Category Archives: Hiking

One Dark, Dry Night in San José

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IMG_1502My boyfriend’s head didn’t explode and my Customs form wasn’t rejected. A wave of relief swept over me as I took the first steps out of the airport in San José, Costa Rica.

IMG_1504Sinus infections and flight chaos were the last things on my mind as I felt the 85-degree heat smack me in the face. I quickly thought and forgot about all those suckers back in negative 85-degree Chicago.

My boyfriend and I were determined to travel like locals and take city buses everywhere to save money and shame. Not unexpectedly, we were bombarded with cab offers the second we walked outside. I guess a white girl and an Indian guy with huge backpacks don’t exactly look like Costa Rican locals.

IMG_1520Utilizing broken Spanish language skills, we quickly found the correct bus stop and hopped on board. Apparently, buses are THE way to get around in San José. They felt clean and safe, and there was a ton of them going in all directions throughout the city. The best part was that a bus ride only cost about $1 USD!

I don’t think I’ll ever pack an oversize wheeled suitcase ever again. Making use of my previously under-used REI backpack was the best decision I could have made. The streets of San José were narrow and crowded. I bumped into enough locals as it was, so I can’t imaging navigating with a monstrosity on wheels.

We exchanged some dollars for colones and strolled the streets in search of cheap grub. There was lots of traffic (mostly scooters) and I nearly died on several occasions crossing the street without looking both ways.

Growing hungrier and crankier, we stopped at some nameless hole-in-the-wall for sandwiches. I nabbed a Costa Rican version of a ham & cheese sandwich and a beer. This was my first experience with Imperial. The light, standard-tasting beer is made in Costa Rica so while I’m a bit of a craft beer snob back home, I drink like the locals when I travel.

Two sandwiches and two beers, plus tip, cost us about 4500 colones….which comes out to about $9 USD. Not bad! The bad ’80’s pop ballad music blasting throughout the basement restaurant was a nice touch as well.

After lunch, we went on a hunt for a place to sleep. Advance research advised us that there were plenty of hostels in San José, so we weren’t overly concerned with booking one in advance during non-peak season.IMG_1569

We picked a hostel called Hotel Musoc and stayed in Room #34, which cost only 10,000 colones ($20 USD) for a private room with a double bed and bathroom. One additional bonus…a baby crib!

IMG_1535When we arrived at Hotel Musoc in the early afternoon, we were told that the electricity was out in the whole neighborhood. The hostel owner held a flashlight over his daughter’s head while she checked our passports and took our money.

The hostel may have been priced so cheaply because it was located directly over an incredibly busy bus terminal. Fortunately, the chaos died down about 9pm, just in time for slumber. That’s about the time that the electricity and running water started working again too.IMG_1541

From that one dark, dry night in San José, I clearly remember the hazy sky, looming clouds obscuring distant mountains, persistent honking of scooters, and constantly being approached by locals asking if we needed directions. With minimal advice, we survived the night and found our way to a 5am bus headed for the Arenal Volcano the next morning.

To be continued…

How to Escape the Crowds at Yellowstone

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Emerald_pool_in_yellowstone_2As one of America’s most popular outdoor destinations, Yellowstone National Park attracts millions of visitors every year.  Despite the park’s beautiful setting, it can be hard to find solace and experience the peacefulness of nature. Here are just a few ways to get away from long lines, loud kids, and annoying tour busses:

Visit in the fall 

Summer vacations are over and the kids are back in school. Plan you trip around the first week in October to see the foliage explode with color. Lodging rates are lower at this time than during the summer months, wildlife is more prevalent, and trails are less crowded.

Take alternate driving routes 

Alternate routes, like the Grassy Lake Road, are often less congested with traffic. You should ensure that your vehicle is equipped to handle the terrain on these routes before starting your drive. You should also collect relevant maps or a GPS with good reception in case you lose your way off the beaten path.

