
The next time you hike to The Cabin, you will have options. You can either take the “Gordon Trail” or the “Norman Trail.”
The Gordon Trail climbs from the South and is the traditional route that most of us have used over the years, and the Norman Trail ascends from the Northwest, popping you up onto the summit ridge of East Haven Mountain with views of East Mountain on your left and the Burke valley on your right as you walk the final 30 minutes to The Cabin. These two marked trails are named in honor of the two families that made the trails a reality for us to use, and we are grateful!
Additionally, there are three unmarked trails that lead to The Cabin following old logging roads from harvesting operations decades ago that I have used, as well as the limitless options for bushwhacking to The Cabin using a compass and/or GPS. All this to say, there are options for deciding on how to climb up to The Cabin!
Similar to hiking to The Cabin, our lives are also filled with options and choices. Making a Cabin trip requires decisions on preparation, direction, exertion and focus. Sometimes the focus is on the next step you are taking, and sometimes you are focusing a long distance in front of you to make sure you are headed in the right direction.
Over the years, many have climbed to The Cabin pondering the options that lay before them in their lives as well, and a Cabin trip is a unique parallel to our lives as we sift through all the available options that lie before us and make choices.
It is our hope and prayer that The Cabin will be a safe and peaceful place for people to get away to rest and gain clarity on the options before them. We hope people will be encouraged as they walk the trails, read and look out over the mountains, and we believe people will help each other along the way as they converse on the deck with either new or old friends.
They may even be mentored by someone who is invited to share some of the wisdom they have gained over the years through the ups and downs of life. Greg Gordon built The Cabin 30 years ago because he had a love for the mountaintops and a desire for solitude mixed with prayer after a long and busy week. He had the option to keep it to himself, or to allow others to experience his place of refuge. He chose the option to share this special place, and that decision has brought joy to many lives.
As we all consider the options that lay before us, I hope we can learn from Greg’s example to choose not just the best option for us personally, but options that bless others.