Gorman Lake: My Favorite Place On The Planet

stories. When the two women come up to the lake, the boys do not tell

Walking alone down the path, the wind blowing through the forest making the trees rustle. I looked up to the green leaves moving and the birds flying around Singing. I stop walking for a split second and I look around enjoying nature but then I hear a scream. I spin around multiple times to see where it came from, so I start to jog down the path quickening to a sprint. I turn my head in every direction not knowing what to do, so I start to walk again, breathing heavily and my feet crunching against the rocky path. I put my mind to the wind and the singing birds again. I get more relaxed when I started to feel rain falling against me. The sound of rain dripping, the birds singing and the wind rustling made me stop and think how peaceful life

Greasy Lake is described by the narrator as an aura of possessiveness and suspense to the average reader. However, while somewhat stereotypical, the narrator and his friends see the lake as the most ideal location to get together on late nights. This can be translated as the beginning of setting a scene for a location in which the adolescent youth can meet, with the reference to Bruce Springsteen’s words from a song that opens the story: “It’s about a mile down on the dark side of Route 88” (Boyle, 125). The words from the song create a scene of how the youth had essentially treated the lake as their own place. The image is further made clear when the faint island in the middle of the lake is described as “a single ravaged island a hundred yards from

The grief comes from lost love must be recovered by love. In crow lake, the author Mary Lawson portrays a young successful scholar, 26-year-old Kate Morrison, always is bothered by her anguished past. The innermost struggle not only leads she can’t directly face the problem existing between her and her older brother Matt for years but also becomes an obstacle of the further relationship with Daniel, the men she loves. But all the problems are concealed elaborately before the invitation letter received. While the peaceful life is broken by the invitation coming from Matt’s son, her nephew Simon, Kate suddenly has to face all the problems she doesn’t want to face

I slid into stiff boots, strapped a fifty pound pack to my back, and set out on my trek through the wilderness. As I stepped from asphalt to the dirt trail, excitement for the next five days rushed over me. Each stride brought me farther from the comforts of civilization, deeper into the natural habitats of hundreds of species. The reversal of roles filled me with respect, for it was I, not them, who was the intruder. My surroundings were untouched, unspoiled by the destructive forces of man. I was awestruck by the rough, uncut beauty. The trail itself was a source of joy; it was as distinctive and engaging as Mother Nature herself. Every bend brought forth new challenges, presented new opportunities to distinguish myself as a hiker. Once,

I trace my friend’s steps in the lanky grass, I’m wearing wear long pants even though the Sun is buffeting me; I need the fabric to shield my legs from the arrowhead-thorns aiming towards me in the narrow, man-made path. We dodge a tree branch hanging 4 feet from the ground, and finally, we enter a place only few people know about due to it’s magnificent hiding skills. My friend goes her own way while I absorb this new scene, I look at the stream laying a foot in front of me, glistening with sunlight like a bedazzled dress of a dancer, I spin my head towards the peaceful wind, I see a strip of wood connecting

One day on a stunning Sunday afternoon, where the sun was shining and I was radiant as can be, I decided to explore nature’s wonders by going hiking on the Greenbelt trail. When I arrived at the trailhead, It seemed like the perfect day to trek the trail. I was greeted by birds, squirrels, bears, any creature you can think of reached out to shake my hand. It seemed like such a breathtaking adventure. When I began my hike, I couldn’t help but stop at all the amazing scenery that screamed out at me. In the far distance I saw lakes, dark hedge trees, and mountains. I thought to myself, “Right after I finish my hike I should go explore those lakes!” because I couldn’t end my day with just this hike. After I was on the trail hiking for about 30 minutes, crossing many bridges, I was tasked with a difficult decision.

For years I had been hiking the same dull, barren trail. There was nothing to see besides the empty, looming trees on either side of the path and nothing to hear besides the constant crunch of dead leaves underfoot. Day after day, I marched aimlessly; however, I soon stumbled upon a divergent road. The contrast was astonishing. Where my current pathway was monotonous, the other was alive. Its trees were blazing with vibrant auburns and golds, and some of their leaves danced in the wind. Patches of daisies and dandelions peaked out from underneath piles of fallen leaves. I was entranced by the warm kiss of the sun, the rich smell of flowers, and the chatter of woodland creatures. It held a secret: the wondrous beauty of life. Although I was not sure what this trail would hold for me later on, I was eager to embark on this new journey.

