Melville and Hawthorne Celebration Hike
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Berkshire Historical Society and The Trustees of Reservations invite hikers to meet at Monument Mountain on Sunday, Aug. 1 to mark the anniversary of what is termed “the most important picnic in American literary history.” The hike will commence at the Route 7 Monument Mountain parking lot, 3 miles south of Stockbridge, by 9:30 a.m.Gordon Hyatt will lead the hike, marking the 25th year he's organized and led this celebration of authors Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne. In August of 1850, Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne met for the first time to climb Monument Mountain. According to Hyatt, “This outing led to an intense friendship between the two authors.” Hawthorne’s success with "The Scarlet Letter" and its tale of social prejudices and furtive love inspired Melville to explore the dark side of human nature in his book on the whale fishery – resulting in his transformation of the material into the great American classic, "Moby-Dick."
At this year’s hike, Hyatt will give a short talk about the historical hike that brought Melville and Hawthorne together 160 years ago. He will invite a participant to read the opening section of William Cullen Bryant’s poem, “Monument Mountain,” the same poem read on the original hike. Once atop the mountain, another hiker will be invited to read the concluding portion of the poem, in which Bryant, one of America’s first romantic poets, established the legend of an Indian maiden who supposedly perished on the heights.
Following in the tradition of Melville and Hawthorne, a “champagne” toast to the two authors will conclude the event, followed by a descent from the rocky summit.
The Berkshire Historical Society, which is housed at Melville’s former home, “Arrowhead,” on Holmes Road in Pittsfield, will host a luncheon following the hike. The Trustees of Reservations own and maintain the historic and scenic mountain landscape.
