We cut a path across the steep slope. Weary and out of breath, my friends and I climbed towards the ridgeline, pushed by the thought that as soon as we reached the top, the expanse of the Wind River Range would unfold out before us – a rugged and pristine landscape of teal blue skies, puffy white clouds, rolling valleys, and jagged peaks, still dotted with snow, looming on the horizon. But, upon reaching the top, I was confronted by a wall of dark gray lumbering towards us at an alarming pace as it belched curtains of rain. The virginal Wyoming landscape had turned on us. What began as an ordinary hike suddenly became a nightmare. It was my fault.
I enrolled in the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in 2015, trading New York City for