New Hampshire Ski Trip

So I did it like 20 more times before finally resting up on the shore. As time passed by, it felt as if we spent the whole day swimming and jumping off a helicopter skydiving. Then the unexpected happen, my best friends Ivan and Nathan decided they wanted to get a go at the bridge. In my head, I knew this was not a good idea. The bridge was skyscraping, towering, mighty, I can’t even think of words to describe it. It was unmatchable and yet they want to jump off it. I tried to convince them not to, worrying that something might go wrong if they did. Quite frankly they didn’t care what I had to say and offered me to jump with them. I was already on the bridge with them and they were on the outside of the rails ready to jump. While all my friends are behind me they wanted to see all three of us jump at the same time. I was scared shitless. But being me I caved in and vaulted right over the rail and stood next to 2 of my best friends as we were about to jump a bridge. I’ve never been more scared in my life, looking down at my feet it looked like the people below me were ants. We stood there for a good 5 minutes contemplating on whether we should jump or not. The longer we sat there the worst it became, we were all trembling with fear. Both Ivan and Nathan had fear in their eyes like I’ve never seen before. I bet they were just as scared as I was. The sun was gleaming at all 3 of us as we stood there in shock and awe. But we had to man up and jump, so we did exactly that. The water was fragile, universe-blue-colour, making it appear like nature’s amphitheatre. At that very moment all 3 of us jumped, the air felt ice cold, it felt as if everything was statue still, like time froze on us. It was peaceful and comfortable, I have never experienced such a unique feeling. As we came racing down we smacked the water and plunged right for the surface gasping for air. It was a feeling that you can’t shake

In the California mountains of Big Bear on a medium-sized hill, feeling the cold freezing air brush against my long straighten ponytail as I looked below me, kids sledding down the small slopes. In the distance, I see my family waving to me and I hear them yelling in disagreement and warning of how high I was. However, the wind was muffling their words, and I did not care if they did not agree. I was going to do it no matter

I made my way to my aunt’s house. Her home smelled of fresh cut pine, and she offered me a cup of coffee with a cinnamon stick in it. I accepted, and we went to the kitchen table and discussed our week. As she talked, I looked out her kitchen table. A small oak grew in the front yard. Snow capped the birdfeeder beside her bird bath.

Reflections of the foliage are visible in the lake on my left, and behind that chairlifts can be seen waiting for the first snow to fall to begin their busy work of the winter. Small houses begin to appear, as well as family-owned ski shops, quaint motels, and Munroe’s Family Restaurant as I travel further down the road. Lining the sides of the road are hundreds of evergreens and maple trees, leading me towards the mountains in the distance. The mountains are topped with white fluffy clouds, that in a few months will be showering the pinnacles with

As I heard my alarm clock go off at two in the morning, feeling prepared mentally but not physically. My mind,at that point in time raced with thoughts and expectations, although my body felt like it wanted to die. Finally dragging myself out from under the soft covers, I pulled my gear to the bed of the truck and threw my bag up over the side of the truck's bed,-- hearing a giant thud from the heftiness of my pack. I felt mixed emotions coming from my body, my mind ready and my body said: “go back to bed hate you, I hate you, I hate you”. As soon as I plopped myself into the truck squished with three people in the back seat, after about five minutes of driving all three of us passed out fast asleep. The moment I woke, pulling into the parking lot of Mount Washington, New Hampshire I felt ready. When I stepped out of the car, I threw my hands in the air, the best feeling of stretching after a car ride. I look up to see this mountain completely covered with snow and only one round part completely treeless; that's where we hiked too. Strapping my fifty-pound pack on my back containing ski boots, skis, poles, winter gear, and food felt more tiring than it should have.

The ground looked up at me menacingly. After an agonizing 2 minutes, we reached the curve at the top of the hill. As we rounded the bend, I glimpsed the drop ahead. The butterflies drummed twice as hard now. Then, the end of the curve was upon me, and we stopped! “What happened? Is something wrong?” All of the sudden, the brakes gave way. A yell tore itself from my lungs as we flew down the hill. My hands gripped the armrests like there was no tomorrow. But then, after the initial drop, excitement flared through me. “This is the best rollercoaster ever!” I thought to myself. The coaster took me up, down, and all around. It felt like I was flying, we were going so fast. But, to my despair, all roller coasters end. As we pulled up to the dismount station, I thought to myself, “I’m never going to forget this!”

