Personal Narrative: My Asthma Trip

Before this trip, I had never climbed a mountain and this was more than just climbing a mountain. So I wasn’t really prepared mentally or physically to go on a trip that required carrying a 40 to 50 pound pack over steep, rocky trails at elevations ranging from 6,500 to 12,500 feet. Since I had a history of asthma when I was in middle school, I was a little nervous as I wasn’t sure if I will be able to complete this trip without being pulled out from the crew half way through the trip due to my asthma. This trip was the first time I prepared my own freeze-dried meals with boiling water on a stove. The whole aspect of coordination and teamwork was also very new to me since I had never been in a situation that required me to pace with my crew and navigate across a mountainous terrain using a compass. The most unique part of this trip was the 10 whole days I
Over the 12 day hike, we climbed numerous mountains through different terrains, saw different animals both dead and alive and learned so much about nature and conservation. We met so many fellow scouts and adults from all over the country and other countries, which was a great learning experience. I participated in games and activities like throwing tomahawk, Fly Fishing, Archery, Muzzle Loading Rifles, enjoyed the Sweat Lodge, visited some famous sites like the pioneer Kit Carson’s home along the Santa Fe Trail, helped the staff at Carson Meadows with a search and rescue mission, learned how to homestead at Crooked Creek, enjoyed mountain living, visited the wreckage of a B24 bomber that crashed while on a training mission in 1942 that can only be seen by hiking all the way to the top of the mountain, ate a chuck wagon dinner, enjoyed a cowboy campfire, visited the Continental Tie and Lumber Company at Crater Lake and worked on a trail construction project with the Conservation Department. All this was a memorable experience that I will cherish