by Augustus Teran
This summer I undertook my first solo backpack- While leading other people could be stressful, I ing trip. It was an adventure that I will not easily found that preparing to go alone was more terrifyforget. ing. The stress of having to ensure that my friends were adequately equipped and ready to go, as well I have always loved backpacking. From a young as that our route was doable and fun, would keep age, I cherished the camping trips my family me up late the night before a trip. However, the would go on. I enjoyed the fresh air and freedom social nature of the trip always put me at ease. of hiking, and I was not as intimidated by carrying Planning to go alone meant that I had to undera full pack as perhaps I should have been. I had stand that it was only me out there and that there my first experiences backpacking on summer would be no one to help me up if I took a fall, or camps in middle and early high school. Despite to cook dinner with. This was especially true bethe rugged conditions we lived in, I always found cause my phone had been completely bricked and myself content as long as I was out in the woods. did not function at all during this trip. It took a Those summer backpacking trips turned longer lot of convincing myself, but on August 13th I set and I took more and more of a leadership role as I out. reached my junior and senior years of high school. After all of this training, I felt comfortable leading Continued next page ‌ some friends on short backpacking trips through the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
