MT. MAGAZINE EXPEDITION!

There is an Arkansas State Park that has been developed atop the mountain, that is measured as the highest point above sea level, for the entire state of Arkansas.  It is one of 50 summits across the USA where folks can register their names when they make it to the top.

For this reason, it is only natural that the group of ladies I hike with, nicknamed "WHO", which stands for "Women Hiking the Ozarks", was eager to explore this particular state park.

Many of the WHO outings include camping in tents or rustic cabins, but that was definitely NOT the case for our time at Mt. Magazine State Park!

The room I was in had a delightful balcony, overlooking the Arkansas River Valley, located near the center of our state.

The

wall decor in our room had a beautiful, framed painting of sumac, and I discovered the "real-life" versions of the plant that I saw in the park, were equally enchanting !

There are many scenic spots along the state highway that runs through the park, where one can enjoy the views and serenity, without hiking a long distance. 

Weddings (both indoor and outdoor), are a common occurrence at Mt. Magazine State Park.  To find out about having a wedding, or other special event/group outing here, just visit their website at www.MountMagazineStatePark.com  .

My son had done some recreational rock climbing at Mt. Magazine, so I wanted to see the area that was used for that sport.  The park ranger told me it was directly below the lodge, so I ventured down the trail below the lodge to explore.  Since it was almost dark, there were no rock climbers, but I did encounter a nice couple, who offered to take a photo of me, on top of the bluffs used by the climbers.

The dining room of the new Mt. Magazine Lodge is spacious, with a three-story glass wall that allows views of the magnificent views on top of the mountain. 

At sunset, you can be sure that folks will be gathering below the lodge, to see the skies do their "color shifting" from pale blue to pink to red---depending on the atmospheric conditions each evening.

I was intrigued by watching the sunset reflections on the outside of the dining room windows, as well as the actual sunset!  The darker the skies became, the more dramatic was the reflection.

There is a modern visitor center at the park that has clean restrooms, helpful rangers, a gift shop, and very interesting exhibits.  It was the meeting place for members of our group, as we gathered from all points of the state, for our first "official" hike of the outing.

Exhibits inside the Visitor Center tell everything one needs to know about the biology and geology of the park.

Mt. Magazine is one of the few places in the U.S. that is suitable for the growth of the very rare, "Maple Leaved Oak Tree".  I was delighted when I saw specimens of it growing along some of the trails and overlook areas!  This photo was taken at the Petit Jean Valley Overlook.

It is fun to hike at Mt. Magazine at any time of year, but going in the fall will enable you to enjoy the autumn palette of a hardwood forest.  Our group was on the last weekend in October.

All of us wanted to take the short hike to the summit of Mt. Magazine, so we could say we put our feet on the highest point in Arkansas!

Sunrise Rock is along one of the hiking trails at Mt. Magazine, and the first photo shows what the location looks like during the day. The second photo, taken at sunrise by my friend, Diana, is the image I am using as my visual aid for the FBC First Place 4 Health memory verse that says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."  Mark 1:35 .  

The Bible Study for the session of  FBC  First Place 4 Health, that starts in the new year, is called "Training for Success" .   Information on purchasing the book may be found on their website,  www.FirstPlace4Health.com .  When you get to the website, you will see that you can enter your zip code, to see where group classes are held near where you live. Even if you cannot attend the weekly classes I lead in Mountain Home (see www.myfbcmh.com for more information), I would recommend using this book on your own at home,  as a training guide.  Applying the principles taught in it,  will give you "Miles of Smiles"!  Tricia

LIBERTY EXPEDITION!

I was thankful to have the opportunity to attend The Pensmore National Symposium on Religious Liberty, held recently in southwest Missouri.

The event was held on the campus of the College of the Ozarks ( www.cofo.edu ) .  This photo shows some of the younger students that attend the Laboratory School, operated by the College of the Ozarks.  They led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and the singing of the National Anthem.

