Annie Dillard

Despite her initial suspicion that her work would not be
taken seriously, Annie Dillard has become an author of
critical acclaim. Her first work, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,
was awarded the Pulitzer Prize marking Annie Dillard
as a renowned author. Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
reads like a flow of consciousness, structured only by the
seasons; it mixes a varied amount of knowledge with
thought-provoking spiritual insight. After her near-death
experience due to the pneumonia, Dillard decided to truly
experience life. This decision led her to Pilgrim Creek where
she complied nearly 20 volumes of journals into a cleverly
crafted Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. The transcendentalist thoughts
expressed through Pilgrim at Tinker Creek were highly influenced
by Dillard’s two favorite authors: Henry David Thoreau and
Ralph Waldo Emerson. Through her degree in English from
Hollins College, Dillard searched for meaning in writing allowing
herself to be molded by the writers she was reading. In addition
to this, Dillard’s writing was also influenced by her affluent
childhood, allowing her to indulge in post-materialist concerns
such as the environment and religious beliefs. Dillard’s religious
curiosity is also expressed through Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.
Raised Presbyterian, Dillard rebelled against the fundamentalist
summer camps her parents forced upon her and searched for her
own enlightenment. She has been influenced by many religions,
such as Buddhism and Judaism, but now considers herself part of
the Catholic order. Dillard has continued to produce well-received works,
including an autobiography, An American Childhood, a book of poetry,
Tickets for a Prayer Wheel, and fiction, The Maytrees and many others.


Here is a video on Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, that I thought was very interesting.

burning beneath the town

Centralia, PA

When I read about Centralia in “A Walk in the Woods” by Bryson, I was astonished at how it was possible for a fire to be burning beneath the town since 1962. This sparkled my interest to do a research on the phenomenon and find more about the history of Centralia and where it all started from. In Colonial times civilization was making huge steps towards progress and discovering the benefits from mining.
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Colliery in the Centralia area from 1864.

Lehigh Valley Coal Company, Centralia Colliery, 1928

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Coal strip Mining in Centralia, 1963

Between 1856 and 1863, 5 anthracite coal mines opened in Centralia. Men working in the mines could earn money and provide for their families until the market crash of 1929 caused all 5 mines to close. Struggling to make both ends meet, some of the laid off miners became bootleggers – they would take out the pillars of the idle mines and as a result the roofs of the mines would collapse. This practice would make fighting the fire in the coal mines very difficult.






Later, in 1962 the Centralia Council decided to clean up the landfill so the city looks nice for Memorial Day. All holes in the pit were filled with combustible material but one – the one leading to the old coal mines. Since then fire has been burning and every attempt to extinguish turned out to be futile.

A video of the tragedy can be seen here:

The story of Centralia makes me ponder on the numerous ways such a tragedy could have been avoided. With more strict regulations the bootleg practice could have been restricted. With a moderate use of natural resources there wouldn’t be so many mines concentrated on such a small region. If the Centralia Council were more careful when making the decision to clean up the landfill and the filling of the holes in the pit were executed more precisely, then it’s possible that the tragedy would have been avoided. The few people still living in Centralia foster hopes for the fire to be extinguished, but there are no current plans for this to happen. These people have roots in the town, but these roots can burn out every moment – metaphorically and literary. I think that what makes it a huge tragedy is that the fire in the mine is a result of human error and negligence.

Author close-up: Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson’s 1998 travel memoir A Walk in the Woods achieved such popularity largely due to its comfortable, conversational style. The novel reads like a letter from an old friend, and works equally well read to oneself or aloud, perhaps around a campfire or elsewhere in nature. Equal parts encyclopedic fact and hysterical farce, A Walk in the Woods illuminates the lazy, artificial and consumer-driven modern American lifestyle, and the average man’s sore disconnect from nature: As Bryson puts it, the trail taught him to appreciate “low-level ecstasy – something we could all do with more of in our lives” (page 125).

Bryson’s hysterical, informative writing style is the result of years of experience. He wrote for The Times and The Independent while living in North Yorkshire, England for nearly 20 years. He is also a scholar of the English language itself, having written several books on the linguistics and usage of English and the language’s development throughout history.

In 1995, Bryson moved to Hanover, New Hampshire with his wife Cynthia and four children. It was from Hanover that Bryson spent a summer hiking the Appalachian Trail with childhood friend who appeared under the pseudonym Stephen Katz. This Katz is also featured in one of Bryson’s most recent works, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. This autobiographical memoir is Bryson’s wry account of just about the most all-American childhood you could get: growing up in the mid-century Midwest. Click here to watch the neat flash animation he created to promote the book.

Expect the same rapid pace and hilarious, informative and lively discourse in all of Bryson's works. I'm definitely going to check out that one, and "Mother Tongue", next.

Ramsey's Draft Virginia

Ramsey's Draft Wilderness Area is about 21 miles northwest of Staunton, VA and it is one of the more rugged hiking areas in the state. A "draft" or draught is a flowing source of water Ramsey's Draft is far more than a simple mountain creek. Over the years, the small valley through which it passes has been ravaged by hurricane caused floods such that old jeep trails and foot paths were wiped out or re-routed. The trail is rugged but beautiful and since it doesn't have trail markers, hikers must pay close attention.
According to the US Forest Service website:
Ramsey's Draft Wilderness encompasses 6,519 acres of the North River Ranger District. It was legislatively designated as Wilderness on October 30, 1984 under the Virginia Wilderness Act. Ramsey's Draft (draft and run are local names for creeks) is classified as rugged and steep with elevations from 2,200 feet to the top of Hardscrabble Knob at 4,282 feet. The area of Ramsey's Draft was included in a 38,399 acre tract purchased in 1913. About 1,794 acres in the headwaters of Ramsey's Draft and around Hardscrabble Knob have been managed essentially as wilderness since 1935. This area of Ramsey's Draft is considered one of the few virgin forests of its size in the East. A Civilian Conservation Corp Camp (CCC) was located just outside the present day wilderness boundary during the 1930's. CCC crews improved the road that crossed Ramsey's Draft, working on many fords, and constructed several of the trails in the area.

Ramsey's Draft has 30 miles of trails on the 6,518 acres and its Shenandoah Mountain trail starts at the historic Fort Johnson Confederate Breastworks and traverses the mountain with spectacular views of the valley. In the photo above, I am standing by an old chimney that was once part of the PATC Sexton Cabin which was dismantled and hauled out by draft horse when the area was given Wilderness status in 1984.

I have many wonderful stories about hikes and backpacking in this magical and challenging area, but that's for another post!

for more info:
Mid-Atlantic Hikes
North Ranger District