Winter Abstracts on the Olentangy

The Olentangy Trail is a regular destination for me. It is always a good hike with my camera. This past winter, in February, I was greeted by amazing conditions. We had recently received a heavy snow and it was quite deep (for central Ohio) along the banks of the river. The river is not easy to see during most seasons because of the dense foliage and trees on the riverbanks, but in the winter, the river is visible from most places along the trail. It can also be treacherous getting down close to the river because of rocks, tree limbs and roots. When I was younger, I was able to navigate the obstacle course more easily. Today, I have no cartilage in my knees, my joints ache all over, and I tend not to risk it. I started down toward the river in the snow and discovered that I was able to get all the way down to the river because the deep snow provided a thick cover over the obstacles. What I saw when I arrived at the river was wonderful.

It was late afternoon. In February, the days are still fairly short in central Ohio. The sun was moving down to the horizon giving the river a warm glow. The sun was coming down across the river; I was looking and shooting into the sun. When the trees on the opposite side of the river blocked the sun, the river took on cool tones. A major part of the river was frozen and there was still snow covering some of the ice. Other sections of ice were not covered with snow, and I could see all the great textures and shapes that result. And then there were all the reflections of trees you see in the river.

It was magical. The combination of the abstracts in the ice, the snow that remained and the variations of light and color along the river were pure magic. When I find myself at these wonders of nature, I become lost in it. I am the worst meditator in the universe. When I’ve been guided through meditations in my yoga class, I usually find myself mentally constructing my grocery list or thinking through the various tasks I want to get accomplished after I open my eyes. The feelings and state of mind I experience with my camera in nature are probably as close to where my brain is supposed to be during meditation. It most often happens to me while experiencing a new adventure and arriving at a place I’ve never seen before. Those experiences are so profound for me that I can readily identify them. The beaches at La Jolla where the rocks and sea grass form the most spectacular abstracts. The many waterfalls at Ohiopyle in Pennsylvania. Every location Pauline and I visited at Yellowstone.

It is more unusual for me to become totally detached from the here and now when I am visiting a place I have experienced many times before. I walk the Olentangy often enough through each of the seasons that I can anticipate what I am going to see and the potential for what I can capture. I know specific plants I am going to see along the way. I can visualize all the paths and the course of the river. I know where all the groves of trees are located. I know the places where the deer feed and where they cross the river. I know where the sun is going to be located at different times of the day. Before I arrive at the trail, I can be thinking about the images I would like to attempt based on the conditions of the day. Surprises are rare. This day brought me the best of those surprises.