Hike backcountry trails 

There’s no better way to experience the true spirit of Yellowstone than in the backcountry. Check out the Bechler River area and the Thorofare region for a truly wild outing.  The Bechler River runs along the southwest section of Yellowstone and is home to over half of the park’s waterfalls. You can hike for 30 miles in any direction without ever reaching a road in the Thorofare region.  Hikers should always check in with a nearby ranger station to obtain necessary permits, collect maps, and provide contact information in case of emergency.

Try Cross-country instead of downhill skiing

If you’re planning a trip during the winter months, you’ll probably want to try out some of the nearby skiing options. Jackson Hole and Grand Teton Resorts are consistently crowded and expensive at pretty much all times. For a more laid back skiing experience, give cross-country a try. Jackson Hole has become an increasingly popular center for cross-country skiing on a varied landscape. Nordic centers offer beginners with rental gear and trail recommendations. More advanced skiers won’t get bored with the incredible cross-country routes in the surrounding mountains.

 

The Charcoal Kilns of Death Valley

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When driving down the winding, unpaved road towards Wildrose Peak, the scenery was what you would expect in Death Valley. At 6,800 feet, desert plants line the roadside and mountains loom in the distance. The last thing I expected to see at the trail head was charcoal kilns.

The charcoal kilns, ten conical masonry structures, were completed by the Modock Consolidated Mining Company in the late 1800’s. The kilns converted lumber to charcoal for nearby silver miners, and the neighboring ghost towns of Darwin and Lookout used the kilns. For a brief period of time, charcoal was transported by jackass pack-trains down the trail from Lookout to Wildrose Canyon.

I crouched low and ducked my head to peek inside. There was an eerie stillness all around me. Sunlight poured in through the door and the top of the kiln. My mind wandered, as I tried to imagine what the kilns used to be like when they were in use. Death Valley is a land of extremes…hot, dry, low, and unexpectedly historic.

A Breath in Death Valley (A Poem)

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Stuck in a rut with no light in sight
Discontent had worn her down
Figured a trip to a desolate place
Might pick her up off the ground

She drove from Vegas to Death Valley
On a sunny November day
Her eyes still crusted with dried tears
But forced open anyway

Her mind was full of chaos
And her heart devoid of hope
Sudden silence all around her
Sudden impulse to implode

She was alone in Badwater Basin
Much to her relief
She desired solitude, peace,
And some rationality

She tried to take in the beauty
But it was too vast to comprehend
She couldn’t see where it started
Or if it even had an end

She held up her binoculars
With her backpack on her back
She hiked ’til she could hike no more
‘Til negativity ceased attack

Feet crunched across the salt flats
Eyes focused on mountain peaks
Blue skies, wispy clouds, and
Sun rays provided warm critique

One of the hottest, driest places
Felt more comfortable than home
Outward extremes made her think beyond
The life she had outgrown

The hike didn’t change anything
But it helped her catch her breath
She’s still lost and wandering
But there’s a lot of trail still left

Backpacking the Shawnee National Forest

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The concept of “backpacking” always sounded like the epitome of adventure to me. But while the self-sufficiency and the minimalist nature appealed to my senses, my practical side questioned how I could actually find a path and survive the lifestyle. On a whim, I dropped a pretty penny on a 65-liter REI backpack. It sat in my apartment for weeks and I would admire how “fun” it looked to use someday.

My boyfriend had a backpacking trip or two under his belt. Although we’ve been avid campers and hikers for the past year, we’ve never strayed far from having a car full of supplies nearby. Although we’d romanticized month-long backpacking excursions around Europe and The Pacific Crest Trail, we were realistic enough to know we should start small.

Not surprisingly, the options for outdoor adventure in the Midwest are sparse. However, The Shawnee National Forest, located at the border of Illinois and Kentucky, offers some commendable options for nearby adventurers. Because of the close proximity and since it consists of relatively flat terrain, my boyfriend and I chose Shawnee for our first attempt at backpacking.

We departed on a rainy Thursday evening in October to make the six-hour southbound drive from Chicago. After a night’s stay in a cheap motel, we woke bright and early and headed to the Lusk Creek Wilderness. Since there was incredibly little information published online about backpacking in this area, we stopped at the Vistiors’ Center (located at 50 Highway 145 South, Harrisburg, Illinois) to purchase some maps.

