The Competition for Adventure: A Tribute to Ian McClurg

"If there’s anything I’ve learned in these last couple of years, it’s that once in a lifetime adventures only become that if you don’t give them competition."

— Ian McClurg (1982–2026)

On April 9, 2026, the hiking community lost a profound voice. Ian McClurg passed away on the Pacific Crest Trail at the age of 43. He was a writer for The Trek, and his final reflections on life and the trail have left a lasting impact on those of us watching from afar.

In his writing, Ian spoke candidly about the "grind" of the modern world. He wrote:

"I had meticulously ground the route I thought I needed to carve out to make Life – with a capital L – work out: education, relationships, buying a home, career … It worked fine enough until it didn’t work at all. And frankly it was really boring."

While I am not an avid hiker, I have always admired the PCT. In my younger days, I aspired to be that kind of adventurer. But as I read Ian’s words today, they feel reminiscent of my own journey. At 43 years old—the same age Ian was when he passed—I often feel as if I have wasted a large part of my life. Living away from God and wandering from the peace I am finally beginning to feel was a terrible experience. The pain I have caused and the shame I have felt resonate with me constantly.

However, there is a difference now. I don’t feel that shame in the same way. I have begun to face my actions as things to be confronted and changed, rather than hidden and forgotten. Since the past can never be erased, the only path forward is to open myself to God more and more each day through prayer, honesty, love, and daily worship on my drive to school.

My faith journey is not a once in a lifetime event where I am saved and then simply wait for the Second Coming. Instead, it is a daily, constant pursuit of redemption and sanctification. It is living in the "already but not yet"—the tension Jesus spoke of when He said, "The kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17:21), while we still await its full glory.

Unlike the grind Ian described, this journey is not painful; it is a wondrous adventure. I am a chosen saint who is not yet qualified, but I am indeed called. I trust in the promise that "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (Philippians 1:6).

I have been called, and God will qualify me.

Ian found his truth on the trail. I am finding mine in this slow, steady return. May we all find the courage to stop letting a boring life compete with the adventure God has for us.

Happy trails, Ian.