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Being over 50 with a love for hiking, as well as working as a hiking guide, there have been lots of hikes. Very few are boring, some are mundane, but many are magical. Seeing new places, finding new flowers on old trails, and just experiencing the wonder of nature is really special, but what was my most magical hike? That is a difficult decision to make as there is magic everywhere, but there is one that stands out.

I was working as the guide and was concerned, there were troubles getting going. Some older ladies were bringing young men who had Down's Syndrome, they arrived early. Another young couple were on their honeymoon and they showed up late! The "boy's" (these were older teenagers, but still "boys") were restless, the caregivers nervous, and the honeymooners oblivious. Not the best mixture for starting on a 2 hour hike.

The "boys" were great. They were into Hobbit-lore and Lord of the Rings, so we made fern swords and leaf warrior hats for them, they became hobbits. I, with my carved walking stick, got designated as Gandalf, the Wizard. The "hobbits" then worried that the groom didn't have a sword, hat, or hobbit name. The groom was a "short person", 4 foot 10, shorter than the boys and good natured. He explained he couldn't be a hobbit, but could be a dwarf as dwarfs were shorter than hobbits. But since dwarfs lead the hobbits, he had to come up front with them to watch for Orcs and Dragons! The bride thought it was hilarious!

It turned into a beautiful sunny day with dark green hummingbirds zooming all around and spotted beetles mixed with blue "Jack Spaniards" flying by. A large black "bat moth" with a wingspan of 6 inches startled us by darting from under the edge of a dead tree. Butterflies were everywhere flashing yellow, green, black, and red, with some striped, Zebra Butterflies!

Then after 30 minutes, we entered the Rain Forest. It got darker and dimmer due to the thick overhead canopy. The bird noises changed and a cloud actually drifted over and dumped a brief shower on us. We were in Fagorn Forest! Everyone was surprised by the giant trees and the "boys" found a face on the biggest one which must be Treebeard! It was now time for photographs and snacks.

Everyone ate everything, including the strange pods, gooey seeds and fruit that looked like raw eyeballs (but tasted like peach-flavored snot). This was an adventure and we were eating real trail snacks! No complaints and no questions about the food, for a guide, that is magical in itself!

Heading back down the trail, the sun came back out and we encountered a troupe of monkeys. Normally the monkeys scatter and hide, but this time they stayed! Maybe it was the funny hats, the innocence of the "boys" or the fact that everybody was just so happy and having a fantastic time. It was certainly a noisy enough group and they had plenty of time to leave, but they stayed overhead, cavorting in the branches, dropping mangoes and sticks while letting their photographs be taken.

Was this hike magical? What with the boys, the birds, butterflies, and monkeys all coming together combined with just the right weather and people, it was more than magical; it was miraculous!

Learn more about this author, James Johnson.
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