Head Above the Clouds : Roy & Hiking

Roy has always had a connection to nature. He also has a great respect for it in a similar way that Native Americans do. Which makes sense as his Grandmother was Chiricahua Apache and his Grandfather a Cherokee. When Roy needs to get clarity or inspiration he heads for the hills as they say. He goes on a hike and everything comes into focus for him. He even made himself a very special walking stick a few years back from a tree on our land and added a large crystal on top (which our area is famous for). He’s made similar ones for myself, my father, and our grandson Ashton.

When we lived in Utah he hiked up Mt. Olympus many times (elevation 9,000 ft), sometimes alone and sometimes with one of our children or a friend. I think that mountain is what he misses most from Utah. And it was indeed a mountain in the truest sense of the word. Where we live now in Hot Springs, Arkansas there are “hills” as he calls them in comparison (elevation 600 ft at highest point) but they make for some very beautiful hiking. He has a couple favorite spots. Goat Rock and Balanced Rock being two of them. Its very lush in the summer time but still beautiful in the other seasons. He climbs and can see for miles.

He took one of his hikes yesterday morning at 7 am. On his way up and down the mountain he took some beautiful photos which are posted below. Click on the smaller pics to enlarge them. There is also a photo of his handmade walking stick. At the very bottom is  a compilation of hiking pics through the years.  So the next time life starts to overwhelm you, you may just want to find the nearest trail (or  park) and do a little walking, taking in the beauty you see… you might be surprised at how much better you feel afterwards.

 

ROY’S HANDMADE WALKING STICK

 

PHOTOS ROY TOOK ON HIS HIKE YESTERDAY
-Click First Image to Scroll Through-

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HIKING THROUGH THE YEARS