Rocky Mountain High :: essays research papers

â€Å"Rocky Mountain High†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Swish, swish, flap, swish, flap. The walls of my tent begin to shake vigorously. I roll over, rub my eyes, and try to figure out what in the hell is going on. Waking up from the long, cold nights sleep at 10,000 feet, my senses are not exactly what I would call â€Å"sharp as a tack†. I unzip my sleeping bag and a rush of cold mountain air sends shivers down my spine. I scramble around the tent, frantically trying to find some warm clothes. As I hop out of the tent, I realize the shaking was coming from the other members in my group giving me a camper’s wake up call. Still in a morning daze, I ask, â€Å"What’s for breakfast?† After the laughter dies down, I realize the Clif bar I packed the day before will be the only breakfast I get.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I scramble around camp, I notice the first glints of sunshine shoot over the ridge to the east and the moon slowly tucking itself into bed behind the ridge on the west. I wipe the dew off the face of my watch, 6:03am. I take a deep breath of the mountain air, as clean as pure spring water and then I feel nature begin to call. With the first task of the day accomplished, I pack up camp and prepare for the days hike. The higher up the mountain I go, more and more of my group members began to fade. Some of the members stop to rest on a log that has fallen victim to Mother Nature. Others pause to take pictures of themselves, overlooking the valley below. The lake glimmers from the sun’s rays and the cool north winds push the clouds across the sky. Feeling excited now, I want to keep going to get the view from the top. Sitting on a log to rest or taking pictures just does not seem so appealing anymore. I do not know what about hiking in the mountains that became so addicting to me, but there is definitely something about it. Maybe it is the way that all my worries and troubles seem to disappear into the land. I run around all day climbing peak after peak, not thinking twice about the rest of the world. All the TV’s, cell phones, palm pilots and other gadgets of the day that seem to keep me entertained at home are like a candle in the wind when compared to Mother Nature, who offers plenty to keep me occupied.