Hiking Cascade Pass in the Rain

Personal Statement

My name is Lucas Lyu, and I am an ELL Level 5 student. I am from China and used to live in Hangzhou, one of the most beautiful cities in the country. I enjoy shooting, fishing, and golfing, but my favorite activity is hiking—I go hiking almost every week. All of this is part of who I am. I especially love playing in the snow during the summer. Here is a fun experience I had while hiking last

After moving to the U.S. and living in Washington State, I quickly fell in love with hiking and started going almost every week. One day in August, we gathered a group to hike Cascade Pass, a well-known trail in northern Washington. The trail was full of switchbacks, with so many turns that I couldn’t remember them all, and the weather kept changing. It felt like nature was playing with us. The rain came and went, making it hard to decide if we needed our raincoats or not. When we put them on, the rain stopped, and when we took them off, it started again. Wearing the raincoat was uncomfortable, so I kept putting it on and taking it off.

The mountains around us were hidden in rain and fog, making everything look white, and we couldn’t see very far. I took a few photos, but they all looked like black and white pictures. Still, the air was fresh and even had a light sweet smell, which was nice. We kept walking, turning back and forth along the trail. Finally, when we reached Cascade Pass, the rain had stopped, the fog had lifted, and we could see the glaciers and peaks clearly. The view was stunning, with layers of blue-green plants, gray rocks, and white glaciers. It’s hard to imagine seeing snow and glaciers during the height of summer season, especially in my hometown. The clouds and mist seem to dance around the mountains. When the clouds come, the mountains look even more magnificent; when the clouds leave, the mountains resemble a painting. For a moment, it made them seem like a blend of the real world and a magical one.

As we climbed higher, we saw lots of wild blueberries along the trail. They were small, freshly washed by the rain, and tasted great. It’s said that this is black bears’ favorite food. Another hiker passed by and told us there was a bear eating blueberries ahead. Feeling a mix of excitement and a bit of fear, we kept going. Sure enough, about a quarter of a mile later, we saw a big bear munching on blueberries nearby. It was the first time I saw a bear up close in the wild without any barriers. I felt both nervous and excited. We took several photos with the bear in the background almost non-stop. I marked the location: ““48°28’16”N, 121°3’7”W, Elevation 6130 feet.“” After about five minutes, the bear looked up, moved, ran, and disappeared off to the side.

On the way back down the mountain, the hike started to feel repetitive and a bit boring with all the switchbacks. A group of hikers passed us, but we passed them again later when they stopped to rest. Each time, we exchanged quick greetings, like a silent encouragement to keep going, which made our journey down the mountain more enjoyable. Soon, the parking lot appeared in front of us. We turned to the other hikers, raised our hands, and shouted together, “We did it!”

Even though we didn’t know each other, we all experienced the same wild weather—sunshine, rain, snow, and almost all of spring, summer, fall, and winter in one day. We shared the same goal and achieved it together. We did it!