Warning! My blog will challenge you to be more, give more, live fearlessly, take more chances and show up in the world unstoppable, daring and bold.
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir
Superstition Mountains Hieroglyphics Trail
The Climb
The Reward
Such simplicity, together with sweat and silence, amplify the rhythms of any long journey, especially through unknown, untattered territory. And in the end such a journey can restore an understanding of how insignificant you are — and thereby set you free.” Colin Fletcher, The River
I
Superstition Mountains Peralta Trail
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity…”– John Muir
I dream of hiking into my old age. ~Marlyn Doan 
McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Hiking Friend Julie from Random Meanderings
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity…”– John Muir
- "May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds." – Unknown
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{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Tess, this is a wonderful thought collage if I can use the term to describe the post. My favorite quote out of the bunch is the last, especially the line about may your mountains rise into and above the clouds.
Quinn´s last post…Knowing and wisdom
Ah…the great outdoors and being one with nature. Not much else can give us such a pleasant sense of self and belonging. Great post - very inspirational quotes!
Steven | The Emotion Machine´s last post…The Uses And Abuses Of Setting Deadlines
What a wonderful tribute to some of my favorite friends: the mountains! John Muir’s first quote speaks my heart, which is exactly why I call the mountains “friends.” ALL of nature’s beings speak to me, leaving me refreshed and cleansed like nothing else. I like, too, what Steven said: “…give us such a pleasant sense of self and belonging.” SO true.
Tess, you’re a terrific hiking partner; thank you! I could have gone all day…and, later, feeling so proud of myself (!), I was thinking we really would be remiss to not plan our trek with Davina. Just think of the gift for her that would be!
Julie´s last post…Letting Go!
Tess AND Julie!!
How cool is this!! Both of you together! Woohoo!! What a great day indeed! (Hi Julie!!!!) (Hi Tess!!!!)
Love all the quotes here, and esp. the last one. I find much comfort in those words…
Lance´s last post…RAOKA: Gratitude
Quinn,
Thanks for stopping by…that’s my favorite as well. I love “thought collage.” It’s exactly what it is.
Steven,
I agree and that’s why I love being outside so much. There’s no place I’d rather be!
Julie,
Yes I think you’re so right. Let’s get on that right away…it would be a time to remember that’s for sure. And I’m all into creating good times for myself;)
Lance,
Thanks for cheering us on! We already made another date. This was the west side of Sunrise trail and next time we’re climbing the east side. Life is grand as I make my online friends my offline friends as well:)
Way to get out and enjoy nature, Tess! What a fun post!
Jodi at Joy Discovered´s last post…Great Expectations
Hi Tess
Oh how lucky are you and Julie to have such a beautiful backdrop to call home each day!
The pictures are beautiful! I was especially intrigued by the one with writing on the rock. The more I have been learning about Arizona lately, the more I realize how connected it is to Native and spiritual cultures. And extra bonus!
I love hiking too. Our scenery is much different though, very wooded. Isn’t nature fun offering us all this beautiful diversity!
Evita´s last post…Essential Energy With Cyndi Dale: The Shopping List of Opposite Sexes – Significance versus Security
Beautiful and inspiring - what a perfect combination.
Hi Tess! Gorgeous chunk of earth there for hiking! The quotes are wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing the experience! If you ever want to tromp thru the Northwoods with me in summer, come on up!
Hugs
suZen
suzen´s last post…Millie and Additives
What an incredible hike. Fabulous vistas and quotes too. You’ve really taken me back Tess. I lived in AZ for five years and spent a bit of time in the Superstitions. Many good memories. Thanks!
Hi Tess,
Landscape photography is a hobby of mine and there are some wonderful shots here. I particularly like the view on IMG_13424 - would love to see it in real life.
