By: Julia Feber
Six friends, two guides, and I are hiking the historic Chilkoot trail. Before reaching the Golden Staircase, we hike for three days, watching wildlife and eating delicious watermelon berries from bushes along the path. The trail is spectacular in the summer, but the final ascent is grueling, with the golden staircase crumbling beneath my feet. Then, as we start to descend the mountain, we are faced with fog and snowstorms. I am shaking from the anxiety of the slippery, unstable rocks, the frigid temperatures, and the adrenaline from just summiting the mountain.
Since the first grade, I have gone to sleepaway camp, spending my summers at overnight camps with friends and making lifelong memories. We learned new camping skills each year and went on more daring adventures. With a break from technology, I detach from the outside world every summer and embrace nature. The summer before 11th grade, we went on our most extensive trip yet. We took a bus from Michigan to Alaska for seven weeks of camping, far away from our homes and phones. The highlight of this trip is our five-day trek into the backcountry on the Chilkoot Trail. As I look around at the history and the beauty on the trail, I remember the quote "Stay Gold" from The Outsiders, a book I read in seventh grade. While this quote from a Robert Frost poem emphasizes how nothing good or "gold" in life can stay, I believe my positive mindset and outlook can help me and others overcome life's challenges. As I struggled to climb the golden staircase in the middle of summer, nearly four years after reading the book, I realized the quote's effect on me.
When I reached the top, my struggle felt worth it, and the view and feeling of knowing I had climbed and summited a mountain was one of the most cathartic, fulfilling moments I can remember. The moment served as a reminder to me to "stay gold" and to never give up. But as we began our descent, the fog and snow rolled in, overshadowing the gorgeous snowy mountain tops.
Climbing back down the mountain in a snowstorm, I shivered, holding onto a hard, cold rock for dear life. That was when my counselor told me the Nelson Mandela quote, "'Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it." He exclaimed, "You are overcoming your fear right now, and you can't be braver." I continued down the golden staircase, feeling inspired and confident in my ability to persevere, stay positive, and maintain my energy. As we hiked back to our base camp, I promised to remember that moment.
My new found courage and perseverance from the Chilkoot Trail have continued to drive me in everything I do. Being away from my phone connected me to nature on a level I have never felt before. I learned that focusing on living in the moment is essential to maintaining a happier, more fulfilling, and meaningful life. My trip to Alaska taught me to persevere and embrace obstacles while maintaining a positive attitude. I will always choose positivity and kindness to reach my goals. This was a journey where I felt the joy of the summit and the challenges of the future, but more than anything, it taught me to enjoy the ride.
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