1. Mount Nittany By: Gianna Scaglione

2. Introduction One fine day in the early weeks of the fall semester my friends and I ventured to Mount Nittany. Not being much of a hiker or out doors person I was a little nervous, but still very excited to go on this adventure. When we got to the map we decided to take one of the harder hiking paths so we can get the best view of campus. We started up the mountain and I was quite surprised what a work out this hike was becoming. The mountain was a lot steeper than I expected, but I was really enjoying my first time hiking.

3. Halfway up the mountain we decided to take a small break to catch our breath and just take in the beauty of this trail, and of course take a quick photo! Having lived near NYC my whole life I had never seen mountains like in Pennsylvania and looking around and being surrounded completely by trees and nature was a really interesting experience! THAT’S ME!

4. On our break as we were relaxing we found a nice overlook were we could see all the other surrounding mountains and valleys surrounding State College. The view was already so gorgeous with all the trees which were pretty green, but you could tell that some of the trees’ leaves were starting to change colors. The dips and rises of the mountains surrounding us was just an unbelievable sight to see since I had only seen them in pictures. ME AGAIN!

5. When we got to the second overlook the view was just gorgeous there were trees for miles and to see the natural beauty of the Pennsylvania landscape was incredible.

6. Although it is a little hard to see the view we finally made it to one of the highest points of Mount Nittany!! Having my first hiking experience with all of my friends and seeing the view of the amazing place I have called home for the past year and a half made this a very special day!

7. Looking back at this hike and after learning what I have about mountains and valleys and how they are made gave me a bigger appreciation for the natural world surrounding me and has made me much more aware of how incredible the planet we live on is. Even just driving to State College from New Jersey and seeing all the mountains and around me really makes me think about how it was all made and what a wonder our environment is.

8. Conclusion To conclude this V-Trip I encourage anyone who attends Penn State to hike Mount Nittany because it is a fun and not too difficult hike and it made me have a bigger appreciation of my surrounding environment and made me love my school even more since we have such a fun, adventurous activity minutes away and there is so much geology that we have learned about around our campus!