Thanks
Gareth
Gareth´s last post…“Remember Charlie” – Safety Crusader
@Gareth: Thank you! That shot was taken with my cell phone camera and the nutty thing is I couldn’t really see the screen for the sunlight. I’m so glad you like it. This is where Tess and I landed after our little trek up the mountain. The McDowell Mountains is a small urban mountain chain that’s been preserved from development by the citizens of Scottsdale, Arizona (way to go, people!). It’s said that on a clear day, one can see nearly to Tucson, about 100 miles away. Tess and I enjoyed ourselves so much, we’re meeting again, soon, to do a more challenging climb. If you ever do visit, please allow us to show you our favorite places! ~Julie
Julie´s last post…Letting Go!
Hi Tess & Julie .. urgh! x 2 or 3 .. I’ve just lost the comment - ooh .. irritating.
What a wonderful place and it looks like you had such a lovely time together - two exercised ladies, good memories and fun tales to tell. So lucky that the Reserve has been preserved for you, the wildlife, flor and fauna .. so everyone can enjoy and get the benefits of be out and free of cares and worries for a while. I love the quotes .. and the pictures .. makes me think of spring, summer and autumn days that are coming here - but not mountains to climb, just lovely countryside to be in ..
Hilary´s last post…Groundhog Day, Candlemas and Jannie the First …
What beautiful photos! And I just love the quotes, especially the ones from John Muir…how right did he have it? I love hiking myself and will definitely be making it out to the west to explore those beautiful mountains (hopefully on more than one occasion!)
Thanks for the great quotes, I’m sure I will be saving those
Kristie Ryan´s last post…2010 Annual Air Potato Raid 
What great pictures, and I echo the wonderful comments about nature’s ability to bring us home into ourselves.
Hi, Julie! How cool seeing you in photos on Tess’s blog. I love it!
This post made me want to go hiking, and also made me crave warmer weather.
Be well & joyful, and thank you for adding to my wellness & joy.
Megan “JoyGirl!” Bord´s last post…5 Amazing Ways to Bring the Joy Back to Your Job
Hey Tess and Julie! I thought there was a familiar face of an avatar in the photos.
How cool is this, your do-ing and then these words to add value to your already amazing experience.
Oh yes, wilderness is a necessity alright, and how you both ooze Life and love. I am pleased you are getting into shape for your visit into the NZ wilderness.
Lots of love to you both, nature deivas, Wilma
Wilma Ham´s last post…Ann-Marie on ‘I don’t know’ so I say STOP
Hi Jodi,
Happy you stopped by! It was a fun day.
Evita,
Yes nature is fun, peaceful, beautiful and so much more.
Vared,
Yes indeed. We’re so blessed to have nature and the opportunity to just go and enjoy.
Patti,
I had no idea, now of course I want to know more!
Gareth,
Yes like Julie says when you’re here you can join us:)
suZen,
Yes I do want to come, where exactly are you? Thanks for the invite;)
Hillary,
Lovely country side indeed. My family lives there and I’ve heard all about it. I need to visit someday soon!
Kristie,
Yes I’m saving them too. Also go to John Muir woods to see the redwoods, OMG they are so amazing.
Megan,
We’re all about surprises. I do hope you get your warmer weather soon. Thanks for stopping by and enjoying the photos and quotes.
Wilma,
I’m so glad to be vibrating on the same level as you Queen of nature divas!
Yes I’m getting ready for NZ and I want to bungee jump as well. Julie, you up for it?
Mom, looks like life is grand in Arizona. Nature indeed has a way of bringing me home, within my soul. There is a calming to the storm of daily life that overcomes me when I am hiking or even running on a trail. As an over-civilized person, I can definitely relate to the quote by John Muir!
Also, I love it that you’re wearing tht ‘Live Simply’ t-shirt you bought when you were visiting me in Atlanta!
Hi Tess.
How fortunate you are to have this so close to home, Tess. I’m still open to the idea of meeting you and Julie for the hike; hoping $ will support it.
Oh, these pictures are unbelievable. The Hieroglyphics Trail particularly appeals to me. And that picture of Julie…. she’s got that mischievous look about her
Davina´s last post…Book Review for “The Narcissist: A User’s Guide”
Beautiful scenery, Tess — and it looks like someone in 100,000 B.C. was mighty proud of their goat herd!
