Solid Rock Foundation Team builds Near Campsite Structure

Beyond Revisited

My initial encounter with Beyond Malibu’s base camp took place on a warm June evening as I began my first summer of guiding. Etched into my memory from that day is the overflowing emotion and excitement of the second-year staff as they returned to a place that they obviously considered “home”. As I wandered through the empty buildings that evening, just shells really, and then headed off with a machete to clear overgrown trails in the fading light, I wondered what incredibly special thing had happened here the previous summer.

Now, back for a visit with my wife and boys almost 20 summers after that initial impression, I experience once again the joy of returning “home” to a place, to a ministry, to a community that has profoundly shaped my life. During this week in base camp, as a very small spiritual discipline, I’ve chosen to let the distant roar of the Albert Creek falls be my reminder of the constant presence and faithfulness of Jesus. It’s quite simple really -- all I need to do is listen.

Oh yes, I’ve tried this exercise from time to time in other settings -- most memorably on the mountains and ridges of Beyond during my guiding years. Back then, with incredible waterfalls in every direction -- their sounds echoing off rock walls, down glacial cirques and across snowfields -- I didn’t hear any of it unless I tuned my ears. Unless I stopped to listen. Not surprisingly, my experience this week in base camp was no different.

As I listened for the falls, other sounds, some familiar and some not so, caught my ear.

The ringing of the “bell” :: The same bent pipe from long ago -- rung loud and long -- ringing out the rhythm of life at camp. The bell announces meals and the start of the work day, alerts the camp to arriving participants or supplies at the dock, calls staff to opening skit, Friday night club, worship or bible study, and joyously rings the end of work projects for the day. No alarm clock sounds as sweet as the Beyond bell ringing in a new day of adventure in base camp.

A generator, a compressor and a table saw :: Thankfully, sounds in this decibel range are not typical of base camp. However the “Red House” was demolished this spring and a new Red House -- the latest in a line of rustically elegant structures – has risen quickly in its place. In the past 20 years, the “abandon shells” mentioned above have been nurtured, overhauled and, when necessary, completely replaced. The new buildings are more functional, more lasting and more appealing to the eye. Suddenly work stops, the generator powers down, and I hear the sweet sound of the Albert Falls come flooding back into base camp like high tide over the dock trail.

Laughter through an Open Door :: This week was probably blessed with an extra amount of laughter because of a Beyond first. Using two newly remodeled campsite shelters as a base, a Young Life group from the Seattle area was the first Open Door group to “Go Beyond”. The group interacted with the base camp staff during “buddy time” and shared meals as well as a memorable worship experience. Intermixed with hiking to Albert Falls and kayaking to Chatterbox, assisting staff with basic work projects became a special event in itself and a new friend became one’s highlight of the week.

The Beyond Creek Falls :: During my summers on staff, one of my favorite base camp activities was walking up the creek bed to the Beyond falls a quarter-mile upstream. By the end of my fifth year in camp I felt as though the larger pools and boulders were old friends just waiting for my summer return. Well, the falls continues on as faithfully as ever but the boulders are gone or, more likely, covered by tons of new rock. The creek bed has literally filled to the brim with granite. As heavy rains rush down off One Eye, the swollen creek now acts like an unmanned fire hose – choosing a new course almost at will. These changes are likely the greatest danger to base camp today.

The Hum of Community :: Though the folks staffing the Beyond positions have changed multiple times over since my day, the pulse of community here has a comfortable familiarity. The weekly routine has changed little, the cooks still give a “vision” for the meal and staff continue to lift the folks on Beyond trips up in prayer. Voices from late night gatherings on the Red House porch, fueled by coffee and popcorn, evoke powerful memories. An impromptu Mexican dinner topped off with a makeshift piñata and uproarious laughter reminds me of so many times when we made our own fun, and were so much the better for it.

I recognize the same personalities: the camp comedian, the musicians, the dishwashing volunteer extraordinaire, the youngster soaking up the richness of the summer. Each person comes as a broken vessel offered to Christ. As the summer progresses, Christ forms them all together into a community to reflect His image and serve in this ministry for just a season. Returning for a second summer of guiding, I found myself experiencing the powerful “I’m home!” emotion that had baffled me a year earlier. The same empty and overgrown buildings now represented memories of a Christ-centered community from the summer past and a profound hope for the months ahead.

