The Wind River Range in Wyoming is known for its breathtaking views and is home to an array of beautiful, distinct animals; however, senior Ellory Zietz also remembers it for being the place where her portable stove shot out flames.
Luckily, her dad was only left with a singed jacket; it is one of those memories that she looks back humorously upon from her hiking trips.
“We have a little portable stove that can fold up,” Ellory said. “It wasn’t working on the last night [of our trip]. So, we were really worried because you boil water and dump in these freeze-dried packets of food to eat, and it wasn’t working. Finally, my dad got to work, but this giant flame shot up, and it burnt his rain jacket. It didn’t catch on fire; it just burnt like a patch of his jacket, and then, he moved his arm. I was scared; we laughed about it afterward, but it was a little scary.”
While the occasional stove scare may be a small part of hiking, the real part that keeps Ellory coming back again and again to such vast terrains is the spectacular views. Everything from the towering mountains to the crystal-clear creeks has only made her love the activity all the more.
Hiking has allowed Ellory to see sights unlike any other and animals she would have otherwise never seen. It has shown her the true beauty that nature beholds.
“One morning, we were eating breakfast, and we found this really nice flat rock to sit on,” Ellory said. “It was overlooking the lake that we were camped out, and it was so beautiful. There [were] mountains in the background—all right in front of us. It felt like we could walk across the lake and then climb up the mountain; they looked so close. Then, we saw this moose in the water, and it went for a swim around the lake. That was amazing. I’d never seen a moose before.”
Indisputably, nature has its dazzling moments; however, it also has its moments of downfall. Not every instance can be sunshine and rainbows when you’re out in the woods and mountains, both literally and figuratively.
One of the biggest obstacles that Ellory has to overcome while she’s out in the wilderness is the rain. Too heavy of rain can mean that the trails become too slippery or too muddy, which can make hiking on them too dangerous or unenjoyable.
“We did have pretty rainy weather this summer [when we were out in the Wild River Range],” Ellory said. “We got lucky because it didn’t really rain when we were trying to set stuff up, but we’d get the tent set up, and then, we’d have to go inside, and then, it would rain. There were some times when we were worried it would get a little muddy, but it never did. So, the rain is a big [obstacle that we face when we hike], but we got lucky with the timing of when it would rain. That can be a problem, though.”
It was overlooking the lake that we were camped out, and it was so beautiful. There [were] mountains in the background—all right in front of us.
— Ellory Zietz
Even though certain aspects of nature may pose an obstacle, through it all, she has her family to go through it alongside her. On each of her excursions, her family has been by her side to keep her company—to experience it with her.
On top of that, there is no cell service in the places where they camp out, so instead, Ellory and her family choose to pass the time with one another. They opt to play games and simply talk with one another, causing them to have since grown closer to one another.
“I think [hiking has brought me closer to my family,]” Ellory said. “It’s definitely a fun way to spend time with your family because you just have a lot of time out there because you can’t use your phone and there’s no service; it kind of forces you to talk to each other, and it’s just a fun way to hang out. When we have a little downtime, we play a lot of cards or read books or do things like that.”
The places Ellory has already visited have stolen her heart, but there are still others that she wishes to see. The most prominent of the places she wishes to hike through is Alaska.
Previously, it had been a place her dad’s friends had gone to, and now, it is one that she hopes to visit.
“I really, really want to go to Alaska,” Ellory said. “[I don’t want to go there] where it’s super snowy, though—there are areas where it’s not. My dad has friends who have gone, and so, I really want to go; it’s on my bucket list.”
Hiking is truly something that Ellory has fallen in love with. It has allowed her to connect to a side of her she may not have otherwise been able to.
It has taught her to appreciate the world around her.
“I definitely have a side of me that is very indoorsy,” Ellory said. “I love to curl up with a good book or watch TV, but I guess there’s that other side of me that just loves to be outdoors—maybe I feel more connected to nature or something, which sounds a little cheesy. But, it’s just really nice to get away from your phone for a little bit and just appreciate nature.”
