to this aloud with thanks to the Creator, for making all of it and allowing me to see it and participate in it.
Reading the Bible is fine, and if that is what inspires you spiritually, by all means do it. Save some time for the enjoyment of the creation, however. Some of the Bible was written with this in mind. Check the 104th Psalm, my personal favorite.”

“Meditation is the only way to find peace!”

“total heaviosity dude”

“"The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship...(Nature) is the organ through which the universal spirit speaks to the individual, and strives to lead back the individual to it."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1836, from Nature, Chapter VII, Spirit.”

“I always take a small Bilbe to read and often give thanks to he who gave the wonders of nature to us. This gift is highly prized by me and is greatly appreciated. I need to pray for patience for those who open these threads for the sole purpose of taking pot shots at the author and the subject matter.”

“My best friend is interested in coming to Jesus. He wants to talk to me about it, but thought it most appropriate to wait until our backpacking trip in two weeks. I can't wait.”

“oh great, guess now I'm out of the closet! Thanks a lot, wiley-chile...

not that there's anything wrong with that...”

“Nice poem-Yours?”

“yup

aww, gee thanks, jer.

yo blush!
;o)”

“Sometimes when I'm hiking alone and there doesn't seem to be anyone around I'll start singing aloud an old hymn or a gospel song.If you could take a moment and look in the glossary of your Bible you'll notice that most of the very significant happenings from the Bible took place on a mountain top i.e.Mount Calvary,Mount Sinai, and the Sermon on the mount!”

“I've yet to have, nor do I ever expect a "Road to Damascus" type experience on the trail. My trail experiences with God are more like Alps and chuckfirment described. They come in the one on one conversations and quiet moments that time in wild places, away from the race, provide.

As for life changing??? In a small way, yes. My last week long solo trip (2 years ago) was a lesson in "what is prayer?". And has totally reshaped, and made vital my daily prayer time.”

“I thought this thread was about a new mystery novel.”

“Once, I took a 10 mile round trip day hike from a base camp...I had about a half a liter of water and i was planning on finding water along the way. I had a fanny pack with a basic survival kit in it for emergency and a couple of powerbars...the trail was a rocky "stairstep" ridgetop with pretty steep "stairs"...i got a blister and ran out of water by the time i got to my goal and ready to begin the five mile return trip and i had passed no water sources along the way...temp was dropping and i was tired, thirsty..and ..getting a little sluggish on the return trip. I was thinking i was going to have to spend the night under the space blanket because i was really getting exhausted and i was giving myself a good talking to about not bringing a full liter of water... As I walked, i was looking down at the trail all down on my bad planning when lo and behold....there lay a small wild apple, right on the trail. first i gasped and then i looked up in joy to give thanks out loud for this bit of sweet liquid...... what did i see? a tree full of apples overhead.. ...jai ram....i filled my pockets with little apples and ate one everytime i needed a sip of liquid.. if i had not thought to look up in thanks...i would have missed seeing the rest of the apples.....i chalked that up to a "God on the trail" experience.......
I have a copy of "Wilderness Ranger Cookbook - a collection of backcountry recipes by forest service wilderness rangers.. beside each of the recipes they submitted their thoughts about the wilderness concept.
Bill C. Self of Ogden, Utah wrote the following that i could identify with.....
"Many years ago I discovered the presence of something very wonderful in the forest. It gives me peace of mind unlike anything else in my life. I've spent many an hour listening and thinking to whatever this is and still cannnot describe it to mere mortals. They'll have to discover it for themselves. But then again, I am afraid most major organized religions would go bankrupt if everyone found out what really exists in the wilderness."

another of my favorites is from..Paramahansa Yogananda ..."seek quiet places, alone , where you can be free to think about God" that is my prime intention before setting out on any trail.....the deeper i get into the natural grandeur of any place outdoors, the more conscious i become of a presence everywhere...it is evident in the beauty that surrounds me.......it is the direct experience..... ...
whatever you want to call it...God on the trail....to me
God is the trail....the trail is God
whoa..that was seriously long......”