Radical Grace Adventures!: Ruby Crest Trail

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Ruby Crest Trail

A week ago, my family took a vacation to the Ruby Mountains in Northern Nevada. It was an amazing trip. With all the waterfalls, lakes, and wildflowers, we constantly had to remind ourselves that we were still in Nevada! The highlight of the trip was conquering our first backpacking trip with the baby. Kira and I had gone backpacking before, but it changes the game entirely when you bring a baby along with you.

The trip I had in mind was the Ruby Crest Trail. It is approximately 43 miles and you traverse the ridgeline of the Mountains. I had wanted to complete this hike for a while, but at first we thought it would be impossible with a baby. You have to filter your own water, make your own campsites, and carry everything on your backs. That’s hard enough when you don’t have to deal with a kid. However, we practiced camping and hiking around Las Vegas, and we decided we could make it work. We had to bring quite a few more supplies. (Including the “kitchen sink” to wash diapers in.) At times, we wondered if we were totally crazy. There was a moment when Kira and I were really trying to get to sleep, but the kid just wanted to run and scream around our small tent… What were we thinking?

However, it was so much fun to watch our child light up when he saw the lakes and rivers. He delighted in the wildflowers, and he wanted to explore everything. One reason we decided to go through so much effort on this trip was to forget all the labels the outside world had given us. By necessity, we couldn’t be on our phones, and we couldn’t listen to outside voices. We simply had to appreciate each other and stand in wonder at creation. It is my prayer that we would each take a moment to let go of what the world says and listen to God. I hope we can all hear the one voice that tells us that we are all Children of God!

Blessings!