Longs Peak Essay, Research Paper
LONGS PEAK
Deep in the heart of the Rockies lies the small
mountain village of Estes Park, Colorado. Estes Park
borders Rocky Mountain National Park and it was my summer
retreat. Never in my life had I seen someplace taken
directly out of a fairy tale. The mountains swallowed the
town. One particular mountain immediately caught my eye.
I knew that it had to be the tallest, for it was the only
mountain that was still covered in May snow.
I later learned that the enormous mountain was
Longs Peak. Longs Peak happened to be a fourteener”, a
Colorado mountain over fourteen thousand feet. The mountain
could be seen from every corner of the park as well as from
distant cities such as Denver or Boulder, which were well
over fifty miles away. The mountain held an intense
mystification for me. It reminded me of a Cardinals game,
which I saw prior to my visit to Estes Park. Mark McGuire
was coming up to bat, and shocks rippled down my spine
when I saw him. An atomic power radiated from him. Even
though there were several other players on the field I
simply could not keep my eyes off him. Longs Peak also
stood head and shoulders over the other players.
I had to climb Longs Peak before I left Estes Park.
I felt a call that told me if I failed to climb the
mountain I would be missing out on a life changing
opportunity. Perhaps I wanted to climb it because everyday
when I went outside, it was the first thing I saw. Maybe I
wanted simply to prove to myself that I could do anything
that I set my mind and body to. I am not sure what it was;
all I know is that it was constantly in the back of my head
pushing me.
Longs Peak is an extremely difficult and technical climb.
It offers challenges to every level of climbers, especially
to a slacker like myself. The trail is only a little over
eight miles long. It has a very steep elevation gain of
over four thousand feet. The climb takes over two days of
intensely strenuous hiking. Water is the most important
thing in climbing; the body must remain fully hydrated at
all times in order to maximize best performance.
It is extremely unsafe to climb alone; therefore, my
friend Bobby accompanied me on the expedition. We started
our journey at midnight; the night air was cold, causing
goose bumps to stream through my body. The first part of
our pilgrimage up Longs Peak would take place in the dense
woods. It was pitch dark and for hours the only things I
could see were my partner s legs moving quickly in front of
me. We had to bundle up in thermal gear just to stay warm
and I knew that it would only get colder as we gained
elevation. I could hear a distant stream trickling down
the mountain, and the heavy wind whistling through the
trees. I began to feel butterflies in my stomach in
anticipation for what lay ahead of me.
Our initial goal was to reach the tree line where we would
take our first little break. The tree line usually occurs
somewhere around twelve thousand feet. The first three or
four hours passed very quickly, with no sign of the tree
line. Had I misjudged how long it would take, or had we
taken a wrong turn somewhere? We hiked on with increasing
speed in silence. We must have hiked for fifteen extra
minutes before realizing we were above the tree line. It
was revitalizing to know that our work was not futile.
We were quite exhausted and needed a break. How marvelous
it was to sit on the cool rocks and remove the burdensome
packs from our backs. An artificial surge of energy pulsed
through my body. Upon looking up, an overwhelming joy
filled my soul. I did not feel the heavy wind or the chill
in the air. All my attention was immediately focused on
the slumbering cities below. I felt the omnipresence of God
gazing from the heavens. Yet it left me feeling sad. Sad to
know that the majority of the people below would never
experience such satisfaction.
After crossing the tree line we would begin tundra hiking.
Tundra is a delicate ecosystem, which takes thousands of
years to mature. To the common eye it appears simply as
dried up weeds. Upon closer examination I noticed the
thousands of tiny flowers preparing to bloom. How similar
this is to the real world. People today would rather judge
you based on your appearance than to really take the time
to get to know you. The trails going through the tundra
were extremely underdeveloped, which proved to be –
counteract our advancement. We lost over a half-hour of
precious time trying to recover the trail.
We reached the boulder field, our second goal right before
sunrise. Stars once bright began to drown in a deep blue
ocean. The mountains on the eastern horizon exhibited the
first signs of the coming dawn as fiery gold light framed
each peak. At the Boulder field our hike began to
intensify. The boulder field is located directly below the
majestic summit of Longs Peak. No longer would we be hiking
over a smooth trail; we didn t even have a trail to follow
only a destination; up.
