Mt. Zeruya

I met and spoke with a woman on our trip who says she can hear the voice of God speaking to her. my experience is not the same, but I do sense when God is nudging me. Take for instance the other day when I went for that hike. I sensed God nudging me to go off the beaten path, even after I had decided not to. I ended up doubling back and going anyway. Then when I reached the "top" and ran into those hikers who gave me that water, I had this yearning to keep going. I smartly decided to stay put. But that nudge wouldn't go away quietly over the next two days.

Today we were told that we would have the afternoon to ourselves after a morning's worth of touring together. the nudge returned. mt. Zeruya? I thought. impossible, I need a permit. I asked at the front desk about the permit. "You need to pick that up at the entrance to the nature preserve." Well, that pretty much settled it. the preserve was two kilometers away and there was no way for me to get it and do the hike afterwards. well, our first stop this morning was to the nature preserve. the hike was suddenly looking possible again! I talked with our guide, Dr. Luker, who seemed optimistic and encouraging for me to pursue the hike once we returned around 2pm. We spoke with the park official about the permit required and he waved us off and said I didn't need one. It was settled - the hike was on! We didn't return to base camp from this mornings activities until 2:45 pm. There were dark rain clouds approaching from the north. I had tried my best at recruiting a few companion hikers during the morning and had two interested. and then I felt the nudge. the nudge that said "you're doing this hike." And that was that. I decided it was worth at least trying. The hikers the other day told me two hours up and one hour down. At that rate we most likely would not reach the summit by the time we would need to turn around in order to make it back before sun down. But that nudge for adventure just would not subside. My companions looked to me for the call. "Meet at my room in five minutes. we are going for a hike," I declared.

We left for the summit of mt. Zeruya at 3 pm. I took the lead with Sammy and Chip following close behind. as a trio we decided that at 4:30 we would turn around no matter where we were. it was a grueling hike. Rated difficult for a reason, we climbed up and up and up forever. the path was marked well but very rocky. at times we had to do hand over hand climbing. the wilderness took on a whole new meaning for me. we encountered no other living thing save for a few desert flowers which had yet to bloom. there were a few water breaks and pauses for pictures, but for the most part we just kept moving forward and up. I can't remember a more intense hike. I wondered how far we would get by 4:30, it was so steep that the was no telling where the summit would appear from. My thoughts drifted to old testament times and Moses and Joshua hiking through the wilderness and suddenly having a new found appreciation and awe for them. I thought about Jesus hiking up a mountainside to pray in solitude. It didn't get any more desolate than this. I thought bout my brother Dave and how much he would be loving this and his adventurous spirit urged me on, especially in places where the view around me was spectacular. I prayed for my family and all the happenings for them at that very moment.

After about an hour of ascension, I started to realize that we were getting very close to the top. I resisted the urge to say "almost there" because I knew there would be a false summit awaiting me when I did. I was right. But, despite that, we were still almost there. I had to pause and make Sammy get a shot of me at what was one of the most terrifying corners - the kind where it's wall and then it's a drop off on the other side. I mentioned that this would be the Picture that scares the hell out of my Dad (among others!) We pressed on. and then, after just a little over an hour, we reached the summit of Mt. Zeruya, 200 meters above sea level, 1500 feet from where we started, give or take. It was incredible! I made sure to bring my Bible, and during one of our water breaks, I read Psalm 46 to give us a little perspective and a boost. At the top, Psalm 121. We laughed and soaked up the jaw dropping sights from the top. we observed some silence. Two birds flew over our heads. Wondered where the third one was... no words can describe that view. exhausting? So. Worth. It. we descended quickly but carefully, hoping to make it out of the tough stuff by sundown. We gave our props to my Dad at the scary corner, which we affectionately named "Rod's Corner" and we scaled back down without pitching over the side. all in all, we made it out before dark, give or take a few minutes. no rain. No mountain lions. no border police. no jordanian prison cells. just pure joy and thanksgiving. two hours VERY well spent!