120 Mile Trek
An accomplishment i am most proud of is a 120 mile backpacking trip i took part in over the summer of my junior year. I think i best capture the story in the essay i wrote for my college application:
I tend to picture the worst case scenario in everything: I have an extreme fear of heights;
I’m scared of things that go really fast, and I tend to fixate on all of life’s unknowns. Taking risks
is something I rarely if ever do.
So, when I received the news that my Boy Scout troop was doing a 120 mile backpacking
trip that ended at the top of Mount Whitney (the highest point in the contiguous US), I decided it
was very unlikely that I would be going. A week later, though, I realized that this was a chance to
test myself, to do something I never have done before and very likely will never get the chance to
do again.
My friend Max and I were appointed Trek Bosses: we were responsible for guiding the
group both in preparation beforehand and on the trail. We met twice a week for two months to
map out the trails, plan meals, and aim to stay under budget for 11 boys and 3 adults.
On the first day, I drove 5 hours, camped at Florence Lake, and hiked 8 miles with a 55
pound backpack just to get to the trail head. It was the hardest day of my life and yet, it was the
easiest day of the course.
On the 4th day, we came across our first mountain pass – so steep, that you couldn’t even
see its snow covered top from the base of it. About a fourth of the way up I stopped walking.
My legs just wouldn’t allow me to go any farther. When I looked ahead, I could see my fellow
group members. They were exhausted too, yet they kept walking. I couldn’t stop, not because
I would be left behind, but because they would slow down with me. I had to learn how to push
myself. So I kept going, ignoring all the pain I felt in my legs. When we finally made it to the top
I could look down and see the mountain we had just climbed. I felt so accomplished, but making
it to the top was only half way, and it was only the first of 7 mountain passes to get through. Yet,
somehow, everyday got easier and easier. I felt myself getting stronger with each step I took.
This trip changed me in many different ways. I am not as afraid of trying new things as I
was before, and I realized that I actually am a strong leader. I ultimately decided to pursue Eagle
Scout rank, something that before I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough time to complete. I also
opted to lead one of the 10 groups of 30 students that our school breaks into every Wednesday
morning to do school-wide leadership and group bonding activities. Breaking down camp and
perfectly repacking my backpacks every day has caused me to be more organized. I have also
learned to go to really go for what I want, which in this case is to study food science in college.
I tend to picture the worst case scenario in everything: I have an extreme fear of heights;
I’m scared of things that go really fast, and I tend to fixate on all of life’s unknowns. Taking risks
is something I rarely if ever do.
So, when I received the news that my Boy Scout troop was doing a 120 mile backpacking
trip that ended at the top of Mount Whitney (the highest point in the contiguous US), I decided it
was very unlikely that I would be going. A week later, though, I realized that this was a chance to
test myself, to do something I never have done before and very likely will never get the chance to
do again.
My friend Max and I were appointed Trek Bosses: we were responsible for guiding the
group both in preparation beforehand and on the trail. We met twice a week for two months to
map out the trails, plan meals, and aim to stay under budget for 11 boys and 3 adults.
On the first day, I drove 5 hours, camped at Florence Lake, and hiked 8 miles with a 55
pound backpack just to get to the trail head. It was the hardest day of my life and yet, it was the
easiest day of the course.
On the 4th day, we came across our first mountain pass – so steep, that you couldn’t even
see its snow covered top from the base of it. About a fourth of the way up I stopped walking.
My legs just wouldn’t allow me to go any farther. When I looked ahead, I could see my fellow
group members. They were exhausted too, yet they kept walking. I couldn’t stop, not because
I would be left behind, but because they would slow down with me. I had to learn how to push
myself. So I kept going, ignoring all the pain I felt in my legs. When we finally made it to the top
I could look down and see the mountain we had just climbed. I felt so accomplished, but making
it to the top was only half way, and it was only the first of 7 mountain passes to get through. Yet,
somehow, everyday got easier and easier. I felt myself getting stronger with each step I took.
This trip changed me in many different ways. I am not as afraid of trying new things as I
was before, and I realized that I actually am a strong leader. I ultimately decided to pursue Eagle
Scout rank, something that before I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough time to complete. I also
opted to lead one of the 10 groups of 30 students that our school breaks into every Wednesday
morning to do school-wide leadership and group bonding activities. Breaking down camp and
perfectly repacking my backpacks every day has caused me to be more organized. I have also
learned to go to really go for what I want, which in this case is to study food science in college.