The Strawbridge family stumbled into my life on YouTube a couple weeks ago. I was watching a video on someone’s hike—can’t even remember who or where they were hiking. If you ever watch YouTube stuff, you know that at the end of each video, suggestions appear for your next viewing. And if you don’t turn off the setting, one of those suggestions will automatically begin.
That’s when the Strawbridges appeared, totally random.
Strawbridge Treks: CDT 2020 appeared on the screen as the video began. Entitled “CDT 2020, Vlog 1: Anaconda-Helena,” the 17-minute installment introduces the viewer to the family’s embarking on a thru-hiking attempt of the Continental Divide Trail—a 3100 mile trek from Mexico to Canada, traversing the Continental Divide through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.
In the first few minutes of the video, we meet the family: dad and mom, Vince and Monica, and the four children: Aiden, June, Georgiana, and Henry. I’m thinking, “Wait a minute. A family of 6 is going to take several months to thru-hike the CDT?? This should be interesting!”
Then I discovered that 2 years earlier they had thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. The PCT is only 2,654 miles long, stretching from the borders of Mexico to Canada meandering through the California desert and Sierra Nevadas, into the Cascade Range of northern California, Oregon, and Washington.
Then I learned their plan this year is to tackle the Appalachian Trail. The granddaddy of thru-hikes, the AT begins at Springer Mountain in Georgia and ends 2,184 miles later at the summit of Mt. Katahdin in Maine. As best I can tell, they plan to begin later this week (March 4 or 5 2021).
Visiting the family’s website, Strawbridge Treks, I learned their goal is to be the largest family to complete the “Triple Crown”—successful completion of all three major thru-hikes in the United States.
Why???
Naturally one might wonder why, right? Vince explains.
It is because our kids are getting older and will be gone. It is because the homeschooling lifestyle affords the opportunity. It is because of the joy it brings Monica. The harder the miles the happier she is. It is because God made a beautiful world, and we want our kids to take it in. We want them to take it in slowly. We want them to be immersed in it. We want to share simple and clear hardship and triumph with them. We want to see them lose heart and regain it when they have none to give. We want them to see us lose heart and regain it when we have nothing left to give. We are excited for them to have the joy of connecting their success in this endeavor to service in the world.
HOW??
The next obvious question is how??
A small part of the answer lies in the paragraph above. The kids are home-schooled. That affords a tremendous amount of flexibility. And I dare say they’ve acquired a wealth of learning that the average young person sitting behind a screen or even attending a traditional classroom won’t receive.
But how does Dad manage to take four to six months off work every other year for such adventures? I couldn’t find the answer to that one. And then, how do they afford it? I did see on their website they have some sponsors, but still….
Those are the immediate questions that pop into mind at the outset. Then the more you think about it, you still ask “How?” How do you actually do it. The logistics of packing, transportation to trailheads, food, camping and, um, privying are challenging enough for one or two. But six? And four under the age of 18? Well, might take a bit of work and planning, but that’s doable.
Still, how? How do all six manage to hike more than 2,200 miles on three different occasions?
Watching the collection of 25 vlogs from the first two hikes affords a few answers.
Clearly, it’s grueling at times. Climbing hundreds of feet, descending, then back up. Grueling. Then there are the flies, mosquitos, black flies, snakes…. Going days without showering…. Being with siblings all day, every day, mile after mile after mile…. Exhaustion…. Blistered feet….
On more than one video, dad asks each family member how they liked a particular leg of the trail. Let’s just say the answers were often less than enthusiastic exuberance over the wonderful experience of taking in the great outdoors! The looks on the faces tell it all.
I recall a couple scenes where one of the daughters seems to be storming ahead, then another walks by with a scowl on her face. Dad explains there’s been a little tiff that morning—different personalities, and all.
But at the end of the day—each day—they covered distance, set up camp, got some sleep, got up with the sun in the morning, packed up, and headed out again. Every day. Rain or shine, snow and sleet or dry scorching heat.
Each day began with a destination point for that day. And they set out to reach it. Regardless of the day’s hardships, they almost always arrived at the intended destination.
And it wasn’t non-stop, grueling pushing forward. Two-hour lunches, stops at a lake for a swim, brief snack breaks rejuvenated body and mind.
After weeks of this daily, plodding routine, the family arrived at their destination. Weary, exhausted, spent…but exuberant and joyful.
A Metaphor
What a metaphor for the Christian life!
A long journey in the same direction, headed for a joyful destination. But along the way, peril, hardship, difficult upward climbs, long descents into valleys below, sometimes hungry, often weary. At times buffeted by howling winds of adversity; other times, overwhelmed by a stunning vista.
How vital along the way to be led by the still waters that our soul might be restored (Psalm 23:1-3). To lay down in peace and sleep (Psalm 4:8), finding respite from the vanity of endless toil (Psalm 127:2).
To walk, and keep on walking. To plod, day in and day out. Just for fun, do a search in your concordance or Bible app for “walk” in Romans-Revelation. Clearly, it’s an apt description of the Christian’s life in this wilderness experience.
Writing to the church at Corinth, Paul recounts his experience:
…with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
— 2 Corinthians 11:23–27 (ESV)
Sounds like enough to make anyone want to hang up the hiking shoes, toss the backpack in a dumpster, and call it a day! Yet, Paul the plodder could also testify…
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
– 2 Corinthians 4:8–11 (ESV)
Having the right day-to-day goals and a glorious eventual destination in mind, Paul and the Strawbridge family inspire us to keep on plodding along!
