COH Bible & Hike 2024!
Join us for an adventure! From Monday, July 8 - Saturday, July 13 we are taking a group from COH on a backpacking trip through Grayson Highlands, in Virginia, home of the free-roaming wild ponies. We will be hiking up Mount Rogers to Virginia’s highest peak, and exploring the alpine style meadows. Backpacking trips are an awesome way to get away from the daily grind, enjoy God’s creation, stretch physical and mental limits, bond with one another, and grow in faith.
This year's hike is a moderate, 30-40 mile hike, with four days and three nights spent on the Appalachian Trail (AT). You should expect long days, sore legs, incredible views, and lots of fun. When we're done hiking, we'll end our trip with dinner out and a hotel night! (Real showers and beds!)
Basic Info:
Who can go?
This trip is open to anyone 14 years or older. Because of group limits on the trail, we only have 8 spots left on this trip, so register now to secure your spot. You don't need to be an experienced outdoor enthusiast to go, but you should be able to hike ten miles per day while carrying a loaded backpack. Nate Timm and Jill Eikhoff will lead this hike!
When is the Trip?
Monday, July 8 - Saturday, July 13
What is the Itinerary?
Monday, 7/8: We’ll meet at Community of Hope early on Monday morning, do a final gear check, then drive to a hotel near the trailhead in Virginia where we will spend the first night. We will have dinner at the hotel while we go over our maps, hiking plan, Bible study, and then bedtime.
Tuesday, 7/9: We will hike about ten miles to a shelter along the AT where we’ll set up camp, have dinner, Bible study, enjoy the views (and wild ponies), and head to bed.
Wednesday, 7/10: We will hike about eight miles, including a side trip to the summit of Mount Rogers, the highest peak in Virginia, and end at another backcountry campsite along the AT, where we’ll set up camp, have dinner, Bible study, enjoy the views, and head to bed.
Thursday, 7/11: We will begin this day with a beautiful sunrise right from our campsite. We will have breakfast, break down camp, then spend the day hiking about ten miles along the AT to a backcountry campsite where we’ll enjoy dinner and hang times, Bible study, campfire (weather permitting) and head to bed.
Friday, 7/12: We will have breakfast, break down camp, then spend the day hiking about eleven miles back to our cars. From there we will grab a quick bite to eat at a gas station or fast food nearby, head to our hotel to shower and clean up, and then head out to dinner at a local restaurant. We will end the night with a Bible study and group discussion.
Saturday, 7/13: We’ll have breakfast at our hotel and head back to Community of Hope, hopefully arriving before 5:00 pm.
How Much Will It Cost?
The cost of this trip is $50 plus hotel (see below for total cost based upon rooming occupancy preference) which includes transportation, parking fees, and two nights at a hotel with a continental breakfast included. Checks can be made out to Community of Hope. If this cost is prohibitive to you, contact us (eikhoffj@gmail.com) and we can explore scholarship opportunities!
1/room - $350
2/room - $200
3/room - $150
4/room - $125
*Fast-food meals on the drive down and back, and dinner out on Thursday night are not included in the trip cost.
How Does the Food Work?
Food on this trip breaks down into three parts:
On the way down/Back:
We will stop for a fast-food breakfast/lunch on our drive down and on our drive back. These meals are not included in the trip cost.
WHILE BACKPACKING:
Each person is responsible for their own food, but we will have a time to pack food together if needed to make sure everyone has what they need. This is not included in the trip cost.
Post-BACKPACKING:
We will eat one dinner out on our last hotel night, and stop for fast food breakfast/lunch on the drive back. These meals are not included in the trip cost.
How Do I Register?
To register, please fill out the form below along with a $100 deposit and turn it in in the offering basket at COH or by mail to COH, or pay online. Checks should be made out to Community of Hope (COH) Church. The address is 1435 West Royalton Road, Broadview Heights, OH 44147. The deadline to register is June 1. Note: because we have to cap our group at 10 people, we will honor first-come, first-serve registrations. If you are thinking about registering but have a question you'd like answered first, feel free to use the form below.
What Will I Need to Bring?
We will send out a comprehensive list of what to pack. Once you register, we will contact you to talk about gear. You don’t need to personally own a lot of this stuff, as we know several people willing to lend out backpacking items.