Moving Towards Renewal
some thoughts on hiking, running, and walking my way towards renewal
In three weeks, a group of twenty souls will entrust my friend Grey and myself to leading them through the mountains surrounding Montreat, North Carolina on a series of intentional hikes. Discovering Renewal is a retreat I’ve attended as a participant since its inception in 2022, but this year I’ve been asked to return as a track leader.
Typically my friend Aram leads these hikes, but since his wife is expecting a baby girl in May, he arranged for me to take over as the track leader this year. His dad Gray joined us last year as a co-leader, so I get to work with him on the trail this year.
Since this is my first time doing something like this outside of leading my youth group and other friends into the woods, I want to make sure I provide the level of renewal that I’ve received from this retreat. I want to pour myself out for others as Aram and Gray have poured out for me. To help with this, I spent some time in North Carolina last week with my family. While they were taking naps and resting at the hotel in the afternoon, I was out in the woods putting in miles and elevation to scout new trails, consider different trailheads, and think about the meditations and exercises we would engage in during our various stops.
I’d like to take you through my journey and tell you about the sorts of things that came to my mind out on the trail.
Disclaimer: if you happen to be attending Discovering Renewal, please note that these elevation gains and mileages are inflated because I scouted multiple routes and trailheads during one hike to plan the best possible route for you. Do not fear.
Running With Coach Bennett
I love to run. In high school, it was what I was best at athletic wise. Unfortunately, we didn't have a track team, so I never really got to see my full potential as a runner measured in medals, PRs, and state meets. After high school, anytime I would try to run more than a mile, my left knee would swell up and make me feel like I couldn’t run at all.
Thanks to my doctor, Dr. Jackson in Guntersville, my knee trouble went away, and I was able to start back running…until I wasn't. I started too hard too fast and got shin splints. 31 year old Daniel just can’t do what 18 year old Daniel could.
These shin splints were rough. I waited two weeks, four weeks, six weeks, and I still felt pain. I talked to my doctor, who has ran a few marathons, and she said I needed to just wait it out. So I stayed off the trail from October through February.
At the start of March, the good weather was just too tempting. I opened up the Nike Run Club app and started the “Running for More Joy” run with Coach Bennett. I ran 3.14 miles at an 11’09” pace to complete the 35 minute run. I felt great.
So far in March, I’ve ran 49 miles. It won’t break any records, but it broke my record. It’s the most miles I’ve ran in a month in 2025 (see what I did there?). My goal is to follow Scott Jurek’s running plan for beginners: run 30-45 minutes, 3-4 times a week for 6-8 weeks at an easy pace before trying for speed.
I say all of this to tell you that on Wednesday morning, just before sunrise, I started running from Assembly Inn in Montreat and ran 2.54 miles. This run was called “Running on Empty” with Headspace and Coach Bennett. It was a very relaxed run and has a pretty chill playlist. But this run had a purpose.
In my scouting of potential trails for the retreat, I needed to see what it would be like to walk to each one from Assembly Inn. I also wanted to check out which trails were accessible since Montreat and Black Mountain were hit pretty hard by the hurricane last September. So I started my run by running straight up the road towards the pond at the nature sanctuary and the Greybeard trail.
It’s about .8 miles to the sanctuary and probably 375 feet of elevation gain. It wasn’t the steepest climb one could do, but it was a tough way to start a run for sure, and it would probably be a tough way to start a hike.
As I ran, I thought about the wounds on the land.
When I hike, I’ll occasionally place my hand on a tree or rock as a way of saying “thank you.” So when I saw just how many trees were down and rocks were exposed, my heart hurt for the land. I thought about the birds and squirrels and worms that lost their homes. I thought about how the creek moved down the mountain a little differently than before. And I of course thought about the thousands of humans whose houses were damaged, businesses were destroyed, and who even lost loved ones during this storm.
How can one find renewal in the aftermath of this destruction and chaos?
Well, isn’t that the story of the Cross? Isn’t that the truth of the Resurrection?
Nature moves from Winter to Spring. Forest fires destroy, but they also give life. Hurricanes blow through, but even they can make the land, and the people, stronger—as if the two were different.
And the people who will be hiking with me, those twenty souls, they have wounds too. If we can’t learn to name, accept, and heal the wounds in the land, how will we be able to name, accept, and invite the Spirit to renew our souls?
It turns out that this is the perfect place for renewal.
By the way, the Nike Run Club app is free, and they have runs for everyone. Take this as a sign to exercise and get outside.
The Appalachia Way and Walking Backwards
After lunch that same day, I wanted to scout a trail called Appalachia Way. The trailhead is exactly a mile from Assembly Inn, so I wanted to test it out and see if hiking to it would be feasible for my group.
It’s not.
I hiked the mile in 21:23 and had to climb around 499 feet. It gets worse.
Appalachia Way is a .68 mile trail that requires over 500 feet of elevation gain. After two miles of hiking, we would be 1,195 feet higher than when we began. For someone like me who discovers renewal through endurance, this is a treat. For someone who is looking for a nice stroll, maybe a few tough climbs, and time to reconnect with God in the still of the woods… this might not be it.
As I scrambled up the side of Brushy Mountain, I thought about an alternative track Discovering Renewal could offer. In the fourth century (and before), when Christianity became the religion of the empire, many people saw this as a welcome change. The peace was a huge breath of fresh air. But for some, this change took away something they saw as a great joy—to suffer for the gospel.
So they took to the desert.
