Hiking Toward Heaven: An Uplifting Story of Hope on Earth with Hints of Heaven

By Ian Palmer Ph.D.

An adventurous series of hikes in the mountains and canyons of the Southwest United States An encounter with a mysterious stranger who makes an intriguing proposition An exploration into the powerful Christian themes oflove, grace, and forgiveness A new formula for dealing with obstacles that life puts in our way Glimpses of heaven we can identify with Altogether, an uplifting reminder of that key Christian attitude --hope --with practical encouragement for tough economic times Packed with wisdom and spiced with intrigue, this book views all these aspects through the wide-open eyes of children and the experienced eyes of a scientist. It is an enchanting storythat rocks along from one hiking episode to the next, all on the edge of Gods interaction with humankind. The mystery is engaging, and the emotions are stirring enough to bring a tear to the eye.

The book Hiking Toward Heaven is full of life experiences I can relate to. Ian lets us know there are angels leading us all through our lives. I did not want to put the book down, and I wanted more.
-- Dewey Flock, Home Improvement Contractor, Houston, Texas

Amidst the joys and diffi culties of each exciting hike, the Christian message comes through loud and clear. I have never seen anything quite like it, and as you describe the fl ora, the geology, and the food of various places, it hasthe ring of truth.
--Julian Pfi tzner, High school teacher and administrator (retired), Adelaide, Australia.

The book takes the reader on a fascinating jaunt of geographical discovery, and sparkles with the quoted jewels of wise men. The wonderful surprises that are portrayed when life gets tough give me renewed hope.
--Bob Moulton, Melrose, Australia

Ian has combined his passion for hiking in the Southwest USAwith his immense love of God in a tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The people who share the trails experience Gods message of love, grace, and hopewhich culminates in the challenge Seeing is believing, but you will also learn that believing is seeing.
-- Ginny Itz, Director of Singles at Chapelwood United Methodist Church, Houston, Texas

I plan to integrate this book into our curriculum for youth in detention. I strongly believe these at-risk youth will receive and welcome this novel presentation of Biblical truths.
--IDon Compton, Founder/Director Shalom Ministries, Santa Fe, New Mexico

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 10, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452079813

Ian Palmer Ph.D.

Ian Palmer lives near the mountains in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has a PhD in physics from Adelaide University, Australia. By profession, he is a petroleum engineer, who consults all over the world. As a Christian, Ian has always been fascinated by the interface between faith and science. Of special interest to him are the powerful concepts of grace, forgiveness, and insights from God. Ian’s six grandchildren are a source of joy when he plays tennis or basketball or goes skiing or hiking with them. His hobbies include hiking, dancing, tennis, eating out, and stimulating conversation.

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© 2010 Ian Palmer, Ph. D. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 12/3/2010

ISBN: 978-1-4520-7982-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-7983-7 (dj)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-7981-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010913865

Printed in the United States of America

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

This book is dedicated to my parents, Alan and Alison Palmer, who introduced me to the glorious Flinders Ranges of South Australia and instilled in me a love of hiking in the desert mountains when I was only eight years old.

Thank you Dave Gardner for suggesting a book about hiking.

Thank you Blair for suggesting the title of the book.

Special thanks to my early reviewers: my mother Alison Palmer, Mary Ann Pollock, Kim Pollock, Blair Seibert, Neil and Lyn Palmer, Julian Pfitzner, Dewey Flock, Lorraine Kloninger, Philip Wiebe, Bob Moulton, and Ginny Itz. Your honest comments and words of encouragement helped greatly.

Thank you, Mary Ann, for your influence in helping these wonderful grandchildren to know and to feel love, to learn about God, and to experience the joys of hiking.

Contents

Chapter 1

In the Arroyo

Chapter 2

Santa Fe

Chapter 3

In the Jemez Mountains

Chapter 4

In the Superstition Mountains

Chapter 5

Down the La Luz Trail

Chapter 6

The TWA Crash Site in the Sandias

Chapter 7

Canyon del Oro

Chapter 8

Up on the Mawson Plateau

End Notes

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Sandia Peak with a dusting of snow.

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Kara overlooking the arroyo – before the incident.

