When James Geier goes on a hike with his son, we have to imagine Marvin Gaye's spirit is somewhere nearby, singing the lyrics to his 1967 hit, "Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low."
That's because Geier will stop at nothing to take his son, Jonah, who has cerebral palsy and is a quadriplegic, to see some of America's best vistas. To get there, James has fashioned a one-wheeled carrier, which he uses to pull his son across all kinds of landscapes.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of the Interior posted a photo on Instagram of the two. Taken near Delicate Arch in Utah's Arches National Park, the pic proceeded to go viral.
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"We just have a special relationship with Jonah, my wife and I. He’s really kind of a best friend as well as our son. He’s probably the best company that you can have," the father, 60, told NBC's "Today" show, in response to the touching photo. "He has a contagious smile and is himself an inspiration given all his challenges."
He added that they used to carry Jonah in a backpack, but had to find an alternative once he hit 70 pounds. They now hike everywhere with a Dixon Rollerpack, which has been modified with a footrest and a sling for Jonah to sit in.
“I couldn’t even count the number of hikes he’s been on,” Geier's wife, Carla Zambreno, told ABC News. “As soon as the season begins, we go and in the winter we take him cross-country skiing with us in a ski sled.”
WATCH video of the cart in action, above.
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