Adventure to Scott Mountain

Earlier this year, I was asked by my contact at Harrison-Crawford State Forest if I would like to visit a secret place, to which I enthusiastically said yes. I met her a few days later and was handed a handwritten document with various clues to the adventure. Simply titled A Adventure to Scott Mountain.

I was given 3 rules I must follow on this adventure. First, I may ask for only two hints. Next, I am not to go alone as the last location (more below) is “way out”. Finally, I am to have a plan for how I am going to get out. She states “I didn’t give you any directions back.”

I am always one who loves to hike, explore and discover. If it is off the beaten path or in a much untraveled area, then even better. That adds to the allure for me.

I presented the clues and a handwritten note to Mark, who was happy to go on this adventure with me, and we even drove to the starting point earlier this spring. I was given this map of sorts in late spring, so my attempt will be this late fall or early winter after hunting season is over and the ticks are mostly gone.

The challenge begins at a specific location within the State Forest. I am given coordinates to the starting point. From there, I am given approximate feet, direction, and coordinates to site one. If I arrive successfully, I am asked to identify something about the area, then take that number and divide that number by a clue she has given me. This will give me the proper coordinates and directions to location number two. If I calculate wrong, then I cannot move on to site two. At site two, I am given specific landmarks and landscape features that, if figures out correctly, will take me to the third and final location. As mentioned above, I then have to find my way back to the vehicle. My assumption is I will be in a ravine or next to a cliff or creek. I was also given a map of the area. I will carry a GPS that will keep me on course and help me ‘track back’ to the vehicle.

Like finding the cemeteries for my cemetery project (which she also helped provide me maps to), this stirs my imagination and sense of adventure. I hope Mark and I can explore this area and that we can safely find all three locations she mentioned on my map.

I plan to write more about this once completed, but it will be a few months (December or later) before I even attempt it. It is not quite Indiana Jones, Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, or Nicholas Cage in National Treasure, but it feels the same to me.

Until next time,

Tim (Kilmer)

Comments

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 ...

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...

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...

Ruminator

Search This Blog