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon and former 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate.  The list of awards he has received in his long and distinguished career would be enough to fill the entire auditorium, but he preferred not to speak on those.  Rather, he urged those present in the auditorium to be engaged in the political process and work to assure that our constitutional freedoms are not undermined. 

Dr. Carson emphasized the importance of Christians studying the platforms of each party, and analyze how these platforms agree, or disagree, with the truth of God's word. 

Considering the impoverished youth, rise to professional acclaim, and incredible list of awards that  Dr. Ben Carson has received, he can be a "visual aid" (only as an imperfect human being on this earth, versus Jesus , our LORD, in heaven) for one of my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verses that says, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."   (Ephesians 4:2)  Another memory verse that deals with humility says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3-4

This poster was on display in the lobby of the auditorium, and is a reminder to me that I cannot just read and memorize Scripture---I have to APPLY it in my daily life choices.  That means I am to be humble and gentle; I am to bear with one another in love. 

When the Symposium dismissed for lunch, the hundreds of people in attendance headed outside to pick up box lunches,  with a choice of turkey, ham, or gluten-free. 

Chairs and tables (complete with linen tablecloths!) had been set up outside , on the spacious grounds of the College of the Ozarks.  I was reminded of a phrase I used to hear, as someone who was born in the Ozarks and raised here.  We called it "Dinner on the Grounds".  It started years ago, before air conditioning was invented, and was often held after worship services, when everyone in attendance went outside and shared a "covered dish" they had brought from home for the occasion. 

These high school students that attend the C of O Laboratory School, called "School of the Ozarks", may not fully realize how significant are the opportunities they are having to be present when such distinguished speakers come to visit their campus.  That is one reason the laboratory school is described  as a place with experiential learning activities, whose academic programs exceed the state of Missouri's educational requirements.  More information about attending this school is on the main college website, www.cofo.edu .

After lunch, I was thankful to be able to attend a press conference, held at the Keeter Center, near the entrance to the College of the Ozarks.  I have written about this remarkable facility in other articles that are in the archives of this blog (April 16, 2016 and January 1, 2016). 

The event was opened by Dr. Jerry C. Davis, President of the College of the Ozarks.  His opening statement in the program said, "As we approach the 2016 election, it is essential that every American cast his or her vote.  As Christians, we are obligated to vote.  Voting is an important part of seeing change unfold in America."

The press conference was moderated by one of the professors at the College of the Ozarks.  In addition to Dr. Ben Carson on the panel, there was Texas U. S. Congressman, Louie Gohmert, Jr., and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William Boykin. 

Members of the media were allowed to randomly ask questions of the three, and not surprisingly, many of the questions were addressed to Dr. Ben Carson, since he had been in the news extensively during the lead-up to the 2016 Presidential election.  He reminded us that Jesus Christ is not running for office, and as such, we are never going to find the "perfect" presidential candidate.  Rather, we are to consider the long-term consequences of our choice of presidents---especially as they relate to the appointment of Supreme Court Judges---and cast our vote accordingly.

I was thankful to get to meet Mrs. Ben Carson, after the press conference.  When I asked her if I could take a photograph of her, she replied, "Only if you will be in it with me."  I was impressed with her graciousness and humility.  She commented on the beauty of the Ozarks, and indicated she was enjoying her visit to this part of the USA.  Mrs. Carson is a successful author and businesswoman, and along with her husband, founded Carson Scholars www.carsonscholars.org that provides scholarships to underserved youth with academic excellence.

Mrs. Carson is not the only one impressed with the beauty and hospitality of the Ozarks.  Thousands of tourists come here year-round---many of them drawn by the numerous entertainment venues of Branson, Missouri, which is just across the bridge from where College of the Ozarks is located.  These motorcoaches parked outside the Keeter Center are a common site in this area. 

If  you would like to picture yourself sitting on this porch, enjoying all the amenities of the Keeter Center (which has a gorgeous restaurant, and a boutique hotel recently voted "best in the US by Trip Advisor") , then make plans to visit College of the Ozarks.  It will give you MILES OF SMILES!    Tricia

SISKIYOU COUNTY EXPEDITION!

