The inspiration for this writing and this title came
this morning in the early hours of the morning. Many times at this
hour problems have been solved for me through inspiration. It began
when the pictures of the many trails in the Sierra Madre mountains
that I have traveled and learned came clearly into my memory in all of
their beauty and mystery. Beauty because of the beautiful country that
they traversed and the wonderful places that they led to. Mystery yes,
who made them from the first and how did they find their way through
places that look impossible to traverse. Did the animals find them
first through the instinct that the Lord has blessed them with? Or did
early man find them through necessity to go from one place to
another?
The first one that came into my mind was the trail that
starts in Black Canyon and climbs steadily up and up where the trail
is only a white scar in the solid rock of the mountain. It seems that
this mountain is a big rock that is seamed and pitted with soil and
vegetation scattered over it's bold face. The trees have anchored
their roots into the cracks and sparse soil along the winding trail.
Near the top the trail passes a little cave indented into the solid
rock. Inside there is a steady drip of cold clear water That someone
long ago named "Los ojos de la Virgen Maria". Probably depicting the
tears that Mary shed for her Son when he was crucified on the cross.
Usually there is a can there, placed under the drip for the thirsty
traveler to drink on arrival.
From there the trail goes on up through the "Puerto del
Apache" and through the narrow pass at the top. Then begins a long
descent down the center of a natural depression or fault. Here the
trail could be easily lost if it did not follow that fault descending
down the long mountain. Each year the grass and underbrush grow up so
there is no trail visible. Down at the end of this long fault the
trail climbs steeply up onto a high narrow ridge where it is worn and
plainly visible. This ridge is flanked on either side with steep walls
that descend into rugged impassable canyons so the trail is used by
animals and humans alike to gain access into the Arco canyon. This
ridge ends in the high point overlooking the vast Arco Canyon. From
there a steep switchback trail descends to the canyon floor. In places
the trail is so worn that it is so deep you can hardly see out on
horseback. The trail ends on the canyon floor depicting arrival at our
destination. One can choose to go in any direction and pick up the
next trail.
When I first traveled this trail my guide was Beto
Peña. He learned it from his father Don Panchito Peña who knew most of
the trails all through the Sierra Madre. Since then I have taken many
People over this trail to fish in the Arco canyon and the beautiful
Metate canyon.
Once when I had a big group of Dublan explorers on a
two week trip on this trail, I turned out of the fault to soon and
some of the horses got into trouble on the steep side hill off the
trail.
I had often heard of the wonderful fishing over in the
"Nutria" Canyon so when Dr. Hatch invited me to go with him and a
group from Colonia Juarez to the Nutria fishing I readily accepted. I
wanted to learn the trail into the Nutria because I had heard that
their was only one way in from the east side of the canyon. We sent
our horses up in a big truck as far as the bridge that crosses the
river at Three Rivers. >From there we saddled up and rode Northwest
up a long gradual climb through beautiful open meadows and lovely
grassy hillsides that were dotted with big trees of Oak, Pine and
Juniper. Here no trail was necessary and we all rode in a scattered
group. After about two hours we came to the rim of the "Nutria"
canyon. As we looked down into the deep canyon we could see the canyon
wall looked like it was straight down and seemed impossible to go
down. After searching for a while along the canyon rim Doctor Hatch
found the trail and we all started single file down the dim but good
trail that wound back and forth down the steep face of the canyon
wall. As we went down I wondered if this good trail had just happened
by nature or if long ago it had been chosen and built and had remained
in good condition.
Down in the canyon we came into a park like level,
grassy canyon shaded with big Black Oak and Sycamore trees. These
trees had obviously grown up since the big level terraces had been
made nearly two thousand years ago. The trout stream of cold clear
mountain water meandered along the western wall of the canyon. It
looked to me like it had been placed there on purpose to water the
gardens that had long ago been tended on the terraces. We all set up
our camp together accept Doc. Hatch he put his tent out of earshot
because he said that he snored when asleep and didn't want to disturb
the rest of us.
I remember as I fished along the stream that I noticed
an occasional little pile of pieces of fins and tails of Trout that
had been left by the "Nurtrias" (Mexican Otters). As I remember I
caught about a dozen beautiful Rainbow Trout ranging between eight and
ten inches long. I still remember how good fresh caught trout, fried
in butter, can taste after a long day.
Afterwards I took several groups down that ingenious
trail into the lovely Nutria canyon. The last time I was there we
found that the Nutrias had multiplied so much that we did not catch
any trout because all along the banks of the stream we could see those
little piles of fins and tails showing where the otters had eaten most
of the Trout.
The importance of learning the trail was emphasized one
time when we left the trucks up above the Campo Santo and packed up
the mules and rode to our camp up at the Carrizo cabin. After a
successful hunt we all started back to the trucks by different routes.
When I arrived at the trucks after dark to help Don Panchito Peña
unpack the mules so he could return to the ranch with the Remuda I was
the only one that had arrived back. Soon the others arrived one by
one. All got back except Edwin McClellin. I got worried about him
because it had snowed that day and I was afraid that he might have
missed the trail somewhere along the way. I went over to the edge of
the mountain above the trail and fired some signal shots into the dark
night. After supper and Brother McClellin had not found his way back
we all bedded down for the night to wait to find him in the
morning.
