Sea Kayaking Trip

Last week I headed up to Beyond to guest guide a high school co-ed trip from Midland, Michigan. It was quite a group. There were only two guy campers in the whole bunch so I was thankful for my guide partner, this year’s lone first year, Barb. Within a few hours it became pretty clear to me that these girls had no idea what was in store for them, they had no idea how hard it would be. The leaders were relentlessly positive and kept the group afloat with countless rounds of Taylor Swift songs. But the looming clouds and oppressive wind took its toll and eventually the struggle set in.

The second day down the Sechelt Inlet, we could see the first fish farm a few miles off. As we paddle towards it, the green building seemed to never change size. The wind howled into our face, each paddle stroke moved us only a small push forward. To stop paddling meant to actually move backward, away from our camp site and rest. As this was the groups' first day using a new skill, paddling, they all struggled against the wind and waves. One boat in particular, paddled by two younger girls, was having a challenging day.  We approached the fish farm,  and because of boats, garbage bins, and cables are were forced to move away  from shore; to move toward where the wind was stronger. At some point  before the fish farm, my encouraging words lost their luster. All  that could be done was to ask the Lord for strength to make it around the  next point.  There we would find rest and delicious snacks. 

That day, was harder than any of us had planned, it was  frustrating and exhausting, but God is good and God’s strength  sustains.  In five days time the tide had turned completely. I found  myself needing to go full speed ahead to catch those same girls, who  were no longer struggling. They were so deep in conversation they did  not even realize how effortlessly and quickly they were paddling. As sea  kayaking guides, we frequently say the trip is about our journey, not  our destination. We have no summits, no cruxes, our routes can be seen  for miles, and our view stays at sea level. However, through the journey  each person changes. They learn the small changes to a paddle stroke  that make a large difference, they grow in their relationships with one  another, and most importantly they, we, learn to trust the Lord for  endurance against the wind and the waves. Water can take rough granite  and make it smooth as glass, but it takes time, as does our journey to  become more Christ-like.

Marshall Potter was a second-year sea kayaking guide and assistant to  the operations manager for the 2010 summer.  We’re glad he was able to  join us again for a trip this summer.

Summertime at Last

The summer has finally arrived! The last month has been full of first aid trainings, base camp set up, and tons of travel. By June 13th all but a few stragglers had arrived in base camp and we were ready to kick off our last round of training. This year the sea kayaking guides were available to join the mountain guides on their training trip up Sun Peak. With everyone, including the sea kayakers, in base camp at once, we were stuffed like sardines in the back of the barn those first few rainy meals. That didn’t last long though. The guides only had three days of training in base camp before hitting the trail.

With the guides, the sea kayakers, and the trainers there were thirty-three people who headed up the mountain last Thursday. To make things a little more manageable, everyone split into three different groups, Safety Third lead by Abbie and Yonkers, the Bleating Fawns lead by Jeff and Becca, and Doyacopy lead by Joe and Alissa. These names may sound a little weird but they’re an indication that there was a lot of laughter ringing through the mountains this last week.

Day one up Chatterbox was obligingly sunny for the intense 4400 ft hike up to Sun City. Unfortunately that was the last we would see of the sun for several days. We woke up the morning of day two in a cloud that stayed with us until we climbed down off the summit four days later. But we weren’t too bothered by the mist, or the snow we hit at just 2800 ft. Days 2 and 3 were a pleasant mix of snow rotations, life stories, sneak leaps, Bible studies, epic snow ball battles, and a quick hike up to Contact Lakes.

We woke up early on day four, packed up camp, and headed to the top of the moraine (the west lateral moraine of the JJ glacier). Three of the trainers headed out early and trekked across the glacier to find a spot to practice crevasse rescue. Their recon was successful; they located a crevasse large enough to send four people in at once. It was a cold and rainy day but the weather is hardly noticeable when you get to spend the whole day jumping in and rescuing people from a sweet crevasse. By the time we got back in our rope teams and slogged back across the glacier to our campsite we were all totally exhausted, but it was a good day.

Day five was summit day and the tough ascent conditions had been on the minds of the trainers the whole week. The heavy snow threw our original plans of summiting Sun Peak into question. This week the usually steep and rocky ascent route was now steep and heavy with snow. Last year the snow was lower but there was still enough to keep us off Sun Peak and move us over to JJ. We didn’t give up that easily though. First thing that morning Jeff, Joe, and Yonkers headed up Sun Peak to see if they could find a route up and over. The snow was deep and steep but our fearless trainers managed, with the help of five hand-lines, to make the Sun Peak knife ridge passable. It took the thirty of us nine hours to clear the summit- a trip that takes less than two under different conditions. It was late, raining, and windy when we finally rolled into Miners Rock and Maurie’s Mound, but we’d made it and it was worth it!

The next morning, day six, we were rewarded for all of our hard work with a view that would take your breath away. We woke up to partly sunny skies, which after the weather we’d had felt like a blue bird day. We yard-saled all of our gear hoping the sporadic sun might dry things out, then we sprawled out on the rock ourselves and settled in for a morning of hot bevies and life stories. A quick rock climb, rappel, and first aid scenario broke up the afternoon, and we were all full from dinner when we finally packed up and headed back down into the forest for our last night on the trail.

