Hiking is unique in its muscle use and rebuilding my strength took several weeks of easy trails. It was a feeling of both joy and relief to complete an old favorite trail(s) circuit. The comfort of seeing old friends (the Trees) and breathing in the scents of the Forest was healing. Each lovely Wildflower reached out to my Soul and soothed the wounds of being apart.
Happy Trails Everyone!
Lee
Begin Rant: To be honest the only thing I really missed during the pandemic was hiking. I was however lucky to quarantine with my best friend aka husband. We leveraged the internet for delivery of supplies and only ventured out in the dark hours of the morning to walk, get gas or use needed services. However to get to the trails would have meant facing steams of tourists who were largely unmasked even when 4000 people a day were dying. They came to our little tourist town because the Governor of Arkansas sent mixed signals about masking.
Now that we are fully vaccinated it is only semi liberating. I know 10% my fellow humans can still become infected after receiving both doses. Many in Arkansas do not seem interested in getting any of the vaccines so it is always going to be masks on when going out on the city streets. The only time we currently unmask when out is on the trails. Mutations of COVID19 love antivax humans. Due to antivaxxers the pandemic may drag on longer than it needs too. End Rant
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail Lyre-leaf Sage
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail Wild Garlic
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail Birds Foot Violet
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail Birds Foot Violet
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail Moss Heart
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail Forest Canopy
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail
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- Hot Springs Mt Trail Woolly Violet
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- North Mt Loop Oxalis
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- North Mt Loop Phlox
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- North Mt Loop Phlox
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- North Mt Loop Spiderwort
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- North Mt Loop Spiderwort
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- North Mt Loop Phlox
Hike Our Planet - @HikeOurPlanet 
TY Baby. We did manage to keep each other entertained during the worse part of the pandemic….as you said, it’s not over and (apparently) won’t be for awhile until people are vaccinated. So masks it is and remains until the CDC says otherwise. I loved this hike too. The moss heart was a reminder that there’s plenty more good things to come. The wildflowers were part of that “good thing”. Looking forward to more hikes with you. Love Ricky.