How reconnecting with nature changed me

I sat on top of the mountain my group and I climbed, feeling a breeze blow throughout my face. Seeing the two large lakes we camped at previously and the field of pine trees, everything from this view looked like little pebbles. It looked impossible that we had traveled this far and to this height, but we did that.

Just a little over two months ago, I went on a backcountry trip with a small group of other leaders in the Outdoor Leaders Program, a program formed from the collaboration of Earth Team and Big City Mountaineers. 

As our last activity as a group, we were challenged to apply the skills we learned from the past six months of workshops to a five-day expedition trip in the backcountry. 

On our second day, we arrived at the bottom of Spider Lake, located in Tahoe National Forest. The next day was also our layover day, meaning that we would stay at the same campsite for another day before leaving.

We faced a challenge day, meaning that we as leaders could challenge ourselves to a new experience in the outdoors. To the south of our campsite, we saw a mountain in the distance that seemed feasible to climb.

Grabbing the compass and map, we confirmed the direction and location of the mountain before heading to bed to conquer our challenge the next day. It was an unnamed mountain near Lake Winifred and 7,246 feet tall. From our campsite, it was about a mile away and 450 feet of elevation gain. It would be a challenge as there was no trail and was my first mountain climb but I was excited for this new challenge.  

At the base of the mountain, as a group, we formulated a path to take that would be the safest and had the least steep slope angles.

Following the leader who stepped up to become the navigator of that day, we hiked up rock slabs and stepped through thick manzanita shrubs, feeling the breeze become stronger, indicating that we were close to the top. 

Throughout the hike, we spotted bright green frogs, a large single tree without any leaves on it, and a medium size pond near the top.

When we reached the top, we spotted a pile of rocks and a wooden bench left by previous hikers. The view from this height was breathtaking and we accomplished that.

Experiences like these have forever changed my brain chemistry and created several core memories that I will never forget. 

Experiencing the true outdoors, away from any technology usage and diving straight into the wilderness, will be something that I will seek throughout my life, whether that is through leading trips or going on personal adventures.

I urge you all to go on some kind of trip outdoors whether that is a day hike or a five-day long expedition. The outdoors is worth it to experience at least once before it’s gone in the future.