Intimate Encounter Essay

Experiencing the Appalachian Mountains first hand is a discovery of it own reward. Ascending to the peak of the mountain peering over a pond is a feat as much as it is a reward. Many other tourists hike the trail year-round. Walking through a

My eyes peeled open slowly and the bright sunlight flooded into my eyes, blinding me. I heard the sound of running water and felt the cold breeze flow over my body. I looked out of my hammock and in front of me was a beautiful waterfall and several towering, bright green trees. My friends whom were with me shortly awoke and we packed our things and set off on our first true day of hiking in the Appalachian mountains.

The mountains are a beautiful adventure. As you walk up the incline, trees overhang, animals run wild, and rivers roar. All of these are things that keep me coming back to hike. On my most recent hike, while it may have been 100 degrees back home, where I was it was a chilling 40 degrees. As we walked around ten miles up and over the mountain, I took many breaks to catch my breath and take in the majestic scenery. There are also the snow skiing vacations. While you can’t see anything besides snow and trees, the adventure of cruising down the slopes is full of adrenalin. The mountains have always signified an adventure for me. Just like the mountains, life is a beautiful adventure. I do not know yet what adventures are in store for my life, but I look forward to them. I strive to see the beauty in everything.

The sun was glistening through the tall, swaying pines. To the right of the trail, a gentle river flowed softly down towards the mouth of the lake. Walking across the rickety wooden bridge, I inhaled a deep breath of refreshingly crisp mountain air. The sun beat down on me as I made my way across the bridge and back onto the well-used hiking trail. The ambient sounds of chirping birds, babbling water, and the croaks of several frogs filled my ears as I made my way around the bend. As I entered the mouth of the forest, I could see my father standing in the middle of the path, glancing upwards, taking in the beauty that had began to engulf us. “We better get going.” he said, looking back at me. “There’s still many miles to go.” I smiled and turned, taking in one last view of the beautiful creekside. Then, with determination, we set out to finish the challenging trek we had started.

The journey that Richard and Mildred Loving took is important for history and for the future of civil rights in the United States. I recently watched the documentary The Loving Story and enjoyed the footage, pictures, and interviews of everyone involved in the Loving v. Virginia case. The documentary addressed the issue of interracial marriage in Virginia in 1967.

There was no pavement for his dog to follow. The trail is marked only by small patches of white paint on trees, rocks, or occasional posts. No signs were in Braille, so Bill Irwin had to run his hands over their etched letters to read them. Many of the hundreds of footbridges were only twelve inches wide or less and Irwin had to cross them on his hands and knees. The trail often wound its way along steep cliffs and mountainsides. He had to contend with the continual unevenness of the trail’s rocky surface, which tore up his boots and twisted his ankles. And Bill Irwin fell literally thousands of times – fracturing several ribs on one occasion. There were no inspiring vistas that would reward all those uphill climbs. He made the journey in perpetual darkness. And although the Appalachian Trail Conference has published dozens of detailed topographical maps of the trail, they were all useless to this man who couldn’t see. How, then, could he find his

Taking on a journey stretching well over 2,100 miles, covering fourteen states (from Maine to Georgia) by foot is no simple stroll where at the end of the day a comfortable bed and hot meal would await you. Instead, hiking the Appalachian Trail can be an endless battle with all the elements of mother nature: whereas in one state spring would have sprung already with wildflowers dressing the forest floors and insects buzzing through crisp air, on other parts of the trail it [the weather conditions] would be smothering heat, but meanwhile a few states north the rain would fall endlessly with gusts of cold wind, and snow would blanket the pathways of the trail and more than likely blizzards

