Having an immense amount of weight on my back while I was trying to get to my new home wasn’t a very good motivation. In fact, I wanted to drop my pack and die every three steps. It didn’t matter how long I had been at Second Nature and how much I had become fond of the place, I hated hiking with crippling weight. The reality of the situation, however, was that we simply could not stop. No matter how much it hurt, we had to keep moving, or else we wouldn’t make it to camp where there would be a source of water. It wasn’t just the hiking that was hard either. Everything I did out there was back breaking and there were so many moments that I just wanted to give up again and again. Yet, I never did. We weren’t allowed to know what was going …show more content…
I think it’s obvious that there is some kind of war I’m fighting, some kind of battle going on behind my eyes, but a lot of people never really figure out why, or what causes it. Ever since I was young I’ve practiced smiling instead of crying. I’ve always just wanted to prove that I was okay, and that I would be okay no matter what, even if I knew that that would never be true. However, there have been a few moments were I have broken down and shocked everyone, and shown them the deepest and most haunted parts of me. That night while we were hiking was one of them. I had yet to tell anyone the truth about my rapist. No one, in fact, even knew that I had been raped, or molested, or touched or broken down so viscously in any way. My parents knew that I was suffering from a great deal of pain, and it obvious to everyone around me as well, but the amount of misery, remained a misery to everyone but myself. It was hard to carry that all around too. The reason I hadn’t told anyone was because my rapist had made me swear to not tell anyone about our relationship before he left. He told me that if I told anyone, he wouldn’t be safe, and that it would be my fault, and I loved him, so I promised him that I would never tell and I wasn’t going to break it. Of course now I know that he just wanted to stay innocent in the eyes of authority, but back then, I carried around the weight of what happened to me everywhere, and I carried it around …show more content…
Everyone was confused because I was the last person to refuse to hike, especially on such an easy and flat one. I sat there for a while, tears pouring into my hands, repeating over and over “I can’t,” I just kept telling myself that. Somehow I think I knew I was wrong. Of course I could do it, I had been through hell and I had come back, and I had made it alive. As I sat there, it occurred to me that I had been living under the stars for four weeks and I had not once taken a moment to look at
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.
The diversity of the group members was a strength for their success on the mountain. The members ranged from doctors, journalists, Sherpas, to professional climbers. They came from different backgrounds and past experiences in high altitude climbing and possessed a variety of mental capacities while on the mountain. This is apparent in some members’ decision to return to Base Camp as their health deteriorated. Other members also questioned proceeding to the Summit when the weather turned for the worse. The diversity in decision making of the members was an asset to the groups’ overall experience on the mountain. Their diversity also led to com...
As I stepped out of the car and onto the road I looked up to see the peak of the Pillbox Hike, also known as the Ka’iwa Ridge Trail. The sun was still hiding behind the Ko’olau Mountains, which encircled the town of Kailua and the windward side of O’ahu. Back home on the Big Island I had a lot of things on my mind such as, school, work and family problems. It was the summer before senior year and even though it wasn’t months from now I was already stressed about it; the schoolwork, socializing and senioritis. There was also the thought of having to go back to work with my unbearable manager and the piles of bills my parents were having trouble with. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to face the responsibilities, I just wanted to get away, even if it was only for a week, so I came to O’ahu. Here, I was with my older sister Jossevey. She was only 3 years older than me but more of a kid at heart. She was the reason we were about to hike this long trail, even though I’ve never really hiked before.
Time drugged along as the weight of a forty-pound pack full of food and water dug into to my bony shoulders. My pack seemed to be getting heaver as the day went on. My shoulders pulsed with pain from the thinly padded straps that connected to my pack. Four hours of this pain was all I could handle. I decided that this was enough I needed to stop. I shouted to Eric that I needed to take a break. He quickly turned around and said it was okay if we stopped. Because it was close to lunch everyone agreed and we all set down to eat lunch. Each one of us was caring five days worth of food for our trek. Every meal was neatly packed in a clear plastic bag and labeled for when it should be eaten. I opened up a package of peanut butter crackers from my lunch package and stared into the open field we had stopped in.
We got on our way the next morning to Fort Hall, but first we had to go through the South Pass. It was very miserable going through that. It was really hot, sometimes I had to wear long sleeved shirts and jeans so the sun wouldn't beat down straight at my skin all the time. I had got really dehidratied. Also when I walked along on the side which is most of the time, I had gotten sand in my shoe. My oxen had gotten really tired along the way, so sometimes we had to stop to take a rest but barley often at all. My two oxen were tremendously strong. They had never taken breaks in the past but in see why now it is al,out getting up to one hundred
As I inched my way toward the cliff, my legs were shaking uncontrollably. I could feel the coldness of the rock beneath my feet when my toes curled around the edge in one last futile attempt at survival. My heart was racing like a trapped bird, desperate to escape. Gazing down the sheer drop, I nearly fainted; my entire life flashed before my eyes. I could hear stones breaking free and fiercely tumbling down the hillside, plummeting into the dark abyss of the forbidding black water. The trees began to rapidly close in around me in a suffocating clench, and the piercing screams from my friends did little to ease the pain. The cool breeze felt like needles upon my bare skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps. The threatening mountains surrounding me seemed to grow more sinister with each passing moment, I felt myself fighting for air. The hot summer sun began to blacken while misty clouds loomed overhead. Trembling with anxiety, I shut my eyes, murmuring one last pathetic prayer. I gathered my last breath, hoping it would last a lifetime, took a step back and plun...