Climbing the boulder field proved to be an extremely slow
and painful process. Every muscle in my body began to tense
up from over use. The air began to get thin forcing
repeated breaks. My body ached to be home in my bed. This
last stretch of the hike took hours, and it seemed like
days. When my partner finally pulled me over the edge the
only thing I could do was lie flat on my back. The last
thing I had to do before heading down was to look over what
I had just climbed.
Nothing could quite prepare me for what I was about to see
when I looked over the summit of Longs Peak. The mountains
captivated me and left me completely and totally awe struck
by their sheer size. Never had I been through such a
humbling experience. Directly in front of me I could see
the heavens, or my interpretation of what heaven was. The
continental divide twisted and turned
majestically at my feet, crashing against the mountain as
waves would crash upon the seashore. Large lakes, which I
knew, appeared to be small blue dots.
I am not sure if it was the rising sun or the whistling
wind across my face, yet at that moment everything in my
life seemed so insignificant. The mountains stood for
everything that was solid in life, the important things.
They are the pillars of existence. We should all be so
lucky to be like mountains, all knowing, ever patient, and
rock solid in our beliefs. To see mountains of this
magnitude made me almost ashamed of having nothing in my
life permanent or solid to cling to. I realized that
people are not mountains, and we will not be here forever.
This trip made me focus on what was important in life and
why we are even here in the first place. Selfishness has
no worth in forever. Nourishing our minds and souls does
affect forever, just like mountains.
Другие работы по теме:
Great Gatsby Essay Research Paper The Great 2
Great Gatsby Essay, Research Paper The Great, Great Gatsby Experience The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about the American Dream, and the downfall of those who attempt to reach its illusionary goals. The attempt to capture the American Dream is central to many novels. This dream is different for different people, but in The Great Gatsby, for Jay, the dream is that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness.
Review Picture Books For The Very Young
Essay, Research Paper Picture books for the very young Egg Drop by Mini Grey (Cape). Age: 3+ There is a pleasing simplicity about this dotty story of an egg which longs to fly. Dreaming of joining the aeroplanes and birds up in the sky, the egg hits on the only possibility – climbing up high. Going up is one thing but, as the egg soon finds out, coming down is quite another; and falling is not the same as flying, as the satisfying Humpty Dumpty crash proves.
Birches Essay Research Paper After reading this
Birches Essay, Research Paper After reading this poem, I believe that it can be divided into three specific parts. The scientific explanation for the appearance of birches, Frost’s boyhood fanatasy about their appearance, and his present day interpretation of their appearance.
Great Gatsby Themes Essay Research Paper The
Great Gatsby Themes Essay, Research Paper The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has a central theme about the American Dream, and the downfall of those who attempt to reach its illusionary goals. The attempt to capture the American Dream is central to many novels. This dream is different for different people on the way they seek them, but in The Great Gatsby, for Jay, the dream is that through wealth, popularity and power.
Religious Foreshadowing In Jane Eyre Essay Research
Paper Charlotte Bront? uses several different symbols to foretell events that occur in Jane Eyre. For example, Bront? uses birds to represent freedom, for which Jane longs and finally finds by the end of the novel. Fire is another symbol used by Bront?: When
Irony Of Macbeth Essay Research Paper IRONY
Irony Of Macbeth Essay, Research Paper IRONY IN MACBETH Shakespeare s play Macbeth portrays much irony. Such as the scene where Macbeth is made to believe that he is supposed to become king when really he is not. Another ironic scene is where Macbeth, on the outside gives the impression that he is trustworthy and loves Duncan, yet on the inside he longs for the death of Duncan.
Fifth Child Essay Research Paper The Fifth
Fifth Child Essay, Research Paper ?The Fifth Child? In ?The Fifth Child,? Lessing contrasts society?s idea of an ?ideal? family to the ?real? dysfunctional family in our everyday lives. Harriet and David?s dream was to have the ?ideal? family. They made the mistake of setting standards too high for themselves and putting a front of an ideal family, which was just a cover for the real dysfunctional one.
Anatomy Of A Muscle Cell Essay Research
Paper John Centore1 English 202 Dr. Crowley The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about the American dream, and the downfall of those who attempt to reach illusionary goals. The attempt to capture the American dream is pivotal to many novels. The dream itself is different for many people, in The Great Gatsby, for Jay, this dream can only be fulfilled by having the money and influence to acquire this happiness.
