Field Notes from the Dark
The landscapes that inspired Winter's Teeth
The moment the idea for Winter’s Teeth hit me was during a foggy, winter walk by the river. I saw a drifting log on the ice, and for a split second it looked like a body. Then I thought, “What if it had been a body? Would I be able to swim out and get to them in the freezing, ice-filled water?”
From there, the first scene of Winter’s Teeth was born—a meet-cute with a corpse, who’s actually a cryptid from a brutal family with twisted traditions.
Living and working in the woods of central PA has inspired every facet of my debut novel. Over the years, I’ve had several strange encounters, but I’ve also seen so much beauty. Every season has its perks, of course, but winter is by far my favorite.
So let’s dive into my photo archives while I tell you more about the landscapes that inspired Winter’s Teeth.
Perilous, icy creeks and rivers play a big part in Winter’s Teeth. During drafting, I couldn’t help but envision the river that one winter when the ice piled up and got stuck along the bank by my house. (I maybe walked on it, and neighbors maybe tattled to my mom.)
The main hallmark of Winter’s Teeth though is the forest. It’s a character of its own.
The forest’s maw gaped, a black and welcoming darkness ready to swallow up another victim. … I used to rely on the woods to bring me solace, but these woods wanted to be left alone.
Set in the real life woods of Bald Eagle State Forest, there are 3 state parks and another state forest that kept me fueled with dark, mysterious forest vibes through the drafting process.
The park mentioned the most in the book is RB Winter, named for the forester Raymond Burrows Winter who established it in the 1960s. The famous forester made it into the book, but I altered his history to fit the paranormal narrative.
Bald Eagle State Forest surrounds the park. Nearly 195k acres of woods, it envelops and contains 5 state parks in the middle of the state. Some parts of the old growth trees are known to be so dense that it looks like night even if it’s the middle of a sunny day.
Nearby, Weiser State Forest was a little closer to home and easier to visit when I needed a quick woods fix. I’ve walked and biked probably a hundred miles here, had a few encounters, and studied the landscape the most intensely while drafting.
I worked here too! When I was an intern with DCNR resource management, I spent the majority of my time at the Weiser branch office. I’ve been in these woods year round, so it only makes sense that the landscape would find its way into the imagery of Winter’s Teeth.
Then there’s my beloved Ricketts Glen… An almost national park that lost funding right before the final paperwork went through, it’s a hidden gem that I love with all my heart. Known most for its waterfalls, very few have hiked the other 13k acres of old growth woods.
Ricketts has 24 named waterfalls, but there are 2 unnamed and unmapped that I’ve found on my hiking adventures. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a haven for cryptids.
Last but not least, a little further north is Sinnemahoning State Park. Close to the stargazing central of the state, it’s a park nestled deep in the old Appalachian Mountains of PA. There’s no cell service for about an hour all around it, so maps are needed!
The first time I visited the park, I remember being in awe of the tall mountains on either side of the road that carved straight through them. It felt like I was driving deep into the earth.
The second time I visited with my dad, we spotted a huge, all black creature running alongside our car. At first thought to be a panther (which was impossible) or a cryptid (a possibility I still cling to), we later learned that there’s a rare population of all black, large coyotes that dwell in the surrounding area.
Any chance I get, I try to go back here. Even if I’m within an hour of it, I always make the extra leg of a trip to see the wild woods of Sinnemahoning.
I could go on all day about the forests I’ve visited, all the tales I’ve heard while working in them, and all the encounters I’ve had. (If you’re interested in some of my spooky stories, the first installment of my encounter series is out now!)
Cutting down all my photos to less than 20 to share was a struggle. 😅 If you ever need a photo of a tree or a body of freshwater, I’ve got you.
But for now, I’ll leave it here. If you get the chance to get lost in the woods for an hour or two, I encourage it. Take a notebook. Take a map. Take some water and a snack. And take your imagination. Keep an open mind for whatever the forest wants to tell you that day. It might just turn into your next novel. 😉
