First Tracks Essay, Research Paper

There’s nothing like hiking deep into the endless glacial mountains of Alaska to

get a snowboarders heart pumping. It was almost 9 a.m. and the sun began to beat

down on us as my friends and I were nearing the top of a particularly tall and steep

mountain. After a short break for lunch we donned our crampons and embarked on the

most technical and painful hour long hike of my life. my legs began to feel very weak

and I was becoming dizzy from the extreme altitude. Each step became more and more

difficult. Just when I was almost ready to give up, we rounded a cornice and I saw the

peak no more than a hundred yards away. Seeing the peak so close gave me a high like

I have never felt before. For the last leg of the hike our group climbed with new found

speed and precision. As we looked down at the valley below we exchanged high fives

and prepared for the best powder run of our lives.