It was a blissful August morning, the summer after I graduated high school. At 5:30 AM, we broke trail and began the ascent up Wilson Peak. Standing at 14,017 ft. above sea level, I embraced solitude, freedom, openness, and the fresh air of the Rocky Mountains. With anticipation, I prepared to leave this place, knowing I would soon be part of an urban environment where I would hike stairs instead of trails, stand atop skyscrapers instead of mountains, and carry pepper spray for muggers instead of bears. The next day, I packed my bags and moved myself to Chicago for college. Although this was a drastic change of scenery, I felt this move was necessary to open doors for opportunities and success. I stood at a crossroads of two contrary lives, …show more content…
My childhood experiences were especially unique. Every Memorial Day weekend was the best weekend of the year. Ironically, yet purely, these were the most memorable days of my childhood. This special weekend at the end of May indicated adventure. On Thursday afternoon when I was in Spanish class during middle school, I anxiously waited for the school bell to ring. At this moment, schoolwork was irrelevant and all I could think about was playing in the wilderness. Others in my class anxiously waited for their release to go to lunch, while I was lucky enough to be freed into the start of a four-day escapade in the desert.… Beeeeeeep! I rushed out the doors and found my dad waiting for me in his 2005 Land Rover LR3 packed full of camping gear. My dad, brother, and I fled our ordinary lives and homely abode of Telluride, Colorado to embark on a backpacking trip to the Golden Cathedral in the Escalante, Utah area. Preparation is key for all expeditions in the outdoors because nature is so unpredictable. Anxious and excited, we had little expectations for our first backpacking trip except that we were going to hike twelve miles with twenty pounds of essential backpacking gear loaded in our
Becoming the person I am today and overcoming all the roadblocks and detours life has thrown at me, was not easy. An epiphany that has helped change me into a more independant woman, transpired in the office of a dealership. At that moment is when it dawned on me that I’d officially entered adulthood. My significant other, however, sees my move from New York to Connecticut as my most significant and life changing experience. Both of our perspectives were definitely important milestones in my life, but one seemed to tip the scale more than the other .
Bill Bryson uses his experience on the Appalachian Trail to show how different your expectations can be compared to the reality of the situation. Bryson believed that he was fully prepared for the hike and that it would be exciting but, in all actuality it was very difficult. He also believed that the hike would be stimulating for the mind but, at times it didn’t require a lot of thinking or attention. His experience and the background research he provided created an image for his audience so they could understand the point he was trying to make. These elements served as evidence in the book and was very effective because it was abundant and meaningful.
It was our fifth day in the Philmont Scout Reservation in New Mexico, the halfway point of the trek. I as the Crew Leader was responsible for the other 11 members of the crew, including 4 adults. I was in charge, and amazingly the adults rarely tried to take over, although they would strongly advise me what to do in some situations. Phil, with the exception of me, the oldest scout and the Chaplain for the trip, was my second. Together we dealt with problems of making sure everyone carried the right amount of stuff in their pack to who had to cook and cleanup each day. The trip had gone well so far, no injuries, and the worst problem had been a faulty backpack. As I walked I thought about the upcoming campsite. Supposedly this one had running water from a solar powered pump—so had the last night’s site but the tank was too low to use for anything but cooking because the of how cloudy it had been of late. But today was bright and shinny, and hot, so I didn’t think there would be a problem.
Graydon, D., and K. Hanson, editors. 1997. Mountaineering: the freedom of the hills, sixth edition. The Mountaineers,
Summary: This week was a shorten week due to the Memorial Day holiday. My goal this week was to continue the work on the Executive presentation and related findings of the OP process.
