Q&A with a Northbound Backpacking Guide
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”
Psalm 113:3
This summer, Eastern Ottawa Young Life Committee Member Rebecca Steigenga spent four weeks traveling to/from North Manitou Island and guiding high school and middle school students and their leaders on a wilderness backpacking experience with Northbound—a Young Life Adventure Camp.
North Manitou Island is located about 12 miles northwest of Leland, MI. Perhaps you’ve caught a glimpse of the “fifteen thousand acres of wilderness floating out in the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan.” At nearly 8 miles long and more than 4 miles wide, North Manitou is one of the few places where you can stand at one shore to watch the sunrise over Lake Michigan, hike across the island, and watch the sunset over the same lake. It’s stunning!
For Rebecca, who grew up in West Michigan and watched countless sunsets over Lake Michigan, waking hikers up at 5:30am to watch the sunrise from North Manitou, meditating together on Psalm 113, and then finishing the day with a sunset on the other side of the island was unforgettable. In her words: “It was such a holy moment.”
Rebecca’s experience as a Northbound Guide was filled with holy moments as she led students both on the trail and in their walk with Christ. It was a huge leap of faith that had its challenges but also its rewards. Her mantra became, “Where God guides, He provides.”
We asked Rebecca to share about her experience this summer in a little Q&A. Here’s what she had to say:
WGLR: How did you decide to become a Northbound Guide?
Rebecca: I remember seeing Chris Theule-VanDam share something on Facebook about Northbound Adventures needing guides for this summer. I had no clue what Northbound was, but I read more and I thought to myself, “This is an actual dream job for me.” After much prayer, discussion, and discernment with my husband, I decided to go for it. I reached out to Northbound Director Brett Sharp and asked lots of questions, like, “Is it even a reality for a 41-year-old with a bad back to guide trips all summer?” Brett was very quick to say, “If you can’t do it we have problems because I am in my 40s with a bad back AND bunions.” And that was the start of the beautiful relationship and commitment that led to me guiding for Northbound.
WGLR: What does a Northbound Guide do?
Rebecca: A Northbound Guide is responsible for guiding middle school and high school kids and their Young Life leaders on the trails of North and South Manitou Islands. We are responsible for food preparation, medical treatment, and knowing about the gear we use (i.e. fuel and burners, tents, backpacks, and water purification systems). We have to know the trail system, how to get from one place to another, and how to manage time well. We have to convince kids that they can hike and carry everything they need in a backpack. We have to be “on” 100% of the time.
WGLR: What’s one highlight from your time as a Northbound Guide?
Rebecca: One favorite moment was getting to know Ranger Dave, a volunteer with the National Parks who lives on the island all summer by himself. He is an older gentleman who cares deeply for the island and gets grumpy when groups don’t respect the rules. Northbound, of course, honors the rules of the island.
We took it upon ourselves to befriend Dave. We let him tell us about the roses he tended on the island, we asked about his family, we asked if he could have anything brought back to the island what would it be. He told us that no one ever brings him ice cream.
Before my next trip, I purchased four single servings of different flavored ice cream and a large bag of ice. Thankfully we were able to keep it in the freezer on the ferry and surprised Ranger Dave with ice cream. He was so excited that we thought of him.
When we returned five days later to the dock to depart the island he was quick to tell us how delicious the ice cream was, what nights he ate which flavor, and how grateful he was. He took our group aside to the Ranger Station, told us the history of the island, and gave us all Junior Ranger badges.
Our time on the island wasn’t just about sharing Christ with kids, but also about creating relationships and sharing Christ’s love with the rangers.
WGLR: What was the hardest thing from this summer and what did you learn from doing that hard thing?
Rebecca: The hardest thing was definitely the Wilderness First Responder training. In the state of Michigan, guides are required to have a WFR certification. It’s 30 hours of online school work, five-day intensive in-person training, followed by an exam. It was intense. I remember crying one night after a long day of training because I didn’t think I could handle it. The devil was trying to convince me that 41-year-old brains don’t get to learn new things and will never succeed. But where God guides, He provides. I came out of that training as a certified WFR, knowing that I am capable of learning and doing hard things. And now I know what a pneumothorax is and how to treat it in the wilderness.
WGLR: Where did you notice God this summer?
Rebecca: I saw God in my fellow guides, the whole Northbound team, and in the way Timber Wolf Lake hosted our team. I saw God through donors. I set out to raise $2,000 and to guide three trips. Over the course of the summer, God guided me and convinced me to be gone for seven weeks and raised over $5,000. He’s so faithful.
I saw God through my husband, Jeff. I knew this would be a stretch to be gone over the summer. I knew that deep down it didn’t make a lot of sense. Our daughter was working on getting her high school diploma, moving out of our house, and starting a full-time job. Our son is an active 16-year-old. It wasn’t going to be easy to be away for the summer. Jeff did it with such grace and encouraged me the entire summer. He even came up to Timber Wolf to see me in between guides a couple of times. He knows my heart so well.
God showed me that my strength comes from Him alone. How else would my 41-year-old body with a bad back be able to walk as many steps as I did and sleep on a hard ground night after night and not have one issue with my back? All glory to God! Over and over again I didn’t know if I could do it and yet God would provide.
I loved every single step, conversation, and moment from guiding Northbound and have seen God work in ways I never could have imagined.
