As I turned around, the sun started to seep out from behind the mountains. The rays quickly changed the freezing air into a comforting warmth. It was 5:30, day 13, and I was around 12,000 feet up, somewhere in the middle of Colorado; and to think it was only two hours into one of the longest days of my life. The silence was very soothing, something I have never experienced anywhere else.There were few moments where I could forget everything, forget the 50 pound backpack, forget how cold and how hot it was at the same time, and forget how tired I felt. This was one of those moments. I was on a 22 day hiking, mountaineering, and rock climbing course with the Colorado Outward Bound School. I received the opportunity through a program called Summer Search. This was the first time I had done anything of the sort. This event greatly helped me transition into adulthood. I was always surrounded by nature and wildlife coming from an urban environment where I lived for almost my whole life. This was an experience I had to dive in head first not knowing what to expect. I couldn’t prepare for the physical and mental challenges. …show more content…
This was a whole nother level of responsibility and teamwork. People’s lives were in my hands. What I did could seriously impact not only myself but also everyone around me so I had to really think about the consequences of my actions and work with everyone to keep each other satisfied. We had our responsibilities as team members and that would change daily such as navigator, leader, cook, etc. We also relied on each other to do each task and it was never a dominant voice, it was always a
The freezing wind had chilled my hand to the bone. Even as I walked into my cabin, I shivered as if there was an invisible man shaking me. My ears, fingers, toes, and noes had turned into a pale purple, only starting to change color once I had made a fire and bundled myself in blankets like ancient Egyptians would do to their deceased Pharaohs. The once powdered snow on my head had solidified into a thin layer of ice. I changed out of the soaking wet clothes I was wearing and put on new dry ones. With each layer I became more excited to go out and start snowboarding. I headed for the lift with my board and my hand. Each step was a struggle with the thick suit of snow gear I was armored in.
It was simply amazing hiking out there, the mountains covered in tall trees that dug into the rocky soil, the beautiful sky, when visible. Even in the midst of strenuous exercise I still en...
I wasn’t even outside but I could feel the warm glow the sun was projecting all across the campsite. It seemed as if the first three days were gloomy and dreary, but when the sun on the fourth day arose, it washed away the heartache I had felt. I headed out of the trailer and went straight to the river. I walked to the edge, where my feet barely touched the icy water, and I felt a sense of tranquility emanate from the river. I felt as if the whole place had transformed and was back to being the place I loved the most. That day, when we went out on the boat, I went wakeboarding for the first time without my grandma. While I was up on the board and cutting through the wake of the boat, it didn’t feel like the boat was the one pulling and guiding me, it felt like the river was pushing and leading me. It was always nice to receive the reassurance from my grandma after wakeboarding, but this time I received it from my surroundings. The trees that were already three times the size of me, seemed to stand even taller as I glided past them on the river. The sun encouraged me with its brightness and warmth, and the River revitalized me with its powerful currents. The next three days passed by with ease, I no longer needed to reminisce of what my trips used to be like. Instead, I could be present in the moment, surrounded by the beautiful natural
As we were climbing up the hill, I looked around to notice how green the lightly damp grass was, how beautiful the tall trees were, and how fast those snow clouds were moving above us. We got one elk on this adventure, so we decided we would pack up our stuff and head back home. As the white GMC reached the summit of Red Mountain Pass, I looked back to Silverton to see nothing but snow falling from the nearly black clouds in the sky, and I thought to myself--let it snow.
6th grade was not all that bad. That is before the incident however. Going to school was fun for the most part, the classes were difficult, friends were plenteous, and the food was good. Life at Lancaster Country Day School was swell, again, before the incident. Now, said issue somewhat killed my image at the school and saved it at the same time; it also made me question others. Were my friends really my friends? Or did they use me to as a sick and twisted way to formulate drama? I had a friend. I had many friends really, I was friends with the whole 50 people in my grade. But this friend, this friend was different. Her name Mady Gosselin. Yes, the Mady Gosselin from Kate Plus 8. We had been close, I talked to her almost every day. However,
The mountains were tall (11,000 feet +) and covered with bright powdery snow. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I was eager to set-up camp and prepare for our nine day hunt. But, Dad said that we had to drive around and check out all the good places, just to make sure that we were in the best area. This was partially understandable, but since I am a teenager I'm not supposed to understand anything! So, we spent another several hours driving. We went up and down through the mountains and then we saw it. The spot was beautiful; it was right on the edge of a vertical drop-off, over looking everything. It was like paradise, but colder!