I didn’t know that nature could bring so much peace. As I felt a cool breeze hit my face and leaves crush under my feet, I felt calm. I decided to walk down a trail called the Towpath Trail. I walked down the path and it led me to a little bridge. It was going over a small river. Walking across the bridge I couldn’t help, but to stare at the serene water in the river. I watched as a bright red leaf fell on top of the water. I have never experienced this feeling before. I was in a state of tranquility. This park, in a way was speaking to me and I listened.

My past two weeks were spent learning the essentials of wilderness survival, singing jolly campfire songs with friends, eating beef jerky for lunch, and leading my group on hikes through pastoral meadows but now, I felt something new. In that moment, I felt touched by the metaphysical beauty of nature while I reflected upon my weeks bonding with my fellow Scouts in the vast expanse of the wilderness. I realized that I never wanted to leave the Rockies with my friends, but like all good things, it had to come to an end.

As I began my walk on the Crescent Trail, it started by walking through a forest, which felt good because I was away from the hot sun. I could hear birds chirping and animals scurrying. The environment was calm and peaceful as I was walking through the forest area. I thought about how different the trail was than walking in a public place such as a mall or a school hallway in between periods. It was nice to be away from things made by humans and to only be around things from nature. As I was walking down the the trail I noticed toads hopping around on the ground. “Thank god I didn’t step on them!” I said as I cautiously walked by the toads. For the rest of the walk, I made sure to pay more attention to my surroundings.

Initially, we crossed a grassy meadow, and then navigated onto steep rugged terrain. Traveling at a slow, steady pace, the sound of creaking saddles and rustling leaves from the crisp breeze was the only thing you could hear for miles. As we ventured across several clear rushing streams, my horse decided to abruptly stop for a quick drink. The hearty green foliage was beautiful as mountain laurel and flame azalea scattered the old dirt trail while the sun peeked through the trees casting shadows. The trail weaved up the mountain and the higher we climbed the narrower the trail became; therefore, looking down was quite a frightening experience. After an hour of riding Joe, our guide, took the group to an overlook area that had spectacular views of mountains and nearby hills. The dancing wisps of clouds hung over the mountains, and according to Joe, “the Cherokee referred to the mountains as being ‘shaconage’ or blue, like smoke” (Oswald 98). As the group proceeded down the mountain, the trail became rocky and muddy, making our ride quite lively heading back to the stables. Sadly, another awesome adventure has ended, but the memories will last forever. That evening at the campground, I enjoyed cooking my trout over an open campfire and reminiscing about the last three days. Few experiences have uplifted my spirit more than the beauty of the mountaintops, valleys, wildlife, and the natural wonders of the Great Smoky

After a 30 to 40 minutes’ walk through a rough road full of big and small gray rocks, light brown sand, like the one on the sea, and under the shinning hot sun, we got to the corral where the cattle were. Once in there, we took out all the twelve cows, three bulls, and the calf to a little stream close to the corral to drink some water. I could feel how my disinterest to see these animals disappear as long as we got there and started to walk these gorgeous animals to the stream. I

We searched every inch of The Harp for the rest of the day. With every step I took, I was in awe of the beauty that surrounded me. No matter how far we walked we could still hear the soothing music. The creek ran all the way through the place, and the wildlife grazed about unaffected by our presence. Although I was amazed by the beauty, I craved my

The glacial erratics represent the beginning of human population of the America’s and the beginning of traditional culture, and the rocks carry with them the essence of the spirit of all those years. In honour of the truth and reconciliation act, this essay has an ode to healing by walking the land and, more specifically, reconnecting with Mother earth. I am not a religious person. I am not a spiritual person even in my own mind. And I do not even know if I believe if there is or is not a god. But I have always known that the forest and the mountains and the animals are alive as much as I am, and as an anxious, extroverted, depressed, abused, somewhat autistic person, I have always found more comfort in the company of a forest than a crowd. I have always been a person who retreats to the solitude of the forest to find my peace, my happiness, and some kind of connection with something greater than myself. Despite my strong lack of religious faith or spiritual belief, my connection to mother nature and my spiritual red roots grew deeply on what I was able to participate in during the field trip. As I prayed during smudge I had intense vision in a trance which made me sick to my stomach as I purged myself of the toxins that had entered my spirit both from people and from having to live in the city with no nearby forest for the last few years. My trances are explained in detail in the appendices II and III as I feel they are important to my experiential learning. Aside from