I've never been one to be nervous for anything. Not for tests, competitions, or social events. I have been on plenty of trips where I knew no one. I have travelled across the globe with strangers. I have backpacked to hot springs with strangers. I had made it through my first semester of college. But for some reason, I was nervous from the beginning about my upcoming trip to Canyonlands with the CU Hiking Club.
It may have been partly due to the fact that i-70 had been a mess the night before we left and that there were blizzard-like conditions on the front range. Or it may have been due to the weather forecast, with temperatures of 15 degrees at night, and that I had never experienced winter camping.
But now I realize that I was nervous because I was driving to another state with nine strangers. We were going to be completely on our own and unreachable.
On the first night at camp (the COLD night), everyone was sitting around the campfire, talking, getting to know each other. I hung back with my camera and starting shooting star photos. This is where the above photo with the red glow of the fire comes into this story. I was asked what I was doing several times and eventually resorted back to the circle and remained quiet. I was even called out for being quiet. But of course, that didn't last long.
It's amazing how you become completely comfortable after spending three days with strangers. It's amazing how fast humans can find ways to relate to and care about one another. Like I said, I have experienced this before, where I miss my new friends after a great trip. But nothing has ever come close to this.
Our trip leaders told us that we were a "remarkable group" of campers, ready for anything and willing to go the extra mile in the dark. And now, more than a week later, I look back at photos of us all together and can't help but smile. I don't know if we'll all come together again, but we'll always remain in each other's memory, out amongst alien-looking rocks, winding through the Needles, laughing under the stars.