I took a trip to Colorado In July of 2015 it was the best week of my life. The best part of that week was the day that I got to spend in rocky mountain national park. It was a great experience with beautiful scenery and wildlife everywhere you looked. This trip changed everything I thought about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do when I am finished with my schooling.
Basically I learned that I had all the leadership qualities that I needed to get my team to the Delaware Water Gap. I also found many other qualities I had, like my willpower to get the job done, or my problem solving ability. All my true qualities came out during this challenge and they were needed to accomplish the goal. There were times where we wouldn't exactly get along with each other and I had to confront people, but we got over
Not once have I given up an opportunity to venture to Vacationland, one of Maine’s state slogans, since every trip differs from the previous. One of the most amazing experiences occurred this past summer, one that has surpassed all other Maine memories. My family and I woke up in the very early morning hours, three am to be exact, to travel forty five minutes away to Acadia National Park for a view of the very first sunrise within the United States. The summit of Cadillac Mountain, located on Mount Desert Island within Acadia National Park, experiences the first of the Sun’s rays within America each morning. Luckily, that morning there were few clouds in the sky and the sunrise was unlike one I have ever witnessed. I felt as if my all of my nerves began to tingle once I caught the first glimpse of light emerging over the horizon. Within minutes everyone who had gathered on the summit became immersed in the light from the sunrise, one in which only a...
After the first day of setting up camp, going fishing and doing all sorts of other activities, we started to prepare for hiking up the mountain the next day. Climbing the mountain was nothing new for us, we have gone up the same mountain every year we habe been camping in Pitkin. The following morning was perfect, there was almost no wind, a few clouds, and a good temperature. I was feeling great and looking
I was the first person to ski off of the chairlift that day; arriving at the summit of the Blackcomb Mountain, nestled in the heart of Whistler, Canada. It was the type of day when the clouds seemed to blanket the sky, leaving no clue that the sun, with its powerful light, even existed anymore. It was not snowing, but judging by the moist, musty, stale scent in the air, I realized it would be only a short time before the white flakes overtook the mountain. As I prepared myself to make the first run, I took a moment to appreciate my surroundings. Somehow things seemed much different up here. The wind, nonexistent at the bottom, began to gust. Its cold bite found my nose and froze my toes. Its quick and sudden swirling movement kicked loose snow into my face, forcing me to zip my jacket over my chin. It is strange how the gray clouds, which seemed so far above me at the bottom, really did not appear that high anymore. As I gazed out over the landscape, the city below seemed unrecognizable. The enormous buildings which I had driven past earlier looked like dollhouses a child migh...
Each of us had learned something from that trip. For me, this experience has taught me what gratitude is, the impact a good attitude has, what a servant looks like, and really how the relationships we make with our life are the most important aspect of life. It was the summer after my freshman year of high school. Earlier in the year, my parents had decided that they wanted to go on a mission trip as a family and serve somewhere.
This school sponsored adventure group I was part of gave me the opportunity to explore where I was willing to go and what I was willing to do. From surfing to hiking, from rock climbing to visiting a powerful museum, this group gave me the chance
Many years ago when I was a freshman in high school, an event happened to me that changed my life for the better. My friend invited me to go hiking with him and his sister. He was going to go hiking in Yosemite. The following day I prepared myself mentally and physically in order to accomplish this hike.
As I walked I let my eyes close and my feet feel the groove in the gravel. My mind, still asleep, dreamt of breathing. The lining of my father's old coat escaped inside the pockets and caught my fingers, which were numb from the cold. I would have worn gloves but the sun would be unbearable later in the day. The clouds would rise over the mountains and disappear and the birds would slowly become silent as the heat settled in. But for now it was just cold. I tried to warm my neck by breathing down the collar. It smelled like diesel and sweat.