It was a Friday afternoon in early July and the weather was perfect for a mid-afternoon hike through the Smoky Mountains. The wispy clouds were scattered along the bright blue sky like pulled-apart cotton balls. The sunshine was filtering through the overhead canopy of leaves. My family and I began walking on a scenic trail right near the top of a small mountain. My family chose this trail because it would be walkable even for the children under the age of five and adults over the age of sixty-five. It was a simple trail; the path was a mixture of gravel and clay all of the way to the end. Most trails are not so easy. Most trails are strenuous with rocks jutting out from every-which-way and roots that latch onto a person’s feet. As we began
Walking in modern society is seen as a tool to get from one place to another. However, philosophers explore the idea that walking can be much more than just a means of transportation. Walking is a catalyst for the brain it helps increase brain function subsequently forming more articulate thoughts. I’ve noticed that the surroundings in which you choose to saunter play a big role in your thought process as well. Walking home on the streets of Berkeley compared to hiking through the mountains of Tahoe, I noticed a difference in my thought process. While in the mountains I felt much more relaxed and mentally clear, compared to when I was walking to my house I felt stressed and in a rush to get home. This idea is supported by the works of Rebecca
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...
Jackie Robinson once said,” Yes, here is my homeground here and in all the Negro communities through the land. Here I stand.” Jackie overcame many barriers. One barrier he overcame was leaving the people he cared about to play in the Major League. I had a similar barrier that I overcame. I moved from Boone to Winston Salem. I started kindergarten and moved in the middle of seventh grade at my old school. The school I went to was pre-k through eighth grade. Since I started there, I wanted to finish there. I always thought I would but plans change. We all have to deal with change.
The Grand Canyon, it’s truly is grand. The animals, the plant life, and the canyon’s history is something my father and I have been interested in for a long time. My dad, Erik, shows me plant specimens and fossils of animals i’ve never seen before. He once told me there was a type of vulture that are so close to extinction there are only 20 left alive in the world. We visited Arizona to see the Grand Canyon once dad got enough money to go on a roadtrip. I’m so excited to see my friends there, too. I brought so much snacks, maybe too much, and my backpack is kind of heavy for the hiking trip, but I’ll live through it.
Everyone enjoys the outdoors at least once in their life. Some cross fierce rapids on boats, while others hike treacherous mountains trails. Most people have a reason for wanting to do these crazy things; this is no exception to, specifically, the Appalachian Trail.
After three weeks of waiting for the grass to grow, it finally sprouted up and we started our journey for Oregon. After the first towns in the beginning, The people guiding me began to throw materials out of the back of the wagon. That's when I noticed that their was all sorts of stuff scattering the trail. That night, my guiders unloaded a pile of assorted materials. In the morning, not to my surprise the wagon was lighter and easier to move. The journy was very dry for the next few weeks it was very dry, except when we hit these little towns. We would stop for no more than a day to stock up on energy, then keep on walking.
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
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.
Beginning of summer 2013, my family; which includes my mother, aunt, little brother, and myself, decided to take a trip to Texas. During our little vacation we went to Dallas and met the people off of Gas Monkey Garage, the TV show,and got pictures with them as well, they all smelled fantastic, like fancy cologne. Also we stopped at a mall in Dallas where they have a ice skating rink! I’m pretty sure we need malls with ice skating rinks in Utah! Anyways we ended up leaving with 6 pairs of flip flops from a little shop that reminded me of Hawaii. We went to Galveston Texas and rode a four person bicycle on the street next to the ocean, also in Galveston I learned how to catch little crabs with a net and a piece of bacon, we went to an amusement park on a pier; not just for rainbow flavored dippin’ dots, but also for the insane roller coasters that go over the ocean. While in Texas I learned many
When going for a walk, a person takes in the beauty around them. On this particular day, the refulgent sun is extra bright, making the sky a perfect blue. White, puffy clouds fill the sky, slowly moving at their own pace. The wind is peacefully calm, making the trees stand tall and proud. There is no humidity in the air.
Being invited to a friend’s house the other day, I began to get excited about the journey through the woods to their cabin. The cabin, nestled back in the woods overlooking a pond, is something that you would dream about. There is a winding trail that takes you back in the woods were their cabin sits. The cabin sits on top of a mountain raised up above everything, as if it was sitting on the clouds.
hours, days or even weeks on a trail, can help take the stresses of everyday life as we can rest in
In the distance, the trail along which I had been walking wound through a thick velvet fog. Lining the path were tall trees that stoo...
His name is Smoke and he was the most beautiful, enormous horse I have ever seen. He was immediately intimidating with his jet black coat of sleek hair. My excitement to ride these mountains with him overcame all my fear. At first I was only able to stay on the saddle by holding onto the saddle horn. Not long after, I felt like I had ridden Smoke my whole life. It was dream-like as we trotted the trails with ease. I could never have chosen a more wonderful way to experience the beautiful Colorado mountains than astride this great horse. We rushed past the Aspen and Cottonwood trees. I caught the far off smell of campfires burning as we walked through fields of wildflowers. The scene laid out on all sides of me seemed to be a whole different
We arrive at the trailhead in the mid morning and we start to walk. I have my plastic book bag from school on my back. Inside are the dire essentials, Blankie, clean underwear, socks, toothbrush, paste and strapped to the outside is my sleeping bag. I am wearing tiny sneakers, brightly colored of red, orange and with white laces. We start the climb up the trail. It wanders uphill through deciduous forest. The trees here are large; Beeches predominate with birches and maples making up most of the rest. We move as a group in order from tallest, dad, to smallest, Tim and me. In the middle is Charlotte taking on the role of Big Sis telling her brothers behind her where to step and warning of bears and mountain lions. It takes us two hours to cover the first mile. A good pace for small feet. We stop at a trial junction and sit on a group of large boulders. We eat lunch on what we would thereafter call the “Lunch Rocks”.