Skip to main content

Kessner Cemetery

Photo by: Tim Bindner

I took a short hike today to Kessner Cemetery (N38°09.912 W86°14.995), but the journey was not about the destination but the hike to get there.

I awoke before dawn at around 6am. I had my camera, map and backpack ready to go. Something, however, unnerved me about this planned hike. I was going to an even more deserted and less traveled road than I was on the day before, and as usual I would have no cell service. This was part of my second book research and I knew I had to go, but could I go alone?

I had a detailed map in hand so I fought my anxiety and fear, got in my car and off I went. As mentioned, the road I would park off of was Dutch Hollow Road, and offshoot of Cold Friday Road. There is a single private lot at the end of Dutch Hollow, so traffic on this road is almost nonexistent.

As I turned onto Dutch Hollow Road, the mist filled the wooded area around me, and the narrow gravel road was something straight out of a horror movie. Good thing I enjoyed those, but I do admit I was creeped out.

I soon backed into a small pull-off and saw the locked gate in my rearview mirror. I got out of my car, grabbed my stuff, shut and locked my car and stood there in silence. An eerie silence that brought a chill to my spine. It was 46 degrees; I was miles from anywhere and I had not seen a car or a person in over 30 minutes. I was alone.

I took a deep breath and headed to the locked gate, maneuvered around it and started up the incline before me. My destination was less than a half mile ahead, but with each step I felt I was getting deeper into a magical forest. Humidity was peeking at around 95% or higher, and the mist provided a blanket of hush all around me. The work tire tracks below my feet were clearly defined but looked like they had not been used in quite a long time. Between the tire tracks was overgrown grass, small trees and an abundance of leaves. Some were as tall as my knees. To both sides of me lay a dense forest. I continued up the hill, not knowing exactly where the cemetery was, but my senses were on overload. The hush amplified each sound I heard, which was few. The smell of the damp leaves and trees brought a calming feeling to me. Then of course there was my vision. My photography eye was buzzing. The mist, muted colors and exposed trees provided ample opportunities for shooting. I took advantage.

Soon I saw to my left the sign for Kessler Cemetery. Without that sign, I would never have known there was a cemetery there. Behind the sign the area was very overgrown with thorn bushes, small saplings and tall grass. I maneuvered throughout the area, shooting what headstones I could make out. There was not much here, so I spent about 15 minutes walking around then began my brief journey back to the car.

I have completed another cemetery for my book, but I have to say, though the cemetery was not all that fascinating the hike to and back, helped me conquer a fear, and honestly the isolation of this place and the fact I went alone, helped.

As hiking often does for me, I had no thoughts of my outside life while I was here. I looked for shots, observed some deer, read some dates on headstones, and looked at beautiful trees. Truly not a care or worry in the world.

I returned to my Subaru and headed back up the long drive to the park. This was my hidden place today. It was all mine, and I was alone. I got to see things no-one else will ever see, and it made me smile.

Until next time,

Tim (Kilmer)

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Love to get your feedback on what you read!

Popular posts from this blog

Mentor

  When my photography journey rekindled back in 2015 with a trip to Maine, I never knew how far I would come and how important pushing a button on a camera would be. I have come a long way, but still have so much more to learn. A mentor is described as an experienced and trusted adviser (noun) . Also, as someone who will advise or train (someone, especially a younger  colleague ) (verb). Wikipedia also states mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person.  Since I have gotten more serious about my photography, I have been looking for a mentor that fits these categories listed above. Seeking guidance, I reached out to a handful of “professional” photographers to inquire about mentorship. I received no response from one person, another person casually mentioned that they rarely mentor, and a third person kindly explained that they ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nobody's Listening

  I recently had conversations with two people I know that had experienced a sudden rash of acute anxiety. One was medication related, the other was situational. Both stated that they now had a better understanding of what I have been dealing with. With the recent changes to my medication, Although I still feel anxiety, it no longer takes control of my emotions like it did in the past. However, I know acutely that it still lurks on the fringes, patiently awaiting its chance to pounce on me. During my recent visit to Dr. Erin, she assigned me an exercise where I had to jot down three things each day that I felt I excelled at. This is proving to be difficult for me. The parameters are straightforward and easy to understand. “Anything I do well that day,” she said. As I continued with this exercise, I began thinking of a song by Linkin Par called Nobody’s Listening. I got a heart full of pain, head full of stress Handful of anger held in my chest And everything left’s a wast...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tested

  Life is a series of tests, pushing us to our limits and forcing us to grow. All blessings originate from a God, yet they manifest through different circumstances, encounters, and individuals. Throughout the past six weeks, I have encountered a myriad of these tests. This is part of the reason I have not written in a while - the constant distractions that have consumed my time and focus. Balancing my mental state and warding off anxiety has consumed my attention, leaving no room to articulate my thoughts through writing. My journey began recently when, with the advice of a medical professional, I began taking Trintellix at its lowest dose of 5mg per day. Gradually I increased to 10mg a day and now am at 20mg a day. During this time, my anxiety has lessened quite a bit, but recent events have put this medication to the test. Our initial challenge was to carefully research vans, searching for ones that would be ideal for safely transporting our furry companions. The cramped spac...
Post a Comment
Read more