The first thing you have to do in order to climb one of Siskiyou County, California's landmarks---Black  Butte---is find the trail head!  To make sure we did not waste time looking for it in the dense forest at the base of the mountain, my son and I did a trial run to find the trail head the day before.  (The reader can find the exact GPS co-ordinates, and driving directions, on the Forest Service website at www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/stnf .) My son took this photo of me the next day, just before we started our ascent of the mountain, on August 31, 2016. 

He is pictured here on the Spring Hill Trail, in the city of Mount Shasta.  I included the photo because it gives the reader an idea of the conical shape of Black Butte.  By the way, a butte is generally defined as an isolated hill with steep sides, and a small top. 

When the trail begins, there is a gentle climb through the evergreen trees of the Shasta/Trinity National Forest.

The further one goes, the steeper the trail becomes, and the fewer the trees.

Upward, ever upward, the hiker will ascend.  In fact, this image reminds me of a verse in the Bible from Proverbs 15:24 that says, "The path of life leads upward for the wise...."  .  Likewise, if you are a wise hiker, you will need to take plenty of water, as there are no water features along the trail or at the trail head.  The distance from the trail head to the summit is 2.56 miles, making for a total distance of about 5 miles.  So while this is not considered a long hike, it is still rated as "difficult" by the Forest Service because the total vertical climb from the trail head to the summit is 1,845 feet. 

At some spots along the trail, there is no easily discernible path.  That is when I relied on my son to show me where to step.  

One can see from this photo that Black Butte is actually a cluster of overlapping lava domes.  A lava dome is defined as a roughly circular, mound-shaped protrusion, resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano.  Wikipedia calls the rock dacite, which just means igneous volcanic rock.  One type of igneous rock we saw a lot of was "hornblende", which has dark flakes in it, made from a complex series of minerals.

On a clear day, a hiker can see Mount McLoughlin, 70 miles north in Oregon. 

I was very excited to get to see the expanse of valleys and mountains and farmlands and big sky, in a way I had never seen them before!

Although I am used to hiking with a single hiking stick, it was extremely helpful to have TWO trekking poles for this particular hike,  One's legs and knees get very tired from the constant upward movement, so the  extra support provided by the trekking poles can take some of the pressure off of the knees.

This photo of two hikers who summited before we did, shows the foundation of the USFS Fire Tower that used to be there.  The first tower was built in the 1930's, but destroyed by the Columbus Day Storm of 1962.  It was rebuilt in 1963, and operated until 1973.  After being taken out of service, the fire tower was removed by helicopter, in 1975.   All that remains now is the square foundation.

I was delighted that someone else was at the summit, because I wanted to get a photograph of my son and I with the Arkansas flag, and the Arkansas Razorback logo.  The guy that took the photo had two teenage young men with him, and as one of the teenagers was helping my son get me across the precipice leading to the fire tower foundation, the young guy said to me, "You are the oldest person I have ever seen up here."  WOW, thanks a lot!

Once we had taken plenty of photos at the summit, we climbed down a few feet to have our lunch on a somewhat flat surface beneath the fire tower foundation. My son took this photo of me, with the camera pointed to the north.  By that time, smoke had started rolling into the area from a large forest fire, about 30 miles from our location.  I was very thankful for the blessing of a clear viewing of Mount Shasta, when we had been at the summit a few minutes earlier.  As the day progressed, the giant mountain was completely obscured by the smoke from the forest fires.

 

 

 

 

This photo below shows my son, as we start the trek back down the mountain.  It was definitely easier going down, than it was going up!

The reader is probably tired by now of seeing photos of hikers with uplifted hands, but I was so incredibly happy to have this experience of summiting Black Butte, I am plastering the image below, of me at the summit,  in my brain, so I can use it as a motivation to keep on trying to live a healthy lifestyle, so I can keep on taking these expeditions, because they keep on giving  me----- "MILES OF SMILES!  Tricia