WARTBURG WEST | ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO 

Emerald Lake at Sunrise

 Wartburg West is usually not quiet. It is usually packed and exciting and full of adventures with friends. COVID changed that this summer and made it seem more isolated than I had thought it would be. This was the last morning I spent in Colorado, and to enjoy this peaceful lake all alone summed up the tranquility I found in the experience accompanied with all of the beauty the program can bring. I thought that this was the perfect example of how my experience went for that very reason. Waking up before sunrise and seeing the sun hit the mountains in the backdrop which perfectly reflected in the calm waters below. It was the icing on the cake for the summer, and I was glad I took the opportunity on my last day in Colorado. 

Alex Buchheim ’21
First Place Fall 2020