Playing Keeps For Me - A Talk with Judy McLean
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There are many ways that a person might strengthen their connection to God. Whether it’s crafting, singing, or spending time in solemn prayer, we all have our own way of feeling God’s presence in our life.
For Judy McLean, she found a new pathway in her spirituality by being out in nature and backpacking, sometimes for days in the wild. It all began in 2014 when she went on a pilgrimage to Camino de Santiago in Spain. This pilgrimage consisted of a 500-mile walk that stood out in Judy’s mind because she was able to walk on stones from the Roman era. The sense of history on that walk, to be able to walk in the footsteps of ancestors was transcendental to her.
"There was a point where I was going through the villages, and I’d see an old woman in a long dress like my grandmother used to wear. She’d be poking a cow with a stick to get it moving, and it was almost like going back in time” she recalls fondly.
After that trip, and after realizing that her knees and other issues weren’t as big a limitation as she thought, she went with fellow congregation member Karen Miller to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). They started at the Timberline Lodge and were able to see the Bridge of the Gods and other beautiful sights. They ran into some slight trouble, having to circumnavigate Mt. Hood on its SE side, getting the opportunity to see many smaller peaks and lakes en route to Cascade Locks.
They came across some trees that had been downed by a windstorm and had to crawl over, under, and around about 70 trees in that section. That rough 7 miles aside, and a slight scare of running out of food in the last 2-mile stretch made for some duress.
Thankfully, both of them got through it and there were burgers and fries for all!
When asked what she loves most about being in the forest, Judy responded:
“I like being out in the forest. You drive, take an hour or two, but then you have to drive back. I like backpacking because I can just stay in the forest.”
Karen Wood graciously loaned her gear so she could hit the trails, and Karen Miller taught her how to manage weight in a way that won’t aggravate the body. Karen Miller also taught her other tricks of the trail to endure the hikes. Judy attributes Karen Miller as the one that “got her hooked!” on backpacking.
Now, Judy is part of a women’s backpacking group called Hiker Babes. She goes out frequently and finds her connection to God is evident in the intricacies of all of nature. She thinks about how trees are connected underground by their roots, and how there must be some great intelligence that created all of that. She said she is in awe of nature, that there is so much beauty – from the bubbling of water from the ground to the flowing streams and massive trees. She feels grateful for seeing that water and sees it as a reminder of life.
To forge a further spiritual connection, she even shared the poem “Leaves and Blossoms Along the Way” with Karen, from beloved poet Mary Oliver.
Excerpt: “God, or the gods, are invisible, quite
understandable. But holiness is visible,
entirely.”
There may come a day when Judy will go on a solo adventure to further commune with God and nature. She plans to ensure her gear is in good condition and stock, and to enjoy life in the wild being her happiest self, taking pictures and living in awe of God’s face in nature all around.
Please enjoy this gallery of various pictures Judy has taken on her adventures.
Work Cited
Oliver, Mary. “Leaves and Blossoms along the Way.” The Works of Mary Oliver, 3 Dec. 2015, https://maryoliverpoetry.tumblr.com/post/134438277413/leaves-and-blossoms-along-the-way.
