Retreat in Wilderness and Discipleship

Join Patrick Dean, the author of A Window to Heaven: The Daring First Ascent of Denali, America’s Wildest Peak, which recounts the 1913 first summit of North America’s highest peak, Mt. Denali, in Alaska by The Rev. Hudson Stuck. This retreat will invite you to encounter God and yourself in the wildness of these mountains and our lives through sharing the untold story of Hudson Stuck and by spending time hiking or relaxing at Valle Crucis Conference Center. Optional group hikes for various ability levels will be offered by Holy Hikes of WNC on Monday and Tuesday between learning about Hudson Stuck who spent much of his ministry visiting remote Alaskan villages by dogsled and advocating for Native rights in the early 1900s.

Participants may also enjoy downtime at the retreat center, visit nearby Boone, NC, or drive through the country on beautiful mountain roads. Come to the high country this fall to hike, grow in faith, learn about one of the church’s unknown saints, and encounter the God who made it all.

Patrick Dean is the author of A Window to Heaven: The Daring First Ascent of Denali, America’s Wildest Peak and Nature’s Messenger: Mark Catesby and His Adventures in a New World. Dean lives, works, and plays in and around Monteagle, Tennessee. He has written speeches for Congressional candidates, taught inner-city high-school English, and earned a master’s degree in theology.

Since 2012, Patrick has been a free-lance writer, social-media content creator, and website designer. He is also the executive director of the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a walking and cycling trail on a former railroad bed. Patrick is a content ambassador for Territory Run Co.
A Window to Heaven is his first book.