Climbing Mt Galbraith

My brother, Ben Haley, is going into his Junior year at Colorado School of Mines, where he studies Geophysical Engineering. Golden, Colorado is where Mines is located. I LOVE visiting him because of how beautiful it is there. I'm more of a mountain person than a beach person. I wanted to summit a mountain but wasn't ready to do a 14er (the term for a 14000 foot peak mountain), so we decided to hike Mt Galbraith. It took about 45 minutes to drive from his apartment to the base of Mt Galbraith. We brought water, apples, and granola bars. It's important while hiking to stay hydrated and keep on eating to avoid exhaustion.
Here are some of the pictures of me on the mountain:

My brother and I love to goof off and have fun, as you can tell by my poses. I love to laugh -- especially at myself. 

I love hiking because it's fun, and at the end of the day you feel accomplished. It's also a great way to stay fit! 

One strange phenomenon happened to me that i've never experienced before, which was scary. We went down the mountain much faster than we went up it, and as a result of the quick altitude change, my fingers became huge and swollen. As a houstonian, i'm used to being at sea level, so i was completely freaking out. My brother assured me that this happens all the time while hiking, which comforted me. Overall, summiting Mt Galbraith was awesome. Definitely one of the best things i did this summer.

• This relates to environmental science because I needed to be aware of my surroundings in order to be safe. Just as we can hurt plants and animals, the environment can be really dangerous if we aren't aware of ourselves and how we interact with it. You need to respect your own limits with regards to "braving the elements" and being outdoorsy. Getting active outside is fun and safe when done right and responsibly.