MARK H. JOHNSTON, M.D.
INTRODUCTION to 17 CAIRNS
by Mark Johnston, M.D.
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I was above tree line and nearing the summit of Mount Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. A hot July sun hung over the highest peak in the northeastern United States, zapping my energy and soaking my T-shirt with sweat. With each labored step, I soldiered on to reach the exposed 6,288-foot peak of Mount Washington, where scientists recorded the fastest wind speed ever at 231 miles per hour on April 10, 1934.
Dotting the trail were cairns that earlier hikers had placed to mark the way. A cairn is a man-made stack of rocks used as a trail marker or navigational aid. Hikers like myself commonly find cairns in areas where the trail may be indistinct, such as in rocky or barren terrains, above the tree line, or in areas with heavy snow cover.
This was summer, so the snow was long gone, but I found every cairn on the trail helpful. As I followed each one on the way to the top, I took notice of their unique properties. Some cairns were short and squatty like a toad, while others were tall and regal like sentries outlining a route. Each marker seemed uniquely crafted to fit the terrain.
Suddenly, a heavy mist set in out of nowhere, turning the landscape white. Walking in this dense cloud, I could not see the cairns, which had seemingly disappeared. Blind and unsure of which way to go, I sat down, took off my backpack, laid it by a boulder, and waited for the mist to clear. Time passed slowly, but eventually, the foggy conditions cleared, allowing me to resume my trek.
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I was thankful when I spotted the next cairn just off in the distance, which told me I was back on course. Even though I felt like I was inching my way to the summit, I made it to the top of the mountain peak, which afforded me a bird’s-eye view of the long serpentine trail I had traversed and the magnificent world around me. I made it to the top! My heart filled with joy, and I was again thankful for the journey I’d been on — on this steep trail and in life.
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You see, I’m a gastroenterologist in my mid-sixties who’s been happily married to my wife, Lavonne, for more than forty years, with three grown children and a growing brood of grandchildren. I love to hike and be attuned to what God is teaching me. During the summer of 2022, I also trekked the Camino Frances, a five-hundred-mile trail from the French border town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago, Spain, where the remains of St. James the Great, one of the twelve apostles, are reported to be interred.
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My book, 17 Cairns, is about how I came to recognize the “cairns” placed in my life and what I’ve learned from them. They guide me along life’s journey as surely as the cairns did when I climbed Mount Washington and hiked the Camino Frances. Some cairns I did not recognize or understand at first. Only years later did I see their significance. I hope that as I share some of mine, you’ll recognize yours because we all have cairns that mark our journey through life—significant moments that stand out and shape who we are, such as a major illness, an unexpected betrayal, or serendipitous success.
As you walk with me through my 17 cairns, my desire is to help you discover what God wants you to learn from your life experiences. Thank you for coming along on the pilgrimage the Lord has set before us.