Finding My Strength on the Pulpit

A little over a month ago, I hit the publish button on a blog post and video, both announcing my upcoming attempt of the Tour de LeConte Challenge to raise awareness and (hopefully) $5000 for the Trillium Gap Trail restoration project through Friends of the Smokies’ Trails Forever program.

I’m not comfortable in the spotlight I’ve put myself in, but I knew I had to do it in order to succeed at my fundraising goal—I typically avoid having my picture taken and have gone out of my comfort zone to create videos of my training hikes.  Surprisingly, the physical training on trails has been the easiest part of the process by a long shot.

I took a picture of myself early in my training efforts, however, that was very intentional.  While hiking the Bullhead Trail, I set the timer on my phone to take a photo of me standing on The Pulpit,” an iconic rock formation built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930’s, presumably so folks could see the amazing view beyond the rhododendron beside it (now the view is wide open after the 2016 fires).

My stance in the photo is emulating one of my most favorite works of art, a Hellinistic sculpture in the Louvre in Paris, called Winged Victory. I was in my early 20’s when I first laid eyes on this magnificent piece of  marble.  She held me spellbound with her femininity, power, and grace.

While she is likely meant to represent Nike, the goddess of victory, I love that she now stands headless, her anonymity reflecting any woman’s inner athleticism, even if she hasn’t unearthed it yet within herself.  And she’s not reserved for the most elite of female athletes. Instead, she represents that estrogen fueled, kick-ass goddess in every single one of us. At least that’s how I’ve felt the three times I’ve been fortunate enough to visit her.

I’ve never considered myself athletic (I still don’t, really). I didn’t play sports as a child, I was never picked first for kickball at school, and I’ve never placed in the highest tier of any competitive endeavors I’ve undertaken such as marathons and triathlons. But hiking? It’s where I sometimes feel a semblance of confidence in my own abilities.  

That photo and the symbolism of Winged Victory gave me courage to dig deep and tap into my inner athlete.  It helped set the stage in my own mind for completing this challenge successfully.

I choose to believe there’s a Winged Victory in every woman.  She’s in there no matter how much cellulite we’re sporting on our thighs (I have plenty), how much extra weight we’re carrying from that bowl of ice cream we shouldn’t have eaten (guilty), or how weak we may feel on any given day, due to whatever life has thrown our way.  I believe in the power of all women to tap into a hidden potential within themselves, despite the limitations we can’t control within our bodies, and in spite of the ones we can.

The pulpit also reminds me of my late mother.  She died of cancer when she was 59 and was an Episcopal priest, spending the last years of her career counseling women in an Atlanta prison.  After she died, we had a traditional funeral for her, but the inmates held their own service for her and my family was allowed to attend it at the prison.

If you’ve ever watched the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” think of one of the most emotionally charged, uplifting scenes from that show and you’re in the ballpark of what that service was like.  Those women knew the deep inner workings of my mother’s heart, and when they individually stood at the prison chapel’s pulpit and eloquently expressed what she taught them, it was one of the few times I really believed God exists.

My mom was truly a saint walking the earth, and she was one of the strongest people I’ve ever known, in more ways than one.  But like any human, had weaknesses. She never quite believed how beautiful she was, inside and out, and she wrestled with demons while she searched for a holy grail of perfection that simply doesn’t exist. 

Standing on that pulpit brought me closer to her spirit like all my hikes do, but it also helped me stand above societal expectations of what a woman should look and feel like as an athlete. I desperately wish my mom had been able to tap into that more.  Even though I struggle with those expectations too (in the way that every woman struggles with it to a degree), standing there posing as Winged Victory made me feel like I could overcome any of the bullshit we tell ourselves that makes us feel less than worthy.

We’re hiking the Bullhead Trail first during our Tour de LeConte attempt.  I know that passing by the pulpit and reflecting on the symbolism tied to my mom’s superhero powers and the innate strength l hold inside myself as a woman, will fuel me for the rest of our grueling adventure.  My gratitude runs deep for the hands that built it.   

The Pulpit Predicament

I’ve chewed on the idea of sharing this blog post for several weeks.  You see, I shouldn’t have stood on the pulpit to take that photo.  I did not know that at the time I took the photograph or I would have never done it. I’m a rule follower, and the last thing I want to do is something that disappoints the guardians of the very place I’m trying to protect and preserve in my own ways.

But I’ve come to this conclusion: I can’t unwind the mistake I made standing on the pulpit, but I can try and turn a negative experience into a positive one by teaching others why it’s not a good idea.   

