Outdoors

Sometime during my fourth year of graduate school, I started getting interested in more outdoor activities. I went on my first-ever camping trip in the summer of 2023! The more hiking and camping I did, the more interested I became in spending time outside in nature. Here are a couple of notable nature adventures I have done in 2023.

Hiking Mount Baden-Powell (~9400 ft) near Los Angeles, CA:

This adventure pushed me to my limits, but I was rewarded with amazing views a the peak! This is my first time ever summitting a mountain. As you can see from the screenshot from AllTrails, the hike consisted of about 40 switchbacks and a very steep elevation. It took me about 7 hours to finish. I took many stops as my body was adjusting to the increase in elevation. Here are some pictures from this adventure:

Visiting Joshua Tree National Park in California:

This was my first official visit to a desert! I experienced temperatures that were very extreme. It is interesting how that was contrasted by nice and pleasant weather during the nighttime.