Burdens and Friendship on Old Rag

Every year my scout troop would camp and hike on Old Rag Mountain, the "most popular and most dangerous hike" in the Shenandoah National Park. The views on top of Old Rag mountain are spectacular, especially in the fall. The typical hike is a 9 mile circuit, hiking and bouldering up the front and then descending down the back and around the side.

We started our trips by hiking 3.8 miles up the backside on Friday night to camp near the Old Rag shelter. Saturday morning we would hike the 3.8 miles back down to the cars to drop off our camping gear, then turn back around to begin the 9 mile hike. It was a tremendous and exhilarating accomplishment for young boys.

First-timers always made the same mistake: their camping pack would be too heavy for the Friday night hike. 3.8 miles isn't too far; it's a steady uphill incline that makes it feel like forever if you're not prepared. Chris made the same mistake his first time. We weren't even 2 miles into it when he started getting lethargic and grumbly. It was the worst I had seen.

I got behind Chris and begin to push on his pack. There were two thoughts going through my head: first, he needs all the help he can get; second, he needs to know he's not alone. It seemed to work. Chris began to move faster and complain less. Slowly I backed off how hard I was pushing until I wasn't pushing at all but just kept my hand on his pack. He kept pace for the rest of the hike up to the shelter.

That experience taught me a profound lesson about sharing the burdens of our friends.

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2