There may be no other trail in the US quite like the one to Hidden Valley, high on the side of Mt. Shasta in California. The trail begins as a fairly normal one, passing through forests up to a stone…

Spectacular Hidden Valley on Mt. Shasta

God is Infinite
God is infinite. We often think of His infinity as big; very, very big. But God is bigger than that. We also think of God’s infinity in terms of huge – as large as the ocean. But God is…

Early Morning at the Mt. Shasta Horse Camp
The Horse Camp on Mt. Shasta is quite the destination. The views are very nice, but beyond the fact that it’s a popular day hiking destination, it’s also a “parting of the ways” for many climbers ascending Mt. Shasta, as…

Clearer Atmosphere in the Wilderness
There are times in our lives that we all have trouble hearing God and what He is saying to us right now. Often this is because there is something between us and the voice that is keeping us from hearing.…

Arch Rock Picnic Area: Sea Stacks in Oregon
Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor really is unique and beautiful, even among the beauty of the rest of the Oregon coastline. I didn’t do half as much there as I could have; just some exploration around the Natural Bridges…

The Wilderness is Only the Beginning
Something I have learned while wandering the wild places of the US and Canada is that the wilderness is not our final destination. God uses the wilderness – it’s often where He chooses to speak with us, to grow us,…

Terrifying Trails of the Western US
Hiking any trail can have its frightful aspects – walking away from civilization and the comfort of your car and into the unknown wilds of who-knows-where (not to mention scary stuff like spiders, snakes, bears, wolves, and sheer drop-offs). But…

A Taste Before the Fall
When we walk in the wilderness, we get to experience a taste – not the fullness, but just a taste – of what it was like before the fall. What it was like when there was no death, no pain,…

Lock 60 Historic Site: Walk through an Erie Canal Lock Chamber
Through the little town of Macedon, NY runs the reconstructed Erie Canal. The canal is mostly for pleasure crafts these days, paid for by your New York Thruway (I-90) tolls. The canal path is also well-used by cyclists (that would…

Joy of God
In the book of Job, we read that God made the world, “…while the morning stars sang together and the angels shouted for joy” (38:7, NIV) There was joy in heaven when God created the beauty of the earth.…