“Lost Dog Wash Trail” — love it!! And love you too!
xo
Jannie Funster´s last post…Gratitude
I love the idea of…”May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.”
We need struggle to understand the beauty of our lives.
It’s our struggles that really hold the hidden gems. I know that most of my greatest moments have come because of a tough time in my life. They taught me how to reframe my life to feel and see the positive side.
Karl Staib - Work Happy Now´s last post…How Can I Help You in 2010?
One of the great blessings that we still enjoy in the United States is the ability to hike into nature and be at peace while doing it.
I have been to places where there are so many people, it is difficult ever to be alone.
For example, on the small islands of the Philippines, there are over 90 million residents. Even when you have hiked out as far from a major city as you can go away from the sea, it is very rare that you will not encounter many others in the same area.
The same is true anywhere where the population has not been controlled.
If there is ground and food, people will not regulate themselves in terms of children until all the hiking and fishing and nature experiences are gone.
This is one of the reasons that it is so important to attempt to preserve what you have in Arizona and elsewhere.
Our government is now allowing persons from China who disagree with the one child policy to come to the US for the express purpose of having a large family. Given how many of us there are already on the planet, this policy is actually a cruel one relative to the Earth and relative to citizens already here.
We need to be careful about how many children we have. There are some populations who seem to live to reproduce.
Those kinds of cultures may have been great at one time when man needed to make sure we had enough numbers to survive.
Now just the opposite is true. We need to control our numbers in order to ensure both the survival of our species and the lovely Earth upon which we depend.
Hike on, my friend. Be peaceful. But try to preserve the natural inheritance we have.
Encourage small families wherever you go.
Stetson
ToysPeriod is a leading online shop specializing in lego sets and model railroad equipment.
What a great place to hike. We have neighborhoods around here, lol, nothing too scenic. I would love that breathtaking beauty! And thank you for sharing so many inspirational quotes!
Tabitha Blue´s last post…39 Weeks 
Kristy,les
Yes you are your mother’s daughter as the saying goes! I thought that was your t-shirt and we traded something. Remember? Don’t ask me what we traded though!
Davina,
Oh yes that word fits Julie perfectly;) And yes we are blessed and yes do come hiking with us. I’ll send abundant blessings your way.
Chris,
You are soooo funny! I can’t argue with you. I’d have to research if they had goats back then! I don’t know!
Jannie,
Come hiking and we can laugh our way up and down the mountains and forget about the climb!
Karl,
So true and my struggles allowed me the wisdom to make the correct choices.
We learn so much through change, ya think we should approach it differently?
Stetson,
Thanks for sharing. It’s good to be informed. I will continue hiking and remain peaceful as often as possible. I’m not perfect you know!
Tess The Bold Life´s last post…Born To Run
Tess,
LOL! I need to get out more because I kid you not, as I read the quotes and thought about my own love of hiking, I kept hearing Miley Cyrus’ song “The Climb” in my head. I shouldn’t even know Miley Cyrus–my children will love that:)
This quote in particular sticks with me: “Such simplicity, together with sweat and silence, amplify the rhythms of any long journey, especially through unknown, untattered territory. And in the end such a journey can restore an understanding of how insignificant you are — and thereby set you free.” ”
Seems to me that freedom is the ultimate key. The freedom to believe in yourself, your God, the world, and to live in it as fully as possible. Most simple indeed.
Joy´s last post…Faith
I loved this Tess, incredible - both the pictures and the quotes! Thank you for sharing this with us!
Lana - DreamFollowers Blog´s last post…How To Get In The Flow or How To Connect With Your Inner Genius
What wonderful pictures, quotes and experience…The picture of Julie is fun too! and these are from your cell phone? You gals are in great shape - bold and full of life - so giving…
I am working on advertising Davina’s proof writing business so that she can come hiking with you too….that would be quite a post….
Hip hip hurrah for the beauty and joy of movement, mountains, friends and wonder
These pictures and quotes are all good reminders that when we really challenge ourselves, our faith is given the room to grow.
Thanks for sharing.