On a hot day towards the beginning of September, I decided to go on a hike. I went with a friend by the name of Tyler, both 16 at the time, on a hike to the top of Bridal Veil Falls found in the Spearfish canyon. We planned on going rock hounding, which is a hobby of ours. Another main focus of ours was to experience the beautiful waterfall in a unique way. Unlike everyone else looking up at it from ground, we would get to see the waterfall’s source and watch it rush over the edge. With our hiking packs full of tools and water for the hike, we took off not expecting what was to come.
Pulling up to Bridal Veil Falls, we were welcomed by the warmth and the smell of pine, and the vibrant greens coming from the canyon. There was a wide variety
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However, we should have really considered turning back. Instead, we continued on not thinking about the dangers of going back to the start of the trail. At the top we could hear that we were above the waterfall so we looked for a way down to it. We found a trail that led to a valley below and that was where the waterfall was located. We continued down to the valley below which proved to be even more difficult than the trek up. Sliding down section by section, while attempting to grab whatever passes us to slow us down for the turns, or the edges of the cliffs. By doing so we got thorns in our palms, slivers, and blisters. We had scratches from the rocks scraping our legs and hands, and blood dripping down our shins. When we finally made it to the multiple waterfalls that whoosh down the rocks, which lie right above Bridal Veil Falls. We were thrilled, and relieved that we had made it there, that we did not take the wrong path. We looked for rocks for roughly thirty minutes and found three possible geodes, which are rocks with crystals within, as well as many other interesting colored specimens. As we continued to the edge of the Bridal Veil Falls waterfall, we had to climb over fallen trees and humongous boulders so that we could look over the edge. However, that day was a little windy, but that did not stop Tyler from trying, which he ended up retreating because the edge was slippery, and wind and a slippery cliff are not a …show more content…
We knew that if we would make one mistake we could be seriously hurt. We could not figure out where we came from since there were many forks in the path. We saw a boulder, but we knew there was no way we could get over it safely with the cliff there as well, so we opted for one of the many others. Sliding down tree root to tree root we slowly made our way down the hill. Quite often we would find ourselves in a bare area, with no plants, no buried rocks, or tree roots to help us down the straight up and down section. Turning around or completely sliding down on our backs until our next stop. The bags on our backs are starting to make it a lot harder, because we cannot lie all the way back, unless we take them off, and that is not an option, because they will roll down the hill, never to be found. The sun was starting to go down, we knew we had to hurry up, so down the hill we continued with sweat dripping down our
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...
We hit a down hill point so we grabbed drift wood. It would save man power and be faster to sled down. The rest helped Landon out the most because he was the smallest so he didn 't have energy left to use. But this refreshed him so we could keep going. Time was not on are side. The only thing keeping us alive was the fact that if we got out we would be the first ones ever to make it out not dead. It was about the hottest point in the day now and we had to find shade or we would get to dehydrated and die. We drank all the water we had just to fine out that we had a under ground stream below
Located in the popular Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in California. Every year, mother nature’s breathtaking beauty attracts millions of people from around the world. People hike for three long and fatiguing hours in anticipation of witnessing forceful water rushing down the steep mountain from 2,425 feet above. Last summer, my family and I backpacked through the Yosemite Falls Trail and I came to learn what a truly exhausting experience it is.
The skies were clear and a very bright blue. We unpacked our gear from the car and started hiking on the trail. Walking on the rocky trail was hard and tiring but the views were great. There were areas that were very grassy and green and others that seemed very dry. Our trail wasn’t on the green side.
“Come on, “ my counselor Emily screamed from shore. The quick rapids made it very difficult to dig our paddles into the river. My cabin was stopping to eat lunch on our Tuesday canoeing trip. On Saturday, we had traveled down to Brownstown, Indiana for a week full of friends, fun, and God. My church stayed at a retreat center called Pyoca. Every year on Tuesday, we would go on a canoeing or rafting trip depending on the water levels. Emily, Annabelle, my canoeing partner, and I sat along the sand bank waiting for other canoes to come in. Many other groups slowly went by, while we patiently waited for other groups to come in. I was so hungry, I couldn’t wait. Canoeing had zapped all of my energy, and had made me really hungry. I began to quickly wade out into the river, so I could help the other canoes come in faster. Someone screamed, “Be careful” from the bank. Nate Epple, a counselor of
I knew taking this shortcut was a mistake, yet I didn't think I had enough strength to keep climbing this monumental cliff with the others. The humidity was affecting my vision and the ground now started to spin. The muscles in my legs felt
Dani and I stand in the sun waiting for the “men” to catch up. The view was worth Quill’s whining and navigating through the snow. The breeze catches in the bright green and gold of new Aspen leaves whispering around the lake. The Pine trees scent the air and bask in the sun to steal its warmth from the forest below. The trees are a dark canopy along our path permitting only a few patches of the raised finely mulched trail to a beam or two of sun. Framed like a photo three pencil lead gray peaks rise above a lower sweeping curve of pines. They look close enough to walk over the ridge and touch them. Boulders precariously cling to the side of the mountains. The perfect deep blue early summer sky is the perfect backdrop.
