The hike for me was very helpful because at that time I was going through a lot of personal issues. I was in a phase where I felt like no one in the Marine Corps could be trusted. Now I’m in a very good place Meritorious mass, and Marine of the Quarter all because of this event that took place it changed my view of things and made me realize on that hike that hey there are people here that can be trusted not all of them but the ones that were there with me right then and there. Thank you so much Mr. Todd for being my motivator in that very low place I was in!!

Each hike provided a way to baseline my mind, my life, and my struggles through casual conversation and exercise in a non-attributional setting of people.

The hikes meant gaining an existential connection with a group of people that I could communicate and share those often hard to talk about things occurring in veterans/professionals lives that would help place into perspective the challenges in my life. I am forever grateful to the organizer of this event and his leadership. 

They gave me a way to work myself through the stresses of life that often included finances, family life balance, and operational stress. 

Each 9 to 10 mile uphill hike itself was both challenging physically and mentally, but all levels of fitness can make the trail if you just give yourself a chance. 

The hikes meant working through the obstacles of the trail and the obstacles of our lives  all under a common cause of the outdoors, holistic exercise and a desire to be leaders in our own lives. 

It meant therapy. 

It meant mentorship - both, by learning to be mentored and learning how to be a good mentor. 

It meant taking time for yourself and your team to get away from those petty things in our lives that keep us from sharpening our minds with outside and exercise activities that challenge us.  

It meant commitment to something hard, uncomfortable, and rewarding. 

It meant growth. 

It meant learning. 

It meant fun. 

It meant friendship. 

It meant lifelong connections by the common hardships that bind people together. 

It meant getting your ass out there on the mountain for your team and enjoying the great outdoors and some of the most beautiful landscapes the United States has to offer. 

*When I first started the hikes it was just an event of camaraderie and esprit, but what I would find out through the mountains of the Shenandoah valley while pushing through the miles, cracks and crevices of rock walls and trails would be a deep therapeutic experience. I would come to find that through the entire event and with each trip that I was sharing the aches and pains of the hike as well how to deal with the aches and pains of learning to be a leader, a father, a service member, and so much more by just hiking and talking with people of all types. 

This organization can help anyone. I’ve been both the bearer and witness to its success. 

PTSD, daily struggles, mental health -  it doesn’t matter, hike your way through it with the team. If you don’t push yourself through it, we will. 

Though Task Force Spark offers more than a hike in the Shenandoah Valley, it was this hike that enabled me to begin letting my guard down. The sense of community and connection that Todd Wagenhorst cultivated was remarkable. He created a space where the hike became not just a physical journey but a deeply enriching experience. I left Old Rag with not only breathtaking memories of the landscape but with a newfound sense of inner peace. Todd has the ability (as a product of his demeanor and servant approach) to encourage others to let their guard down (without it feeling intrusive), share stories, and embrace the natural beauty of the mountains and this life that surrounds us all (even when we eagerly awaited our own passing because we viewed this world as an evil place where incomprehensible suffering would exist in perpetuity). A truly transformative experience that I will cherish forever.