An Idle King Essay Research Paper An
An Idle King Essay, Research Paper An Idle King In “Ulysses,” Tennyson presents Ulysses, the great Greek war hero and warrior of the Trojan War, serving, again, as king of Ithaca. Ulysses, having been home for three years, feels himself stagnating and wasting his life in the unwanted role of king. Longs to be again the man he has been.
Coaching Essay Research Paper Good coaching starts
Coaching Essay, Research Paper Good coaching starts with recruiting. No matter what level you are coaching you will need athletes that listen and pay attention to what you are teaching them. Recruiting on the college level you want to get athletes that are coachable because these athletes have the potential to reach their peak performance.
The Lake Isle By Ezra Pound Essay
?, Research Paper “The Lake Isle” Response Paper There comes a point in everybody’s life when a thought of a getaway from the lives we live crosses our mind. For some it’s just an image that pops up and quickly disappears with its unrealistic theme and others can’t get it out of their mind, dwelling about it their whole life.
The Scarlet Letter Chapts1012 Essay Research Paper
CHARACTERS ROGER CHILLINGWORTH – In chapters ten through twelve, Roger Chillingworth’s devilish ways and soul match his hideous and horrible physique. He projects his evil nature and is at his peak of revenge towards the reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. He satisfies his sinful yearnings to diminish Dimmesdale physically and emotionally by drowning him in his own sin.
Mt St Helens Essay Research Paper Mount
Mt. St. Helens Essay, Research Paper Mount St. Helens On May 18, 1980, it was an amazingly beautiful day for May in the Pacific Northwest. Being a Sunday, there were only a few loggers, campers and scientists in the area. Many of these people had thought they were safe because of the mountain’s silence. Not even the scientists could predict exactly what was to come.
The Shining Houses Essay Research Paper A
The Shining Houses Essay, Research Paper A Shining Reason To Hope There is a reason to hope in all literature. Hope can be defined as something which one longs to see realized, or in other words, any form of optimism, with a belief of a positive outcome. Hope in a piece of literature verifies a level of goodness in the world, which can be illustrated many different ways by an author.
Sophistication Essay Research Paper
“Sophistication”, an intriguing story by Sherwood Anderson, is written about George Willard and his lonely journey into manhood. He is a small town boy from Ohio who is discouraged by the lack of direction in his life. When he reached the age of 18, he began to see himself as just another soul to live and die. Willard realizes that unless he does something to change the course that his life is taking, he will never be a great man in anyone’s eyes.
The Goal Essay Research Paper Emily Dickinson
The Goal Essay, Research Paper Emily Dickinson’s “The Goal” discusses her theory that each human being lives each day striving to obtain one specific goal. She theorizes that each individual longs to fulfill one specific achievement whether “expressed” to others or is “still” (l. 2) and locked into the individual’s heart.
Becoming A Peak Performer Essay Research Paper
Becoming a Peak Performer Two techniques for becoming a peak performer as proposed by Charles A. Garfield that I have utilized in my college career are envisioning a mission and being results oriented.
Pressures Of School Essay Research Paper Pressures
Pressures Of School Essay, Research Paper Pressures of School One day while I was in my honors English class at Brookhurst Jr. High School during my eighth grade year, my teacher wanted to talk to me all of a sudden. Mrs. Manneman said that if I didn t pull my C up to at least a B I would be dropped from the class. Having those few words in my mind made passing the class a more difficult process.
Themes Of A Raisin In The Sun
Essay, Research Paper One major theme of the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, is the importance of dreams; they drive each member of the Younger family. Mama longs to have her own home in a nice part of town, away from South Chicago. Beneatha dreams of getting a good education, becoming a doctor, and marrying a nice man.
Perfect Man Essay Research Paper The perfect
Perfect Man Essay, Research Paper The perfect man is said to be hard to find, but I believe there is someone for every person. Sometimes a man is not perfect when you meet him, but he may have some qualities you like. If you are young some men will grow and mature into someone, you love. Dating is a search for the perfect man and a soul mate.
An Analysis Of Chimes Of Slience Essay
, Research Paper An Analysis of ?Chimes of Slience? Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, and the author of the prose poem ?Chimes of Silence?. In order to describe his experience in solitary confinement Soyinka uses descriptive language involving his vision to better enlighten the reader to his experience.
