Two days ago, on Good Friday and being off from work, I had to hike House Mountain, since I still have power in my body. The will in my spirit will remain, even after my physical death, when I will be hiking heavenly mountains!
The anniversary of my deceased mother-in-law's birth also fell on Good Friday. My 168th House Mountain hike on Good Friday was in her honor. Of course, as a free American, the parking lot closure was irrelevant. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman drove me to and from “my mountain” in our 2008 Honda Civic. (I had to apologize to my 2006 Frontier for not taking him.)
Please enjoy the following photographs:
The one above is a bit blurry, for which I apologize. I have taken better photographs at the location. I was on the ridge trail, heading east. I had already hiked up the west trail to the west bluff, which took 34 minutes.
Just as I started up the west trail, I met a family hiking up as well. The husband and wife's young son was hiking with two walking sticks braced to his arms. His nickname was “Big John.” Big John, about eight years old, was doing fine, and I told him so! Never give up! I know.
The above image was at a rocky area along the ridge. I was getting close to the upper middle bluff. I had already passed by the lower middle bluff.
Over six years ago, on Christmas Day, 12/25/2013, I was hiking House Mountain for the 99th time. Alone and near the lower middle bluff, I spoke by cell phone with a good man who owns property on the north side of the mountain. He told me that a game warden and he had been on his property near the lower middle bluff a day or so before. With credibility, he stated that they both saw and heard a mountain lion near the location in the above image. They finished their work and left the area quickly. I have hiked through the area many times since, thankfully, without seeing a mountain lion.
Ah! In the above image, I was at the upper middle bluff. The view looks west. The west bluff, where I timed my hike up, is visible in the distance. The weather was cool and sunny. This Appalachian Irishman had prayer and worship time with God, as I have done many times. Remember, in the long term, the “good, bad, and ugly” (with an apology to Clint Eastwood) will be placed into everlasting perspective once we reach our heavenly home! Once again, I concluded that it was better for God to have created the temporal realm than to have refrained from doing so. Do you know what I mean? You may understand. If not, please ask me sometime! In brief, it is better for me to exist than not exist, despite life's unpleasantries.
My wife, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, awaited me after my hike. I had called her when I started hiking down and out. She parked along the side of the road, to the right and not visible in the photograph. A few other vehicles, not captured in the image, were parked farther down and to the right.
Along the trails, I did meet a few brave Americans who, in defiance of the governor’s unconstitutional order, hiked as free citizens anyway! Yes, we exchanged sarcastic barbs! Stay free!
The above image shows a section of the “govrmint's” attempt to prevent free people from hiking freely in the woods, which never close! You cannot park in the upper or lower parking lots, but you can still hike! How can you close the woods?
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