Chapter 1

In the Arroyo

When I commit to You my life and each of the challenges I face, I am not only released from the tension of living on my own resources, but also a mysterious movement of Your providence begins. The company of heaven, plus people and circumstances, begin to rally to my aid. Unexpected resources are released; unexplainable good things start happening.

—Lloyd Ogilvie, from Quiet Moments with God[1]

My grandchildren came to visit me in Albuquerque. I live on the west side, meaning west of the Rio Grande, the great divide. The Rio bisects New Mexico — starting from the top, it slices straight south to the border with Mexico, where it turns eastward and eventually becomes the border between Texas and Mexico. The word slice creates a pretty good image, because in the far north of New Mexico, the Rio Grande has cut a steep gorge into the plain not far from Taos. You can see this prominent slice from an overlook just outside of the town. You can drive over the slice at the Taos Bridge, a single-span structure hundreds of feet above the water. You can even hike down the sides to the river, but it’s awfully steep. You can also hike down to the river via a well-made trail further north, at a location called Wild Rivers Recreation Area. We did that once a few years back, in June when it was very hot. My two young grandsons, Bryan and Darby, took a little swim in their underpants in the cool green water, and they thought it was lovely.

By the time the Rio Grande reaches Albuquerque, it has flattened out. So when I drive home from I-25 to the west side of the river, the Rio is just a sedate meander. On this particular day, it was in the cool of the evening when I asked Kara and Jaden if they wanted to come look at the arroyo, which eventually joins the Rio Grande. Kara was twelve and already looked like she would someday join the Miss America Pageant with her turned-up nose, and gorgeous gray eyes. Jaden was eight, a rough-and-tumble little guy unafraid of anything—all energy and force.

What’s an arroyo? Kara asked.

It’s a dry riverbed, I replied, one that flows only after a local rainstorm.

We had to walk only a few hundred yards from my home to the arroyo. It is several houses wide and about one house deep and filled with nothing except sand, gravel, bluebush, rabbitbrush, and other flowers and weeds. There are no trees at all. They might have called it the Nullarbor Arroyo, after the famous plain in Southern Australia, which is as flat as a pancake until it drops off via sheer vertical cliffs into the Great Australian Bight. There are no trees on the Nullarbor Plain either, which is what makes the drop-off even more impressive as you stand there watching the great whales dive and surface. The famous country-and-western singer Casey Chambers spent growing-up time with her father on the Nullarbor Plain, when he was a fox hunter sleeping in his car.

We traipsed around the sand and bushes for a while looking for tracks from small critters. The kids had not studied these before, so we learned which way the critter was moving and something about his size from the length of his stride. Suddenly, a roadrunner scampered out of the bushes.

What’s that? yelled Jaden.

It’s a roadrunner, I said. He usually doesn’t fly but just runs.

They are indeed sprinters. After stopping to look at us for a moment, this one zoomed away like a rocket, beak and back and tail in a single streamline, with not one feather out of place.

It was a pretty evening, the clouds turning pink as the sun lowered itself to the horizon. I let the two kids play, sliding down the steep, sandy side of the arroyo, while I gazed at the sunset from the rim. Suddenly, I heard a scream, and my heart thumped as I followed the sound toward the kids. Kara was being held by a man, while another stood by, and Jaden was scrambling up the side of the arroyo toward me. I ran to Jaden, grabbed his hand, and hustled toward Kara. One man, who was holding a knife, had a snake tattoo, matted hair, and a ring through his nose. He was thin and looked mean. The other man, who was pinning Kara’s arms, was a little obese, and sweating profusely. Kara was crying softly.

Through my shock I blurted out, What do you want?

The knife man answered with a sneer, Money.

I replied, I don’t have any money with me.

He said, Well, you better go find some quick, because this little doll is gonna cost you five hundred dollars.

I wasn’t sure I had five hundred dollars in the house, but I figured I could go to an ATM. He said he would be on the other side of the arroyo and pointed to where a road came down and a beat-up red car was parked.

I recalled hearing that if you were accosted in a parking lot by someone with a knife or gun, you should never get in a car with the guy, because that greatly limited your chances of surviving. So I was reluctant to let them take Kara and do what the knife man ordered—we might never see Kara again. I was responsible for these kids. I was a take-charge type and could usually think up some options in any given situation, but here I was stuck. I was not a fighter - the