To our relief, there were some great maps for sale in the Visitor’s Center. A couple less detailed maps trial maps are posted for free download on the USDA website as well.

With maps in hand and backpacks stuffed to the brim, our starting point was the Indian Kitchen Trail Head. My backpack felt dreadfully uncomfortable almost immediately . The straps dug into my hips, my shoulders ached, and I couldn’t help but hunch over. After adjusting the pack several times with minimal relief, I realized that I would just have to deal with it and get used to it.

From Indian Kitchen, we hiked to Bowed Tree Crossing and then towards Natural Bridge. We were backpacking on equestrian trails, so we had to be on the constant lookout for horse poop. This totally reminded me of growing up in an Amish town and going for late night runs in the “buggy lanes”.

On the way to Natural Bridge, we temporarily lost our bearings and ended up on the outskirts of the wilderness area. This was pretty clear because there was a private residence visible in the distance.

After some uphill backtracking and pushing through uncut forests, we found our way back on the trail to Natural Bridge. It was perfect hiking weather – 60’s and cloudy – but the clouds were starting to roll in and the forecasted rain seemed to be approaching.

The rain began almost as soon as we reached Natural Bridge. We took a couple pictures and contemplated our next move. Our next move was pretty much decided for us as the sprinkles turned into a torrential downpour. Fortunately, we had scoped out a couple decent spots to set up camp along the way and had one particular spot in mind. We frantically pulled the tent gear from our packs and set the tent up in record speed.

It was about 5:30pm, but we were confined to the tent for the rest of the evening due to the rain. Although we had hiked less than eight miles, I was definitely feeling the strain of my first backpacking trip already.

We had packed several freeze-dried meals and used a Jet Boil Stove to make ourselves a hearty meal of Mountain House New Orleans Style Rice with Shrimp and Ham and Blueberry Cobbler. These were surprisingly delicious!

The remainder of the waking hours were spent reading iPads and playing a dice/card game called Pass the Pigs. Except for the occasional sound of a locomotive engine horn, the night was completely silent.

Although quite cold, the sun was shining the next morning when we awoke. Our attempts to dry out the tent and rain fly were pointless, so we shoved the wet materials into our packs and set off for a short hike to Secret Canyon. This was probably the most impressive and scenic spot along the whole trail. The canyons formed a sort of amphitheater that curved around a large space under an expansive forest area. If only we would have known about these cavern retreats during the previous day’s rain storm! What a great natural shelter these would have provided!

We had to retrace our steps from the previous day to get back to my parked Jeep. On our first day, we only saw one other person on the trail….an older local gentleman on his horse. We saw the same gentleman on our second day as well and he advised us that there was a group of equestrian travelers up ahead.

We encountered these travelers at Owl Bluff. Three generations of a family dressed up in cowboy hats and chaps were having lunch in the clearing when we arrived in the area.

“Are you lost?” one older gentleman asked with a laugh.

“No, not really” we replied. ” with map and compass clearly in sight.

“Good! ‘Cause we are!” the gentleman exclaimed with another hearty laugh.

Although they had the same map that we did, we pointed out the path that we had traveled from and the approximate distances. They still seemed a bit uncertain, but were satisfied enough with our advice to wish us on our way. As we parted, one of the women cautioned us about a river up ahead and laughed about how we planned to get through it.

Although our hike was coming to an end, little did we know that one of the most challenging parts was still ahead. We’d already had to cross a few small creeks along the way, but with little difficulty. We’d take off our shoes, roll up our pants, and tip toe across the rocky creek bottom to get to the other side.

Our hiking boots squished down the trail from Owl Bluff, covered in mud and horse poop built up from the previous day’s rainstorm. As we came around a bend, we saw what the woman at Owl Bluff was laughing about. The river was probably five times as wide as the previous creeks we had crossed. The water was freezing cold, it was flowing at a moderate speed, and we couldn’t see the bottom. Mental notes were made about investing in waterproof hiking boots as soon as possible.

