To fulfill the action component of my CAS project I hiked a 14er mountain with my Dad, my friend and her Dad. A 14er is a common phrase used in the Rocky Mountains and is referring to a mountain that peaks at an elevation of 14,000 feet. I chose to hike Mount Belford, which peaks at 14,203. To be able to achieve this long and technical hike my friend and I trained in the weeks prior to our adventure. We went on multiple hikes including a hike up Midnight Mine Road to the top of Aspen Mountain. All of this training was in preparation for our big hike up Mount Belford. The training certainly paid off. On the morning of our hike, we filled our camel backs, packed a bag full of snacks and loaded our car to reach the base of Mount Belford, which is located over Independence Pass. For the first couple hours of the hike, my friend and I were chatting and giggling; however when we reached the third hour we did not have any breaths to spare. As we got higher and higher not only did the hike get more technical but the air also got thinner. This caused an extreme shortness of breath when coupled with the physical activity that we were doing. After about 6 hours of hiking we finally reached the summit and I felt like I was on top of the world. Even though the wind was howling and it felt like it was negative degrees outside, the view was absolutely magnificent. We were standing above some of the highest mountains and looking down over incredible wildflowers and fields. While huddled up in a circle eating the tastiest soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches ever made, my friend and I reflected on how lucky we were to live in such an incredible landscape. Growing up in Aspen makes it easy to be selfish and forget to be grateful. However, as my friend and I looked down from above 14,000 feet I was able to gain perspective and see that I am only one piece to a ginormous world and it is my responsibility to take care of it, protect it, and actually live in it.
PURE BARRE
Aside from my hike up Mount Belford, I also attended Pure Barre classes twice a week for 6 months to fulfill the action component of CAS. Pure Barre is an exercise class that is held in town and combines Ballet, Pilates, and Yoga. Besides from the extreme challenge of the physical requirements necessary to succeed in the class, I chose Pure Barre for my CAS project because of the ballet component. I used to take ballet class when I was young and quit at the age of 12. While Pure Barre is not actually dancing it incorporates many exercises that ballerinas perform. It was fun and interesting to reintroduce some of these poses back into my exercise routine. Not only did going to these classes help build my strength and make me physically more fit, but it provided a break from my studies and forced me into positions that were not always comfortable. I also met a variety of people while doing Pure Barre. I began attending the class with one of my peers who I was not friendly with prior to these classes. She is now one of my best friends and this friendship sprouted because of Pure Barre classes. They have been a great experience for me and I plan to continue with them when I go to college.