June 20, 2011

Daily Report from the Journalism Committee

Another Great Day by Tyler

Another great day spent in Alaska. Today we woke up to a breakfast of cereal, and then went on a hike. The hike consisted of three hours of the beautiful Alaskan scenery; we saw countless mountains, lakes, moose tracks, birds, and much more wildlife. When we arrived back from the hike, we made a lunch of peanut butter & jelly and lunchmeat sandwiches. Simple, but delicious. Soon after, we were on our way to Denali National Park. Once there, we went to a dog sled demonstration. It was very informational as well as entertaining at the same time. Before the demonstration, we got to meet and pet some of these gorgeous dogs. When we returned back to the campground, it was time for dinner. Spaghetti and meatballs with green beans and bread were on the menu. It was a fantastic meal once again. Mr. Rosene then gave us time to reflect on our first few days with journal entry time, a time to write about our experiences so far on this trip. This was a great time of reflection, and appreciation. I know how lucky I am, and I am very, very grateful. What a wonderful day, and I know there will be many more to come.

Hiking by Allison

Have you ever done something that seems like it's not going to be very rewarding at first, but turns out being an amazing new experience you never thought you would enjoy? Today we hiked a seven-mile trail up and down the side of a mountain to a lake and back. The hike started with a steep uphill slope. It was tiring and affected many people's attitudes negatively towards the hike. Many people were complaining and asking when the hike would be over. After the trail became more level, we were tired, but the hike became much easier and even enjoyable. Throughout the hike we got many opportunities to stop and take pictures of the mountains and lakes spreading across the landscape. Before we reached the lake the trail was downhill which was like a reward from nature saying, "Congratulations! You made it to the lake!" We got to rest by the lake and enjoy the beautiful scenery around us for five or ten minutes. The view was unbelievable. We were literally standing between two mountains, looking across a beautiful blue lake, and surrounded by tall emerald pine trees. There were no sounds of the outside world: no cars, no cities, just nature. Once we started back I felt refreshed. I had a new energy, like I couldn't get tired. The hike back seemed to take significantly less time. After we returned back to the campsite, all I could think about was how accomplished I felt after taking the hike, and how amazing the sites were I had just seen. I realized that I really shouldn't go into something new with such a closed mind, because in Alaska there are so many new experiences, different than anything many of us have ever done. With an open mind even simple activities can turn into unforgettable moments.