Over the summer, I went to Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming. It was a school trip that was paid for by Big Shoulders, in which basically five students from a few Catholic Schools in Chicago, got the chance to go to a ranch in Wyoming for five days. It was an educational trip, though we didn't really do anything too educational, and it was just us, without out parents. The goal of the trip was to go somewhere new and to learn to be on our own, all the while we had great experiences in which we also learned something. At first, it was weird going somewhere without my mom- I had never been away from her for more than a few days. I was excited though, that's for sure, but my excitement would soon end later at night. Since the ranch was situated
up in the mountains, it became extremely cold at night. During the afternoon, it got as high as about 80° and came as low as 30° at night. Most people, including me, got jet lag and stayed up really late. We sat by the bonfire and watched the stars until around one in the morning, and even then, we couldn't really sleep. We were only provided with a blanket and a sleeping bag, and we weren't sure how cold it would get to be. Long story short, the first night was absolutely horrifying in every way. Neither the other people in the tent nor I could stop shivering, and I was shaking so badly, that it made me absolutely nauseous. When I woke up the following day, I could barely feel anything. Putting that aside, there were also some incredible things that happened that first night in Wyoming. I got to meet new people with similar music and book tastes, and I saw two shooting stars. They're basic details, but they're also magnificent details. In Chicago, you're lucky if you see more than three stars, much less a shooting star. I was lucky enough to see two of them on my first night, and the sky was full of stars. It was absolutely beautiful. To me, a major detail that can't be missed about my Wyoming trip, is how much freedom I had. I could go to the bathroom whenever, walk out into the woods almost whenever, and though they're small things, they're important things. Of course, I didn't run out into the woods every five minutes, but the fact that I could if I wanted to was what counted. We did yoga, went hiking, played games, sang cliché songs around the campfire, did an awesome obstacle course, went ziplining, met cowboys, and rode horses. I watched sunsets, read books by the fire, woke up early to shower and watch the sunrise, took pictures of the scenery, went on peaceful walks, laughed with friends, and had fun. Everything was fun. No matter what we were doing, whether we were on a long drive or just sitting around, we always knew how to have fun. I learned a lot in those five days. For example, on the bus, there was this really annoying kid named Joey. I honestly, hated him, but of course, a bus ride is nothing compared to five days. I got to know him a little bit better, and he soon became one of my closest friends on the trip. It sounds weird and kind of dumb, actually, but it made me think a bit more. I now know that time isn't measured by minutes, it's measured by the greatest moments that we have in our lives.
Zig-zag, back and forth, down, down, down, Jonathon, Dad, and I went into a mysterious new world. Now that I have gone into this hot, dry canyon surrounded by monstrous hoodoos, I have seen what it is really like to leave the small town of Seymour, and emerge into the greatness of this world. I have now seen several other National Parks on one of the most renowned places on earth for mysterious creations, the Colorado Plateau. Of all the beautiful places on it, even the Grand Canyon, I have found my favorite one. Bryce Canyon National Park. I thought it was amazing, because it was the most diverse to anything I have ever seen before. We hiked down into it and I felt like I was surrounded by skyscrapers. We trekked around a little, but we didn’t
I'm Jeffery the oxe and I recently completed the Oregon trail. In the beginning we started in Saint Louis, Missouri. We were waiting on the field for my food to grow, then I would be free fed.
Imagine the biggest deer of our life walking in front of us. The thing is so big that at first glance you didn’t even think it was a deer. That is what the Zellmer deer camp is all about. The deer camp was started seven and a half decades ago by my grandfather’s grandfather.
My youth pastor pulled out of our church parking lot at three am in the morning loaded down with a bus full of twenty four teenagers including me. We were off at last head to Colorado Spring Colorado, little did I know, our bus was going to fall apart this very day.
