Written by Edan Khanian

The hike on the Mist trail was difficult for some, easy for others. Me and my friends were falling behind the rest of the school at the beginning of the hike. I tried to distract myself from my pain by looking at the nature around me. The beautiful green trees and scenery helped divert my attention from my discomfort but the pain in my legs kept coming back every so often. I was walking so much uphill that it got to a point where when I started heading downhill, I was disappointed. Did I do all this uphill, just to go back down? Still, looking at the nature around me helped distract me from the steep hill I was attempting to climb. The sound of the rushing water helped calm me and the occasional breeze from the trees soothed me.

 After around 30 min of walking uphill my group and I started to notice that the air around us started to become misty. We realized that we were very close to the waterfall, the entire climax and reason that we were on this hike. We pushed forward and marched a continuous uphill, waiting to take in the glorious sight that was the waterfall. The sound of the torrent grew louder as we came face to face with the waterfall. For a moment, just a moment, my feet stopped complaining from going on such a steep uphill and my throat did not sting as I drew my breath. 

Then the moment came, as I stood face to face with the magnificent waterfall, its mist covering me. I stopped in my tracks and let the sound of the rapids enter my ears, gracing me with its sound. I took a moment to appreciate the wondrous creations that I was witnessing. After that acknowledgment I continued to push forward, glancing at the waterfall every so often. The uphill became even steeper as my glasses grew wet from the mist emanating from the torrent. My legs were screaming at me to stop but I pushed forward ignoring their cries. 

Soon after the encounter with the waterfall, I reached its peak. As I walked on the pinnacle of the waterfall, I had a view of the entire Mist Trail. I was able to see all the trees, their shades of green blending with each other. The colossal mountains, now reachable in my eyes. After I took in the sights I sat down and ate my lunch, enjoying the nature around me. After I had my lunch I laid down, basking in the heat of the sun, gaining whatever rest I could for the trip ahead. 

On my way back down I found a pair of sticks that I was able to use as hiking sticks and march my way downhill. It was a beautiful trip and I am planning to go back with my family during the summer.