https://nerdyvikingphotography.com/2025/03/16/a-hike-to-remember-clear-lake-oregon/

It’s been four weeks since I’ve been out on the trail. Four weeks since I twisted my ankle during what was otherwise an amazing day at Clear Lake. I remember the stillness of the water, the towering evergreens, and the quiet rhythm of my camera clicking away but now that moment feels like it happened in another lifetime.

Since then, I’ve been stuck in a kind of limbo. The body heals slower than the spirit wants it to, and for someone like me who finds peace, purpose, and inspiration out in the wild being grounded is no easy thing. The lens has stayed mostly capped, the hiking boots sit in the corner gathering dust, and the only trail I’ve been following lately is the mental loop I keep walking in my head.

I won’t lie it’s been frustrating. Photography isn’t just something I do. It’s how I connect to the world, how I tell stories, how I breathe. Not being able to chase light through the forest or capture wildlife in those fleeting, perfect moments… yeah, it’s been rough. Stir crazy doesn’t even cover it.

But in all this stillness, I’ve found small silver linings too. Time to go back through old shots I hadn’t fully appreciated. Time to reflect on what this journey means. Time to plan new trails and new stories for when I’m finally back on my feet. Because that day will come and when it does, I’ll be out there again, camera in hand, chasing that familiar feeling of freedom.

Until then, I’ll keep dreaming of pine needles underfoot, wind in the trees, and that golden hour light.

See you out there soon.

— Nerdy Viking