With all the sounds of an active community, the constant but quiet roar of the falls was often masked or, more often, not listened for. I found it serendipitous that a giant parabola has been built into a relatively new sculpture here at base camp. This towering structure is aimed toward the Albert Falls and magnifies the joyous din for any listener standing in the sweet spot of the parabola. I confess to more than one side trip to the sculpture this week just to hear the falls break out over the buzz of camp life.

Now however, as I sit out on the Green House porch in the pre-dawn light there’s little competition for my attention. The falls are almost deafening in the way they break the stillness. A random bird call or a lone yachter rumbling quietly to life are the only bits of melody that layer on top the constant drumming. As my week comes to a close I’m thankful for the Beyond ministry, thankful that Christ is even more constant than these glacier-fed falls and grateful that He is faithful even when I fail to listen or fail to hear.

Dancing Creation

The first ever Capernaum Beyond trip was an incredible success! Fourteen campers with varied special needs, ten adult leaders and chaperones, two guides and all the Beyond base camp staff were contributors to this historical week.

Rob Duyker, the camp manager for Beyond Malibu, and I have been tossing around the idea of a Capernaum Beyond trip for several years with some reservations. This past year Rob and a few others told me about the new bunkhouse structures being built at base camp. They were shelters not only for sleeping, but also for eating and hanging out. With these new accommodations, I felt Beyond had “a place” for our campers with disabilities. We were in. So we started signing up campers. Fourteen campers and ten adult chaperones later, we ventured off to BC together.

It was an immediate adventure. We spent our first night in Egmont with the Beyond sea kayak team, treating them to a blueberry pancake and sausage breakfast the next morning. They were so welcoming. We wanted to bring them along! Upon arriving at Beyond Malibu base camp, we were sung into shore for another great welcome where we met Sarah and Wade. They were our guides for the week. We needed to get to know each other—campers, leaders and guides. Wade and Sarah had a plan, and we played fun yet simple get-to-know-you games. We needed to test our abilities as a group and gauge our physical limits for the week ahead. Again Wade and Sarah had a plan, and we went on a short hike to a nearby waterfall to discover our campers were up for a challenge. Our guides had a plan for each aspect of the week. They were great leaders and thoughtful friends to our campers all the time. In the following days we hiked to Albert Falls, kayaked to Chatterbox Falls, swam in the frigid inlet waters, cooked out each meal and sang songs to Jesus around our campfire each evening. It was a full week at our pace.

A highlight for many of our campers was meeting their base camp “buddy.” Each base camp staff person was paired up one-on-one with one of our campers. They spent about an hour each afternoon together swimming, playing cards, decorating cookies and hanging out. These pairs became instant friends. A highlight for me was the evening that all base camp staff and guides came out to our campsite for worship around the fire. There were about 45 of us total. Base camp buddies sat next to their camper, sang, worshipped and danced together. What struck me was how much I appreciated and soaked in the majestic beauty of the mountains, inlet, trees, and sunset. But I noticed Beyond staff soaking in the beauty of God’s creation dancing and singing in front of them—our campers. For some, this was a side of God’s creation that they had yet to behold. For all of us, it was a beautiful week of adventure, deeper friendships, appreciating the simple things, stretching our limits, and seeing God in new and delightful ways.

Going from WyldLife to Young Life in a Tandem Kayak

I have been walking with a group of guys from North Middle School. This last week, I paddled with them.

The last two summers we've gone to Young Life's Wildhorse Canyon for camp. Since the guys have had plenty of opportunity to experience Wildhorse Canyon and because they are graduating from North Middle School to Everett High School, we thought we'd do a special camping opportunity with these growing young men.

That special opportunity was Young Life's Kayaking Beyond. We made it extra special in that we not only invited the graduating eighth graders from North, but also their dads. It seems like there was still an opportunity (maybe the last) for father-son camping. We also invited a leader from Everett Young Life who would disciple these boys for their high school years, therefore smoothing the transition from middle school to high school and WyldLife to Young Life.

The results of the strategic planning was a trip that will be difficult to duplicate, but duplication should be attempted. It was that good. This was Young Life at its purposeful best.
The kayaking started in Egmont, BC at the top of the Sunshine Coast. Camping was on undeveloped sites along the Inlet route. We basically found a fairly flat, small-rock beach and that was our campsite. We only put up tents one night and slept under the star-filled Canadian skies the other nights. The food is what you'd imagine on a trip where you have to pack all your food and supplies.

