50-50 Success!

Lessons learned walking 50 miles


By Isaac Will
Chapter coordinator

Contrary to popular belief, hiking 50 miles is a long way to walk.

We started our hike at 10 p.m. Friday, June 5. The weather was cool and the moon shone brightly over Lake Superior. Saturday started with happy muscles and joints. Although the weather remained ideal our physical condition started to deteriorate after about 20 miles. Great things require great sacrifice — and we were starting to feel the pain for the last 5 miles of the day.



A light rain started around 3 a.m. on Sunday, June 7. By the time I was getting out of my bivy at 6 a.m. it was down to a drizzle. I quickly realized that my body had not recovered throughout the night as I expected.

Just walking around camp and packing up our minimalist gear was painful. Thinking about doing another 25 miles seemed almost too much, too far, too many more calf-eating hills and knee-bashing rocky descents into river valleys, too many more miles of root-strewn trail that took out or ankles. We wondered if our bodies would make it.

But we really didn’t have a choice. Our car was parked at the end of our trail — 25 miles away. One way or another, we had to get there.

And this is how I sometimes feel in my daily life: Just waking up and getting through the day can seem like a huge and sometimes painful task. Trying to make a difference in the world and go the extra miles can seem too daunting and almost defeat you before you start.

I learned a few things along the way:

Always pack marshmallows.
Even when the destination seems too far away, just start walking. Take a step, then another, then another. You’ll get closer with every step. The more involved you are in the journey, the faster it will go by.
Miles, like time, will seemingly melt away. And when you are done, you can look back and say proudly: “I walked that trail.”
Don’t let failure be an option. If you are going to walk a trail in life, commit to it and park your car at the end. The harder you make it to quit the less likely you will.
Bring more Advil than you think you’ll need. It may not be easy going.


I know the work being done through Climbing for Christ IS making a difference. It is Kingdom work. I know my hike did not solve the food, water, and education problems, or the spiritual battles going on in Haiti, but it will make a difference. Dinner will be served. Salvation will be offered. To God be the glory – amen!

Haiti 50/50 adventu-raiser

First Annual

50-50 adventu-raiser

v Motivation: hunger, hydration, sanitation and education.

v Physical sacrifice: walk 50 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail in less than 50 hours.

v Goal: Raise $1,000+ for Haiti relief enablement

v Donation Request (tax deductable): $1 per mile walked ($50)

Hello, my name is Isaac Will. On May 27, I achieved 29 years of life. Now, more than ever, I understand that nothing greatly significant comes without great sacrifice- and usually some degree of pain and or blood. This, I have learned, is a good thing.

The same can be said of the process that brought me into this world- 29 years ago. So in honor of that which was done for me, the only gift I requested for my birthday was a donation to my 50/50 adventu-raiser for Haiti. To me, celebrating life, and passing the opportunity for sustained life, has brought a rejuvenated personal perspective on birthday celebrations. And really, when was the last time you gave a tax deductable birthday present?

I had the idea for the Haiti 50/50 on April 16, 2009. An emergency expedition was being mounted to support the work already being done in the Chaine de la Selle mountains of Haiti- and I was invited. Long story short, I could not go. A week ago my schedule cleared. I could do the Haiti 50/50.

So it got me thinking: “What are the odds for us? 50/50?”

o We will eat more than one meal today.

o We have water to drink.

o We have a toilet.

o We had an opportunity for education.

For the people in the Chaine de la Selle mountains of Haiti, their odds are far less than 50%

And so my heart replied:

o This event is in recognition of the struggle for life in the mountains of Haiti and to participate in some way to their resolution; regardless how large or small a contribution we can provide.

o While one meal for one family may not seem like much in relation to a population of 9 million people- but to that one family, it means dinner is served. It means energy to tend the family’s fields. It means waiting to pick the crops until they are ready.

50/50 can be good odds- or not:

· Card games- yes.

· Heads or tails for a football kickoff- yes.

· Having water to drink- no.

· Chances of eating a dinner today- no.

· Medical care to treat easily curable diseases and injuries- no.

Some statistics about Haiti:

· * 70%: the unemployment rate (the USA is at roughly 8%)

This number is much worse in the mountains where the vast majority of people are subsistence farmers.

· * 500-700: the average number of calories consumed per person each day.

· * 450’: The number of vertical feet people of Gentilhomme have to descend and climb back up to get water.

You can read more about what what is happening in Haiti here:

Donations:
Paypal:
Link to use Paypal:
or
Mail:
Send a check (payable to Climbing For Christ) to Climbing For Christ, Inc., P.O. Box 16290, Rochester, N.Y. 14616-0290. Thank you!

Learn more about Climbing for Christ

Click HERE to register and become a member of Climbing for Christ. Members receive access to and updates on Evangelic Expeditions and chapter events, a quarterly news letter (The Climbing Way), access to the discussion boards and opportunities to take your faith to new heights!