The time spent there became more about meeting family friends and going to dinners. Almost four years passed before I returned to the memory of getting lost in those woods. It was a week before the start to my junior year of high school, and I was visiting my grandparents in Virginia. One morning, after a very early breakfast and a promise to return promptly, I walked outside toward the woods. I walked aimlessly, remembering the similar trips I used to make in the forest upstate. I saw a young kid, eager to dirty his hands with exploration of the tangible world. I was older now, and my summer had been spent exploring a possible career path by interning at a financial services firm. A sudden thought crept slowly into my mind, piecing itself together before my
I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and it’s all I’ve ever known. When I was younger my parents took me on little short trips like, Toronto and Columbus, Ohio. I was young, so I didn’t really remember a lot that was going on or different about the two places. When I got older, I decided I wanted a change in my life but did not know what or where. In September of 2003, I was invited to my cousin’s wedding in Charlotte, North Carolina. I decided to go and when I did, I did not want to return back to Buffalo. Of course, I had to come back to Buffalo because I was only visiting. I had made up in my mind right then, Charlotte, North Carolina was the place for my children and me. I decided to move to Charlotte before Christmas of that year. My experiences were years to remember. I stayed in Charlotte for a total of seven years. During the years I had been living in Charlotte, my most memorable experiences were the weather and the commuting.
The trip began when I took a small green pencil and signed by name on the release forms needed to hike in Yosemite National Park. I and nine of my friends left the ranger station that night with a neatly folded map and a felling of excitement to what lay ahead. The long drive to the park left us tired and in need of a good night’s sleep. We decided to stay in tent city like most hikers do before they set out for their trek. Tent city was a large subdivision of tents that resembled a community of houses. Each tent was perfectly uniformed in its appearance and made up a total of fifty tents. Before we went to bead, we studied our maps and made an itinerary to the amount of hiking we would do.
Taking on a journey stretching well over 2,100 miles, covering fourteen states (from Maine to Georgia) by foot is no simple stroll where at the end of the day a comfortable bed and hot meal would await you. Instead, hiking the Appalachian Trail can be an endless battle with all the elements of mother nature: whereas in one state spring would have sprung already with wildflowers dressing the forest floors and insects buzzing through crisp air, on other parts of the trail it [the weather conditions] would be smothering heat, but meanwhile a few states north the rain would fall endlessly with gusts of cold wind, and snow would blanket the pathways of the trail and more than likely blizzards would ensue. When hiking the Appalachian Trail you’ll want to be prepared in more ways than one, you will
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...
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...
It was a quiet, bright morning on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon , not a cloud in the sky. Me, my mom and dad ate a large breakfast of egg, hashbrowns, and bacon to get read for the huge dy before us. My dad and I packed our backpacks with all the supplies we needed to camp in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Inside we had a pillow, a sleeping bag, six packs of MRE’s (meals ready to eat), trail mix, two liters of water, clothes, towels, and other small things. Strapped to the outside of our packs were half of the tent each and our sleeping mats.
It is through the events in the journey of life that shapes and molds who we are as people. As for me, immigrating to America was one of those milestones that have shaped who I am. Those who have had the opportunity of moving from a different country to America know what a privilege it is. I felt the same honor to know that I would be journeying to the land of opportunity. Without hesitance, I spent the last two months packing and making the final preparations before moving to a new continent. Although it was a bittersweet time, leaving my beloved family behind, I knew that I couldn’t resist the treasure that waited for me in the new land. Coming from a developing nation the high level of sophistication that greeted me on arrival to America made feel like I was in paradise.
With no hesitation, we presented this idea to our mother and she backed us up. After much anticipation, it was decided, our 2014 summer vacation would take place in Colorado to enjoy mountains and exceptional music. One would think the highlight of the trip was the concert, however, one could not be any more wrong. The highlight was literally the highest point of the trip. Inching our way up Pike’s Peak to an elevation of 14,115 miles (“About Pike’s Peak”) proved to be quite the adventure.
One of the most enjoyable things in life are road trips, particularly to the Colorado mountains. Getting to spend time with your family and friends, while being in a beautiful place, is irreplaceable. The fifteen-hour road trip may feel never-ending, but gazing at the mountains from afar makes life’s problems seem a little smaller and causes worries to become a thing of the past. Coming in contact with nature, untouched, is a surreal experience. My family trip to the Colorado mountains last summer was inspiring.