The first expedition in one word? Tiring. By Day Six of our hike on the Ostrander Lake Trail, all ten of us ARC participants and four instructors were exhausted, both mentally and physically. At this point, we had gone through steep incline and declines, a thunder storm, and a very emotional English class. We were all at our wit’s end. But while we were on our way hiking to Chilnualna Falls, we came across a clearing at the crest of our hike. We were breath-taken by the endless view of enormous trees and the gorgeous sunset. This felt like our reward for a hard day of hiking, or as our instructor Michael would say, “Simpsons and ice cream!” The time for our break had come, and we decided to spend ours there. It was a great evening, where we played group-bonding games, played baseball with pine cones and a stick, and simply sat admiring our surroundings. This was the first time that our group as a whole felt truly accomplished.
-Julia Travis