Throughout the week, with rotating Leader of the Day teams facilitating spiritual content and the delegation of daily responsibilities, we focused on Romans 15:1-7. Within our groups we processed how Jesus gives us the kind of hope, endurance and encouragement that allows us to live in harmony as a community. Authentic conversations ensued about how we feel most connected with the people around us and how to truly accept ourselves, and those we are in community with, as God has accepted us . We tried to define what glory actually is, how to give that glory to God, and how to become “little Christs”. Sitting on the side of a mountain, in the freezing rain under the McFly, we realized how much this experience, with these people, feels like home. Our common struggle, our shared moments of weakness, and our ability to be strong only as one united body, brought the scriptural content alive for all of us as we paralleled the mountain with our lives.

Now, we’ve made it back to base camp and have even headed back to the wilderness again. Our first trips are out in the mountains experiencing that same sense of common struggle and drawing the parallel between this mountain experience and their lives at home. We’re thankful for our training, for the ways our lives are changed through struggle, through community, but mostly through Christ. We pray for continued transformation, for ourselves and for our participants, throughout this summer. Thanks for your prayers and support for this adventure.

Snow Weekend

Lauren (left) and Alaina (right)

We are just flying through our training season here at Beyond. We finished our weekend trainings with an overnight excursion on the snow near the Mt. Baker ski area. We spent the days practicing building anchors, setting up belays, perfecting our self-arrest technique, and working through our crevasse rescue system. We have less than two weeks before we all head up to the inlet for our last week of training, and then trips arrive! Here are the thoughts of Alaina Sawaya, a second year mountain guide, as she reflects on snow weekend and the summer to come.

Journal Entry *Snow Weekend 2011*
God is good. He has given me the most extraordinary group of individuals to be in community with and working along side. I am so stoked for our summer!!
I often feel as though I don't deserve this experience, along with so many other such moments in my life to which I feel unworthy. I am floored by his grace. My life is good because of him and all that he gives to me, and I am so thankful!

It is because of, and not in spite of, the snow and the rain and the cold and the exhaustion, we grow closer. The skills begin to solidify in our minds and the friendships take a deeper place within us as we dangle ourselves off of snow walls in harnesses and hurl them down steep slopes with ice axes flailing to "gain control before we roll"! Between rotations we challenge each other to deep snow frog-jump races and push-up challenges on foamies and ice-axe sculptures. It's all part of the madness we call Beyond. And we love it. We crave it. We anticipate it and tell stories about it. And now we are about to experience it all summer! This crazy bunch of imperfect but wonderfully made people become a working body of Christ! It's a miracle and we are part of it! We have been chosen to come together for his purpose, and as we approach this summer with enthusiasm, we should take an attitude of humility and responsibility for the work we have been given. He has great plans for us as we are woven into the lives of one another and the participants we encounter at Beyond. My hope is for us all to be fully present, fully engaged, fully aware of and fully thankful for each moment of those plans. Here we go!!

"For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13

"Yes a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth, but not have a rich relationship with God." Luke 12:21

Lord, let there be less of me, and more of you! Amen.

Rain Drops

Blue skies turned to a grey wind-blown canopy above our campsite at Morrie’s Mound, and not only was the wind blowing in rain clouds, it was making our task of setting up the tents difficult.
The eight guys from Tuscon and Seattle were out on an overnight solo, to experience the most quiet, still hours some had ever felt. Ryan and I, as guides, kept a watchful eye on the campers and the weather. Dark clouds to the west had pushed in. We had a great vantage of each individual, as we were able to monitor their safety from a distance. Our hope was that rain and wind would not be a limiting factor in their solo. As we were having trouble with the tents, and drops started to smatter the rocks, we called everyone in for dinner under the McKinly Fly, our community canopy.

The fellas wandered in one-by-one, thankful for warm food and dry shelter. As the storm calmed, Ryan sent the participants out again, this time for the night. We knew it would continue to sprinkle but prayed that God would change the winds and allow blue skies beyond the Albert range, the direction from which our foul weather was generated. And God did just that.

I sat up for a while longer watching the clouds pass, revealing white pinholes in the night sky. And when I slept, I felt cool rain on my face for a few minutes, but continued to sleep.

In the morning, Kurt, the leader from Tuscon, mentioned that the night was a great parallel to how God cares for people. He sends us out, allows some storms to pass through, but is always watching for our safety. Then, when the circumstances are too stormy, he calls us in, provides us shelter, feeds us when we are hungry and sends us out again.

Psalm 36:5 – 7 ‘Your unfailing love, O Lord, is vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

We still encountered rain, but was refreshed by the reminder that cares to know us. He wants our attention, and that night He had 11 undivided hearts and minds. Some were fixed on His amazing display of beauty in the mountain peaks, some on from the stillness during a star-studded night, and others asking if there is He is really there at all. I was encouraged that we didn’t have to call it off, that it didn’t rain or blow too hard.

The solo was a great experience for the guys, and was something they will remember and draw from next year as they go off to their first year in college, where they will be on a different kind of solo. Hopefully they will think back to their time on the mountaintop, where they saw blue skies turn to a grey wind-blown canopy and remember God was there, present in their lives. Maybe they will wonder where else they can experience God if they stopped to listen. And they will know Him.

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 Brandon Sawaya is a first year mountain guide at Beyond Malibu. 

Updates from Base Camp and Egmont

We blinked and suddenly we are in the middle of week three.  Time flies when you are having fun.  So far we have had two great weeks of trips in the mountains and on the water and we want to tell you about them. 

We doing our best to continue posting stories and updates from trips and Base Camp as the summer continues.  Be sure to check back each week for more.