{mountain day}

This week, I experienced Mount Holyoke's oldest surprise tradition: Mountain Day.  At 7AM on Monday morning the bells rang 100 times (I didn't actually hear them as my dorm is too far away) and received an e-mail from Lynn Pasquerella, the president of the college, stating that all classes were cancelled for the day. I could hear whoops and hollers from the open windows in my dorm hall, and was greeted with "Happy Mountain Day" by everyone I passed on campus. It's basically a holiday.

We hopped on the shuttle and were brought to climb the Mount Holyoke Summit, which is technically a glorified hill at 942 ft. But don't get me wrong, the "shortcut" hike up the trails was definitely steep enough to give us all sore glutes the next morning. The day was off to a foggy start, but dear Mary Lyon (may she rest in peace) brought out the sun by the time we made it all the way up. Waiting for us at the top was Lynn, with ice cream cups, free hats, and buttons. We spent a good 45 minutes enjoying the warm, breezy 80 degree weather and taking in the glorious view of farmlands, colorful trees, and even a few of the neighboring campuses. Before Monday I had yet to even take my camera out of its case; Mountain Day was the perfect opportunity to capture life through the lens!

{the first Mount Holyoke Mountain Day was held in 1838}