There was no way around it, so we went through it. We moved slowly, cautiously, and with outstretched arms to avoid tipping over with the large backpacks and getting all of our supplies wet. After a good amount of time, we both finally reached the other side. At this point, we realized we were nearly out of drinking water. This wasn’t a huge deal because we only had a half day’s hike ahead of us. We had also packed some water purification tablets and wanted to test if they actually made natural water drinkable.

I scooped some yellow-brown water from the river that we had just crossed in our bare feet into my empty bottle and popped a couple tablets inside. The sun began to come out as we continued on the hike, and this provided to be yet another day with perfect hiking weather.

Without getting lost and with no additional obstacles (except for ample amounts of mud and horse poop), we made it back to the trail head. I was so relieved to see my blue Jeep in the distance.  My first backpacking trip was complete and it was a success! Exhausted, I plopped down on the ground and checked the river water in my bottle. It was still yellow-brown. I dumped it out.

In total, we backpacked almost 20 miles. We prevailed through rainstorms, getting lost, trail-side cooking, river crossings, and each other during our hike. While beautiful, Shawnee National Forest was merely a baby-step in the direction of hardcore backpacking. Regardless, I learned a lot throughout this baby-step and I can’t wait to plan a teenager-step backpacking trip as soon as the winter passes.

Discovering “Plan B” At Yosemite National Park

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The winding, mountainous roads made the drive from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park seem much longer than it actually was. My boyfriend and I were excited to trade in the daily grind of the city life for a few days of hiking, camping, and rock climbing in Yosemite Valley. We both thrive upon the peace and energy that only nature can provide.  We both are also very organized and planned our outdoor excursion down to the very last detail.  But as all travelers know, even the best itineraries rarely go as planned.

My boyfriend booked the campsite by contacting the National Park Service about a month in advance. The National Park Service’s website provides a link to review the different areas of Yosemite that have campsites and their availability. The price per campsite averaged a reasonable $20.00 per night. Additional information about nearby activities and amenities are also listed on this helpful site.

Although there was no park ranger on duty at the check-in booth, we easily found our Campsite #74 in the Upper Pines Region.  We were not familiar enough with the area to have a site preference, so we simply took the site that the park service assigned to us.  We later learned about the four campsite regions in Yosemite Valley: Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, and Camp 4. The first three regions are fairly similar and standard, but Camp 4 is a “first-come, first served” open space that requires no reservations. In addition to these options, there are also seven campsites north of Yosemite Valley and two campsites south of Yosemite valley.

The campsites in the Upper Pines were set reasonably far apart and the terrain was fairly smooth, although covered in patches of snow. We were able to park our car at the campsite next to where we pitched our tent. Each campsite had its own large lock box to store food inside so that encounters with bears would be less of a concern. All of our neighbors at the nearby campsites were quiet and one couple was kind enough to lend us their lighter fluid to get our struggling campfire started the first night.

Don’t be fooled by the movies…California is not warm and sunny year around. It was late March, and the temperatures dipped to nearly thirty degrees Fahrenheit each night. I gave myself a pat on the pack for splurging on that +10 degree down feather sleeping bag at REI for this trip. Since I had never camped in such chilly temperatures before, I had never considered using a sleeping mat before. I quickly learned that sleeping mats, such as this one from Alps Mountaineering, make a huge difference in staying comfortable and keeping warm.

Since my boyfriend and I have decent rock climbing skills, I contacted several climbing companies in advance to inquire about hiring a guide to summit some peaks in Yosemite. My search was quickly narrowed down, as I discovered that there was only one company that provided guide services inside the boundaries of the National Park and during the month of March.

This guide company, Yosemite Mountaineering School, was extremely accommodating and helpful throughout my contact with them while booking a ¾ day climbing excursion. I thought the price of $200.00 per person for a 6 hour guided climb was pretty steep. However, this was our only option and we really wanted to have the bragging rights of climbing Yosemite. Information about the options and pricing can be viewed on the YMS website.