MtSaint Helens Essay Research Paper Mount Saint
Mt.Saint Helens Essay, Research Paper Mount Saint Helens Mount Saint Helens, A volcanic peak in the Cascade Range, Mount St. Helens is situated in southwestern Washington State. Dormant since 1857, it erupted on May
Usage Of The
“Outsider” Theme In Claude Mckay’s Poetry Essay, Research Paper +McKay’s “Outsider” Theme Claude McKay was an important figure during the 1920’s in the Harlem Rennaisance. Primarily a poet, McKay used the point of view of the outsider as a prevalent theme in his works. This is best observed in such poems as “Outcast,” “America,” and “The White House.” In these poems, McKay portrays the African-American as the outsiderof western society and its politics and laws and at times, the very land that he is native to.
Symbolism Of The Great Gatsby Essay Research
Paper SYMBOLISM IN THE GREAT GATSBY frazer mcintosh There are many reasons why F. Scott Fitzgerald is renowned as one of the greatest authors of his time, and one of those reasons is his sophisticated use of symbolism. This is evident throughout The Great Gatsby, one of Fitzgerald s most famous works. While there are countless instances of the use of symbolism, some of those most important to the themes in The Great Gatsby are the East and West Eggs, the green light, and the eyes of T.J.
William Wordsworth Essay Research Paper William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth Essay, Research Paper William Wordsworth s poem is a statement about conflict between nature and humanity. The symbolism in his poem gives the reader a sense of the conviction and deep feelings Wordsworth had. Wordworth longs for a much simpler time when the progress of humanity was tempered by the restrictions nature imposed.
The Story Of The Flood How Utnapishtim
Tells His Story To Gilgamesh Essay, Research Paper In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s best friend Enkidu is killed and therefore causes him to be afraid of death. Gilgamesh now that he is afraid of death wants to achieve immortal life so he will not have to face death (34). Gilgamesh travels far and longs to find the man who was granted everlasting life, and ask him how he did indeed receive everlasting life.
Jerome Et Antoine Essay Research Paper Jar
Jerome Et Antoine Essay, Research Paper Jar ne et Antoine Il tait une fois une belle femme qui s appelait Jar ne de Pierre. Non, non, le mot belle” n est pas l expression juste pour d crire cette cr ature qu on rencontre normalement seulement dans les fables. Elle avait les cheveux longs et blonds, des yeux bleus et une bouche tr s app tissante.
Ode To A Nightengale Essay Research Paper
In Ode to a Nightingale , Keats is reflecting on a beautiful and imaginative moment of nature. He is wishing to savor this moment, but due to the various cycles of nature, this moment cannot last for long, there is constant change. Nature itself can go on forever, it is continuous, but on the other hand, for mankind, no one moment is immortal.
Adam And Eve Essay Research Paper Lee
Adam And Eve Essay, Research Paper Lee Daville English IV A Summary of ?The Diaries of Adam and Eve? This play takes place in a beautiful, mysterious garden. Two characters make up
First Tracks Essay Research Paper There
First Tracks Essay, Research Paper There’s nothing like hiking deep into the endless glacial mountains of Alaska to get a snowboarders heart pumping. It was almost 9 a.m. and the sun began to beat
Robinson Crusoe- Emergence Of The Modern Self
Essay, Research Paper In the novel Robinson Crusoe, Defoe illustrates the contradictions that drench the thoughts and actions of man as he strives to reach for God while also forced to face the realization that he must ensure his own safety in the world. Defoe uses Crusoe?s journey on the canoe to exemplify how Crusoe lives in a world where he longs to please and obey God but must also contend with his instinct, which looks to himself for his savior.
Common Eileen Essay Research Paper Wordsworth begins
Common Eileen Essay, Research Paper Wordsworth begins his extended metaphor in the third line of the poem, with his speaker saying, ?I saw a crowd, / a host, of golden daffodils? that were ?fluttering and dancing in the breeze.? (line 6). The speaker is attributing to these daffodils human qualities: their forming a crowd, and their dancing.
So This Was Adolescence By Annie Dillard
: Author Writing Style Essay, Research Paper So This Was Adolescence, by Annie Dillard: Author Writing Style Different authors use different styles of writing to express the ideas.
Cannery Row Essay Research Paper In Cannery
Cannery Row Essay, Research Paper In Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, many various instances depict the importance of being included in society. Everyone longs to be accepted by others and being lonely is ultimately the worst feeling in the wrold. William, Henri, and Frankie all show the human need of being included in society.