a preface

before you read our trip report, let me just preface this by saying it's more than it may seem.  i say "miserable" quite a bit.  and yes, parts of the trip are not fun.  there is nothing enjoyable being surrounded by mosquitos or shivering in your sleeping bag or wearing damp clothes because it's all you have left.

however, there is a beauty to the trip that surpasses all the misery.

perhaps it is hiking in the dark and looking up at the mountain silhouette against a perfectly clear, star studded sky.  

perhaps it is the absolute silence that comes in the middle of the day because your phone simply says "no service"

maybe it's that afternoon storm that rumbles through the campsite, forcing you inside your tent to just lay there, listening to the pitter patter of rain, thunder, and the breeze through the trees.  

it could be the smell of flower fields

or it could be that you can lose yourself in the boulder field.  there is something special about being surrounded with the enormity of nature.  not that you're insignificant, but a healthy respect for the world around you and thanking God for such a beautiful creation.  

and even though you're tired and want to scream, you can push yourself farther than you thought possible- partly because of necessity, but mostly because it's truly an inspiring place.  

and that my friends, is why we keep going back for more.