The staff at Yosemite Mountaineering School advised us to meet their guide, Josh, in the Curry Village Mountain Shop at 9:00am and to bring our own lunch, water, climbing shoes, and harnesses. On the night before our scheduled climbing excursion, rain poured down on our tent and flooded the terrain around us. After a cold and uncomfortable night in the tent, my boyfriend and I awoke at dawn and wondered if the weather conditions would hinder our climbing plans.

Although cell phone reception in the park was sparse, I was finally able to reach Josh to discuss the weather conditions and our plan for the day.He told me that he had gone out earlier that morning to scope out the climbing areas and that pretty much everything was flooded and nearly every rock face was wet and slippery. He advised against taking us out to climb and asked if we had the flexibility to reschedule for another day. Unfortunately, this was our last day in Yosemite so we simply had to cancel our reservations.  I really appreciated Josh’s honesty about the hazardous weather conditions and consideration for our safety.

Yosemite Mountaineering School gave us a full refund, with no hassles. Although, he and I were disappointed about not being able to climb that day, we quickly agreed upon a “Plan B”. We spent the day hiking the trail to the upper waterfall. The trail boasted a challenging 7.2 miles had pretty much every type of terrain I could imagine: rock, dirt, sand, grass, mud, water, snow, ice, and concrete. A helpful guide about the various hiking trails at Yosemite can be found on the National Park Service website.

Although our initial plans of rock climbing didn’t work out, we were not disappointed at all. And although Yosemite has been photographed countless times, there is truly nothing like experiencing the beauty of Yosemite first hand. Periodically stopping to take a deep breath and view the vistas along the way brought us a sense of peace, acceptance, and appreciation for the opportunity to be where we were at that
very moment.

How I Popped My Canyoneering Cherry

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As an outdoor documentary junkie, I’ve seen plenty of other people’s canyonnering adventures from the comfort of my couch. But as I braced myself against the rugged terrain in the back of a mini van on the way to Zion National Park, I realized I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

My boyfriend and I recently traveled to Zion National Park near Springdale, Utah to give this whole canyoneering thing a try. Although I consider myself an outdoor enthusiast, this was my first time navigating canyons. Although he had gone canyonnering once before in Moab, Utah, we found ourselves at a similar skill level throughout the trip.

According to Wikipedia, canyoneering is “traveling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include other outdoor activities such as walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling, rappelling, and/or swimming.

About a month before our trip, I contacted four guide companies to discuss their features and pricing. After weighing all of our options and our experience level, I hired Zion Rock and Mountain Guides. This guide company seemed to offer the best price for the best overall experience, and I would highly recommend them to anyone traveling to the Zion area.

They set us up with a different guide on each of the two days we booked excursions. We met a guide each morning at the company’s gear shop and loaded our gear in their mini van to take us to the best canyoneering locations. The drive out to the canyons was an adventure in and of itself. The terrain was rocky, the inclines were steep, and the cliffs were intense. Mormon communities were prevalent in the area, and one of our guides even pointed out Warren Jeff’s polygamist sect as we passed by.

Our first day in the canyons involved mostly hiking and rappelling. After a long stretch of trail, my boyfriend and I took turns harnessing ourselves to the rope and rappelling down to base level. Rappelling is essentially moving down a steep incline or past an overhang using a double rope secured above and placed around the body.

Our second day in the canyons involved more technical navigation of bouldering, stemming, and climbing. The tight crevices required us to climb over large rocks and use all four limbs to push against the sides of narrow passageways to reach the other side.

Although I did my research before our canyoneering trip, I was never able to find a good beginners’ guide to the sport. I learned a lot from “winging it” on my first experience and I can’t wait to get back out there for round two.

Lesson Learned #1: You’d better get over your fear of heights because not rappelling is not an option.

There is no getting around it. Canyoneering involves a lot of rappelling and you’d better get comfortable with it quickly. I developed my own rappelling strategy, which I defensively referred to as “slow and steady wins the race”.

Meanwhile, he zipped down the lines as quickly as possible, with the greatest of ease. Personally, I was in no hurry to get down, as long as I got down safely and without losing my cool.

