Snowshoe Retreat 2018

We brave the frigid temperatures and the rustic accommodations of the Harlow Lake Cabins every year, and every year we come back with unforgettable memories and stories. Even for some of our students that have done some camping before, this particular trip is packed with new experiences. We reside in a rustic cabin with no running water or electricity and get to visit breathtaking sights by way of snowshoe, x-country ski, and fat bikes. It truly puts new meaning to "Winter Wonderland."

​We started off our trip by visiting the Eben Ice Caves. Over the course of the winter, a continual, slow flow of melt water freezes over the edge of a small cliff. ​

The guys enjoy exploring the different cavities of the caves and sliding around on the ice. However, their favorite part about the caves is the steep snow-covered hills around the cliff that they can body-sled down!

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​We stayed in the rustic cabins of Little Presque Isle situated on Harlow Lake. They are small, quaint cabins that serve our purpose of being off-grid very well. Although only 20 minutes away from Marquette, MI, they give us the feeling of being alone in the wilderness. There is one other cabin on the peninsula, but we were blessed to be the only occupants of the cabins that week. The guys had to sled in wood provided by the park service for our fires and we lived by the light of the lanterns.

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​Presque Isle is a 323-acre forested peninsula that extends into Lake Superior. It is one of Marquette's city parks and offers a variety of things to do. In the summer, one could jump off the cliff that you see us standing on the picture and enjoy the clear waters of Lake Superior. There are also plenty of interior trails that we took with our snowshoes. The views of Lake Superior from this Isle are gorgeous.

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Little Presque Isle is a much smaller peninsula that actually can become an island if the current and waves sweep away the sand bar. In the winter, ice forms on the sand bar and gives hikers access to the Isle. Last year, the ice slopes were too treacherous to get across. This year, however, the ice bar formed a nice, easy bridge that we used to cross and visit this exotic gem.

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One of the highlights of our year is visiting the Valley Spur trail system near Munising, MI. Dave and Carol, our x-country ski instructors, do a fantastic job teaching the guys how to ski. We also take our upper-level guys snow-biking on the Noquemenon Trails in Marquette. It takes some getting used to, but it is a blast! We definitely wore ourselves out.

The Snowshoe Retreat is a fantastic venue to discuss purity. All the white snow draws our minds to God’s substitutional righteousness and our need for it. For those same reasons, this retreat is well-suited to spend a great deal of time discussing sexual purity. When we approach this topic we do so from the standpoint of satisfaction. The grime and filth of this world is trying to lure us all into the false belief that it can truly satisfy. This includes not only sexual sins, but also our attempts to find satisfaction in money, friends, food, and the panoply of ideas and items with which Satan tempts us. However, in the end, only a heart submitted to God will ever experience true, glorious, and ultimate satisfaction both here and in eternity!

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