Kitt Mccone

From my own experience I have found planting trees makes me feel good for many different reasons. It first makes me feel constructive and gives me a self satisfaction that is felt immediately after the tree's roots are covered by the soil.  I feel as though I have contributed to the well being of the local ecosystem as well as the world. Then there is the physical work of digging the hole and placing the tree. Most types of physical activity can promote a healthy life style. Planting a tree can make you feel intertwined with nature. It can make you feel less disconnected from the natural world and like you belong comfortably within its boundaries. 

An experience I had that completely changed my perspective on life was a three day long hike in Yosemite National Park. My wife and I were on a month-long road trip across the west. We went in a giant loop threw the SW to southern California, up the coast to Mt Rainier then back through the Rockies to Yellowstone then back to where we lived in Colorado Springs. This was a trip that took maybe a full year to plan. We would normally sleep in our jeep at various dispersed campsites in National Forest and BLM land. This way of travel is extremely enlightening to me. It is truly when I feel most free, and I believe it is as close as I can get to true freedom. When we would get to a National park we would try to give the jeep a break and go backpacking within the park. When we showed up to Yosemite we already knew we wanted to take a long way that was more secluded to the top of El Capitan. The park had no shuttle that would take us to the trailhead we signed up for at the park office. It became very clear very quickly I was about to hitchhike for the first time in my life. Once starting the trail we realized this was going to be harder than other Rocky Mountain hikes we had ever taken. The first night at camp was the single most tiring moment I have ever experienced. The only thing I can remember is thinking how are you going to be able to do two more nights of this. Still the next morning we pressed on. Not for down the trail rain started. It was a very nasty cold rain that made you shiver endlessly. We felt hopeless but knew we had to dredge on. We like to think our karma in nature paid off after this. We were maybe a half mile from the peak of EL Capitan when the rain cleared and the most beautiful day was produced from the dark clouds. This gave us an absolutely amazing view from the side of the world largest granite rock face. We sat for maybe two hours eating lunch and staring down the amazing yosemite valley. After we left I thought that was the best sight I had ever seen, but now it was time to put that heavy pack back on and get back on the trail to find a campsite once again. It was amazing how we didnt feel the pain or fatigue anymore. The experience we just had changed not just our minds but how we physically felt. I strongly believe that positivity gave us the patients to find the best backpacking campsite I have ever been to. It was a secluded section of lush grass uphill from the trail. It gave us a 360 view of the area that allowed us to still see the valley and off in the near distance was the monumental Half Dome. It was at this campsite that me and my wife talked about life. We discussed what was important and what we wanted to do with our time alive on earth. It was where I finally got the courage and support from my wife to quit my job at a bank (which regardless of the income it was driving me into an early and real depression) and come back to school to be a science teacher. I will never forget that adventure and can't wait for my next month long road trip this summer. 

Here is a film picture my wife took of Half Dome from our campsite at sunset.