Valentine's Day 2009

Sometimes bad things can be good. In a lesson we continue to learn through life, when things don't go as planned, there opens an opportunity. With three days remaining before Valentine's day, the rain had melted all the snow. We were planning on going snow shoeing. We told our wives we had a "Plan B" - what we did not tell them was that "Plan B" was to think of something, and quick.

I really wanted this year to be special for Nicole and Tamara and since we had already planned the day as couples, it presented a unique opportunity to send Nicole on an adventure with Tamara. Dan (Tamara's husband and all around amazing guy and brewer) was excited by what I proposed and we quickly started developing the idea, identifying locations, securing contacts and appointments to make this day as special as possible.

After all, we only had 36 total hours until the adventure would begin.

I had a lot to do and little time to do it. After Nicole went to bed on Friday night I started my arts and crafts project, creating the maps, clues, cards and adding a voice over to the actual "Amazing Race" intro song.

3:30am rolled around faster than I wanted and I knew I would be getting up in 4-5 hours to take Eliana to the store for doughnuts. I wasn't done but I had to get some sleep.

Luckily, after doughnuts, Eliana and I had time to glue all the clues together and put the logos on the envelopes. I finished with about 30 minutes before we had to leave.

Dan and Tamara were going to meet us at the Mahoney household. After we were all there, I told the girls that "I forgot something and Dan and I were going to be right back". Ha Ha Ha

Dan and I left to start leaving clues around the city and only had a 10 minute start on the girls. When the 10 minutes elapsed, Jill, my mother-in-law, brought out the first clue and played the CD to kick off "The Amazing Race- Valentine Edition". The race was on and the fun was just getting going.

Here is a short compilation of where they went and what they had to do.



Dan and I had a blast putting it together and our wives had an unforgettable adventure. The day was a success.

After dinner, the girls told us that they were going to be responsible for next year, I can't wait to see what they come up with! I figure if we can do this with 36 hours...

Rain, rain, go away...

So, January was one of the coldest on record, February seems to have missed the winter memo and it has been raining for a few days. Luckily we were able to get in one great day of sledding before the rains came and washed the snow away.

I hope you enjoy the photos!

I love road trips

I love road trips- especially ones that go down memory lane.

Here is the first of many videos that make me fell all warm and fuzzy inside.

I hope you enjoy.

I love cold weather

If you know me, you know I love cold. Sleeping outside in -20 with -40 wind chill, yeah done that. Playing outside all day long in the winter- yep, still do that.

There is the old proverb: "there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing." Word.

I just got this via email, enjoy.

Cold Weather behavior:

60 above zero: Floridians turn on the heat. Minnesotans plant gardens.

50 above zero: Californians shiver uncontrollably. People are sunbathing in Duluth .

40 above zero: Import cars won't start. Minnesotans drive with the sunroof open.

32 above zero: Distilled water freezes. The water in Bemidji gets thicker.

20 above zero: New Mexicans don long johns, parkas and wool hats & mittens. Minnesotans throw on a flannel shirt.

15 above zero: New York landlords finally turn on the heat. People in Minnesota have one last cookout before it gets cold.

Zero: People in Miami all die. Minnesotans close the windows.

10 below zero: Californians fly away to Mexico . Minnesotans dig their winter coats out of storage.

25 below zero: Hollywood disintegrates. Girl Scouts in Minnesota are selling cookies door to door.

40 below zero: Washington , D.C. finally runs out of hot air. People in Minnesota let their dogs sleep indoors.

100 below zero: Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Minnesotans get upset because the Mini-Van won't start.

460 below zero: ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero on the Kelvin scale). People in Minnesota can be heard to say, "Cold 'nuff fer ya?"

500 below zero: Hell freezes over. Minnesota schools delayed 2 hours.

I love Mondays

Shrek, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were all having lunch together.

Shrek said, 'I have always thought that I'm the strongest man in the
world, but how can I be sure?
Brad Pitt said, 'I'm pretty sure I'm the most handsome man alive but
I've never had it confirmed.'
Angelina Jolie agreed. 'I'm told I'm the sexiest of them all, but
sometimes I wonder.'

They all decided that the best way to find out if their beliefs were
true was to ask the famed talking 'mirror, mirror on the wall' to
confirm for them whether Shrek was the strongest, Brad Pitt was the
most handsome. Angelina Jolie was the sexiest.

They agreed to meet again the next day for lunch to discuss their
findings.
The next day Shrek walked up with a smile. 'Well, it's true. The mirror
told me that I am the strongest man in the world.' Brad perked up
and said: 'And I know for sure that I'm the most handsome man
alive.' But
Angelina lifted her sad but pretty face and said...

Who the heck is Nicole?