We climbed mount Borah! We had such an amazing adventure. However, we went to the wrong side of the mountain, the dangerous side. We left our car and had to hike 7 miles to even get to the base of the mountain. Once we got to base camp, we were already out of food, and we had no idea how to proceed. We started talking about giving up. At that exact moment, God sent us a mortal angel. An older guy starting walking towards us and asking us where we were wanting to go. He had a robe on, a cleft lip scar, and a hat with crocodile teeth all around it. He told us his name was Delone. This man was the nicest person I've ever met. He saw we were tired and frustrated, so he invited us to his camp for refreshment. He gave us apple juice and bread and bacon. He was camping at the base, right next to a small creak. He lifted our spirits and drew a map for us which pointed out the way to Borah peak. He took our phone numbers and gave us his so that he could make sure we were okay later on down the road. We could tell he was intelligent, he told us he was a lawyer. His disposition was so kind and charitable. His offerings to us were entirely genuine and without any selfish purpose. Without him, we would have given up. I'm so thankful for that man. The guidance and map he gave us led us perfectly to our destination.
The way up was strenuous and difficult. I could feel the lack of oxygen in the air due to the high elevation. Every step was accompanied by a desperate struggle for air. But the journey was beautiful. We passed beautiful lakes formed by glacier runoff and the rocks were so beautiful.
At one point, we had to climb a steep wall. The rocks were loose and every step up was followed by several rocks falling down. We went slow, because one bad step and your life was on the line. At one point, Ben was very scared and was wanting to return back down. I kept trying to lift his spirits and help him to be positive. We pushed each other up 1,000 feet of an insanely steep and dangerous rock wall.
At the top of the wall, we realized that we were still 500 feet from the summit. The entire time, we were climbing uncharted territory. There was no path; we made our own. However, because we were on the opposite side of the mountain then where the trail head was, there was no way for us to summit. I suppose there may have been a way, but if there were, it was insanely dangerous. We had to make a choice. We all wanted to make it to the summit, but to do so was to risk our lives. We decided not to continue up the last 500 feet. We enjoyed where we were at that moment. The sky was dark blue, almost black because of the high elevation. We were at 12,000 ft above sea level at that point, perhaps a few hundred feet higher. We had the most breathtaking view imaginable.
The trip was amazing. I learned so many lessons and I found the whole journey analogous to the gospel. God sends Angels at our weakest points. He gives us the water of the everlasting atonement. I love him. I know he cares. And he wants us to return back to him.