Lesson Learned #2: You’re going to get soaking wet no matter how hard you try not to.

Before this trip, I was convinced that canyoneering was all about rappelling. Not true. On our first day in Zion, we hiked for about an hour before we even saw a single rope. At times, we tossed off our backpacks and bouldered across unpaved trails and flowing streams.

Just moments after this photo was taken, I lost my footing and splashed into the pit of water below me. Fortunately, it was over 90-degrees in the Utah sunshine, so drying off was a non-issue. I laughed, squeezed the water of my socks, and chocked it up to “the learning curve”.

Lesson Learned #3: The guide you have makes a huge difference.

Our guide on the second day went above and beyond to teach us the specifically skills that we would need to venture out on a canyoneering trip by ourselves, which is definitely something we are interested in doing. Although our guide on the first day was knowledgeable, he stuck to the basics and only took us to the pre-planned routes.

This just goes to show that you can do all the research you want to compare guide companies, but you never know who will be your guide and/or how well that particular guide will accommodate your needs and desires. Both of them ensured that we used proper safety techniques, which in the end, is the most important quality in a guide.

Lesson Learned #4: Proper gear is essential to not being miserable.

If you hire a guide company, such as Zion Rock & Mountain Guides, they should be able to provide all the essential gear that you will need. They provided my boyfriend and I with harnesses, helmets, and canyoneering boots. There are a few different options for canyoneering boots based on how much water you’ll be going through and how much traction you need for the rock on your trails.

On our third day in Zion National Park, we decided to do a few of hikes marked as “strenuous” in our campsite brochure. The first hike we tried was The Narrows. Our guides from the past two days raved about this hiked and casually mentioned that there would be a good amount of water included on this hike. The Narrows had well more than a “good amount of water”. It was practically hiking through a river with a moderate flow.

Somewhat unprepared for what we found, we started the hike in shorts and basic hiking boots. Other hikers around us were decked out in wetsuits, hiking sticks, and waterproof boots. The water was well below 50-degrees, the rocks were sharp and slippery on our bare feet, and the current nearly made us wipe out on several occasions.

After hiking three segments of The Narrow, we reluctantly turned around to find a trail that we were better suited for and that we could enjoy more. We ended up hiking Angel’s Landing, which was exactly what we were looking for in a strenuous hike.

Lesson Learned #5: Push yourself because you can probably do more than what’s within your comfort zone.

There were a couple moments on our trip that I got out of my comfort zone and completely lost my confidence. I yelled out “I can’t do it!” (with a good number of expletives thrown in) more than a few times. Neither one of our guides (or my boyfriend for that matter) would accept this. They would yell down from top of the canyon “Just do it!” and thrown in an equal number of expletives for good measure.

This photo was taken at the most difficult moment of the trip for me. The canyon walls were far apart. The water was deep and disgusting. My energy level was low and my body was exhausted. But I am happy to report that I successfully completed this route without slipping, injuring myself, or falling into a pit of sludge.

I tend to think that my mind and body have certain limitations, but those limitations can often be pushed further when situations require it. Canyoneering made me realize this about myself and boosted my confidence that I can do much more, both physically and mentally, than I really expect myself to. Needless to say, this will not be my last canyoneering trip and I will always remember what I learned from my first experience in Zion.

Hiking Boots and High Heels

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“You’ve reached the desk of Alyssa Ochs with Wexler Wallace. I am current out of the office and will be returning on Tuesday, March 20th. For immediate assistance, please dial zero and your call will be redirected to someone who can assist you.”

In the corporate world, there are few things more satisfying than setting the”out-of-office” reply on your phone and email. For the next several days, I would not be answering phone calls from angry clients or frantically preparing documents for last minute filings. For the next several days, I would hiking, climbing, and camping in Yosemite National Park with my boyfriend.

Planning outdoor excursions was the only thing that really got me through the daily grind of working at a law firm recently. The legal field never really did fit my interests or my personality, but yet after seven years I still found myself wearing a suit and pushing papers around.

