A time to rest

It’s been a really long year. “No kidding” you say, and I totally understand that I am not alone in making that statement. But it’s been a REALLY long year. The Covid-19 rollercoaster, the insane election cycle, the constant stress of living with uncertainty, and the lack of normal social engagement has hammered away at my mental shield. I have been unable to find motivation to do much of anything for the past few months. Generally I manage to get myself to work, then come home, make dinner, read the dreadful news of the day and fall asleep early. I have had a difficult time enjoying the things I normally do, and even my outdoor activity has decreased. I did spend a lot of time deer hunting this season, but mostly going through the motions and not hunting with the intensity required to be successful.

I needed a break. I needed a bench in the middle of the woods to find my center and breathe some peace back into my life. You all know the bench that I am talking about. For some it is the one at the top of the steepest hill on the trail. For others it is the one at the end of the hike, a resting spot to eat your lunch or relax and regroup. Still others yearn for the bench that sits on the edge of the Grand Canyon or maybe along a pond in the neighborhood park. The bench can be made of almost anything, but it serves to satisfy your immediate physical need for rest. Perhaps you gather comfort in just knowing that the bench is there for you. Sometimes the bench carries a memory of past visits with loved ones, and sometimes it is the focal point of dreams for what the future may bring. Whatever the reason, we all need a bench at some point.

Clearly I am obsessed with benches. They appear in many of my photos from past hikes, usually as the focal point. Benches of all sizes and shapes, in all sorts of environments. Sometimes occupied, other times not. I recently searched my photos using keyword “bench”, and came up a wonderful assortment of peaceful scenes. Many made my smile, others brought back memories, and a few gave me hope for future visits. Please join me on a virtual tour from the photo album.

This well placed bench in the shade along the prairie grass is located at Shaw Nature Reserve near Gray Summit, MO. THIS, is really what I need right now. A warm breezy summer’s day without a care in the world. I hiked several trails at Shaw on that particular day, and loved every one of them. This inspires me to make a return visit soon, perhaps my next long hiking day.

Another warm sunny scene. This bench sits on the shore of one of the lakes at Current River State Park. The bench itself isn’t much to look at, but it was the perfect spot to sit for a few minutes last summer. Billy and I returned to the lake later that evening and caught a bunch of small largemouth bass on top water baits and senkos. A good day and better memory.

A winter hike a few years ago at Mastodon State Park. The boys had a great time even in the cold. This inspires me to consider inviting people to join me again on my hikes which which have often become solo affairs so that I can go my own pace. I guess I am still learning to play well with others, even after all these years.

A family hike on the bluffs above the Meramec River at Castlewood State Park. This was another fun day of exploring the MO-Outdoors at a true Missouri gem. There are so many great trails to explore, I am looking forward to finding the next one.

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The picnic table along the Yellow Trail at Forest 44 Conservation Area at the overlook. This is about one mile from the trailhead and always a welcome sight. I usually stop to get a snack or fix my boot laces here. Billy and I used it as a rendezvous point while deer hunting the area. One recent hike I just couldn’t wait to get there and relax for a bit, only to arrive to find someone else was sitting there reading a book. I was disappointed but inspired to come back sometime to do the same thing.

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Grand Canyon National Park. The first pic was from my very first time on North Kaibab Trail, taking a long rest at Manzanita. I changed socks, ate a PBJ, and talked to fellow hikers I had never even met as if they were long-time friends. The next pic is from this past summer at Phantom Ranch, drinking ice cold lemonade with my best friends in the world in a futile effort to ward off the oven-like heat that is part of late June in the desert. Those days, those trips, with those great people are moments I will always treasure. As cool as that is, the best part is looking forward to someday returning to those benches and making new memories there.

This picnic table near the overlook at Greensfelder County Park is another one of my favorite destinations in St. Louis. I am never disappointed by the view, and the company is usually pretty good too. As I write this, I think I’m beginning to discover that I like resting during my hikes more than I like the actual hikes. It’s a wonder what a little trip down memory lane can do for perspective.

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These were all taken along the St. Francis River between Millstream Gardens Conservation Area and Silver Mines Recreation Area. I completed a solo hike here last year, and it was one of my favorite Missouri hikes in recent memory. My intention was to get back there this past summer and spend time wading in the river, but it never materialized. I will make that happen this year for sure.

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This variety of benches were all located along the trails at Salt Lick Point Land Reserve and nearby White Rock Nature Preserve near Valmeyer, IL. I spent a beautiful spring day among the wildflowers at these two locations sometime early in the pandemic. The trails were full of people just trying to get outside and get some Covid relief. Everyone I bumped into that day was in a great mood, except some totally ignorant guy yelling at his girlfriend for making him take such a long hike. She just ignored him and sat on the colorful bench above and laughed with her kids. Benches even have superpowers against dumb boyfriends it appears.

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These are more benches at Castlewood State Park. The first two are typical locations, on a scenic overlook allowing hikers a place to sit and take in the view. The last one, in the foggy woods, sits right atop the infamous cardiac hill on Grotpeter Trail. This brutal uphill climb is popular among trail runners who like to torture themselves and hikers training for elevation change. Every time I walk this stretch I just lock in on the bench and keep my head up, but maybe that is why I trip the entire way. Either way, I am glad it is there.

This photo of my 3 oldest always makes me smile. It was taken several years ago during a fall hike at Powder Valley Nature Center when the sun electrified the sugar maples shining in their best fall color. This hike was of my favorite hikes of all time.

Katie just hanging out in Rocky Mountain National Park. I visited this park as a child with my family, and we have since visited once with our kids. RMNP will always be special to me. Shortly after this photo was taken a cow elk walked right up behind Katie, making us all very nervous.

This one is tough for me. This is my Mom holding Daniel when he was only a few weeks old. My Mom came down from Omaha for a few weeks to help take care of the new baby. She looks great here, the way that I remember her, a strong and kind mother of 12 children herself. This was one of her final visits to St. Louis before Parkinson’s Disease took hold and wore her down. I would love to have 5 more minutes with her on that bench.

And this one makes me laugh. Katie and Daniel mimicking the statue at Saint Louis University. The playful nature of children brings me so much joy. Parenting is a full-time job, exhausting at times, but absolutely the most rewarding role of my lifetime.

The last one. This simple bench under the pines at Young Conservation Area isn’t much to look at and I don’t think that I have ever even sat in it. However, this is the area trail that I have walked more than any other. This is the trail that renewed my interest in hiking. The oasis in the pines on the top of the hill used to be the place I went to in my mind when I needed to relax, when I need to let it all go. Yet somehow I have forgotten about this hike and have not been there even once in the last year. It’s time to change that. I will get off the virtual bench and make this my first hike someday this week. Only this time I am going to sit my butt down on this bench for as long as I want to.

Thanks for following along with me on this virtual tour down memory lane. It’s been several months since I felt like sharing anything in this space, so if you managed to hang in there with me to this point just know that I appreciate you taking the time to read it all. Maybe you are in the need of a bench now as well, or sitting on one already. Either way, hang in there and keep looking ahead to the next climb, whatever that may be. I just know that my downtime has been good to me, and I am finally ready to get back out on the trail and into the stream and do my part to share the wonders of God’s creations with you all.