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

Rumination

I've found myself stuck in a loop lately. It's like my mind is on a hamster wheel, endlessly circling the same thoughts. I can't seem to shake them. It's exhausting. I've been there. That place where thoughts loop around and around, like a broken record stuck on the same groove. It's like my mind is a haunted house, and these persistent thoughts are the ghosts haunting me. I'll be thinking about something, maybe a conversation I had earlier in the day, and then suddenly, I'm spiraling. I'm replaying every word, every gesture, analyzing every detail. It's like a broken record, playing the same tune repeatedly. It's not just conversations, either. I can ruminate about my to-do list, my relationships, or even the weather. It's as if my brain is determined to find a problem, no matter how small. Rumination, as it's called, can be a real drain. It's like trying to go against the flow of a strong current. No matter how hard I ...

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...

Walk Tall

I recently listened to a song by one of my favorite artist’s name John Mellencamp . The song is called Walk Tall . As I listened to the lyrics, I could not help reflecting on the world around me. John states: The simple minded and the uninformed Can be easily led astray And those that cannot connect the dots Hey, look the other way People believe what they wanna believe When it makes no sense at all… This is a recurring sight for me, encountered daily on social media, in conversations, on the news, and most notably in politics. People readily accept Facebook, MSNBC, CNN, or even their neighbor’s post on any platform as the ultimate truth. Very few people bother to delve into the facts, and it’s even worse how furious they get when faced with differing opinions. A point proven recently with a post I saw on Facebook. Someone stated, “this proves people will argue about anything”. There was a picture of a plastic cup of water that was ¾ full. The caption below said a fu...

Ruminator

Search This Blog