Personal Narrative: The Great Outdoors

Hunting and fishing are my two favorite outdoor activities. There is a certain level of competition that involves hunting and fishing. I learned to have a great deal of patience; I understand the wait is well worth the reward. Shooting that big buck or catching that trophy fish are a couple things that make me admire the outdoors and the creatures in nature. Every day is a new adventure because nature changes every day. Sitting 20 feet up in the tree or floating on the water continuously for countless hours is a couple things that make people think differently of my choice in

Factors such as relationships with program staff, “solos,” mastering outdoor activities, and observing the world are thought to be positive experiences that facilitated change as well (Foundations of Adventure Therapy, 2007).

There are many alluring opportunities to witness nature, such as local trails and protected woods, but even a peaceful park or a backyard pond can produce such a feeling. As for me, I enjoy hiking the Appalachian Trail, the longest national park and a 2,200 mile stretch of elegant woodlands. From the summer of 2013, my father and I have established a tradition of taking two or three days to hike twenty mile sections of the trail. Though hiking the whole trail is unrealistic, the trips are most significant to me as a chance to hike, forgetting about homework, extracurricular activities, and other stressors. Admittedly, I am always reluctant to believe that climbing up rocky mountains with a twenty-five pound backpack will is a form of relief, but somehow, it always is. We typically sleep in hammocks, which allows

He talks a lot about the reason and way the trail was created. He faces many challenges on his walk such as the wildlife (bears), the weather (snow), and he even talks about giving up quite a few times. Another way that Americans are so far disconnected to nature is because we know that we can go and sleep in a nice warm bed in a heated house full of food and everything needed to live. That causes a large disconnection. Now days when a family goes camping they think heat, running water, and electricity still counts. That is not the camping I grew up with where we bring water and it’s typically cold, the food made is pre-bought and roasted over an open flame, and we do not have any electricity. This is otherwise known as “rough” camping. Being out in the woods can be a challenge if not properly prepared for the obstacles faced.

I remember previous backpacking trips, but most were only for a few days. These short trips were never enough and I always wished I could stay longer in this paradise as the trail seems to finish almost immediately after starting. This past summer, I learned about the Pacific Crest Trail, and I realized that there was a way to more fully connect with nature. The five month, 2,700 mile backpacking trail runs from the arid Mexican border in California to the mountainous Canadian border in Washington. Instantly, I knew that I would someday undertake this challenge. The trail tests both physical and emotional strength so much that only a fraction of aspiring long-distance hikers finish. I was not deterred from my goal, and the thought of the immersive challenge excited me. Taking this trip solo would finally allow me to experience self-reliance, something only realized when alone in the wild for days on

My camping experience as a child left an indelible mark on my life it is a day I will never forget. It was my first introduction to the “countryside” and the simple tranquility it holds over the busy, fast-paced life of any city. Later on during the eight-week trip, we had been taught how to ride horses, how to shoot a bow and arrow, swim, kayak, fish, and so much more. While I do not often have the time to go camping and have yet to do so since Big Silver, the memory is always there to remind me of an activity I could do that will provide rest during stressful

Sophomore year had ended, and my summer had just begun. After a long wait to gain permission to go on a backpacking trip. My father gave me the approval. I took my love for the outdoors and began to explore it even more.

The author of A Walk in the Woods, Bryson Tiller, tell his story about hiking the Appalachian trail. He narrates his experience and what he went through with his friend Katz. He frequently takes a pause from narrating though, and goes into giving information and statistics about the Appalachian Trail, mostly about how it is not well taken care of. So, it is safe to say that a theme or purpose for him writing this book is to make people see that nature needs to be protected. Nature is important for everything and everyone, more than humans are important for nature since humans are the ones slowly destroying it. He also mentions how after hiking he felt stronger and healthier. He is almost thanking the trail for bringing him where he is now, and it comes back to the importance of taking care of nature because people can feel revitalized after spending some time in it.

John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, is well known as one of the nation’s greatest environmentalists and conservationists. Muir spent many years of his life wandering around in the hills of Northern California, experiencing a phenomenon that can only be described as wanderlust. The term wanderlust describes an innate feeling or desire to travel. Just a few short weeks ago, I packed my bag and hopped on a plane bound for Spain, in an attempt to rekindle my own wanderlust. Growing up, I was extremely lucky to have a family that believed in traveling all over the country

To return to nature and learn while doing so, is to live purely. A pure lifestyle is my ultimate understanding of happiness. This past summer, I was able to achieve this state of bliss by attending a fifteen-day backpacking course with the Colorado Outward Bound School where I explored the Elks Mountain Range. I was gifted with the amazing opportunity to meet ten like-minded individuals who came from all over the world and experience a way of life away from our typical lifestyles. Living out of backpacks, sleeping under the stars, and cooking meals for one another at the top of mountains were just a few of our daily activities that allowed us to come to know each other, our surroundings, and ourselves. A core aspect of this program is participation

Hi, I am Jacklyn. I am a big fan of nature environment, such as: forest, waterfall and beach. Therefore, I love to hiking in my free time. Hiking is a great choice for people who appreciate wilderness and those who need a short break from their busy life. In the nature environment, I will always find some rare rocks, plants and even some wildlife sometimes; it’s actually very exciting for a moment. Personally, I consider hiking is a temporary escape from reality to me.

Once we got dressed for the first night of hunting, the guide met us at the cabin and told us the plan. The first night we decided to sit in a treestand together. We chose this option because we didn’t know the land and wanted to get used to the terrain. The guide took us down the mountain on four wheeler and was going to walk us to our treestand. We had no idea what to expect. The main trail into the woods was a very steep hill that sucked to walk every time we went into the woods. The first time wasn’t too bad because I was excited and my adrenaline was pumping. We kept walking after the hill and started off to our treestand. The guide lead us there then let us hunt for the rest of the day. We sat a good two and a half hours. We didn’t see much the first day, but we knew that it would get better. We thought of the

Exploring the different hiking and off-road trails makes me feel at peace and full of energy, to me it is like stepping into a whole new world, where technology and our fast-paced life does not matter, all I want to do

I took a year between graduating high school and attending college at Green Mountain College. Three friends from high school and myself took off, after the summer, to through-hike the Appalachian Trail. The trip, lasting almost six months took us from our home state of Maine down the spine of the Appalachian mountain range to Springer mountain GA, the southern terminus of the trail. The trip, for us, acted as a break from the typical learning environment of our high school experience into a much different sort of learning environment. An environment where we lived outside and in places we would have otherwise not have been, meeting people who showed us the culture of the rural Appalachian lifestyle. Living and learning in these places opened

Students researching how to have the most enjoyment out of hiking would probably most want to use “Follow in Muir’s Footsteps--Take a Nature Walk”. This article gives a list of things to do or bring while hiking so you could have the most fun. The text says,”Pick a “wild” place--A nature trail, arboretum (a place where you can see special trees), park, or even your own backyard.” This gives people an idea of where they can go hiking and that it doesn’t matter where you just explore and have a good time. The article states,”Bring a notebook--Large enough to fit your writings and drawings but small enough to carry comfortably.” This tells to bring a notebook or something to mark the things you found and remember this adventure, you could write