I awake by the music playing on the radio on 92.5FM. The clock read 5 ’o’ clock in the morning. While I could be sleeping in like everyone else my age, I rise quickly to put on a pair of bootcut jeans and a tanktop with my long, blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail. Lastly, I pull my ponytail through my blue and yellow hat with Rockin W Ranch stitched across the front. As I’m leaving for another long, hard working day on the horse ranch, I slip on my well worn cowboy boots. My day involves hard labor like: bailing hay, grooming horses, working horses, throwing saddles on Appoloosa horses, different obstacles, and my favorite riding horses. Around one in the afternoon, my legs and arms begin to shake with fatigue, but I must push on. I will move forward to finish as strong as I started.
the way up to the top only to find a big nasty pile of human
In hiking, as in life, there are choices between success and pain, pride and safety; this is the story of one such choice. Last summer I participated in the Rayado program at Philmont Scout Ranch. The eighth day of the trek was my crew’s greatest challenge: Super Black Death, a hike of seven peaks in one day.
Each of us had learned something from that trip. For me, this experience has taught me what gratitude is, the impact a good attitude has, what a servant looks like, and really how the relationships we make with our life are the most important aspect of life. It was the summer after my freshman year of high school. Earlier in the year, my parents had decided that they wanted to go on a mission trip as a family and serve somewhere.
Hiking the Grand Canyon 1. A young boy, barely 7 if that, scuffs his feet along the trail, stirring up little clouds of dust, leaving fresh footprints behind. He carries a bulky, red backpack nearly as big as he is, with a sleeping bag tied to the bottom. His clothes are dirty and raggedy and are completely soaked through with sweat. His face is full of determination and maturity, completely oblivious to the spectacular views of one of the 7 wonders of the world that surrounds him.
This past summer I went to Valley View Ranch in Cloudland, Georgia and it had about 600 acres. It was an all-girls Sleepaway horse camp that lasted one or two weeks. I did the mini session, which was one-week long. I enjoyed it so much, I met the most wonderful people and made some great friends.
I awoke to the sun piercing through the screen of my tent while stretching my arms out wide to nudge my friend Alicia to wake up. “Finally!” I said to Alicia, the countdown is over. As I unzip the screen door and we climb out of our tent, I’m embraced with the aroma of campfire burritos that Alicia’s mom Nancy was preparing for us on her gargantuan skillet. While we wait for our breakfast to be finished, me and Alicia, as we do every morning, head to the front convenient store for our morning french vanilla cappuccino. On our walk back to the campsite we always take a short stroll along the lake shore to admire the incandescent sun as it shines over the gleaming dark blue water. This has become a tradition that we do every morning together
When I was 12 years my parents and I went on a trip to California. It was the best experience in the world! We went to San Francisco, Monterey, and Yosemite National Park. I had so much fun and will remember it forever.
One of the most enjoyable things in life are road trips, particularly to the Colorado mountains. Getting to spend time with your family and friends, while being in a beautiful place, is irreplaceable. The fifteen-hour road trip may feel never-ending, but gazing at the mountains from afar makes life’s problems seem a little smaller and causes worries to become a thing of the past. Coming in contact with nature, untouched, is a surreal experience. My family trip to the Colorado mountains last summer was inspiring.
Traveling to the different national parks over the past three years has shaped my perspective of the world and the power of Mother Nature. My grandparents have always had a love for nature, and they wanted my sister and I to experience Mother Nature's work on Earth. They came up with the idea to go on vacation every summer with us to visit the different national parks. Because of them, we have had truly amazing adventures!
My dad told us to pack warm clothes in our suitcase case. We all asked why he said we're going camping with your aunts and uncles for the weekend in spanish . We were all excited,but I was nervous because it was my first time I have ever slept in a tent . We left my house at 4:00. The drive was about 4 hours away from my house the traffic was bearable . Where I sat in the Tahoe was in the back you would think the I have all the space I needed but I literally was squashed with all the stuff we brought and the suitcases were on the top if the car.