Comments on: Bear Heaven http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/ How can we live without the unknown before us? —Rene Char Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:48:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dave Bonta http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/#comment-2359 Dave Bonta Sat, 23 Jul 2011 12:04:44 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/23/bear-heaven/#comment-2359 True. But it's an interesting benchmark of our knowledge back then, isn't it? Goes to show how, when you don't know a plant, you're much less likely to notice it, unless it's so numerous as to be inescapable, or happens to be in flower or in fruit. Most visitors to our mountain, for example, probably wouldn't notice just how much shadbush (serviceberry, Juneberry, sarvis, etc.) we have, unless it happened to be in bloom. Now that I've learned the tree by bark, leaf and aspect, though, I see it everywhere. True. But it’s an interesting benchmark of our knowledge back then, isn’t it? Goes to show how, when you don’t know a plant, you’re much less likely to notice it, unless it’s so numerous as to be inescapable, or happens to be in flower or in fruit. Most visitors to our mountain, for example, probably wouldn’t notice just how much shadbush (serviceberry, Juneberry, sarvis, etc.) we have, unless it happened to be in bloom. Now that I’ve learned the tree by bark, leaf and aspect, though, I see it everywhere.

]]> By: mostly quiet regular http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/#comment-2358 mostly quiet regular Sat, 23 Jul 2011 03:14:42 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/23/bear-heaven/#comment-2358 5 years later...just read parts of this and found an error in the last paragraph. Mountain holly, Ilex montana and I. verticillata are both common here in Centre County, Pa., especially in or around seasonal pools. Remember all the seed available in the forest at Ft. Roberdeau? (2008 or 09, we were looking at skunk cabbage flowers) 5 years later…just read parts of this and found an error in the last paragraph. Mountain holly, Ilex montana and I. verticillata are both common here in Centre County, Pa., especially in or around seasonal pools. Remember all the seed available in the forest at Ft. Roberdeau? (2008 or 09, we were looking at skunk cabbage flowers)

]]> By: Vintage « Hoarded Ordinaries http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/#comment-2357 Vintage « Hoarded Ordinaries Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:02:14 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/23/bear-heaven/#comment-2357 [...] Earlier this week, Dave reminded me of this unblogged picture when he posted several yellow birch photos of his own, saying “Yellow birch has always been one of my favorite trees, largely because of the way its ropy roots loop over the ground or twine around rocks and stumps.” I’d always thought the birches of Beaver Brook were odd, but it turns out they’re simply being birch-like, accomplishing in an unusual place the kind of rootly contortions they’d presumably try anywhere. If your blog archives harbor vintage trees of any shape or sort, consider submitting them to Rachel, who will be hosting the next Festival of the Trees on November 1. Email your contributions to festival (dot) trees (at) gmail (dot) com; the deadline for the coming festival is October 30.   [...] [...] Earlier this week, Dave reminded me of this unblogged picture when he posted several yellow birch photos of his own, saying “Yellow birch has always been one of my favorite trees, largely because of the way its ropy roots loop over the ground or twine around rocks and stumps.” I’d always thought the birches of Beaver Brook were odd, but it turns out they’re simply being birch-like, accomplishing in an unusual place the kind of rootly contortions they’d presumably try anywhere. If your blog archives harbor vintage trees of any shape or sort, consider submitting them to Rachel, who will be hosting the next Festival of the Trees on November 1. Email your contributions to festival (dot) trees (at) gmail (dot) com; the deadline for the coming festival is October 30.   [...]

]]> By: Via Negativa » Blog Archive » Rock city http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/#comment-2356 Via Negativa » Blog Archive » Rock city Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:15:34 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/23/bear-heaven/#comment-2356 [...] The surrounding vegetation might not be as lush, but the rocks themselves are every bit as magnificent as those at Bear Heaven in the Mon. The mossy parts are just as mossy, the iron oxide-y parts are as brightly colored, and the rock tripe is even bigger: we find two of the leathery lichens that are as big as serving platters. “The air can’t be too polluted here,” L. remarks. [...] [...] The surrounding vegetation might not be as lush, but the rocks themselves are every bit as magnificent as those at Bear Heaven in the Mon. The mossy parts are just as mossy, the iron oxide-y parts are as brightly colored, and the rock tripe is even bigger: we find two of the leathery lichens that are as big as serving platters. “The air can’t be too polluted here,” L. remarks. [...]