My boyfriend and I caught a late flight out from Chicago to San Francisco so we could get an early start the next morning. The sun had barely risen when we set out on the winding, mountainous roads from the bay area towards Yosemite.  We could barely see through the rear window of the rental car because of all of the tent supplies, sleeping bags, cooking gear, and duffel bags stacked up on the back seat.

Even though there was no park ranger on duty, we easily found our reserved campsite #74 in the Upper Pines Region and parked the car once we arrived. The drive seemed to have taken an eternity because we were so anxious to get into our hiking gear and onto our first trail of the day. I couldn’t help but notice how my toes felt so much better in my hiking boots than in the high heels I usually had on during the day.

With a quick glance at the map, we decided to start hiking the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail. The terrain was rugged and unpredictable. An uncertain combination of rock, sand, snow, water, and ice kept us guessing with each cross-back of the trail.

Out of a sense of pride, I tried to hide the obvious fact that I was becoming short of breath and starting to wheeze with the increased elevation. Although I suffered from a moderate asthma condition as a teenager, it rarely affected now, and I always thought of myself of being in pretty good shape. But then again, I had also gotten pretty accustomed to city life, flat terrain, and minimal physical challenges.

At least I wasn’t alone in my struggles. he had somehow forgotten to pack his hiking boots, so we had to stop at an REI on the way to pick up new ones. Apparently the grip on the boots wasn’t as good as his tried-and-true pair because he slipped and fell on the icy patches on several occasions. Fortunately, we were prepared with the basic $14.99 first aid kit and wrapped his bleeding hand and elbow with some bandages and gauze.

As we were getting more accustomed to the terrain and elevation, the sun started to dip below the mountain tops. It was about 6:00 and with a quick calculation, we realized that if we kept ascending to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls, we would never make it back down before sunset. After some time of mulling it over, we decided to be safe and head back down even though it was less than a mile to the top of the summit.  We were both a little less chatty on the trek down, silently brooding about not accomplishing what we set out to do that day. However, I finally convinced myself to look at this situation as an opportunity to come back to Yosemite another time in the near future to finish what we had started.

I knew I would be back because this place felt like home to me. More than this one specific national park, Yosemite reminded me of the beauty of nature, the peacefulness of solitude, and the open-minded perspective that I truly desire in my life. Back at my law firm in Chicago, I ride a jaded roller coaster of restlessness and discontent…responding to friendly inquiries with “Same shit, different day.”

After we arrived back at our campsite, we pitched our tent and were finally able to get our campfire started after many unsuccessful attempts. I grabbed a six-pack of beer from the bear-safe container and was finally able to relax and reflect upon my day.

I stared into the flames and asked myself, “Why can’t more days be like this? Why can’t I find a way to spend my days outdoors doing what I love? Why don’t I ditch the Midwest and to move to a place like that feels like home to me? Why can’t I give the middle finger to societal norms and travel around the world to learn and to grow before obligations catch up to me? Why can’t I try to make a living writing about my travels and have more confidence in my abilities to make something happen?”

I couldn’t come up with answers to any of these questions. If I had those answers, I would have my life figured out and this wouldn’t be my story. After excusing myself to take a pee behind some nearby bushes, I kicked aside some logs to make room to lie down upon the cold, hard ground and look up at the stars.

Yosemite was once place where I felt at home. This made me wonder how many other places could make me feel at home too. I had always felt the pressure to keep a tight grip on my steady job, my nice apartment, and my stable routine. But as I stared up at the night sky, I realized that I truly didn’t want any of those things at this time in my life.

I heard my boyfriend calling me and I snapped back to the reality to help him clean up the campsite and return the food scraps to the bear-safe container. We put out the fire and snuggled into our sleeping bags, exhausted but still excited for the next day of exploring the Vernal and Nevada Falls.

The brightness of the stars shone through the mesh of our tent just enough to illuminate my face and reveal a tear running down my cheek. My boyfriend pulled me an inch closer and whispered, “I know. I want those things too.” I brushed my tear away, adjusted my makeshift sweatshirt pillow, and fell into a more peaceful sleep than I ever did back home on my Memory Foam king sized mattress.