They lived in solitude in caves, atop pillars in the desert, and among wild beasts in the mountains. They fasted, they prayed, and they found connection with God through testing the extremes of human endurance. They are the Desert Mothers and Fathers.
I identify a lot with them in that I too find joy and renewal in endurance. These quick elevation gains at the start of the trail are where I thrive. I love to climb, to see new peaks from different angels (it’s always new by the way), and to feel the joy of finishing a comparatively difficult route.
Brushy Mountain is one of those overlooks that you just can’t get to without hard work. I remember the first time I hiked it. My friend Daniel and I were leading the way. We pushed, we jogged, we huffed and puffed. And it was totally worth it.
Another year, though, I walked up the mountain with my friend Ted. This time we took it slow. I walked beside him as he told me about his dozens of years of experience in ministry. We talked about school, about life, and about the joys of serving a church. He encouraged me to go to graduate school and continue my education. And when we got to the top, the overlook looked different than it did after my ascent with Daniel.
It was around this point that I realized that the path Aram chose, the one we hiked the last three years, is the most reasonable and the most kind. It eases the hiker into the hike, and that’s what you have to do during a group hike, especially when you don’t know everyone’s skill level.
From this point, I basically hiked that usual trail backwards but with two major exceptions.
The first is Lookout Rocks. I love this overlook. Last year when I visited North Carolina, I stayed the first night in my hammock at one of the hiking shelters. It was awesome. When I woke up the next morning, I realized I could make it to Lockout Rocks and still have time to make it back to Assembly Inn for breakfast, so I knew I wanted to go back and do it again. This year I’ll actually be leading a sunrise hike to Lookout Rocks and will invite people from every track to come
From here, I wanted to test out one more alternate route: Rainbow Mountain. We typically hike the Rainbow Trail, but it is a bicycle trail, so it’s a bit easier than the normal trails. Rainbow Mountain is different. It is a beast. Thankfully, I went down it backwards.
It’s marked strenuous on the map for a reason, but it was totally worth it.
This second movement towards renewal reminded me that there is joy in endurance. There’s a passage that says,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1–2
Rattlesnake Rock (But Without the Rattlesnakes)
Technically, I went on two other hikes. The first was a short hike with my awesome friend Mary. She took my family to the Arboretum, which was just lovely. The other hike was with my friend Sarah and her family. We all did the first part of the day two trip, which has a few easy switchbacks and a nice view. There are lessons to be learned and joys upon which to reflect from these two hikes, but I’ll save that for another day.
Later that day, I wanted to scout a potential alternative route for the more adventurous in our group, and it was awesome. From Assembly Inn, this hike was 5.1 miles and required around 1,640 feet of elevation gain. I had a lot of fun on this one.
Now, I will admit that I was a bit scared. You see, there are at least three places on our hike that are named after snakes. One of the peaks is called Copperhead, and the other two have Rattlesnake in the name. I don’t know if people saw these snakes around these particular overlooks or if the climb just has a bite, but I hope it’s the latter.
Anyway, I hiked back up the road towards Greybeard and took a different road towards the back end of the Lower Piney trail. At a certain point before Lunch Rock, there is a fork where you can either go up Big Piney or continue on Lower Piney.
Since I want to offer some variety (and challenge) on this hike for those who are feeling adventurous, I took the fork up Big Piney (and I do mean UP). It takes about 30 minutes to climb, and over 85% of it is steep incline. There are rocks to hop, boulders to climb, and, thankfully, a few good spots to rest. I think it’s about 735 feet of elevation gain from the fork, and that is over around half a mile.
But let me tell you that this is totally worth it. In the words of Tanner, one of the other leaders and workers at Montreat, this view is one of the best Montreat has to offer. For those who decide to do this leg of the journey, this is where we’ll eat lunch:
From here, I knew there were two options. The first is to go back down the way I came. The second is to hike up just under 200 more feet and then head down West Ridge and Stomping Knob. These trails were fun, but this will be another “choose your own adventure.” It was basically a steep decline with a lot of rock hopping opportunities. There is a great view of a beautiful saddle/ gap (I think that’s the name), but I’m running out of room to post pictures.
The point here is that if you want beautiful views, you have to be willing to put in the work. This is about hiking. This is not about hiking.
I’ll let you sit on that one for a bit.
Anyway, if you’re reading this because you plan on hiking with me later, because you just read what I write (that is so weird to me still), or for whatever reason, thank you for joining me on this adventure.
A Short Ad for Discovering Renewal
Discovering Renewal was originally aimed at pastors, preachers, and spiritual leaders. Its purpose was to give them some much needed respite in the week following one of the busiest weeks for many ministers: Holy Week. From the beginning, though, it attracted people from different backgrounds because more than just ministers need renewal.
Discovering Renewal offers different “tracks” for the participants to follow throughout the week. After a hearty breakfast, Brian McLaren sets the tone for the day by leading everyone in a short devotional talk. From there, the participants split into their groups and either head out for a hike, take time to fly fish, paint in the open air, stretch their anxieties away with yoga, or participate in one of the other new tracks that are available this year, including a new contemplative prayer track led by my friend Greg.
If you want to go and are a minister or seminary student, there are several scholarships available that covers room, board, and conference fees. Let me know and I can put you in contact with someone to sign up.
The Hiking track is gonna be awesome this year. You're a natural to lead this.
You know I’m out on the running, but I can’t wait to hit the hiking trails again! It does bring peace and inspiration.