Earlier this summer, my Mom decided it would be a fun idea to hike the Grand Canyon. After four hours of sitting in a plane and another four hours sitting in a car, we finally passed the “Grand Canyon National Park” sign. It was verging on dark, and the sun peeked just over the flat, desert horizon, slowly disappearing past the endless line in the sky. We quickly checked into our room in the hotel, unpacked our overstuffed suitcases, and zipped on outside to get a good view of the famous gash in the earth’s surface. As I went outside, I could feel the coolness of the air on my skin, the fresh smell of desert nature coursing through my nostrils. The wind had picked up, and was now whistling through what little trees there were, covering the chirping chorus of crickets and other insects hiding for the night. Suddenly, my hat blew off my head, and I hastily sprinted to recover it.
I almost fell off a cliff on the side of a mountain. I was in Pitkin, Colorado, on a camping trip during the summer of 2009. The trees were green, the air was fresh so were the lakes, rivers, and ponds were stocked with fish and wildlife was everywhere. Usually, on these camping trips, I would be accompanied by a large number of people. However, this time, it was just my parents, my three brothers, and my two sisters. I was almost 12 years old at the time and having three older brothers made me very competitive. Naturally, when my family decided to climb one of the mountain’s which were around us, I wanted to be the first one to reach its peak.
Walking through the woods never fails to clear my mind. After spending all day sitting in a stale classroom, filled with stress, confusion, and overwhelming responsibilities, taking a long stroll through the familiar woods behind my grandmother’s house lifts any worries that could ever weigh me down. I never wander through aimlessly. I always follow the trail of grass that has been deliberately cut down shorter than the rest, making it easier to tread through to the small creek at the end of the trail. The entire journey through the woods behind my grandmother’s house, there and back, first took on a whole new importance in my life during my junior year of high school.
A traumatizing experience awaited me, an experience that would strike immediate fear into my heart. In the summer of 2011, right after finishing up third grade, my family and I departed off to the group of islands just off the coast of Seattle known as the San Juan Islands. Since it was our first day arriving by ferry from the mainland, we promptly decided onto going to the clear, lovely beach, for it’s so infrequent to find a decent beach in the area of Houston. “Time to finish up here!” my mom announced after 30 minutes of adventuring the flawless sand and expressive waves clearly passed by. The majority of the family which included everyone but my dad and I went to scour for astounding stores since we still happened to be emptying our shoes of sand.
Digging into the snow with my boots while stabilizing my body with the uninjured arm, I inch across the hill, lose my foothold, and plummet downward.
The visual surrounding the lake was perceived before the mountains was beautiful and serene. The lavender flowers near the water mirroring the colossal mountains smelled of spring. The sunset illuminated the sky making it purple and orange. The huge rocks were faultless and could be used for sitting and thinking. The warm breeze reassured that springtime was near. The lake was ideal for swimming, it was so clear. The cabins around the lake were perfect for summertime with family and friends. The clouds looked impeccable as they were angled over the mountains, their rectangular shapes resembled fluffy pillows. The snow had almost completely melted off the mountain in the distance. The environment was well needed for break within a busy life.
For those who like winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, we have just the perfect place- the remote yet very popular mountain resort called Balea Lake.
The world we live in today is always changing, whether it be technology or the land. As these changes take place, society must adapt to them. Many things begin to change as a result of this and society beings to turn into something completely different. One of the most overlooked changes that takes place is that of the environment and landscape. The landscape is one of the most important parts of our society’s culture and has a great effect on how we live. It seems that nowadays, many individuals are taking advantage of the land and nothing appreciating it for every thing that it is worth. Its true that not everyone is going to look at the environment and landscape in the same way, however that is no excuse to disrespect it. Then again, a whole new argument can start from that, as different individuals are going to have different views on what disrespecting the land. Many positive things have come from taking advantage of the land, and also, there have been many negative things to come as a result of this. It all depends on how you look at it. One thing is for sure though, no matter what the case is, the land and environment we live in plays a huge part in each of our everyday lives.