by Garrison Wester
The ninth-grade honors English class started to read Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier just after spring break. Mr. Benoit told us, students, that this is his favorite book that we will read this year as a class.
Around two months ago he surprised us with the option of going on a camping trip and actually hiking along Cold Mountain in Canton, North Carolina. Mr. Benoit stated, “Ever since reading the book for the firs time, I thought it would be an awesome idea to go to the top of the mountain and have “class.” I also love visiting the places I read about, and I want my students to have that experience, too."
Mr. Benoit gave us some tips to prepare for the trip. He stated, “Some form of cardio beforehand — even if it’s just walking a few miles after school — is a good idea. Sturdy shoes and wool socks are a must and bring a raincoat since weather can change quickly in the mountains."
Students we will depart from Greenfield on Friday, May 6th around 7:00 A.M. to head towards the mountains. On the first day when we arrive, we will do a short hiking trail and then we will head to the campground and set up our tents and do some fun activities. We will be camping out at Lake Junaluska Campground and Retreat Center. There, we will make our fire and have dinner and then go to sleep early because the next day is going to take a lot of energy out of us.
I am personally excited about the campground because I feel like I will get to learn more about my fellow classmates. Mr. Benoit has been really excited about this trip and he told us about what he thinks his favorite part of the trip will be. He stated, “The view from the summit, for sure. But I’m also looking forward to the in-between things, too — cooking, sitting around the fire, and things like that.”
On Saturday, we will wake up around 6:00-6:30 and then depart for the Cold Moutain trailhead at 7:00. The trail is 10.6 miles long, so it will take us many hours to complete. We will stop along the way of the hike and explore nature. Mr. Benoit is also bringing us water tablets so we can collect water out of the streams along our hike and purify it. When we get to the peak of the mountain, we will take in the summit, have lunch, and talk about the book. When we get back to the campground late on Saturday afternoon we will be exhausted and want to go to sleep as early as possible, according to Mr. Benoit. The next morning, we will wake up and head home early so we can be back in town around 1:00p so we can spend time with our moms and families on Mother's Day.
I am looking forward to the trip and I cannot make memories that I will remember forever.
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