the NHOC

As a girl from the suburbs of New York City, I had never really experienced the outdoors as is accessible here. The idea of being able to wander in the woods, to truly get lost, was never something that crossed my mind at home. No matter how deep into the woods that you thought you got, about a hour of bushwhacking would always bring you out. Regardless, I loved the outdoors, in the small capacity that I was able to experience it.

As a result of this desire, I joined the New Hampshire Outing Club. Prior to beginning my freshman year here, I spent a week out in the White Mountains with two leaders and five other freshmen. THAT was most certainly an adventure.
This is the view from a clearing about 100 yards from our first campsite. The trip had risk (hiking in remote areas), was a break from social norms (who chooses to walk for miles at a time, with no real destination, in the rain, for six days?), and was adrenaline-inducing (wet, exposed rocks and a steep incline most certainly got my adrenaline pumping). This trip, by itself, qualifies as an adventure.View from about halfway up Carter Dome
I think this was on top of one of the Carters.
The sunset on our last night in the Whites.

Since then, I've been on two hiking trips, an apple-picking trip, leadership training, and two work trips with the NHOC. Being a part of the Outing Club has helped me survive school. When the stress seems to get to be too much to bear, there's always a weekend in the woods awaiting you, to take you away from it, if for just a bit. You definitely learn determination and patience from hiking. Determination, when it seems as if you'll never stop gaining elevation and patience, because hiking is never the most time-efficient way to get anywhere.

As long as I'm able to, I will continue to hike. I hope to take a winter mountaineering course soon, to help expand my skill set. I would love to have the opportunity and the resources to hike the entire AT, at some point in my life.

The summit of Lafayette.