When I was younger my brothers and I would often camp beside the pond at the top of Tumbledown Mountain in Weld, Maine (unfortunately camping is now prohibited on the mountain.) Most of the time we would be the only campers on the mountain providing a peaceful solitude away from the busyness of life. We would start at the drive-in base camp located on a long dirt road off the main highway leading into Weld and hike the nearly 3 miles along the Parker Ridge trail to the top. From this bare summit we could look down on Tumbledown pond or we could look to the south and east toward Webb lake and Mt. Blue. One of the defining features of this hike was the climb through the woods to a steep ascent that lead over three succeeding rock ledges before finally ascending Parker Ridge. As you came out of the woods all you could see was the crest of the first ledge. For a first time hiker it appears you are about to reach the summit, only to be disappointed when you finally get there and discover there is another ridge. That experience was repeated two more times as you crested ledges two and three before finally reaching the (almost) summit (if you continue on the loop trail that goes around the lake you will ascend to a higher summit before descending back down through the "chimney" and "fat man's misery" - it is far better to come UP that trail rather than try to go down!)
I have fond (and some not so fond) memories of time spent on Tumbledown Mountain. Discovering "scrambled pancakes" when we didn't have anything to keep our pancake batter from sticking to our mess kit pans, swimming in the COLD water of the pond as the sun would crest over the ridge on brisk summer mornings, having to move our tent because we set up in a run-off gully that flooded when it rained, a broken finger that was the result of slipping on wet rocks on the descent after a night of rain. On many occasions I recall hiking up through the trees and onto the first ledge, my backpack stuffed with all the supplies I would need for a week by the pond. By the time I reached the third ledge my legs were aching and I wondered how I would make the final ascent to Parker Ridge and then back down to the pond. On one occasion my younger brother Peter was with me (he must have been about 5 or 6) carrying a small knapsack with his clothes while I carried the tent, sleeping bags, food, and utensils for both of us. About the time we reached the third ledge he was about done, he didn't want to walk any more so he just sat down and said he wasn't going any further. He declared, "I'm tired, I can't take another step." To be fair he was not alone, my legs were burning and I wanted to stop as well but I knew we had to keep pressing on. I convinced him to make attempt one more ridge, what I knew to be the summit but he thought was just another hill in an endless climb. I assured him that we could do this and together we crested the ridge and looked down on the pond and our campsite below. As I contemplate some of those tiring hikes I recall that what kept me going was the promise of the rest by the water at the end.
How many times is life like Parker Ridge trail, a grueling climb over rocks and obstacles and just when you think you see an end to the difficulty you discover the next ridge! There are days in my life as I navigate through the steep climbs and rugged terrain I ask my self if I have the energy to take another step - I just want to stop and rest. It is easy to ask if the destination is worth the struggle. Jesus understood that struggle. On Thursday night in the Garden of Gethsemane he plead with the Father "if it be possible let this cup pass from me" (Matthew 26:39). He also recognized that humanity struggled with the burdens of life. In Matthew 11:29 Jesus encouraged a weary Jewish nation to "take [His] yoke upon [them]... for [His] yoke is easy and [His] burden is light." Moses encouraged Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8 that God would never leave him or forsake him. God has promised us that if we rest in Him and walk with Him we can make it through the rugged terrain and ascend to the summit. In Psalm 23 David declares that God will lead us beside the still waters and refresh our souls.