The next morning we found him at the base of a cliff
where he had spent the night keeping his Juniper fire going to keep
warm. He said that in the dark his horse had tried to turn back many
times but he kept him going until the cliff stopped him. We explained
to him that his horse had wanted to turn back on the switchback of the
trail but he had unwittingly caused him to leave the trail into a
blind little canyon.
The most familiar trail to all of our family was the
trail from the Cebadilla down to our usual camp on Trout Creek. Our
family used this trail at least once a year for over twenty years.
Sometimes we had more people than horses and mules so Naoma would take
some of the kids and on foot hike ahead of the mounted people and pack
mules and easily beat us all down to our campsite. We all knew the
trail so well that we could avoid the dangers of the trail. One of
these was a big nest of "Anaparas" (Fire Bees) in a hollow oak tree
near the narrow trail on a steep side hill. If you passed by quietly
without disturbing the bees all would be well.
One trip I came bringing up the rear of a long string
of young explorers from the US. As I came to the bottom of that hill I
came on to a disaster area. Apparently someone had disturbed the
Anaparas as they went by and the swarm came out and stung the horses
and the mules and some of the boys. The animals began to buck and run
down the steep hill. Some of the boys were thrown off their mounts and
one of the mules had shed his pack and another was down near the creek
and couldn't get up until I released him from the heavy pack. One of
the boy's eye was swollen shut another had his lip swell up to three
times it size. If you know the dangers of the trail you can usually
avoid them. I had failed to warn the boys about the dangers of the
Trail.
I usually warned everyone to not try to leave the trail
and especially not to try to pass up the pack mules. Part of the trail
went along a very steep mountain side. It was well used and very safe
unless you tried to leave the trail. It was best not to look down or
think what would happen if your mount would fall or slide down into
the depths of the distant canyon. For people going over these trails
for the first time it was usually an awesome experience.
THE TRAILS OF LIFE
In learning the trail of life we can apply many of
these principles of learning the trails. All of us in our lives have
had to learn to follow many different trails. The best way to learn a
trail is to have a competent guide. This can be in a person or even a
book written by someone that knows the trail that we wish to
follow.
When I was a young man Patriarch Anson B. Call gave me
a rather short Patriarchal Blessing. He told me among other things
that I would be able to teach so that people could understand. At the
time I hardly noticed that little sentence. Later I was called to
teach in the Dublan Grade School and be the Principal. The first year
I enjoyed venturing into the Teaching trail but decided that I didn't
know the trail and that I needed a guide to help me travel that
extensive and important trail of teaching. The next summer Naoma and I
and all of our children piled into our old Oldsmobile and went to
Provo rented a house and registered in the Y in the field of
Elementary Education. We both sensed the responsibility of learning
the trail into the vast field of teaching.
For the next twenty four years we were studying and
learning the Teaching Trail. For twelve years I traveled the complex
and difficult trail of teaching full time Seminary.
The Trail of being a parent is one that most of us
suddenly find ourselves on with only the experience of being a child
in our own home as a guide. The best guide for the parenting trail is
in living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Most important and dangerous trail in this life is
the trail that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life and
exaltation in the next. Our only guide on this most important Trail is
the Lord Jesus Christ. If we follow him and his teachings he will lead
us to our eternal destination and help us avoid the very real dangers
to our eternal souls.
Just as we traveled the more difficult trails in the
Sierra Madre to enjoy the beauty as we went along so we can enjoy the
beauty and the joy of traveling the trails of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. On the lovely Lonely trails in the mountains we find peace and
tranquility. So in the Gospel we not only find peace and tranquility
but also love, service, happiness and joy. Just as we have enjoyed
showing others the way on the trails in the mountains we have enjoyed
even more the opportunity to show others the wonderful Trail that the
Savior has left for us to follow.
Sometimes in the mountains I was able to find a trail
by having someone tell me about the directions and landmarks along the
way to follow. The Lord has provided in the Patriarchal Blessing and
excellent description of the trail for each of us. If we follow the
direction and the landmarks and especially heed the warnings of the
dangers we can find the trail for each of us that the Lord wants us to
follow.
One of the great dangers is to leave the trail of the
Gospel and find ourselves on the steep and dangers mountain sliding
down into the depths of the canyon below. Another danger is to
carelessly disturb the addictive Anaparas of Satan by getting too
close to them and not respecting the danger. Another danger is to
loiter along the way and find that the darkness of night has come on
and we are not yet to our destination. Our best shot then is to put
our trust in our mount, our knowledge of the trail and to pray to the
Lord to keep us on the trail in the darkness.
The greatest security in following all of the many
difficult trails of life is to follow the Prophets both modern and
ancient. They have been chosen by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to
be our guides to lead us in love and safety back to live with him and
our Heavenly Father. There we can follow the trail that leads to
eternal progress and increase.