Day 3:
The next day we began our hike back up to our car. Nothing extraordinary, just the same weather as the day before. Lightning, rain, hail, and wind tormented us. A horrible hike, yes, but it was over shortly after eight miles back up.
I will never forget that day, the day I hiked Halfdome. When you are that close to death, in that type of an uncontrollable dangerous situation, you can only help but think about how grateful you are to have what you call a family, home, and friends. It made me value life so much more than I did. While on the rocks I knew that I had control over myself. I know that I would be fine because of the rain and the slick granite. It was the lightning that was scary, it was a game of roulette. At any time I could have been stricken and killed, and I had no control over that at all.
Lesson learned – value everything you have and hold it near and dear to you. Always listen to the weather reports (even 20% chance reports) and always work together what you need to accomplish.
Reflection:
Today I look back at the event as a checkpoint in my life. It helped me prioritize what is important to me…my friends, family, and again, my life. It helped me realize to slow down and respect the world for its true beauty, and to live in the moment. Our plans that had been set for at least two months were not followed at all, we never followed any part of them. I also learned a lot about myself, what I can do, who I am, and who I am going to become. I learned so much about everything, the world, and it’s peace. All in all, people need to slow down and think about what they have and what they are thankful for. That one day on Halfdome has left a huge making on who I am, it is now part of me and I am part of it.
