1.1.23

Photo by: Tim Bindner

I am behind on this post but wanted to document my hike on 1.1.23. It was a short hike but had a photographer’s most coveted element.

I woke up early on New Year’s Day, grabbed my gear and jumped in my car. It was still dark, and about 20 minutes before sunrise. The time it would take me to get to my destination.

As I left my driveway and headed down the road, the fog had moved in, and my visibility was 1/8^th of a mile. Often only about 10-20 feet in front of the hood of my car. Fog and mist are the envy of every photographer, and I was lucky today I would experience some.

I drove slower than normal, but made it eventually to O’Bannon Woods State Park. My goal was to take the Fire Tower Trail as far as I could north based on time, then turn around and head back. Marcie and I needed to be somewhere, so I was cognizant of the time.

I started my watch and moved down the trail. Normally I see other cars, sometime people, or at a minimum hear cars in the distance. Today was a complete silence. The only noises I heard were some crows in the distance and the rhythmic thumping of woodpeckers that echoed all around me. Both were short-lived, however. The visibility in the woods was good, but in all directions, fog enveloped the woods in a circumference of about 25 feet around me. It muffled even my footsteps on the ground beneath my feet. It was not raining, but water dripped from the trees and harmonically hit the leaves all around me. Some even hit my head and jacket.

The area I hiked has less than stellar cell reception, but my GPS always seems to stay connected. Marcie knew where I was, as well as my planned route. The solitude is what at first made me a little anxious. That feeling soon disappeared as I hiked deeper into the forest.

The air was cool, but not cold. Temperature was in the mid 50’s and the humidity was high. I felt a calmness as I walked. I listened, smelled the rotten leaves, felt the cool air on my face and neck, and observed my surroundings.

I took shots of fog, of leaves, of trees and even some wild blueberries. I got deep inside my head and washed away the stress and anxiety. I realized I never once thought about my heart, or recent event. I felt peace.

The picture above shows what my surroundings were like. I could see enough to navigate, but never really knew what was ahead of me. Kind of like life, I guess.

It was one of my best hikes in a long while. I had the place to myself, the perfect atmosphere, and the best way I think I could start the New Year. This reminds me of a quote. “Finding oneself and one’s path is like waking up on a foggy day. Be patient, and presently the fog will clear and that which has always been there can be seen. The path is already there to follow.”- Rasheed Ogunlaru.

Today I used a path and the fog to find some mental clarity.

Until next time.

Tim