Mountain Roads are the Best

Just had a great drive while getting some footage for the upcoming Towne arrival announcement video! Stoked to see this come together!!

Epic Night

"There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:

There gloom the dark, broad seas....

The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:

The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep

Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,

'T is not too late to seek a newer world."

Excerpt from Ulysses, Tennyson 

Just got back (literally) from an amazing scouting trip with Reuben our Program Director. The idea was to try and find some good spots to teach backcountry skiing, but about 2 hours into our trip something went terribly wrong. The snowmobile we were using slid down a slope and got stuck at the bottom, pinned against a tree. And then, the rest of the night was awesome and epic. Too tired to finish the story now but expect more tomorrow! Goodnight

Good Morning!

Just got to take part in a great chapel led by Reuben, our Program Director. 

Going to start filming with Timo and Corinne Towne in t-minus 50 minutes!

Evening - Fri Jan 17th

Embers from tonight's campfire. Peaceful and thought provoking. 

In the middle of Winter Skills!

"Jesus said unto them, 'My meat is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work' "

John 4:34

Through the marvel of technology I'm posting from the top of Seagal Pass, a mountain pass just down the road from Camp Bighorn. Just got finished with a day of survival training for the students where we focused on shelter building and making rescue signals after hiking about 3 miles in the snow up to our location. God was definitely at work today, especially in the evening discussion time talking about 'being in the world but not of it" (John 17:9-19). Thankful to God for a lot of things, one of which is the emergency medical training He's given me. I was able to put some of this to work today, which I'm not rejoicing about but rather that I'm thankful for the ability to respond to situations. 

Praying that tomorrow is another day filled with Gods work and for His guidance, as we have a few difficult decisions to make. So thankful for the opportunity to just be here and to be a part in Gods work and see Him moving throughout the day. Check back tomorrow or in a few days to see pictures!

And so it begins again..

"I therefore concluded not to venture farther, but did nevertheless."

- John Muir

Just finished packing (mostly, except for clothes still in the dryer) for another out trip with the Explore 1 students. Yesterday when I was coming off the mountain I was thinking about what a joy it would've been to get to spend more time out in God's beautiful wilderness. God knew my heart and answered the prayer that I never even voiced! I've been blesse with another opportunity to venture out into the mountains, this time teaching part of a survival skills curriculum. We'll be out three days, two nights and we'll be working on teaching the students what to do if they get stranded in the wilderness. They'll put their previous survival training into practice as they try to light fires in wet snow, find dry wood in wet, snowy conditions and fight to stay warm in windy, sub freezing conditions. 

I can't wait to get out there. God is full of blessings and I am so excited to take advantage of this one. Expect to see lots of pictures when I get back on Sat. evening as this time I am making ABSOLUTELY sure that I'm not forgetting my camera. 

Good night and God bless!

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are bein renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all"

2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Winter Intro: Mission Accomplished

"Another midday cloudland, displaying power and beauty that one never wearies in beholding, but hopelessly unsketchable and untellable."

- John Muir

Here's a quick excerpt from my journal last night, Tues. Jan 14th:

Had an amazing time today getting out into God's beautiful creation with the Explore 1 students. My high point of the day was probably getting to snowshoe (for the first time) up a hill, in the beautiful winter, watching as the wind would pick up suddenly and sweep snow across the hill upwards towards the group. At one point I had pushed to the front of the group to take pictures and so was fairly alone. The wind picked up and I had been exercising a good amount so I was very warm. The wind was sweeping snow at us and even though I was wearing just a fleece and the snow stung against my face, there was something so peaceful and fulfilling about being there. I had entered my own personal cathedral and, at that singular point, had found my place in the vastness of creation. I was fully me, and fully what God wanted and designed me to be at the time. So amazing.

I looked behind me and the group was making their way up, covering their faces to shield themselves from the snow as they made their way up the hill. As I stared at the incredible valley in front of me with gorgeously snow laden trees and beauty all around me, it seemed such a shame to miss out on because you're holding your hood in front of the side of your face. Maybe that's a lesson: we're so busy protecting ourselves from the stinging conditions, that we protect ourselves from the view and beauty of the situation as well. 

Eve of Winter Intro

"But the vast mountains in the distance, shall I ever know them, shall I be allowed to enter into their midst and dwell with them?"

- John Muir

It's 12:09am and I've just finished packing for an overnight winter camping trip with the Explore students tomorrow (or I guess today). It's always a hard line to want to go light but try to pack what I may need to make the trip more comfortable, as well as wanting to be able to offer something to someone else if need be. Overall I did well though, pack feels light on my back and I have doubles of several things, not to mention the things I bring just because I like not being without them (like my backpacking stove and my coffee ;) ).

Looking forward to tomorrow, I was given the opportunity to share about avalanche safety in the morning and then get to go out with the students overnight. So exciting to think of getting to be with someone as they get their first taste of winter camping! Although, about 75% of them are Canadians so they may have more experience than I realize lol. 

No matter what, thankful for what God's done today, what He's going to do tomorrow, and the plans and promises He has for me regarding the future. 

Praying that all goes according to His plan, not necessarily mine, and that He will be glorified. 

Waiting for the Show to Start

Herb Lewis, our visitng survival expert, is going to finish up his survival curriculum with a talk with the students on leadership tonight. Looking forward to filming it- be sure to check back on this blog for the uploaded video!

The Mountains are calling

I can't describe how beautiful the scenery is around here. God did an incredible thing when he created Montana.

Last Day of Survival Training

Survival Training!

Over the past two days I've gotten to hang out with Herb Lewis and Bob "Chief" Moran (both USAF retired) as they teach the Explore 1 students about survival in the backcountry. They've also shared a lot about their views of life, leadership, respect and it's been great getting to hear their stories,

especially Chief who literally wrote the Air Force manual on survival. Appreciative that I've gotten to spend this time with them and thankful for the impact that they've have on the students. Here's a couple pictures of practical exercises yesterday out in the field.

Welcome!

The image of a high place is very special to me. In the bible, the “high places” were holy spots. When God talked to Moses He called him to the top of a mountain; when Jesus was transfigured before Peter and John, it was on a mountain top. When we come to the high places, God meets us there, it is a place where He dwells. In the solitude of a mountain top, surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation, we have less distractions, the world gets quieter, things get simpler. 

For those who love to climb, a high place is a blissful experience. Whether it’s a building that was just scaled or the top of a difficult rock climb, being in a “high place” is the reward for the work just invested. The high places offer beautiful views, clearer air and a sense of solitude and belonging. 

Although we cannot always live in a high place, it is healthy and commending act to regularly return to these places, striving after God and His presence.

And so, I would like to invite you to some of my high places. This website is not only a record of my daily life, but it’s how God is working through my ministry and how He’s working in my life. My hope is that anyone following this blog will be able to see God’s work, as well as some of the fun and excitement that naturally happens at Camp. So, follow and enjoy, but my challenge to you is to see God’s work in the midst of all of this and His glory will shine through.

Thanks and I'm excited to show you all of the ways that God is acting here!

- Nate