Madeline Goulet climbed on her hands and feet among the steep rocks for a at least a mile, not looking around at the scenery, just focusing because one wrong move and she could be done for; at last she finished the long stretch at Knife’s Edge on Mt. Katahdin.

BHS students and teachers find that the challenging course, drastic temperatures from top to bottom, and other struggles, make it more of an exciting and new experience every time for hikers.

“Being afraid of heights and going over Knife’s Edge on Mt Katahdin was the worst experience for me,” said Goulet. “I was lucky to have people with me to talk me across it.”

Every hiking experience may be different depending on the weather, temperatures, and time of year that will either make or break the enjoyment of the trip. Freshman Harmony Coolbroth reflects on her experience and wished for a different weather forecast.

“My worst experience was when we went hiking when it was foggy because you had to wait for the fog to go away in order to see the view,” Coolbroth said.

For English teacher Veronica Foster, she challenged herself with the possible things she could trip on during the climb up which keeps her more on her toes than on the climb down.

“I mostly think about things like, ‘don’t trip on that rock’, ‘there’s a root there’, and things like ‘am I going to die’?” said Foster. “ I don’t love hiking up, but I love hanging out at the top and I love climbing down.”

The natural surroundings can be beautiful but also challenging to face  according to sophomore Adriana Jordan.

“Sometimes there are unmarked trails or there are trails that are old and overgrown and no one has trimmed it back,” said Jordan. “It can get really windy and hard to keep your balance at the top, and sometimes rocky spots where you have to climb.”

Some hikers climb to see nature in a new perspective, and forget about the stress in their everyday lives.

“I’m in the moment and I’m enjoying every little thing I see,” said Goulet. “You know the mushrooms, the moss, the scenery, this time of year the changing in leaves, the waterfalls, the views, I’m in the moment.”

For junior Calea Roy, hiking allows her to get away from the stress that life throws at her through the different aspects in nature.

“I find it fun and not only a good way to get exercise but a good way to relax yourself because the scenery can be very serene,” Roy said.

Some experienced hikers believe that with proper guidance, newcomers can learn what they need to become successful.

“I think when you first tell someone about hiking they might get intimidated and feel like they might not be able to keep up,” said Goulet. “ I always tell people don’t worry, it’s not a race you know whenever you need to stop, we’ll stop.”

Any novice hiker may feel intimidated by the new experience, but getting experience from a smaller mountain may help.

“Never starting with a big hike, and when the person is ready they can work toward the bigger peaks,” said Goulet.  “It’s not always about how high the mountain is , there’s so much more than just climbing the highest mountains.”

The sights and views that some hikers experience make them feel closer to the outdoors around them.

“I really like the outdoors,” said Jordan. “ Just to be able to get to that height and see everything around you is just an amazing feeling.”

For most hikers, the most exciting part of the journey is reaching the top and a popular trend that goes on is taking lots of pictures after reaching the top.

“I take a picture when I get to the top and just enjoy the scenery as much as I can, because you don’t know when you’re going to come back [to the mountains] and don’t know what will happen [it could be a different experience],” Roy said.

Some activities that people participate in feel like a waste of time, but hiking seems different in the sense of almost everyone who hikes is satisfied with the time spent participating.

“It’s nice to spend an extended period of time with nature,” said Foster.  “It’s just really pretty and it feels like worth-while piece of time which I appreciate.”