Royal Mountain

A few pics from my recent hike up Royal Mountain in Frisco. 

View of Royal Mountain from the Cabin.

The path heading up.

Close to the top I found this pine tree sticking out of a craggy outcropping.
There was no shortage of pine trees on the hike, but something about this one
reminded me of the pines portrayed in Chinese art. It was common practice to
use Pine tree's growing in harsh conditions as a symbol for longevity and fortitude.
It was such a powerful symbol that many rulers would have had these all around
their palace.

View from the very top.

This turned out to be one of my favorite hikes I've been on recently. From the town you can see the top of Royal Mountain. But what you don't see is that to get there you have to climb a mountain that is even taller.