Carpenter File 10: Eiskogel

This was the CRAZIEST hike I’ve ever been on! It was the overnight trip for my hiking class and it was unforgettable. The first day we hiked a long route around two mountains to get to our mountain cabin to spend the night. It was a tough hike straight up in some places. We met some friendly locals along the way…two horses and endless amounts of cows. The black horse liked me a lot and kept trying to eat my bag so I gave him one of the bell peppers I’d brought along. One of the cows we encountered along the way was hysterical! It was standing on the hill mooooing at the top of its lungs, it looked like a werewolf…or werecow…sounds like Far side. Anyway when we passed it on the trail it followed us and then lead our hiking group up the trail for about a fourth of a mile till she found other cow friends. It was hilarious. We reached the mountain cabin (half way up Eiskogel) and collapsed. I watched the sunset on the Alps and was astonished by its beauty. After the sun set the stars came out and I have never seen so many in my life! There were almost no lights in the surrounding area so you could see the entire sky!!! I was blown away!!!
The next morning I got up at 6:45, naturally!!! I think it was a tiny miracle for me! J I got really bundled up and took my Bible and camera outside for a mini Sunday morning service. With the sun coming up on the Alps I was reading in Romans 1 about how God has revealed himself through creation and that man is therefore without excuse. Those verses have never meant more to me because with the massive Alps stretched out before my eyes I don’t see how anyone could look at that and not marvel at The Creator! “How Great Thou Art” just flowed from me that morning in my worship. It was an incredibly meaningful and overwhelming time with the Lord!

After breakfast our little group set out for the top Mt. Eiskogel. It was pretty much straight up rock for the majority of the hike. Our guide, Axel, started out pretty fast with Pat. My foot and my lungs at that altitude were not in the condition to jog up the mountain so I started a slow steady pace and the girls in the group ended up following behind me. Stacey nicknamed me Master Turtle. Actually we all got hiking names! It was really funny. With the slow and steady pace we actually made it to the top without dying! I think we were all in shock that we actually made it. The mountain in the pictures taken from the bottom of the hill is the one we climbed. Eiskogel is the far left peak. The view from the top was indescribable. I felt on top of the world. Needless to say this was an experience of a lifetime!