"You're going to climb the real mountains-- not those little mountains we keep around here for decoration." Wilderness Day 1

"Therefore I'm going to allure her, I will lead her into the Wilderness and speak tenderly to her." Hosea 2:14

I Won't Forget:

1. Meeting our guides Alaina Hamlett and Hannah Novelli with their green bows and bright red lipstick

2. Seeing Jesus in the reunions of friends at Base Camp when Katie Evans, Audrey Gleason, Smelko and Allie Weir arrived

3. How patiently and enthusiastically Alaina and Hannah helped the 13 of us pack for the next 6 days in the Wilderness

4. Club at Base Camp-- Live Forever and Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained

5. The diverse beauty on the trail-- rock fields, creeks, so many kinds of trees

6. Walking with Alain in the back of the line and spotting Cairns for the first time "Hey gurl! You're looking good Cairn!"

7. Hearing the girls encourage each other on the trail

8. Cooking olive oil rolls, chicken and rice for dinner with Alaina and Hannah while the girls did their first quiet time (this became one of my favorite parts of each day)

9. Alaina's life story

10. Learning to spray our spit after brushing our teeth, "Is it my personality? No, it's my oral hygeine."

11. Getting to sleep under the guide tent with Hannah and Alaina

12. Knowing I get to spend 6 days in the Wildnerness with Cassidy Ogan, Kaylee Carter, Kaelyn Conaway, Erin King, Abby Becker, Genna Thomas, Hannah Wallen, Hannah Dillon, Julia Dewolf, Rachel Buckingham, Allison Sams and Sydni Freeman

Honorable Mention Blog Titles
"Leave your poop in the woods-- literally and figuratively. You would never come back and dig it up later."
"What are we going to do? Talk to each other? No."
"We call the alti-tudies."
"Jamie the owl. He can't fly. I think he was in a fight. He ain't got no bruises or nothing. He gone. He back."

4 miles