Once my dad arrived, we were on our way. I jumped out into the first park that we came to and the fresh new powder exalted me. We then rode over to our friend's cabin to say hello and have a Pepsi. We asked our friend, Bob to come along for the ride and he was delighted to join us. From there we cut across flat lined Twin Lake and then across the untracked Eggleston Lake. To my unpleasant surprise, we approached the lodge, and sleds were buzzing around like crows on road kill. Ten miles down the road I expected to, at least, see some other people riding, but we had the whole mountain to ourselves. We rode from mountain to mountain, crossing open drainages and gigantic playgrounds of snow one after another.

So as we were moving up the hill I saw my friend Will black out and I could taste the warm air in and out of my lungs then we got to the top and I screamed as loud as I could and hear other people scream to and I could feeling the wind in my face, and every second was a rush then we were coming up to the loop and when we went over it I was ecstatic! Screaming my head off until we got to the end and after that I had so many emotions I was happy crying cause it was so fun and nauseous and I could feel my stomach rumbling . Furthermore that was the best day ever and me and my friends still talk about is because as a result it was the best thing

Steaming black coffee warms my soul as I silently observe baby chipmunks running across the logs surrounding the driveway. Hummingbirds flutter and fuss over their feeder while other birds vie for seed in the log cabin. If I sit very still I might see a deer or bear from my perch on the porch. How pleasant it is to immerse in the quietness of the mountains far from the ever present clamor of civilization. In the mountains above Durango, Colorado, chill morning air greets me on this sixth day of retreat. Visiting my sister Janet’s “cabin” was not my choice. Yet, here I am. Only two vacation days remain and in the silence, I begin to reflect.

I walk to the line for “The Eagle” and tell my family that i will see them on the other side. The seats are by two so i know i will be sitting with a stranger. We get to the very end of the line where they put you in lines for the seats. I see that i will be sitting with a girl my age. The people that just went got off and we went on. The girl’s name was Sarah and we were both talking about how scared we were. We lock our seats and the people come to check if we were secured good. “ Here goes nothing!!” she says to me and off we go. The ride is going very fast and there were many turns and loops. Our feet are hanging off the ride and it really felt like my shoe was about to fly off!! We get to the biggest drop and as we are going up Sarah and I are talking about how fun it's going to

Our stomachs full and chains in hand, we began striding towards our car. Shivering from the cold, Zoya could barely keep up. Thanks to a kind and caring couple, we didn’t have to bear the cold for long. We were welcomed into the warmth of their car and they drove us to get snow shovels. Back down the mountain we rode with great anticipation to free our car from its icy prison. After 15 grueling hours of snow, the sun finally began to melt the ice. Digging the tires from their graves, the tires were finally released from Mother Nature’s shackles. Our angels reminded us about the goodness in the

I woke to the sound of falling icicles smacking against the window. I ran downstairs, peeked out the window, and there it was snow up to my thighs. “ No, it can not be.” I thought. “I have never seen that much snow.” So I checked the window, and it was true, I was trapped in a Winter Wonderland. I could not help, but jump up and down at the thought of building my first fort. I am going to build the world’s best snow house! I screamed.

When the sun slowly peeps over the range of mountains, birds shake the morning dew off their feathers and give a cheerful song that would lift even the most sorrowful of spirits. A light fog wraps around the mountain range, reaching to touch every bit of life thriving there. The slight chill in the air is enough to give a gentle shiver, but not enough for the need of a jacket. A breeze tickles the trees, making their leaves shake and sway with laughter. Sunlight seeps in past the thick canopy of branches with hopes of being able to reach the damp mountain earth. The mountains are the best place to live to be relaxed, see the most beauty, and never get bored.

On a snowy and windy night, I was at Barnes & Noble in Green Bay with my friends, Alan and Karina. Christmas music played overhead, the smell of hot chocolate and freshly brewed coffee wafted over, the customers were kind and cheerful, and snow was beginning to blanket the parking lot outside. We were sitting near the cafe wrapping books to support their mom’s school fundraiser. I stared outside and remembered my mom’s warning of the large snowfall that was almost upon us. Around 7:15, the snowflakes were becoming larger and we could barely see outside the window.

The day started out as usual. Waking up at 5, eating, getting dressed, and leaving. This was no normal day, however. This was the last day of the ski season, and it had snowed a foot in the mountains. I still remember the date, 4/15/13. You could say it was a very good season for the northwest. Stevens pass, which is a resort in Central Washington, had gotten over 5 feet of snow overnight one day in December 2012, which made for a record powder day there. Down by Mt. Hood, where I ski, the same storm that hit the Washington resorts pummelled those resorts. This made for early season conditions that were more like mid-late winter, and created a deep snowpack for the whole season. Throughout February and March, several deep days sealed the