- Expedition: Oct 16-21, 2011
- Mayra
- Boys and Girls Club of Merced County
- Yosemite National Park
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to far, go with a group.” -Old Proverb
Today was our first day of hiking into the mountains from Tenaya Lake. Our backpacks weighed about 40 pounds, making our trip uphill and down miserable. But we all kept a positive attitude and kept on hiking. Araceli got sick so we tried to make the hike easier for her. We all made it to a campsite and helped gather firewood and others did other things. The weather was nice in the afternoon but cold in the shade. We all got excited to see snow and touch it. We also played games and learned a lot about ourselves. Now its dark and very cold. My limbs and muscles hurt A LOT so I’m not looking forward to nighttime when it gets even colder. I’m in enough pain now but its okay b/c the hike was worth it.
To me, wilderness means that it is a land protected by the government. It is a place where you learn things about yourself and where you learn to push past your limits. The wilderness is home to many different types of animals and plants. We learn how to appreciate nature and the beautiful sceneries that it creates. We fall in love with it and you realize that you want to help preserve it. There isn’t much wilderness left so we need to protect what’s left and not exploit it as resources. When you take the time to explore the wilderness, you will definitely see that everything is connected to each other, including you. No matter how big or small you are, everything you do in the wilderness, makes a difference. So it’s better to do positive things instead of negative. It will have a toll on you sooner or later.
"When you take the time to explore the wilderness, you will definitely see that everything is connected to each other, including you."
Last week we learned that all it takes is one step at a time.
We took one step at a time to get to know each other. For that we became close, we helped & motivated each other to the top of mountains, to the edge of Yosemite, to the top of Nevada's waterfall & to the bottom of it. We slipped, we fell, we pushed, we "fought", we trash talked, we walked, we ran, we gasped but we all stayed together until the end. We sang, we talked, we screamed, we laughed & we cried in our sleep but we were there.
We pushed our limits, some of us didn't even know our limits, but we kept on going until we thought we couldn't anymore. And when we thought we were done, somehow, miraculously, we kept on going. We thought we wouldn't be able to survive but we made it. We created new friendships that will probably last forever because how many friends can say that they climbed a 10,000 foot mountain together? A mountain higher than half-dome?
We experienced many things together that would take a lifetime to forget & hopefully it wont be our last trip together. I know i will keep on going, remembering the motivation you guys gave me, and to never give up and just taking one step at a time.
Mayra crushing the competition in the trash-off.