There are many alluring opportunities to witness nature, such as local trails and protected woods, but even a peaceful park or a backyard pond can produce such a feeling. As for me, I enjoy hiking the Appalachian Trail, the longest national park and a 2,200 mile stretch of elegant woodlands. From the summer of 2013, my father and I have established a tradition of taking two or three days to hike twenty mile sections of the trail. Though hiking the whole trail is unrealistic, the trips are most significant to me as a chance to hike, forgetting about homework, extracurricular activities, and other stressors. Admittedly, I am always reluctant to believe that climbing up rocky mountains with a twenty-five pound backpack will is a form of relief, but somehow, it always is. We typically sleep in hammocks, which allows

The Appalachian Trail is a massive walking trail that is said to be roughly 2,150 mile long from end to end (pg. 7). This trail is one of few enormous walking trails in the United States. It runs from Georgia all the way to Maine. People set off to walk this trail every spring. They may walk it straight through or in sections. Many obstacles are involved throughout the trail such as: animals, the weather, diseases, and even plants can be a danger as Bryson states multiple times throughout his book. People walk these trails to get a sense of nature that one would not normally feel on a regular daily basis elsewhere. The problem with this is that it creates a division between us and nature. We now have to go out and find nature rather than living

The scenes journey along the Appalachian Trail captures the true magnificence and greatness of the eastern U.S. of wilderness. Starting in the Deep South at the foothills of the smoky mountains, this journey overwhelms one with southern beauty while also making one experience the South’s legendary simplicity and retreat from the urban gridlock of modern society. The Appalachian Trail’s scenery attracts many people from all over the world to witness it for them. Causing many people to come with their families and possibly volunteer.

After a long mountainous drive, I arrived at my destination to embrace one of nature’s wonders in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, Abram Falls Trail. Upon departing the car, a cool crisp breeze brushed my face and the aroma of bacon lingered in the early morning air from the neighboring campground. The narrow rocky footpath looked like a tedious adventure, however a gorgeous, vibrant array of red, purple, orange, and yellow wildflowers blossoming at the entrance made the trail alluring. Navigating the rocky, uneven terrain required sturdy footing, but the quiet stillness created a peaceful relaxing atmosphere. The lush pine-oak forest formed a green canopy of shelter above the trail, offering welcome cool shade, as vivid sunlight filtered through the foliage. A sweet honey fragrance permeated the air, as a stunning scene displayed a cluster of purple and pure white

Life can be pretty stressful, and at times I feel the need to escape. When life’s pressures build to a critical mass my favorite place to go is Collier Township’s Panhandle trail, with its long hiking, and bike riding path, the more secluded hiking trails set deep in the woods, and fossil cliff it’s the ideal place to escape this mad mad world. I begin my journey at the start of the trail that stretches from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. The sound of tiny stones crunch under my feet as I walk, birds fly through a vibrant blue sky, and come to rest perched high in the trees that frame the walking, and bike trail. I continue down the trail for a quarter of a mile reading the small signs placed on the edge of the path set there to inform you of

We are going on a road trip everybody! Let’s go to the Chain Rock in Kentucky; it will be so thrilling and it’s only a half mile walk there. Doesn’t that sound exciting? No, it isn’t exciting, the walk is more like a hike and it is challenging. No one that rarely hikes can even make it to the Chain Rock, because there is a massive boulder in the way so the trip is pointless, if you have those circumstances. Never go to Chain Rock, it is not worth the gas, money, or time. The trail of the half of a mile hike consisted of woods, heat, and disappointment.

Bill Bryson learns of the awaiting challenges the trail has before having even set foot on it, but he is determined to make the most of the Appalachian Trail. He excuses what others believe to be a hopeless trek and instead embraces this opportunity to finally enjoy the outdoors. After living abroad for close to a quarter decade, Bryson feels the need to “reacquaint [himself] with the scale and beauty” (2) of nature. By setting out on a positive note, he readies himself for what is ahead, because he knows that whatever he encounters may be far from his expectations. Even so, he prevents the things that stand in his way from impacting his decisions, facing his problems head on.

In the beginning of Bryson and Katz’s journey up the Appalachian Trail, the two men quickly find out the physical toll that the hike would take on them. While Bryson was “bug-eyed, and breathing hard”