Persevering through this obstacle mentally drained us all, even though we weren’t physically affected (yet). Having to divide up the weight he had to carry,as he was incapable of carrying it, hindered our progress, and it was like if somebody had loaded bricks into our backpacks. It had us gasping for air, literally, on some of the steep mountain ascents. This was not the only challenge we confronted, relying on our team was a crucial aspect, and having to equally contribute might have been an even harder part. The responsibilities of being a team member knew no boundaries, whether it be having to purify the frigid mountain water for our crew on a dark, cool night; or having to
Halfway into the hike, I was feeling fine. I pulled out my peanut butter granola bar because I was feeling a bit peckish. Nikki gave me a thumbs up. I thought the granola bar would help with my energy but I was wrong. I started to feel sluggish. Nikki started to notice. “Drink some more water,” she urged. I had already drank about 2 liters. I saw a precipitous, steep hill ahead. We ascended all the way up non stop. I couldn't take it. I broke down. I cried because of my weakness. I cried because I was an outcast. I cried because I knew that was the only way for me to get some relief. I did it in front of everyone and the guides tried to comfort but I couldn't help to think that they all probably thought I was a weakling. But I didn't
By 4 PM we had conquered most of the peaks. As we were climbing what we thought was our sixth peak, Big Red, a storm struck. It was a cold driving rain that froze us as we struggled up the mountain. We reached the top jubilant, but exhausted. As the crew tried to get a bearing I came to the slow realization that we were not on Big Red, but another peak. We had two peaks to climb, and in freezing rain! With no options, we hiked on.
I walk out of the clearing, and before my eyes is a vast and towering cliff face. The first thing that amazes me is the massive rocks right in front of me. The pile has to be several of stories high. Towards the top of the pile, where it meets with the cliff face, is a winding collection of ramps, crevices, and overhangs. Just before the top - is a 20 foot high wall one has to scale to reach the top. My hands sweated looking at the top. I wanted to walk back and retreat back to the safe hotel, but I was tempted. As much as I wanted to forget it, I felt a opposite attraction, bringing myself to the wall. I decided to do it. I look at my back pack. A small orange and gray hiking pack. I put inside my camera padded with a sweatshirt, food, and a hydration bladder. I look down at my watch- a mountaineering watch I had for years. I switched it to altimeter mode, and started the graphing function. I was ready.
As you could probably tell, my brother and I were quite different. Him being extravagantly gregarious and me being introverted and unmistakably lazy. I prefer curling up in bed with a good book. My brother and I trudged up the steep, undulating trail. He was yearning to take me to this cave he had discovered with his hiking group. He lacked the connoisseur characteristic as he always chose the most laborious hikes. I firmly believed the best hikes were non-existent ones. This was even more wearisome than any of the others hikes he's dragged me on. This being because our destination was on the tip top of a colossal mountain making the air meager and difficult to breathe. Being not even halfway up the mountain, my fatigue was incipient and I sincerely didn’t think I could take much more. I looked up ahead at my brother, who was far in front of me and ebullient, flying up the hill as if it was effortless. He abruptly stopped where he was. Not moving, not making a single sound. He looked back at me with an expression of sheer terror and
My parents have both passed and my brother has been sent off to the juvenile detention center for attempted murder and burglary charges. He’s not someone to be proud of, then again neither am I. So I left. I figure if I don't make it back, oh well, no one actually cares. The world doesn't know who I am. No one knows who I am . So I grab my blue pack with my climbing gear, food and hunting supplies. I start my journey up the
It was a cold and rainy when Baran and I decided that we were going to climb the all mighty Mount Everest. Baran was worried; worried for his wife and unborn child. His wife had been pregnant for about seven months now, but this didn’t stop Baran from accomplishing his goal. After about a week of preparation, we were ready to begin our journey. The path to Mount Everest is very dangerous and confusing compared to other mountains. It is easy to get lost and die, yet we did not stop moving forward. By the time we decided to leave the house, it had started snowing, however, we couldn’t just stop when we The snow blinded our eyes and we were relying on our other senses to help us make our way through the deadly storm.
I never thought of myself as capable of surviving such a journey. At points I wanted to give up. I did not
Excited. Nervous. Determined. Those three words perfectly describe how I was feeling my first day of college. The enrollment process was rigorous for me, but with the encouragement and support from my boyfriend, I was able to finish submitting the required paperwork by the school's deadline. After all of that was over with, I could finally begin a whole new chapter of my life that I had never visioned for myself. None of my family members have attended college, I was going to be the first one. This means, I was showing up for my first class completely mentally unprepared. I was unaware of what to expect for my first semester at Ocean County College.