]]> By: Via Negativa » Blog Archive » A woods named Fred http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/#comment-2355 Via Negativa » Blog Archive » A woods named Fred Mon, 04 Jun 2007 20:34:47 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/23/bear-heaven/#comment-2355 [...] In the middle of a hot and humid afternoon, last night is still seeping out of the rocks. We are in a low place on a high place: caves and canyons on top of the mountain. We’ve driven an hour and a half north to find the same Pottsville conglomerate that we’ve explored five hours to the south in West Virginia. [...] [...] In the middle of a hot and humid afternoon, last night is still seeping out of the rocks. We are in a low place on a high place: caves and canyons on top of the mountain. We’ve driven an hour and a half north to find the same Pottsville conglomerate that we’ve explored five hours to the south in West Virginia. [...]

]]> By: Dave http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/#comment-2354 Dave Fri, 03 Nov 2006 12:09:24 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/23/bear-heaven/#comment-2354 Thanks, Juliet! Thanks, Juliet!

]]> By: Juliet Wilson http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/#comment-2353 Juliet Wilson Fri, 03 Nov 2006 07:49:54 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/23/bear-heaven/#comment-2353 Lovely set of photos! You definitely have an eye for the fascinating detail! Lovely set of photos! You definitely have an eye for the fascinating detail!

]]> By: frizzyLogic » Festival of the Trees #5 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/#comment-2352 frizzyLogic » Festival of the Trees #5 Wed, 01 Nov 2006 11:11:42 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/23/bear-heaven/#comment-2352 [...] This weirdly-angled trunk is a yellow birch, one of several photographed by Dave Bonta of Via Negativa on his recent return to Bear Heaven in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest. He mentions its orogenous zone in passing as well as a legendary purple dye known as orchil. More new words for my list. Although Dave found some aspects of the trip disappointing his photographs never fail to delight. For the swiftly-connected there’s a slideshow here. [...] [...] This weirdly-angled trunk is a yellow birch, one of several photographed by Dave Bonta of Via Negativa on his recent return to Bear Heaven in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest. He mentions its orogenous zone in passing as well as a legendary purple dye known as orchil. More new words for my list. Although Dave found some aspects of the trip disappointing his photographs never fail to delight. For the swiftly-connected there’s a slideshow here. [...]

]]> By: Dave http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/#comment-2351 Dave Tue, 24 Oct 2006 17:43:48 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/23/bear-heaven/#comment-2351 Beth - I hope you do get a chance to visit the Mon someday. West Virgina is one of those rare places, like Vermont, where public support for wilderness designation is actually quite strong, so there's a good chance that even more wilderness areas will be added to the Monongahela NF in the relatively near future, augmenting the five that already exist. Most of the best photos in my set are from Otter Creek Wilderness, which I may or may not do a separate post about this time. I can't take full credit for the leaf rock photo, BTW -- it was L. who spotted it. Beth – I hope you do get a chance to visit the Mon someday. West Virgina is one of those rare places, like Vermont, where public support for wilderness designation is actually quite strong, so there’s a good chance that even more wilderness areas will be added to the Monongahela NF in the relatively near future, augmenting the five that already exist. Most of the best photos in my set are from Otter Creek Wilderness, which I may or may not do a separate post about this time.

I can’t take full credit for the leaf rock photo, BTW — it was L. who spotted it.

]]> By: beth http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/bear-heaven/#comment-2350 beth Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:37:42 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/10/23/bear-heaven/#comment-2350 Dave, I've always thought that Monongahela was one of the most beautiful words in any language, and these photos do visual justice to it. My favorite is the dead leaf so tightly plastered to the grey rock that it begins to seem a part of it - but it's impossible to really choose. I know what you mean about the forest being like your dreams - I have those too, where the places I know become, well, not idealized, but a distilled essence of their particular "is-ness." I'd love to see this "ur"-northern forest in person someday. Dave, I’ve always thought that Monongahela was one of the most beautiful words in any language, and these photos do visual justice to it. My favorite is the dead leaf so tightly plastered to the grey rock that it begins to seem a part of it – but it’s impossible to really choose. I know what you mean about the forest being like your dreams – I have those too, where the places I know become, well, not idealized, but a distilled essence of their particular “is-ness.” I’d love to see this “ur”-northern forest in person someday.

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