Day 3!!

Ok what a day!

Bear Mountain hike was great. Though the way we chose heading up was difficult I loved it!! Haha I "love" and "really like" everything "so much" here. I put those in quotes because this is an on going theme in my blogs to use those words! I enjoyed the rigorous climb, it is good for everyone. We are living in a sick obesity and unhealthy era, more people need to work up a sweat! What I really enjoyed about the climb up was the rocks we had to climb up. I like to try to do as much climbing without putting my hands down to help me, but damn I had to do it once or twice at certain points!!!

The view obviously was amazing, but is more amazing is that many people are not used to seeing the ADKs. I am not a avid hiker or camper but I guess living 15 minutes south of Lake George has its many benefits.
A great passion of mine seems to be with the ADK. I want to live here closer, not live in Lake George, but further away from civilization. Reality is though, I can't make the impact I want out here because there isn't that many people... but that is the whole point to why I wanna be out here in a way! But then I think about what is most important to me, and that is my family and friends and i'm afraid the ADK for me in the future will just be that vacation spot I always retreat back to and then maybe when I retire a place to live out those last few years......

Anyways back to the hike... Though the cold is going away on the way back down the Mt i was starting to get dehydrated and not feeling so good. I had filled up my water jug but with my cold, and the medicine im taking it was not enough! So in a way, having the group separate like it did worked in my favor because we got to stop at the store to refuel and I got to get more cough drops and tissues which I was out of both!!! Definitely don't think I would have made it tonight without that stop for water, tissues, cough drops and of course that candy bar! haha

What was disappointing was to miss Eds talk at the bog at the bog. That bog was super cool. So vast! We even made bird calls to try and see some birds! (ok time out, just heard my second fish jump out of the water and it makes me want to go fishing for those catfish!!! I haven't fished in over 2 years!! sad i know!)

For me, Eds slideshow was great!j I guess being the only Outdoor and Environmental Ed. major I was more into then most! But I enjoyed it very much because I do enjoy nature so much and I need to become a lot more knowledgeable about different species of plants, animals and insects!!!!!!!

Lastly, I know not everyone enjoyed John Slade as much or even as close to as much as I did, but him coming to talk with us is what I absolutely needed and just what the doctor ordered! I am a huge pessimist when it comes to our problems and solving them, I feel there are too many and its very overwhelming, and he gave me some hope. What makes me even happier is that current school teachers are getting this experience and knowledge!

P.S. We had a great talk Karl at the fire tonight! Though I did most of the talking when I should have listen to much more of what you had to say I guess I just want to know what other outdoor educators and just educators in general think about some of the things I believe and have read about. You gave a lot of good inspiration and reassurance that it can be done and that I can be a big impact. Though no one really knows the future, i'm glad you saw the passion I have to try to make things better for America. I guess now I can stop saying the world is so screwed up to just America is so screwed up. Today I learned a lot about how other countries are doing so much better and more then the US. At least now I have some inspiration to get closer to reaching the round about number of that 15% of the population in American to get on board, so that then the rest will snowball. That is a lot better and more obtainable then trying to get at least 50%, which I had originally always thought. Ok im an hour off when I said I wanted to be in bed so I can rid this stupid cold! Nighty nit all!