The paddling was absolutely incredible. The majestic fjords of B.C.'s Coastal Range provided an awe-inspiring backdrop for our trip. The scenery kept changing but the majesty never let up. As campers we didn't have watches or GPS, but we later found out how long we paddled. Our epic day was day two, where we paddled nine hours and 22 miles. It was an absolutely exhausting, absolutely exhilarating day.

To go through the Malibu Rapids from Jervis Inlet to Princess Louisa Inlet we needed a slack tide. Slack tide was at 4:20 a.m. So we woke at 2:30 a.m. for a night paddle through the Malibu Rapids. It was an experience that still gives me chills. To turn the corner and see the bright lights of Malibu was blinding. To go through the rapids as the sea and the camp stood silent was hard to believe. To do it all in dark will never be forgotten.

The true highlight of the trip was to experience the growth in each of us. We grew exponentially in our ability to paddle a kayak, including handling massive swells and breakers while beaching. Each father and son relationship grew through the various challenges of life together in a tandem kayak. Most amazing was the growth in each of our walks with Christ. The incredible creation surrounding us, the challenge of the paddling, the support of community and the leadership of our guides provided the impetus for deep growth in our relationship with Christ.

After walking with these boys for three years in WyldLife, they are off to high school and Young Life. A key component of this trip was to get the boys connected with Casey Price, a Young Life leader at Everett High School. That goal was accomplished. Casey did a great job keeping the boys motivated and entertained on the trip.

There are few opportunities to experience the kind of physical, relational and spiritual challenge we faced during our 60 miles of kayaking in Jervis and Princess Louisa inlets. These boys and their dads took on that challenge. The challenge of the Inlets and the community changed us all.

In His grip,

D. Mason Rutledge
Regional Director

Preparing for the Summer

Rock Climbing training at Mt. Erie.

Map and Compass Training with Dave Taylor.

"anticipation"

Its hard to believe that training weekends are in full swing, and another summer at Beyond is hurdling towards us at what feels like light speed. I can feel the butterflies in my stomach coming to life as this season of preparation takes over the majority of my thoughts and daily agenda. I am told that the anticipation of an experience, as well as its memory hold just as much value as the experience itself, and as I think through my season at Beyond last year, and anticipate the months to come, my nerves are overruled by gratitude and grateful expectation. A few weeks ago I shared honestly with the returning staff my sense of dread over the challenges ahead, of inadequacy for the task, of fear and even of faithlessness. But how easily I forget that when surrendered, these are the mountains tops that God speaks from, the mountain tops from which He shouts out His adequacy and His faithfulness. I am excited to be returning to Beyond. There is a privilege to responsibility and I feel like I am standing before a burning mountain of potential - waiting, expecting, hoping to be a part of the great work God will do in the hearts of people. Today as I studied my topo and visualized the routes it was hard not to be giddy with anticipation; hard not to tremble at the reality of risk in all its forms.I so look forward to the beauty of Beyond. I look forward to the physical hard work of it, as well as the hard work of honesty, community, simplicity. I look forward to taking a few more teetering steps in the direction of authentic relationship, and towards a belief that God really does love us - a lot!

Campsite Improvements------ Jay Abraham

In 1973 I had the privilege to come to Beyond and climb Mt. Frankenstein with my campaigner group. I was 16. It was a life-changing experience that I will never forget. Thirty-three years later I was blessed to come back with my 16 year old son and his campaigner group to climb Mt. Albert. It was equally amazing. As Jim Caldwell, our guide back in 1973, refers to Beyond “it is a thin place in the world to hear and see God”.

The Lord placed on my heart that this is a place that needs to be around for a long time to come so that it may touch many more lives. After coming down off of Mt. Albert and listening to Rob Duyker’s heart and vision for how to make that happen, we began to mobilize a team of folks to help move forward on the implementation of a master plan for base camp. (To see the Master Plan click here.)

Last summer a team came to base camp with plans to rebuild one of the campsite structures. After a rewarding week of hard work, seeing the finished structure was only a glimpse of the blessings we each left with. Sitting around the campfire each night and sharing our lives was amazing. It was healing, encouraging, tender, blessed, bonding, and holy. I don’t think any one of us could explain what happened; not only within the group, but also as individuals. It is what happens when God intervenes. We came to build a structure and God meant it to build us up in Him.

Out of that group there are already 3-4 follow-on groups that hope to come up next summer -- bringing expectations to not only help transform a camp but have the Lord meet them and help transform them along the way. If you would like to be a part of this journey, please consider joining us. There are a limited number of base camp building projects that we hope to complete over the next few summers.

If you are interested in helping with any of these click here to contact us.