Fire Tower Trail - The Return

I hiked, I shot some wonderful photos and had great conversations with a friend. The woods provided me sanctuary today.

Today was the first day since last spring that I hiked at O’Bannon Woods State Park. This place has an abundance of ticks, and also bow hunting season has begun, so I was nervous.

Mark arrived a bit before 8am, and we drove his Jeep through the thick fog toward the State Park. No attendant was at the gate, so we slowly drove past the shack and made our way toward the campground. I had a planned route in mind, and the first location we visited was new to Mark. That is a rarity that anywhere I go he has not already been to.

The leaves have begun to change in my area, though there was still plenty of foliage to hamper views of the surrounding forest. It was 41 degrees and Mark and I were walking down an old gravel road mainly used by horseback riders, hikers and an occasional official forestry vehicle. To make things even more spectacular, we had fog surrounding us.

Once we had left the campground area, a hush fell over the forest. The cool air, fog and remaining leaves muffled any sound other than our own voices. We continued to walk and wonder at the beauty surrounding us. It was not long before we reached Sharpes Cemetery. This small plot of land holds 12 different souls, with the oldest birth belonging to William Sharp, who was born in 1770.

Mark and I spent some time here taking photos, checking out the headstones, then we headed back the way we came and turned onto the Fire Tower Trail. Unlike the previous road, we were now on a thin trail used by mountain bikers and hikers. As we moved along the path, the sun was rising and providing spectacular beams of light through the trees and illuminated by the fog. Mark spotted the first rays and then the shots began. As we continued along the trail. I saw one large sunbeam lighting up a small area about 50 feet off the trail. Mark saw it to and within moments he was bushwhacking through the woods to stand under that sunbeam. Naturally, I took a picture.

It felt good to be out in the woods. It felt good to be with my friend. I captured some really pleasant pictures, but more than that, for a brief period, my worries and anxiety dissipated. We hiked for slightly over 2 hours, covering about 4 miles. I am glad my hiking season has begun again. “Sky above, earth below, peace within.”

Until next time,

Tim (Kilmer)

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