A couple of days after I released my fundraiser video and blog post, I was notified that people were calling the national park to express their discontent about my “pulpit pose.”  The park shared this news with me, and honestly, I was embarrassed that I had (unknowingly) done something displeasing in their eyes. I was also a bit deflated that I was trying to do something good for the park and receiving backlash from so many.

To be clear, the park was exceedingly kind and thoughtful with how they shared the information with me. I do not harbor any negative feelings against them sharing the complaints or their position on the topic with me.  I completely understand and respect the reasons they discourage it (more on that later). After learning this, out of respect for the park, I blurred the pulpit out in my video and took the photo off my blog post, to not encourage others to do as I did. 

Interesting fact: The book, Hiking Trails of the Smokies, a.k.a  “little brown book,” which is considered an authority on the trails of the Smokies, practically encourages hikers to stand on the pulpit.  It’s important to note that this book does not reflect the views of the park, BUT it is undergoing a revision to be published in 2020. The revisions will include input from the park to reflect their position on certain topics.

Why We Shouldn’t Stand on the Pulpit

If you’re ever fortunate enough to see Winged Victory in person, you’ll immediately notice how closely she’s guarded.  It’s not quite as tight as the Mona Lisa, but there is no question that she is off limits to human hands. Of course, there’s a good reason for this and likely no one will question the Louvre’s decision to protect her in this way.

While the pulpit feels a bit different, simply because of its outdoor home, there’s a similar outlook behind the park’s position on it.  They’re doing the best they can to preserve it, along with the many other historical artifacts in the park, like free standing chimneys, for as long as possible.

One day Mother Nature will likely have her way with many of these structures if the park doesn’t have the resources to protect them anymore, but the process will happen even faster if we aren’t respectful of their fragile state.  One person standing on the pulpit may not do much damage, but if every person hiking to LeConte stood on it, it wouldn’t take long to see the effects. 

So I hope you’ll join me in doing our part to keep them alive and well by considering leave no trace principles when you encounter them.

I fully realize that some folks will still stand on the pulpit every time they pass by it, no matter what the park says.  I hold no judgement and it’s not my place to do so. I simply want to use this post as a platform to spread the word of the park’s wishes and encourage others to think before they act in regard to historical landmarks and relics in the park.  I know I certainly will going forward.

The Lesson of the Pulpit

Interestingly, this fundraiser centers around protecting and preserving a man made structure in the park, the Trillium Gap Trail.  The irony that I was inadvertently contributing to the demise of a manmade structure with my “pulpit pose,” while trying to raise funds to restore another one is not lost on me.  It’s also not lost on me that the reason more people don’t know the park’s position on these matters is due to the lack of resources and funding to share that knowledge.

While rangers may be paid in sunsets, they are certainly not paid in enough dollars to justify the incredible amount of work they do, oftentimes with minimal job security and plenty of headaches in the day to day.  They are doing their damndest to protect and preserve our country’s public lands and there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to complete what they’d like.  I’m hoping to advocate for them with this post and on the trails they protect through this fundraiser. 

Our trails can’t maintain themselves, and without our help, they too risk degradation beyond repair one day.  Let’s all do our part to keep not only the pulpit, but the trails, alive and well. The park’s budget is entirely too lean without outside funding.  We are that outside funding, and it’s the best trail magic we can ever bestow, to keep these treasures in great working shape for generations to come.

If you’ve read this far, I hope you’ll consider making a small (or large!) donation to my fundraiser for the Trillium Gap Trail restoration work through Friends of the Smokies. We’re still a couple of thousand short of our fundraising goal.  Even if I finish the Tour de LeConte Challenge, it won’t feel complete without hitting that mark. A huge thanks if you’ve already donated or are inspired to do so after reading this post! 

And keep us in your thoughts and send some good energy our way, as the big day is almost here!  Our route will take us up Bullhead, down Boulevard, up Alum Cave, down Rainbow Falls, up Trillium Gap, and then we’ll finish (strong, hopefully!) on Brushy Mountain Trail.  

We’re super excited that the big day has nearly arrived (in fact, we’re starting it a day early to beat the bad weather moving in, and you can follow our real time progress once we start around 2 a.m. EST Friday through this link), but I’d be lying if said I wasn’t a wee bit nervous.  I guess I’ll have to tap into the power of Winged Victory and let her show me the way to success. 

Happy trails,

Nancy

P.S.  I am humble enough to admit that I shouldn’t have stood on the pulpit, but this post was important enough to me to share the photo without filtering it.  If you are bothered by it, I encourage you to reach out to me directly instead of the park service since they nor Friends of the Smokies are endorsing this fundraiser (although both entities are incredibly appreciative of the funds we are raising).