A Day In the Woods

This might get deep, so skip to the photos. This week my back and neck have really been bothering me, like excruciating pain, so on Sunday I decided to take a break from sitting in front of the computer since that's when it hurts the worst. Kaylah and I got in my car and started driving around looking for something interesting to photograph. I don't know how long we drove but we never once got out of the car. I felt like I had already seen it all. I couldn't find anything new. It's such a frustrating feeling. You see, my entire life all I've ever really wanted is to discover things, and uncover mysteries. My favorite TV shows and documentaries are the ones about ghosts, cryptozoological creatures, buried treasure, and ancient ruins. I'm driven by the idea that there could be more out there than what we see on maps, or read in text books. I like the thought of finding a real mystery or visiting a place that humans have never been.

So far I haven't met any ghosts or sasquatches. I've never stubbled across any ancient ruins filled with buried treasure. And no matter how far into the woods I go, I can still hear traffic and see litter on the ground, however this time of year the woods feel like the most likely place to find those mysteries if they're out there. There is something about being alone in the woods in the Fall and late Summer. It feels as if I'm on the verge of something. It's like one of those mysteries that I crave so much is about to reveal itself to me. 

I'm not sure what exactly I'm hoping to find, but going to the woods to look for it always feels good. So that's where I went. I did a quick search for the best hiking trails in Northeast Ohio and came up with a pretty good list, but most of them I had already hiked. Thankfully there was one towards the top of the list that I had never heard of so that's where I went.

Plateau Trail

Went off trail to check out a bog. It stunk really bad and I'm glad I wore my waterproof Palladium boots because I kept sinking in the nasty stuff. 

I love old gnarly trees.

Rounding a bend and seeing this was exciting. 

Loved how the fungus filled in like this.

Photos taken with a Canon Mark III, and Canon 60D; using a Canon 20mm f/2.8, Canon 35mm f/1.4, and a Rokinon 8mm Fisheye lens.