The Great Outdoors
Lindsay Bass, 18
New York
Ever since I was born, I've had a passion for nature. I love just being outside, regardless of the season. I'm just as happy dancing in the rain as I am sunbathing on a hot summer day. As I've grown up, my appreciation for nature has grown with me. I've been able to take advantage of what it has to offer, and indulge myself in nature's activities.
Recently, I've been really into white water rafting. This summer I took a three-day white water rafting trip down the Colorado River with a few of my friends. It was fun, but a lot of hard work too. We had to avoid the rocks and branches in the river. Also, we didn't want to get sucked into the treacherous rapids, so we had to employ special strokes that we learned. There were many obstacles in the river, but we worked together to get through them. It was such a great sense of accomplishment after we reached our intended destination each day.
At night, we camped out alongside the river, and cooked our own meals. It was quite a learning experience, and certainly something I'll never forget. Aside from white water rafting, I also enjoy hiking. I wake up early, pack my backpack, and head out for an exciting day. I always hike the scenic routes, because some of the sights are just gorgeous. Hiking is a great way to get in shape and enjoy yourself at the same time. I had the opportunity to hike the Grand Canyon a few years ago. It had to have been one of my greatest personal feats. I embarked on my journey at 6 o'clock in the morning. Nine hours and fourteen miles later, I had hiked the Grand Canyon! Although it wasn't easy, it's something I'm glad I did.
After doing something like that, you feel a sense of empowerment and pride. These are the benefits that only nature can offer. Nature itself has many opportunities that too few people take advantage of. There's nothing like being outside and getting involved in an outdoors activity. Whether it's rock climbing, canoeing, white water rafting, or even skydiving, the outdoors has a multitude of options at your disposal. For those of you who sit at your computer or in front of your television all day, you are missing out on one of life's simplest pleasures—the great outdoors.
Delusions of Nature
Celine Bell, 19
Canada
I'm surrounded by snow. But this isn't the kind of snow that one would describe as "fluffy" or compare to cotton balls. This is the kind of snow that buries people alive in avalanches and causes cars to swerve out of control.
On this insane, school-sanctioned expedition, we've been forced to set up camp in a clearing on the opposite side of a frozen lake from buildings that could have some semblance of comfort.
Our guides, Kevin and Amy, are the kind of outdoorsy people that one would expect to encounter running a program like this. Both of them seem in their element with sleds full of supplies tied to their waists as we trek across the frozen lake on skis.
As a child, I was under the delusion that I liked nature. But that was the kind of nature I could experience at a fully equipped cottage during the summer-not the kind that requires me to be out in a frosted forest in February!
We huddle around a fire to absorb as much heat as possible. Christina and I are the first two drafted to saw wood. First, we try holding our own log while we saw. But this doesn't work. Next, we try having one person hold the log in place while the other saws. This doesn't work either. Christina suggests that we only need to saw through the log part of the way and then we can break it off by stomping our feet on it. I suggest we just get a big pile of small sticks instead of a small pile of big logs. Amy suggests that a new pair take over our jobs.
I am relegated to the new job of setting up the tent that will keep the snow off our supplies. Kevin demonstrates how to make some kind of knot with a fancy name. I grapple with the bewildering ropes. Each time Kevin comes around to check my knots, they seem to have come undone. "Maybe you should just forget the knots," says Kevin. "Dinner's going to be ready soon anyway."
Alex and Kristin are crouched around the fire preparing tonight's dinner of chili and toast. "You're holding the toast too close," Kristin tells Alex. Alex disagrees, but a piece of toast manages to catch on fire anyway. We devour our dinner around the fire. The icy wind changes directions every few minutes forcing us to move around the fire to avoid the smoke that blasts in our faces, stinging our eyes and making us cough.
At the end of the day, the group goes for a run in the woods to warm up before getting into bed. It is pitch black and I can't see very well but everyone is so loud it's impossible to get lost. We scream and laugh as we run through the night. This outburst of joy and hysteria* may be the result of knowing that the ordeals of the day are over.
When we get back, we crawl into our sleeping bags. There is only a tarp sheltering us from the wind and snow. We are starting to feel the cold again already. Kevin announces that the next day will be warm-only 30 degrees below zero. Amy tells us that tomorrow we will ski around the entire perimeter of the lake. We all groan, but then we laugh, anticipating the memories we will share upon our return to civilization.
*Hysteria: an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear, often characterized by irrationality, laughter, or crying
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Do have an outdoor adventure you would like to achieve some day? What would it be?
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